Grammy whammies: looking back

What is this world coming to when OutKast and Justin Timberlake win Grammys? One can only hope that the results were fixed in some Hollywood conspiracy, and that our society has not given the highest musical nod to the lowest form of mediocrity.

Sam Pro

Chatsworth

*

The record companies are naive if they think CD sales are down 15% solely because of illegal downloading. After tuning in to the Grammys and listening to what the recording industry has to offer, who’d want to download that tuneless garbage, let alone buy it?

Norman Jacobson

Los Angeles

*

It must have seemed to many people in the viewing audience that Americans only consider rock, hip-hop and pseudo-country palatable for family viewing. There were over 100 awards in almost 30 different fields given out -- why was there no mention of the winners in other categories, much less any performances? Yes, Chick Corea performed, but he actually won a Grammy this year for his jazz performance, not for sitting in with the Foo Fighters.

Rick Banales

El Monte

*

Let me get this straight: Janet Jackson, who is accused of deliberately exposing herself on television, was banned from the Grammys. But there is nothing wrong with the attendance of R. Kelly, who is accused of videotaping himself committing statutory rape, and Jack White, who soon will be standing trial for a brutal assault. Am I missing something?

Joshua Belsky

Santa Monica

*

I am more outraged by the response to the Super Bowl incident than by the event itself. In deleting Janet Jackson from the Grammys but allowing Justin Timberlake to perform, we have lost 30 years of advances in women’s rights and fairness. The message being delivered to our youth is that young women are to blame for these incidents, because they ask for it, or their clothing is suggestive. Men, however, are simply excused without repercussions.

Deborah Wylie

Pacific Palisades

*

Would CBS and the Recording Academy have let OutKast and all the performers play dress-up as scantily clad popes, or Hasidic Jews, or Buddhist monks? Why not? They let representations of indigenous Native American ceremonialists and prayer items be so debased. I would like to see public apologies.

April Skinas

Whittier

*

Hey, Justin, thanks for the apology at the Grammys (“I know it’s been a rotten week on everybody”), but I’ve got news for you. The last time everybody had a rotten week was back in September 2001.

Sam Fibish

Toluca Lake