Remember the moving rendition of the National Anthem by Beyoncé at the Inaugural? Not only does it now appear that she lip synced but it took a British newspaper to uncover the truth. The Times is reporting that the spokesperson for the Marine Corp Band Kristen DuBois confirmed that Beyoncé did a Milli Vanilli with the National Anthem.
The Marine Corp Band said that it was standard procedure to record a backing track but Beyoncé decided shortly before her performance to rely on the studio version. Even the band then faked the performance to complete the false image.
Frankly, I have a serious problem with that decision particularly when all of the other artists gave live performances. This is an historic event that demands authenticity. We were not showing up to see Beyoncé. We were sharing a common experience celebrating the transition of power in a democracy. It was a shared and live experience. Instead, we got Beyoncé lip synching. Rather than producing a symbolic moment of shared patriotism, it now supplies a symbolic moment of celebrity self-indulgence or, worse yet, how much of our government presents a false image to the public. It suggests that it is not the substance but the appearance that is offered the public. I suppose we should be grateful that she did not decide to upgrade to a tape of Kate Smith.
I am not sure why she was given the choice since I assume the back up is needed for emergencies. The Marine Corp should have refused and the person responsible for going along with the lip synching should face some serious questions of judgment. This is a rare honor for any artist and I consider Beyoncé’s decision to be quite insulting. What do you think?
Source: The Times
I am with Mespo on this one. She probably didn’t feel comfortable singing it live and went with the lip sync. I didn’t watch the inauguration to see or hear her sing.
JT:
“We were not showing up to see Beyoncé. ”
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Presidents come and Presidents go but Beyonce’? Now that’s a national treasure. It’s not lost on me that almost invariably generations of ancient leaders pass into obscurity while their art somehow survives. Maybe that says something about cosmic worth if I might wax just slightly poetic.
Who cares? Beyonce can lip sync for me each and every day.
http://www.actors-pictures.com/pictures/beyonce-knowles-17.jpg
“A singer lip-syncing their own voice singing is felt to be fake.
A politician delivering a speech manufactured and polished by group-think is somehow genuine.”~SlingTrebuchet
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very astute, and true, but that said, when performers do this there is usually a good reason…in the past, the frigid temps have been cited….but honestly, I couldn’t care less…it was her voice at the end of the day and Kelly Clarkson impressed me with her range….it’s not so much about them after all….they are the entertainment, not the main event…
Why didn’t she use a better recording if she was gonna lip sync? I didn’t think it was that great. I understand why Beyonce was chosen as she has done a ton for the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” campaign to help stop our epidemic of childhood obesity (see “Move Your Body” video here http://youtu.be/mYP4MgxDV2U) BUT there is NO excuse for lip syncing at a Presidential inauguration ceremony. Bad Move, B.
They faked it the first time in 2009 as well, “launching the term with a lie both symbolic and disappointing.”
And ironically, the L.A. Times (prematurely) thought the decision to avoid having classical music this time around would avoid that embarrassing gaffe. That headline belongs right up there with this one.
I must be honest when I heard she had lip-synced I was surprised because it was so poorly done.
As an atheist, I decided to skip the inaugural church service. Why don’t you speak out about that instead? “So help me invisible man in the sky.”
Btw, is there a conspiracy theory yet that the Jumbotron was sabotaged by some conservative contractor so no one could hear the President’s speech? Maybe Beyonce was just ahead of their game…
I am intrigued.
Is the objection on superficialities?
A singer lip-syncing their own voice singing is felt to be fake.
A politician delivering a speech manufactured and polished by group-think is somehow genuine.
I wasn’t entirely joking when I said that Obama lip-synced.
He might as well have done.
Maybe if he broke from the script and said “This time I really really want to shut down Gitmo, because it’s a stain on the nation” or “This time we’re going to prosecute torturers rather than the people who blow the whistle on wrong-doing.”….. That sort of thing would have been genuine.
How about “We drone-killed some more civilians today, but hey, sh*t happens.
At it was, he was just singing a song.
