With Trump taking over the Kennedy Centre, we can look forward to Ted Nugent, Kid Rock, Mel Gibson, Kanye West, the Village People, and professional wrestlers receiving the honors.
That sounds like a joke, but we have learned that Trump is, in fact, a joke. The joke is real. He might well do the Village People.
Well, why not? If they have previously “honored” Cher, Lucille Ball, Amy Grant, and others, why the fuck not The Village People? (List of honorees.)
I don’t begrudge platforms out there that honor popular artists. They have their place. Actually, they are all over the place, They are endless and infinite, a gigantic pool of triviality and self-infatuation that serves the masses when they want to believe that the trashy spectacle they prefer is somehow, literally “honorable”. That the artists they love earned their way to popularity and were not the product of massive pr machinery that manipulated you into finding them interesting.
You have the Grammys, the Superbowl, the Emmys, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and all the banquets and dinners you could ever dream of.
And obviously, there are platforms that honor genuinely elite achievements in the arts, the Pulitzers, the Nobels, the Bookers, and numerous foundations and charities.
The Oscars straddle that uneasy compromise, trying very hard to be credible and popular at the same time. They rewarded “Midnight Cowboy”. They also rewarded “Avatar”, “Titanic 1997” (the awful James Cameron version), “Rocky”, “Out of Africa”, “Dances With Wolves”, “Forrest Gump”, “Braveheart”, and “Driving Miss Daisy”. And “Gladiator”. And “Chicago”. Oh my– I didn’t think the list was that bad. “The King’s Speech”. And “Green Book”.
Okay– that’s not much of a compromise. It’s all out craven publicity machine servitude.
In one of the most astounding acts of cultural reversal ever, the Kennedy Center even honored George Carlin in 2008 (with the Mark Twain Prize). Yes, George Carlin of the seven words you can never say on television. Even more shockingly, he accepted. Shamefully, I think. Shamelessly, I fear.
He died in June of that year.
In all seriousness, Carlin’s acceptance of the honor is one of the most depressing moments in the last 50 years. For everyone, whether you know it or not. The ultimate anti-establishment satirist, the caustic jester of the rich and privileged class, the man who mocked false values and hypocrisy for his entire career, feted and honored by a massive gathering of politicians, billionaires, celebrity journalists, and other privileged phonies. And yes, of course, some legitimately honorable attendees: the bait.
Bill Cosby was honored (rescinded). The Who was honored — but they’re British. I didn’t know they honored foreigners.
They honored both Cher and Philip Glass one year. I don’t think you could find two nominees whose audiences are less likely to overlap than those two.
The problem for Trump will be that not very many A-listers would probably be willing to make themselves available for the festivities given the current political climate. The problem solves itself because Trump’s constituency probably doesn’t believe Kid Rock and Roseanne Barr are not A-listers.
Should be interesting. Trump and Melania did not attend the annual festive night while President to not “distract” from the event with the political fall-out. (Some potential nominees would have refused the “honor”). So I presume, he plans to attend now, which means he needs a list of potential nominees who have no qualms about appearing with him (and attending the honorific dinners: Chairman’s Luncheon, State Department Dinner, White House Reception, and Honors gala performance).
Trump, while ceaselessly mocking the establishment, also craves the status and recognition that goes with hobnobbing with celebrated artists and performers. He loves to say, “look at this really smart guy and he’s hanging out with me.” I imagine he pictures himself posing for pictures with, say, previous honorees Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Yo-Yo Ma, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Joni Mitchell.
It’s just hard to imagine nominees who will go along with this with Trump in office and hosting, aside from The Village People, Ted Nugent, and Kid Rock. Kanye West, definitely. Wayne Newton and Loretta Lynn. Lee Greenwood.
Not exactly A-List in any respect.
They don’t want to be too embarrassed. I suspect he’ll find some marginally respected artists who will be tempted by the exposure and the opportunity to sample hors d’oeuvres with Megyn Kelly or do the frug with Elon Musk.