Music

Grammy organizers are scared of Donald Trump

by Luke Ottenhof

Awards show season is chugging along with the usual back-patting decorum and elbow-rubbing, and we’re in for much more as the star-studded Grammys bear down on us this Sunday. But this year, there’s a slant to everything; everything feels political, and everyone is anxiously talking about everything being political.

A couple weeks ago at the SAG Awards, Stranger Things star David K. Harbour gave a much-memed boiler-plate speech rousing us to action against evil (and punching bad people in the face). Much has been made of Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl halftime show, with some arguing it was acutely political, and some arguing it really wasn’t at all. What’s clear is that when stars have a platform, there’s pressure, and we’re all waiting to see if they’re going to say something of value.

Grammy organizers are feeling that pressure this week as the show’s air date approaches. Last year, the show played host to a definitively cutting political slant, particularly with Kendrick Lamar’s indictment of institutionalized racism in law enforcement with his performance. Longtime producer Ken Ehrlich is nervous about how to handle the current political climate. “We expect that artists will have things to say and while we’re not a forum for that, we also don’t feel that it’s right to censor them,” he explained in a Rolling Stone interview.

Reports indicate that Recording Academy members, CBS execs and organizers are on alert for the show, editing scripts and speeches to erase any possible political slant, so as to avoid “the first bullet” at the Trump administration. One source claims, “they’re being so meticulous about the words in a way to make sure… that no one’s going to then be able to take from that and spin something completely out of control.” It kind of sounds like they’re Kidz Bop-ing the Grammys.

The hellspawn-filled administration is already cutting arts funding, like the National Endowment for the Arts, and cutting off money to media like PBS and NPR, so it’s obvious this caution is financially motivated. One bad glance thrown Trump’s way on Sunday night, and Ehrlich and the Grammys could be facing a vitriolic tweet-storm and economic restrictions.

Rolling Stone poses the question: “Is it appropriate for a cultural institution to remark on current political events?” If someone responds, “No! Stay in your lane, Grammys and musicians and people in general!” you’re obligated by unspoken moral and ethical maxims to flick your boogers at them.