At Least They’re Talking About Me? Baloney!

As much as I pride myself on not playing follow the leader and just falling in line doing what everyone else is doing, I have to speak up on this one.  Meaning, yes, this is going to be a day-after-the-Grammys blog, as I’m sure so many (many) others are doing today.

Actually, I should clarify.  The Grammys themselves?  Another classy event.  Top notch all the way, of course.

In particular, what I had a problem with was the way that some people dressed for it.  Granted, I am in entertainment and not in the fashion industry.  Folks from the latter would in all likelihood take me to task for this.  But, the point is, it was an event for the music industry.  It wasn’t a fashion show.

So, the emphasis of the Grammys is the people who are at their best making music.  To detract from that by showing up in outfits that you want people to talk about instead (so that they’re thus talking about you) just isn’t cool.

Now, some like to argue the old ‘as long as they’re talking about you’ theory.  But I disagree in this case because we should all be writing and talking about the winners (and those who didn’t win) last night as well as the performances.  We shouldn’t be talking about ridiculous outfits.

So, you’re asking me, where should the line be drawn?  When a Grammy attendee is choosing what they’ll wear, they should think, “Will people comment on my outfit with a simple compliment, or will they be talking about it above anything else because of the shock value, or the oddity of it?”  That, my friends, is where you draw the line.

You’ll notice that I’m being careful not to get drawn into naming names or describing certain outfits.  That’s exactly what those people want.  But if you watched last night you have a good idea.

Think of it this way.  If someone is unsure who someone is, wouldn’t the preference be, “Oh, the person who sings (insert song title here)?”  Lady Gaga is showing signs of settling down, but she’ll always have the meat suit memory hanging over her.  I’m sure she’d rather be remembered for many other things instead of that.

Let the record show, by the way, that this is directed at both the males and the females.  I did see a couple males last night who showed up looking like, well, suffice it to say, if I was their PR person, they definitely would’ve heard my opinion why what they were choosing just wasn’t going to be cool.

And fashion industry?  Convince me otherwise that phones are ringing and Inboxes are filling up today from viewers who saw and now want to know how they can get some of those outlandish wardrobes that I saw last night.  I seriously doubt it.

And for you up-and-coming performers, keep in mind that this lesson can trickle all the way down from the Grammys and apply at the local level with a TV appearance or even the way you look when you perform at your shows week in and week out.  Be remembered for your music.  Not for what you showed up wearing to perform or talk about it.

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