Reader Beware!

I would hope that the regular readers of this blog do understand that many of these postings are my  effort to forewarn about the disconnect, which evolves through the aging experience. This acknowledgement established, I wish to re-visit the Super Bowl XLVII half-time show. (Note: The Roman numerals used for the Super Bowl is a joke. You all know damn well that most American football fans have absolutely no clue about Roman numerals beyond the number thirty.) Anyway, I digress; let's redirect the thought to the Beyonce' half-time performance. May I underscore the  obvious: Beyonce' is a beautiful young woman with an excellent voice and all the performance wherewithal.  Her rendition of Etta James' song, 'At Last' performed at the 2009, Presidential Inauguration was dynamite! I did not hear that voice in the Super Bowl half-time show. Instead, I saw a much different talent displayed; suggestive dance moves laced with sultry glances.

If a television viewer was seeing Beyonce' for the very first time they would not come away thinking that she was a legit voice but instead a performer selling a sensuous body image. Her sauntering about performance was reminiscent of the late Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous burlesque stripper of the late 1930's and 1940's. The great difference between the two; Gypsy Rose could not sing; Super Bowl Sunday Beyonce' elected NOT to sing.

Okay, I shall stop there! I have made my point and the point IS: I am completely out-of-touch with the masses. I am an old fart who has lost his mainstream-membership card! I know this because everybody was raving about Beyonce's performance the morning after the Super Bowl; millions get it and I DON'T! Actually, I thought Jennifer Hudson singing 'God Bless America' in the pre-game show and Alicia Keys singing the 'National Anthem' was demonstrations of terrific talents. Once again, I show my 'stick-in-the-mud' age-deprived non-cool status. I am no longer 'in-fashion' or 'in-the-know!' I likely flatter myself suggesting that I was ever a 'hip' person!

Reader Beware! With the passage of time, you too will find yourself yearning for the authentic, the simple expressions and bare-talent-performers not bare-ass performers insulting your appreciation for musical talent.