Sunday, February 08, 2009

Does Anybody Dislike Stevie Wonder?

Yes, I'm watching the Grammys (snore). But I am wondering, does anybody dislike Stevie Wonder? Is that allowed? Like, you know, there are people who dislike the Beatles (overrated, blah blah blah) or people who dislike, I don't know other people with longevity in the music business, like, say, Madonna or somebody like that.

And here's the thing. I like Stevie Wonder. But part of me wants to dislike him just because I feel like everybody's supposed to find him fantastic. I think that means that I'm just contrary.

Edited to add:
I am also contrary in regards to Keith Urban and John Freaking Mayer being part of the Bo Diddley tribute. SERIOUSLY?

And I am contrary because of the way the camera people kept panning away from the AWESOME M.I.A. during the whole "swagger" rap medley, even when she was the featured person in the medley. Especially given that she is AWESOME and that evidence of her awesomeness is that she performed on the freaking day that she was due to give birth in a wacky unitard that featured her pregnant belly. Shame on the camera people! SHAME!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

stevie wonder is awesome. I tend to be contrary but you can't argue, the man can saaahhhng.

as for john mayer, he is evil and must be resisted.

Dr. Crazy said...

No, but see that's the thing. Little kids like Stevie Wonder. My grandma - now dead 5 years who would be 87 if she were alive - liked him. I'm just seriously intrigued: is it POSSIBLE to dislike Stevie Wonder? (Part of my questioning admittedly has to do with the association of "Signed, Sealed, Delievered (I'm Yours)" with the Obama campaign - definitely a different effect than if they had chosen, I don't know, Jay-Z's "Can I Get a What What" as the anthem - though I'll say that if that happens say 30 years hence I'll be a senior citizen bopping my head with the best of 'em).

Lalaroo said...

I don't like Stevie Wonder. His style bores me.

Nothing else to say, just wanted to let you know it was possible!

Maude said...

i should pay more attention to t.v. 1) did not know the grammy's were last night. 2) did NOT know that M.I.A. was performing! she is friggin awesome! i've seen her live and her performance is absolutely just off the charts man. she fucking rocks.

what i did watch instead were 2 disaster movies on sci-fi about swarms--one about genetically modified wasps designed by the D.O.D. as a bio-weapon against terrorists, the other about genetically modified locusts designed by the D.O.D. as a bio-weapon against terrorists. of course, both insects went out of control and took over a town in the one and the country in the other.

Unknown said...

Not every Stevie Wonder song is great but there is nothing NOT to love about Stevie. To adapt the great Donna Summer, he is every man, it's all in him.

I mean--adorable Little Stevie, with the harmonica. Funky horoscope disco Stevie. Martin Luther King-holiday fighting for Stevie Wonder.

He's been around for a LONG time. He manages to make perfect pop songs. He has crazy taste in clothes but is otherwise not a newsmaker for drugs or violence or other anti-grandmother-y things.

As for M.i.A., I didn't watch, but EVERYONE all over the internets agrees with you: that she was the highlight. Go girl!!!! That was some dress. I must say, my maternity clothes took a different direction...

Kate said...

Oh my goodness M.i.A. is my new heroine. I couldn't believe they didn't focus on her more: I was riveted and inspired. When have we EVER seen a performance like that anywhere that wasn't a caricature or farce? It was real, it was impressive, it made me so happy as someone who was pregnant fairly recently.

I also agree with you on the Urban/Mayer thing. But I am an unapologetic Wonder fan :).

k8 said...

While not a huge Stevie fan, the fact that he smiles a lot makes me smile. That's probably part of the appeal, actually, beyond just his music.

Comet Jo said...

I dunno about disliking him, but I don't care all that much about him...so if that counts, add me in to the dissenters. But M.I.A. - YEAH!!!

Historiann said...

I've always been "Meh" about Stevie. Nothing personal--but he's very bubblegum. He is to real funk/soul music as Billy Joel is to rock'n'roll. IOW, the kind of wedding dance music people enjoy because they offend no one.

Doctor Pion said...

The neighbor across the street was a traveling tutor for "Little Stevie Wonder", so I know (second hand) that he is really as nice as he seemed on stage. And that might be part of the reason people like him: He was and is real, unlike another child star of the same era.

Leenie said...

Hmmm. You may be right about the camera panning away from M.I.A., but (maybe to give the camera peeps a break), M.I.A.'s appeareance wasn't really confirmed up until the last minute, and even then was conditional since she might have to have left the Grammy show to have her baby, or wouldn't be up for performing etc. It's hard to rehearse a conditional appearance, and even harder to be on-cue for her "swagger like us" lines, on top of the fact that she was hugely, hugely pregnant, and it was probably difficult to even walk. The camera director may have been just showing a mix of caution and politeness, to put it in the best light.

But yes, she was unbelievably awesome :)