I’ve often been overly critical of Hollywood and the debauchery of our pop-culture stars, so it’s time I look for the positive in what they do. Take the recent American Music Awards, broadcast by ABC television, which shocked many viewers with raunchy performances by lewd women and men. I won’t rehash what you’ve probably already read or seen (over and over, inescapably – even got bombarded with lewd clips on TV in a waiting room while trying to take my son to the doctor – for those of you in the “just turn it off” crowd), but performers such as Rihanna and Adam Lambert seemed to go out of their way to push the limits of broadcastable vulgarity in their performances, and several others seemed eager to add a gutter aroma to their art.
So yes, I could sit here and once again whine about the degrading state of our media and the icons of the anything-for-a-buck entertainment industry. But today I’m taking the high road and reporting on a positive aspect of the American Music Awards, based on recent intelligence from a questionable source. It appears that the AMA broadcast was a major setback for at least one Al-Qaeda jihadist group that had been spending millions of dollars over the past two years in preparing a propaganda film to stir up hate against the U.S. Just as they were making the final edits and preparing the global release of their ultimate shock-and-awe propaganda film, “American Idolaters: The Great Satan’s Biggest Musical Hits,” the American Music Awards came out and rendered all their work irrelevant, and suddenly far too mild to have any effect.
Take that, Al-Qaeda.
On the other hand, I miss the good ol’ days of yore when at least some folks in the mainstream media were patriotic enough to try to make American look good in times of war rather than further undermine our global image. What are the Muslim people of the world to think when we honor such shameless people as our celebrities on national television? May they have the good sense to recognize that what ABC considers normal and acceptable is not only reprehensible to Muslims, but to many Americans also, and not just Christians. If you are in a distant part of the globe feeling outraged at American values, rest assured that women here in Wisconsin rarely go out in public dressed in nothing but a few strands of adhesive tape. Women in Alaska are said to be even more modest. Many women and men choose modesty and decency even in places where debauchery won’t give you frostbite.
In the end, though, the “just turn it off” crowd has a valid point. Do your part for the war on terror. Turn off ABC and their collaborators in offensive media. It’s the patriotic thing to do. If they go under, maybe America’s image can rise once again.
I have always wondered why the attacks of Sept 11 were directed at the World Trade Center and not Hollywood..
Not that I support attacks..
But, I'm just sayin'..
Anon: New York City, and specifically the _World_ Trade Center are both actual centers and symbolic centers of the US's (and therefore the "West's") influence (and therefore "domination") of international business.
The second target, the Pentagon, is also a center and symbol of our "military domination" of the world.
I don't have the exact figures, but I think that by 2001, China had actually surpassed the US, both in terms of world trade, and military strength. China definitely has several times more men under arms than we do, and I think their materiel (ie, military "things") also exceeds ours.
And, back in the days of the Soviet Union, it was the SU who was aligned more (ie "dominated" more) with the middle east than the US was. But did the Islamic radicals kidnap and kill any Soviet people working in Muslim countries? No. Why? Because they knew the SU would brutally retaliate.
Don't forget Carrie "Pantless" Underwood and Lady Gag-Gag-Gaga. They contributed to the risque flavor of the event. But when it comes to shear outrage and perversion, Adam Lambert takes the cake. I'm not gay-bashing when I say that. If it had been a "straight" sado-masochistic routine instead of a gay one, it would have been equally revolting.
Osama bin Laden may be hardpressed to find a better PR ally for his cause that Mr. Lambert.
And ABC is owned by Disney. DISNEY. *sigh* Alas, not even Disney is very Disney anymore…
I like rock and roll when it's intelligent. I actually like Adam Lambert's and Lady GaGa's vocal stylings but I am getting tired of everybody taking off their clothes, or nearly, making their performance a stripper pole dance and yelling look at me. I long for the days of yore when a singer just stood up, looked decent and sang a pleasant song. Nope, can't do that anymore. Got to have a mental breakdown and be declared edgy.
Great post. I liked how you avoided all the angst and drama that I've heard from others who disapproved of the broadcast. You're a good dude, Jeff.
-Hunter
I'm part of the don't even bother watching it crowd…
Ya, let's see if the Muslim radicals hold to thier proposed stated agenda, if so, the next attack would be the Vegas strip maybe at Planet Hellywood, then Lamberts residence. THAT would be radical.