Aguilera Botches Our National Anthem

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The discussion centers around Christina Aguilera's performance of the national anthem at the Super Bowl, where she infamously flubbed the lyrics. Participants express disappointment over her failure to remember the words, arguing that such an iconic song should not be used as a platform for artistic embellishment. The national anthem is viewed as a tribute to the sacrifices made for the country, and many believe that its performance should be straightforward rather than overly stylized. Some suggest that pre-recording the anthem could prevent future mistakes, while others propose alternatives like "America, the Beautiful" as a more fitting national song. The conversation also touches on the historical context of the anthem, noting its origins as a British drinking song, and critiques the trend of pop artists trying to add personal flair to it. Overall, the sentiment is that the anthem should be respected and performed with sincerity.
  • #51
mugaliens said:
I would expected an apology, at least for forgetting the words.
She apologized.
 
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  • #52
 
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  • #53
cobalt124 said:
I agree with what a colleague at work said, there's 100,000? people in the stadium for the SuperBowl, take ownership of the the thing and sing it yourselves. No single voice could beat that.

That's what I was thinking too, when, after thinking I'd been spared the horror by watching the Puppy Bowl instead of the Super Bowl, I was assaulted with Aguilera's version on the Monday morning news.

My alternative suggestion, considering how many celebrities botch it, is to do a talent search among high school students and reward one with a college scholarship for the performance. At least then if it's botched, you can blame it on them not being used to performing for such a large audience.
 
  • #54
For some reason, I'm thinking Randy Newman, rolled out to center field with a piano. He starts a few, cords and leans into the mike saying "Now I want each one of you to sing along with me..." and then fade out his mike.

You know damm well, that's the one people will be talking about for years.
 
  • #55
I hate that thing where she sings and pulls the mic far away from her face, like getting some arm action going will help.

I don't see why a national anthem is needed for a football game. It's not like the honor of the nation is at stake. It's just two teams, both from America, playing with a ball.
 
  • #56
leroyjenkens said:
I don't see why a national anthem is needed for a football game. It's not like the honor of the nation is at stake. It's just two teams, both from America, playing with a ball.

Exactly my thoughts! But then again, I'm not american, so there's probably something I don't understand about it...
 
  • #57
Borek said:


Thanks, Borek - that was much better!
 
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  • #58
Evo said:
She apologized.

Really? When? Where? No link, Evo? Come on...

Chi Meson said:
For some reason, I'm thinking Randy Newman...

As long as he could belt out our National Anthem with the same gusto he demonstrated in that Die Hard commercial a year or two ago...

micromass said:
Exactly my thoughts! But then again, I'm not american, so there's probably something I don't understand about it...

I dunno. Something about millions of Americans having died for our country, throughout the Revolutionary, Second Cherokee, Chikamauga, Northwest India, Shay's Rebellion Whiskey Rebellion, Quasi, Frie's, Barbary, Spanish, Gulf of Mexico, West Florida, Amelia Island, War of 1812, Marquesas Islands, Spanish Florida, Caribbean, Algiers, Tripoli (source of the Marine Corps Hymn), Amelia Island, Oregon, Africa...

Geez, people! Did you all fail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wars#Extraterritorial_and_major_domestic_deployments"? Crickey!
 
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  • #59
mugaliens said:
I dunno. Something about millions of Americans having died for our country, throughout the Revolutionary, Second Cherokee, Chikamauga, Northwest India, Shay's Rebellion Whiskey Rebellion, Quasi, Frie's, Barbary, Spanish, Gulf of Mexico, West Florida, Amelia Island, War of 1812, Marquesas Islands, Spanish Florida, Caribbean, Algiers, Tripoli (source of the Marine Corps Hymn), Amelia Island, Oregon, Africa...

Geez, people! Did you all fail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wars#Extraterritorial_and_major_domestic_deployments"? Crickey!

Maybe over 1 million. About 1.2 to 1.3 million if you count Confederate casualties, but I'm not sure you should count troops that died fighting against the US.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf

Maybe less official, but easier to read (and he does count Confederate deaths):

http://www.militaryfactory.com/american_war_deaths.asp
 
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  • #60
Honestly, I don't see a link between number of deaths and football. Actually I wonder if connecting these things is not abuse of the memory of these people. When the anthem is sang at every occasion it becomes a routine and soon nobody remembers what it is all about.
 
