"Sorry, I just don't get country music. Blame it on geography. I'm from Long Island, New York, so the only country tunes I knew growing up were Billy Joel's "Travelin' Prayer" and "The Great Suburban Showdown." Besides, any genre that allows "Idol" embarrassments and Bucky Covington to have legitimate music careers is a genre I'd like to stay far, far away from...It's not a shock, then, when I say I know nothing about tonight's guest mentor, Martina McBride. In fact, the only McBride I've ever heard of is this lady. But according to the clips shown during Martina's "Idol" intro package, she sings songs about God-fearing women and being patriotic. In other words, she fulfills every stereotype us Yankee bastards have about country music. Git 'er done, Martina!..."-MTV NEWS correspondent, Jim Cantiello
A lot of people hate on country music. 9 times out of 10 ask somebody what kind of music they hate and they'll tell you with a quickness, 'I just don't like country music.' [That's if they don't go with rap. That one's popular too.] Or the all encompassing music fan will tell you, 'oh I listen to everything...except country.' Now does this mean all country is awful or not worth listening to or purchasing? Of course not.
But 9 times out 10 country music, like rap, pop, or emo-screamo and indie, just begs for a little schoolyard taunting. [Toby Keith anyone?] BBQ stains on white t-shirts, achy breaky hearts, saving horses, riding cowboys, etc, etc.
I thought about this last night during American Idol's country night with guest mentor Martina McBride. [I know, I know. Go ahead, let out a collective who?] Now I don't pride myself on knowing every Tom, Dick, and Harry on the music landscape, but unless an artist is completely under the radar, or had no kind of media exposure whatsoever, it's rare for me to not know who an artist is, or to not have heard a snippet of a song, or caught a glimpse of a music video. And yet, I had a hard time deciphering why Martina McBride was here, on my television screen, as a guest mentor of American Idol.
And then it hit me. I ain't buying what she's selling. Then it hit me again. I am familiar with Ms. McBride. And I know one of her songs. Unfortunately it ain't one of her best.
Another night. Another come down from the scene and debauchery. Sleep is on its way, but before it comes, gotta watch some mindless television, particularly music videos. Press. Flip. Change the channel. CMT. [Don't ask] Now normally my friends and I would have little to no time for the popular country hits of the day on CMT, but sometimes a video is so compelling, so outrageous, that it becomes like a car accident, and you just can't look away. And sometimes, just sometimes, country music, like rap, pop, or emo-screamo, and indie, just begs for a little schoolyard taunting.
No comments:
Post a Comment