U.S. National Anthem: what an Insult!!

[TomoHawk]

Every time I hear the National Anthem sung on TV, it's totally screwed up!! I'm not talking about Jimmy Hendrix, who did it as part of his act, but more like at a big car race or some other televised event. :devious: You're supposed to stand up, take off your cap & face the flag out of RESPECT, but then they PAY somebody to totally mangle the singing! I wish I could get those singers arrested. Just ONE would do it!

I've heard it sung better by 4th graders!! You'd think professional or trained singers would know how do sing a song like that with respect.

Let's get those un-patriotic professional SCREW-UPS to sing it like it's supposed to be sung.:devious: :devious: I'd have them do it like Rocco Scotti of the Cleveland Indians.

Leave the improvisation junk to "America's Next Idol" where you get points by being WAY off... Or maybe we should spray BEER all over while somebody screws up the singing...:ninja:

[EScanlon]

Are you referencing the "cute" video cuts on the news? Or are you referencing televised games/events where they don't jump away to commercial every chance they get?

Television, unfortunately, as a business relies on the "sensationalism" of it's message to garner viewers. As Don Henley's song "Dirty Laundry" points out, people aren't interested in the clean story, they want the nitty gritty dirty story behind it.

The "cute" video clip on the news is exactly that, something for you to roll your eyes about, groan about people's "dumbness" and mistakes. It's even used as a "teaser" to draw viewers to stay tuned for the 11 o'clock news and then they drag it out on every commercial break until just 2 minutes before they wrap up the newscast....they present it. All 15 seconds of it. But you stayed glued to the show just to see....someone screw up.

The games/events that are televised with few commercial interruptions are either part of a station's commitment to bring you EVERY game of the local team....regardless of how poorly they're doing, and therefore that kind of sets the stage for poor talent to come forth and sing the National Anthem.

You won't see the likes of Pavarotti singing it at a simple game, he'll be at the World Series. You won't catch Penny Whatshername at the Super Bowl, you'll find Beyoncé or some such.

You're noting the poor ones while ignoring the good ones.

And forget the "personalizations". Everyone wants to be remembered "forever", enshrined in a link such as Jimi Hendrix's rendition of the anthem. As a result, we end up with every sort of "emotional" interpretation of the anthem that somehow ignores the words and message of the anthem. I don't mind that they personalize, but I wish they wouldn't make "the twilight's last gleaming" sound as if THAT were the reason for the emotion and not "that our flag was still there".

But all that aside.

At least the anthem gets sung at MANY events.

Now the real p!sser?

The idiots who can't take a minute of their time to SHUT UP, address the Flag, and pay Respect. Now, that's a real pisser.

E

[240ZX]

TomoHawk,

I concur with your post completely!!!!! It as though some of these singers are employed at a bargin price, or at least their performance might lead one to believe so. Your point about respect for our national anthem is spot on. Just sing the song in the fashion it was met to be sung....no worbbling, no restructuring of the melody, and for sure get someone who can actually hit and hold those high notes! Now out of respect for EScanlon, yes there are singers who do a terrific job but I believe the point TomoHawk is making is about the ones that suck!

[EScanlon]

Actually, I also agree with Tomohawk, so no need to quibble about good singers and their individual personalizations.

You'll often find that a really good singer can mimic the style of the song as it is remembered as being original and STILL render a "personal" interpretation.

And you're right on about the poor singers, unfortunately we can't have them shot. Booing them would lead others to think you were booing the anthem and not the singer.

So, the trick to try to meliorate this is to write the concert halls, the newspapers and the arena/stadium management and tell them exactly that....keep the personalizations out of the anthem.

E

[agemeansnothing]

i totally agree with your thread.

[gogriz91]

Ever wonder how much time you spend watching TV news that talks about movie stars? Everytime CNN or FOX starts blabbing about this BS I have to remind myself that this is why the country is getting dumber and dumber. The shoddy treatment of the national anthem is a symptom of something worse I'm afraid.

[zbane]

Remember when Rosanne sang (killed/destroyed) it?

I wish I didn't. The pain, the trauma...

[zguitar71]

So sensor the singers you do not like and make sure all the ones who do sing meet your standards. When singers breach your ethics then they go to jail or, better yet, receive public ridicule. WOW! That sounds very much like the functioning of communism or the idiotic ideals of a dictator. Two types of social control this country is currently facing off with right now.

[TomoHawk]

...the country is getting dumber and dumber. The shoddy treatment of the national anthem is a symptom of something worse I'm afraid.

You're absolutle right. We, the "best" country in the world, can't even sing our own national anthem! I'll bet you people in even the eastern European countries can sing their national anthem. I saw some stock car race at Indy today and the singer ( a black lady) embellished it so much it sounded like Eddy Van Halen doing a solo! I culdn't take it so I changed back to the Weather Channel (no Bass fishing today.)

We CAN do something.

We can contact all the TV companies & syndicates to complain about it. Have your friends do it. Especially the sports syndicates; the ones that do football, baseball (maybe), auto racing. But you should watch some programmes so you can cite examples.:devious:

[Pop's Z]

Excuse me for asking, but what does this topic have to do with classic Zcars? Isn't there enough dissention in our country right now without bringing it to a place where we should be yakking abour our cars. I'm sure our friends in other countries are not too interested in this topic so why don't we move on. Peace, my brothers, Mike

ps before you all jump me on this: USMC 1965-1968, Vietnam 1966-1967. I earned my right to disagree with this topic.

[TomoHawk]

That sounds very much like the functioning of communism or the idiotic ideals of a dictator.

I think it's more like the freedom of speech to complain bout something that's wrong to make improvements. That's how it works in a Democracy...

BTW, as I originally mentioned, I love Rocco Scotti's rendition. He sung the anthem for the Cleveland Indians for like 25 years. He could hit every note, His voice would ring out all over the stadium & I'll tell ya- I got the chills once!

[TomoHawk]

This is the open chat area, bud. (Almost) anything goes in here.