Shows how disconnected the music industry has become - from Deadline Hollywood:
Grammy Ratings Fall From 2017 As Politics Dominate Music’s Biggest Night
Back in New York City for the first time since George W. Bush’s first term and drenched in the politics of the Donald Trump era, last night’s Grammy Awards was rockin’ with multiple wins for a very non-political Bruno Mars and a very, very political Kendrick Lamar. The more than three-and-a half-hour- long CBS show also had an audio book audition cameo by Hillary Clinton (see below), a use or two of the censor button, a lot of U2 and Sting, a powerful Time’s Up speech by Janelle Monáe and an equally powerful performance by Kesha and a chorus of supporters.
And how far down were the ratings?
With a 12.7/21 in metered market ratings, the Recording Academy’s big hootenanny was also way down from the early numbers from the LA-based February 13, 2017 59th annual show. By way down, I mean a just over 20% decline from last year to what looks to be an all-time low for the ceremony.
20% is big. And this from the New York Post:
Nikki Haley thinks Hillary’s cameo ruined the Grammys
United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley showed some of her own fire and fury after Hillary Clinton and a number of celebrities read portions of a tell-all book critical of the Trump administration at the Grammy Awards.
“I have always loved the Grammys but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it,” Haley wrote on Twitter late Sunday during the show. “Don’t ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it.”
President Trump’s son Donald Jr. also lashed out at Clinton on Twitter.
“Getting to read a #fakenews book excerpt at the Grammys seems like a great consolation prize for losing the presidency. #GrammyAwards,” he wrote Sunday.
Great tweet from Donald Jr. - Consolation prize indeed! That's gonna leave a mark!
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