Evelyn Barge
A&E Editor
Last Tuesday, a faint glimmer of hope appeared on the world music stage. The tiny breakthrough may indicate that the future of musical entertainment is not entirely hopeless.
The events of that day are unforgettable. A small remnant of 72,000 average Americans refused to stand by aimlessly while obnoxious pop music was pumped into their unwilling ears.
Thanks to the thousands of football fans who packed into Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Fla., for the Orange Bowl, Ashlee Simpson’s headlining halftime show became one for the record books. Just like the game taking place on the field between the Trojans and Sooners, the dispute between Simpson and the roaring crowd was no contest.
In her typical pseudo-punk style, Simpson took to the stage with a bevy of dancing cheerleaders dressed in black. Simpson was barely able to hold a note throughout the performance. The jaw-dropping spectacle finally ended on a sour note as she screeched, “You make me wanna scream.”
But screaming was certainly not what the fans in attendance had in mind. A loud chorus of booing ensued. Regrettably, the camera quickly cut away from Simpson’s face before her reaction to the booing could be broadcast into millions of American homes.
Tuesday’s events may have been a devastating blow to Simpson and her fans, but they also served as a beacon of hope that Americans are finally starting to come to their musical senses.
Consumers don’t have to sit by passively as radio and television executives force-feed them entertainment manufactured for the masses. The easiest way to effect change in the current system is to collectively reject the entertainment that simply cannot be tolerated.
That is exactly what the 72,000 people in Miami realized last Tuesday, and I hope it serves as a wake-up call to the rest of Americans who value musical talent over marketing tactics. When recording companies and radio stations discover the valuable demand for a variety of musical styles, music lovers of all genres will be better off for it.
But the Orange Bowl halftime show was only a baby step in the right direction. The present state of affairs in entertainment is undeniably bleak. Currently, millions of people are gearing up to watch a new season of “American Idol,” the show that successfully deluded teenagers everywhere into believing that superstardom is their destiny.
Millions more were actually willing to fork over $11.99 to purchase Lindsay Lohan’s new CD.
As much as I enjoy laying all the blame on music executives who are more interested in making a quick buck than crafting timeless classics, music consumers also have a responsibility to let their tastes and demands be known. And there is clearly much work yet to be done in this respect.
Thankfully, the crowd at the Orange Bowl stepped up to set an example for the rest of us. And it goes without saying that it was extremely gratifying to finally witness the splendid demise of one of pop’s most amateur princesses.
01-13-2005