This doesn’t surprise me in the least. There is not much difference between Hollywood and Washington these days. Both are filled with the fake and the phony. And we have become complacent to these actions.
As far as Beyonce, I’ve never been a fan, but lost total respect for her and her elitist husband after the birth of their child and the way they treated the “lowly” regular folk.
ARTICLE:
Recording artists Jay-Z and Beyonce reportedly paid $1.3 million to the Lenox Hill Hospital, located on the upper East side of New York, to protect their privacy by sealing off a wing while their child came into the world.
New parents were turned away by the artist’s security team from seeing their own newborns in the NICU (Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit).
Neil Coulon, one of the parents, voiced his opinion to the NY Daily News, “This is the NICU. Nobody cares if you’re a celebrity. Nobody is star-gazing. They just want to see their children,” Coulon’s wife gave birth by C-Section to two premature girls just Wednesday.
Coulon is furious with the way he was treated and wants an apology.
The famous duo’s baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter, arrived on Sunday.
Who’s at fault here? The hospital for accepting such a donation and hurting other new parents in the interim? Perhaps the couple should have elected to bring their new daughter into the world in a more private manner. Weren’t they attempting to deter the extra attention from the media?
Perhaps in a public apology to these parents, Jay-Z will recommend they simply “Go and brush their shoulders off”. After all, he is the “best rapper alive”, or so he claims.
It suggests that it is not the substance but the appearance that is offered the public
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I am having a difficult time not ascribing this to some politicians as well.
It is an insult. If there was a true emergency the public would understand. This on the other hand conveys, at least to me, that her own vanity was more important than this historic event and tribute to the president.
But then again why am I complaining. I remember an official July 4th celebration in DC one year which Seasame Street characters singing “I Love Trash” . I love trash, a poor choice to celebrate our nation’s independence.
Maybe it is high time to dispense with the celebrity worship at these ceremonies and bring in other very capable anonymous artists so we can celebrate in the occasion and not the personalities.
I agree it represents a fraud, but I can’t get overly worked up about it because fraud is simply what I’ve come to expect. It’ll provide a couple of he said/she said moments for the press but, in the end, the Amercan sheeple will give her a big thumbs up. Just because, you know, she’s Beyonce. Whatever that means. It’s a phoney name so why should we expect more.
In the more general sense, I have been against lip syncing since the 50’s on American Bandstand, and all the other ‘star’ shows that cameoed all those singers. But they at least had the excuse that they couldn’t reproduce on the small budget TV programs the full complement of performers that it took to create the sound in the studio — basically all you got what the star singer out front. But my attitude was, like, why bother, I could just listen to the record and not be duped by the rest of it. But I doubt budget constraints were a factor in miss Beyonce’ — now is that like her first or last name, or some combination? — performance.,
Jonathan…you are usually right and this is another example
I’m not bothered in the least.
This is an historic event that demands authenticity. -JT
One would think…, but:
Life in American is about smoke and mirrors, illusions, cover-ups, lies, etc…., so it’s perfect really.
” We were sharing a common experience celebrating the transition of power in a democracy.”
I used to believe that, as well…
(Would there be a Stasi-like apparatus in “a democracy”…, because we’ve got one.)
I keep telling my younger generation that Beyonce cant’t sing. But what constitutes as singing nowadays?
Obama lip-synced too.
Perhaps she’s saving herself for the Super Bowl
Poor decision to fake it at the Inaugural without an explanation when the praise started pouring in … just another ego without brains. Betcha Pepsi ain’t too happy either.
There is nothing truly authentic about these events. All of the speeches are filled with “spin” and half-truths at best and the real oaths for both Obama and Biden were taken yesterday – this whole even was only for show. How is that different than what Beyonce did?
That was the first time I have ever heard that broad sing and will be the last I hope. Her singing stinks to high heavens and so did that of the blonde woman, Kelly somebody. Likewise for Mr. Taylor. If he ever had a voice it’s long gone. Since it was lip syncing for Bey once one would think she would be sure that it sounded better.