Posted on 01/27/2014 4:27:53 PM PST by markomalley
At the Grammys last night Queen Latifah officiated a mass wedding ceremony–with some couples heterosexual, some gay–followed by a surprise song from Madonna.
Was it satire? I am a big fan of satirical mockery, even satirical mockery of important things such as marriage. Such satire helps expose self-importance can even help check things such as corrupt or sloppy thinking. But satire is only satire when it comes from a position of weakness or involves self-mockery. Satire from strength is not funny and more akin to propaganda.
Hollywood, of course, is neither weak in terms of cultural influence nor particularly noted for self-mockery. In fact, all of the evidence (the genuine earnestness of the couples, the tears, the presence of Madonna, the fact it took place on stage at the Grammys) indicated that this was not satire. Instead, it represented a brilliant fusion of two of the great cultural tendencies of our day: the pressing of Hollywood celebrities into positions of cultural authority which gives them powerful influence far beyond their ability to hold a note or to learn a script; and the transformation of the serious and the sacred into the idioms of showbusiness. Queen Latifah appearing in the place of a priest or minister is neither an unexpected nor an isolated phenomenon but of a piece with what has been happening since the invention of the moving picture. And entertainers now do it all: politics, ethics, confession, marriages, cure of souls.
Where this will lead is not easy to say. Traditional political institutions seem comparatively impotent in the face of an entertainment industry which grips the imagination in a way that the gray suited denizens of Washington or Westminster do not. It also capitalizes on the endless public appetite for distraction and the desire for self-fulfillment rather than social good (as if the last term even has any agreed meaning). The construction of logical and even legal argument is now increasingly irrelevant to the way the world is moving. It is the priests of emotional aesthetics, the celebrities, who drive the values of our culture..
Pop music used to be about superficial fun, a bit of escapism in the midst of life. Then it gained messianic aspirations. At the time, it looked ridiculously self-important. It is still superficial fun; but perhaps it does not look quite so ridiculous any more.
Not a wedding. A satanic ritual. Big difference.
We have a celebrity couple in the White House (Dr. Snoop Onya and Aunt Ether/Queen Vacay) so what do we expect? By summer we’ll probably see polygamous marriages at the executive mansion and you-know-who coming out of the closet to boost Dem poll numbers for November.
Is Queen Latifah even authorized to officiate at weddings?
“the priests of emotional aesthetics”
thats beng ever so polite..
She says she got a temporary appointment from the City of LA as a "commissioner" which authorized her to perform the ceremony.
GOOD GOD...this is beyond bizzare!
I wonder if she signed the certs
Dana Owens or Queen LaBarfa?
Ain’t that sweet?
After telling heterosexuals shacking up is great and marriage is just a piece of paper now Leftists are for marriage for gays??? Its confusing this!!!
Celebrities should just stand in front of mirrors since they don’t seem to care what the public thinks. It’s all about their selfish little selves. They are so into themselves I doubt they even know their is audience out there they are so busy admiring themselves. It’s getting to be a real bore when all you have to look forward to is one more celebrity saying sexual things or using bad language or throwing themselves naked in our faces. Truth probably is without all the special stuff going into their makeovers; there are lots of people out here who are naturally beautiful inside and out. I am also sick of their robot propaganda most of them don’t have a clue of understanding.
Fark that bish in the aze with a shtick.
I can’t stand “Queen Latifah.” I’ve only seen her once, and that was enough.
Years ago, Roseanne Barr had a talk show; I was flipping channels and found her interviewing Queen Latifah. Heaven knows why, but I stopped. Some white guy in the audience stood up to ask a question; he was dressed in a western shirt and a cowboy hat.
Latifah, who was still letting her ghetto flag fly at that point in time, interrupted the man and said, “Before you ax me anything, I just want you to know you look like a damn fool in that getup. Just a damn fool.” He looked like he had been slapped in the face, and Latifah and Barr laughed at him.
She’s quite a bit more polished these days. She wouldn’t say that kind of thing now because her present audience includes the shrieking white fangirls who moved on when Oprah’s show ended, and she needs to appeal to them.
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Re: “Not a wedding. A satanic ritual. Big difference.”
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Agree — I preferred to watch The Bachelor wedding on TV Sunday night instead. The ‘Bachelor’couple, married by the groom’s father, a minister, was absolutely beautiful and the couple truly seems to love each other.
It was a very traditional ceremony and their vows were lovely. Best wishes to Sean and Catherine, the newly married couple, but a big pox on the nonsense over on the freakish Grammy show. Blecchh!
You all know Latifa is a dyke. RIGHT?
In 50 years marriages will be rare because the brand will be so tarnished. The regime wishes marriage was gone now.
I didn't know until I saw a picture of her with her girlfriend on another thread. Sickening, but not surprising.
She’s awfully butch for a queen.
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