  • #61
Borek said:
Honestly, I don't see a link between number of deaths and football. Actually I wonder if connecting these things is not abuse of the memory of these people. When the anthem is sang at every occasion it becomes a routine and soon nobody remembers what it is all about.

Admittedly, saying something is worth dying for is a lot different than saying the number of deaths are what make something valuable (otherwise we'd sing drinking songs before every football game).

I think your logic might equally fail, though. Try telling your wife you'll only tell her you love her on Valentine's Day because doing so more often might dilute its meaning.

There's nothing wrong with singing the national anthem often, regardless of which song we happened to choose for the national anthem and regardless of how well the person sings it (provided they make an honest effort at it - the Rosanne Barr performance someone mentioned was just flat out disrepectful).

And Aguilera did apologize for her mistake. While this article only snips one line from her statement, it at least puts into perspective that even a singer that's sung the national anthem many times can screw up: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1657367/christina-aguilera-super-bowl.jhtml
 
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  • #62
BobG said:
I think your logic might equally fail, though. Try telling your wife you'll only tell her you love her on Valentine's Day because doing so more often might dilute its meaning.

You are pointing out the other extreme - and both are IMHO equally wrong. There must be some reasonable point in between.
 
  • #63
leroyjenkens said:
I don't see why a national anthem is needed for a football game. It's not like the honor of the nation is at stake. It's just two teams, both from America, playing with a ball.
I don't see why it's played/sung either. It doesn't make sense to me. It's a game. Seems a bit insulting to choose a game with people swilling beer and eating bad nachos and wearing odd foam things as a time to play the National Anthem.

I really don't get it.
 
  • #64
By the way, assuming she did realize she botched the lyrics as soon as she sung them, what would have been the proper response. Stop singing, tell the person playing the music to stop, then start the entire song over? Recover as best she could and go ahead and finish the song?

I don't think one can assume she didn't realize she botched the lyrics just because she kept on singing.
 
  • #65
  • #66
BobG said:
By the way, assuming she did realize she botched the lyrics as soon as she sung them, what would have been the proper response. Stop singing, tell the person playing the music to stop, then start the entire song over? Recover as best she could and go ahead and finish the song?

I don't think one can assume she didn't realize she botched the lyrics just because she kept on singing.
You can normally see the look on a singer's face when they notice they goofed up, usually it also causes them to stutter at the point of realization. She exhibited no signs that she realized her mistake. She seemed totally oblivious.

I don't blame her for messing up the lyrics, I blame her for singing it so crappily.
 
  • #67
Evo said:
I don't see why it's played/sung either. It doesn't make sense to me. It's a game. Seems a bit insulting to choose a game with people swilling beer and eating bad nachos and wearing odd foam things as a time to play the National Anthem.

I really don't get it.

So, from your own post, do you hold a nation's anthem to be sacrosanct? Or do you revet it's rendition to CH?

Evo said:
I don't blame her for messing up the lyrics...

I sang our National Anthem at a Virginia Tech Basketball game in the 1980s. I spent perhaps 20 minutes ensuring I knew the words, and nervous as I was, it went off without a hitch, so YES, I DO blame her for messing up the lyrics! Each and every one of us could retire on less than half of what she "earned" while botching our national anthem.

I blame her for singing it so crappily.

Amen.
 
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  • #68
mugaliens said:
So, from your own post, do you hold a nation's anthem to be sacrosanct?
I just don't really care for it as music. I think it's fine for military events and 4th of July celebrations. I don't see a need for it to be a sports event song.

Or do you revet it's rendition to CH?
I don't understand what you're saying here.
 
  • #69
Evo said:
I really don't get it.

Study history. Learn how many folks have given their lives over the last 235 years to secure and protect the freedoms you enjoy today.

If you still "don't http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States" ," might I suggest you move to another country whose populace shares your "don't get it" beliefs?
 
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