Sunday, February 10, 2013

Wardrobe Seams & Behind the Screens

The Grammy Awards are tonight, and I will assure you that it's going to be a very long day – as it always is for those who participate in Award Programs of any sort. From those who are nominated all the way down the line to the techies who will be sitting in The Control Booth of both the TV production as well as the Stage Performance elements, including another batch of grips, directors, lighting people, sound people. Yes indeed, it will be a busy, busy, day.

It will also be the first time NARAS (National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences) has placed a clothing ban on its presenters and potential winners. No "side-boobs" or extreme clothing (such as we see in the pic above from previous Grammy Nights) that would reveal various parts of a woman's anatomy. All of this came down – publicly – on Thursday. Now, that's not fair to those who plan to walk The Red Carpet tonight. Only a few days' notice to clean-up their wardrobes?

What if, let's say Rihanna for example, had ordered an outfit to be made for her Walk Of Shame with Chris Brown for the event? And what if it is now considered "too risqué" for the Most Risqué-Dressing group of entertainer's on the planet? Well, she would have had to change her plans and either quickly order-up something demure yet fashion-forward (natch), or just plug the holes in whatever fabric her original outfit was made of. Such a hassle! And, as always, Shame On The Women!

Ridiculous. Had a wardrobe ban been in place over the years we would never have been able to enjoy the various fishnet and leather outfits Cher blessed us with at every opportunity. Who would be offended by the usual showing of cleavage and Booty-Flashes AT THE GRAMMY AWARDS? I would think the viewing audience at the show and at home would be prepared for what we see almost everyday in pictures – lotsa boobies and butties on magazine covers, on almost every kind of website, be it News or Gossip or Health…

Perhaps NARAS heard about a few of the outfits some of the presenters and nominees were planning to wear tonight and decided to put a Big Stop to it – once and for all time! NARAS doesn't want to be seen as a "loose" organization, apparently. That, or as suggested, somebody might have shown-up in something resembling a bikini. Horrors! (I don't think Mizz Look At Me In My Latest Bikini LeAnn Rimes will be there tonight, so why worry, NARAS?)

However, as has been mentioned by various bloggers and commenter's, NARAS is saying, in essence, that it's NOT okay for women to show their "ass-ets", but Chris "The Fist" Brown, who has a tendency to use violence as his way to get his way, is quite okay to be nominated/included. He won't show HIS "stuff" on TV, so it's just fine to applaud a woman-beater who just happens to have his Beatee wrapped around his not-so-pearly-teeth-grates, by his side these days.

Allow me to tell you that as someone who has "worked" the Grammy's behind-the-scenes several times as a Field Producer for interviews and stories with nominees and winners, as well as having been a two-time nominee years later, the only good thing I can say about the Too Sexy Clothing debacle is that the auditoriums for most award shows are freezing – in both the main room and backstage. It's damn cold in there and I still don't understand how the women who dress so tragically skimpy-like don't end up with pneumonia after the shows are over.

Wait! That's it! NOW I understand the wardrobe edict! NARAS is caring, kind and considerate toward its female members and don't want them to become ill just because a little Awards Show about music will be shown on TV and pictures will be taken all night. I mean, it IS exhausting – one's Immune System is not only fighting the Freezing Indoor Conditions, but people similar to how I used to be who had/have to bother them with questions for our jobs. At least most of what I did was arranged in advance so "they" knew we were coming. I hated doing that without a pre-agreement with PR reps.

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In fact, although set up in advance, one of my TV assignments for "Entertainment Tonight" was to spend part of The Grammy Day following one of the Top Pop female nominees around with our crew, beginning in the early morning hours of her makeup and dressing time at The Chateau Marmont, through Clive Davis' arrival at her suite a few hours' later where, after chatting with us for a few minutes on- and-off camera, he whisked her off in one of his elegant (but very little interior room) vintage cars. It was so tight inside, our cameraman had to literally squeeze himself between The Driver and another passenger in the front seat to get footage of the Then Rising Music Grammy Nominated Star with her Famous Mentor on their way to The Big Night.

Later, after the show, we followed her around again and the poor girl was dazed and ready for bed. But no. There are The After-Parties. Although she didn't win in her category, she was still Clive Davis' "new find" and everyone wanted to talk with and to her. It was a long, draining night. Lucky for all of us we didn't have to follow her back to her hotel suite to watch her prep for bed.

No rest at all for the weary is a perfect cliché for many you will see smiling on camera tonight. Those who are still "awake" and "ready to party" are either full of Energy Drinks, desperate to be seen, or forced into playing The Networking Game to remain relevant. Or have had a bit of an energy boost via their favourite poison-of-choice. (As if you didn't think of that already.)

Thankfully, after the day is over and the parties have begun to fizzle, most sane people – winners and "losers" – will quietly slip out the back door of wherever they are and go back home (or to the hotel) for a rest at the very least, if not sleep the entire next day away – unless, of course, they must be on an early morning talk show and are slated to sit down in front of numerous savvy and idiotic interviewers who ask the same questions for Print, TV and Radio. Sounds easy, but it isn't.

Being Popular can sometimes be a bitch.

Not wearing racy clothing tonight may turn a few Divas into even Bigger Bitches.

This year, as with previous years since my Grammy days, I've found that going to a Grammy Party at someone's home (or hosting one) is much warmer and you can wear anything you want.

I like that idea a lot.

See you later – and let's hope tuning-in tonight to hear and see how mangled the Music Scene is at the moment with its complete lack of sincere creativity, will be worth something other than a waste of time. If nothing else, the food you have catered or delivered or will cook should be anything you want - without someone telling you it looks too good to eat.

Chow!

Image via: http://www.thesun.co.uk

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