I used to think award shows were worth paying attention to a long time ago due to the cultural impact it had, but last night I busied myself doing other things knowing full well I would cover it the next day. 

Nowadays, award shows are just a giant back-patting circle of bubbled celebrities showing off things to one another, be it their stage presence, expensive outfits, or ability to virtue signal. It's a show I've seen a million times before, and to be honest, it's old hat. The music might be new, but painting the same playground a different color isn't going to change the activities. 

At Sunday night's Grammy Awards, things happened, songs were sung, and dresses were worn. Speeches were given, and virtues were signaled. Yet, despite all the lights, cameras, and action, these Grammys felt less like they were putting on a show for us, and more like they were talking amongst themselves. I got the distinct impression that this was a group of people still trying to convince themselves that they had some sort of influence on... anything. 

Beyoncé took home the award for "Best Country Album" for Cowboy Carter, which didn't exactly feel earned. Cowboy Carter is more of a pop album with a country theme than a country album, and though I could say that's the same for many country albums today, Beyoncé going home with the Grammy felt like it was more political than not. 

You see, Beyoncé had been snubbed for a Grammy one too many times, and giving her one wouldn't just silence the outrage, it would be a crazy moment in Grammys history because a pop legend would have also won a Grammy for being a country artist. Please talk about us! 

Chappell Roan put on a pretty good performance of "Pink Pony Club." While I completely disagree with every one of her politics, I can't deny her stage presence, moreover, I thought her politically-fused acceptance speech for "Best New Artist" was interesting. It didn't appeal to any government body, but to the record label heads sitting in the suites to provide a "living wage" for artists who hadn't made it yet but were trying to become something great. 

Chappell Roan's speech was everything wow

"I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage,… pic.twitter.com/mHZIhNn1nq

— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) February 3, 2025

It probably won't happen, but I thought it was an interesting turn to demand the industry put its literal money where its budding artists' mouths are. No doubt, it made their bean counters squirm.

Other political speeches were made that even The Hollywood Reporter decided to gloss over in a single, short paragraph: 

In other speeches, Alicia Keys argued, “DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift,” Shakira made a call on behalf of immigrants, Lady Gaga made a call on behalf of trans visibility and Lamar made a call on behalf of Mustard.

Kanye made an appearance with his wife, Bianca Censori, and she was completely naked underneath a very see-through wrap. I'm not going to link any photos here, obviously, but I will link Megyn Kelly's reaction to it, which I thought was right on the money. 

"Raise your hand if you think, if you showed up at the Grammys completely naked on the red carpet, people might pay you some attention," said Kelly. "It doesn’t make you seem special. It makes you seem crass, classless & desperate."

Raise your hand if you think, if you showed up at the Grammys completely naked on the red carpet, people might pay you some attention.
It doesn’t make you seem special. It makes you seem crass, classless & desperate.

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) February 3, 2025

As of this writing, the ratings for this year's Grammys still haven't been released. In truth, I think they'll probably see a good deal more people watching than even last year, because many people who didn't vote for Trump may feel like they need to find a mainstream place where anti-Trump sentiment is alive and well. 

But regardless, it's hard for me to feel like despite all the glitz, glamor, and big names, it wasn't exactly grabbing the populace. Trump is moving a mile a second, and with all that's going on, it's kind of difficult to care what some ineffectual celebrities are saying. This is the same community that largely opposed Trump, and most of America shrugged that community off, even to the point of feeling resentment for them. 

Now, more than ever, it felt like these celebrities were mostly talking to each other than any of us. They told each other that DEI, illegal immigrants, and transgender people are great, but the rest of America largely rejected all three of those things, and the last election was proof. We're cheering wildly as all three of these things are having their fingers forcibly pried off our society so we can heal. 

I have no doubt there will be a smattering of news articles about it, but I'm having doubts that any of this will amount to anything actually happening as a consequence. Most people will forget it even happened in a week, especially as news of Trump's latest moves sweep the headlines. 

It's no longer their world, and the Grammys felt more like a wake than a celebration.