Jonathan Turley: American natl anthem is "pretty lame" (re Aguilera gaffe)

[alp227]

Legal scholar Jonathan Turley (who regularly provides analysis in the media including MSNBC) responded to Christina Aguilera's error in singing the Star Spangled Banner before today's Super Bowl football championship game: "I do not wish to insult anyone, but our national anthem is pretty lame. It lacks the power of the 'La Marseillaise' and the accessibility of 'Oh Canada.'" And Turley reprints the ENTIRE "Star-Spangled Banner" (not just the very familiar first verse) to make his point. Yes, I mean "On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,/Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,/What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep..." and so forth beyond "Oh say can you see by the dawn's early light."

[road2000]

1. I happen to love the national anthem.

And even if she hadn't left out a line, she butchered it with her awful, crude vocal antics. The entire melody was unrecognizable.

[NuclearDem]

2. Our national anthem is just fine thankyouverymuch

[cherokeeprogressive]

3. The Pop Star of the Moment fucked it up by trying to make it "hers"

Nothing more needs to be said.

[Webster Green]

6. She isn't the pop star of the moment.

That would be Lady GaGa.

[ejpoeta]

9. imagine if she did it. incidentally, i didn't watch the super bowl so this is my

first indication of a problem. people will bitch no matter what. that is what they live for.... something to complain about.

[SpiralHawk]

16. "Meeeeow." - The GaGaster

[Webster Green]

30. Yum! She's so hot!

Being a 64 year old hard-core hippie, I'm surprised that I'm into Lady GaGa, but find her irresistible. I love her songs, and crank them up on my bad-ass stereo alongside Hound Dog Taylor, and Jethro Tull and Little Feat.

My friends think I'm weird, and of course they are absolutely correct. So what's new? :smoke:

BTW, I didn't watch even one second of the super bowl. The Niners and Raiders weren't in it, so what's the fucking point?

[David__77]

4. The song is far from dignified or uplifting, in my opinion.

In any event, the mass use of such songs are limited by the individualist nature of people's ideology.

[juajen]

5. I love the Star Spangled Banner

It has been sung beautifully by many people. Of course, sometimes mistakes happen when you are singing live. Most of these stars are used to recording studios or lots of noise so errors usually aren't noticed, or they're ignored because of other songs to follow. But, it is very nerve wracking to sing this song, because everyone waits for an error. How many times have we had threads when it is sung beautifully? Can't recall any.

[NYC Liberal]

7. I happen to like it a lot.

Whether it has "power" depends on the rendition.

[teenagebambam]

8. Neither here nor there but

The tune was originally a British drinking song.

[lefty2000]

11. Appropriate n/t

[bluethruandthru]

10. I've always thought that America the Beautiful should be our

National Anthem. Easier to sing. :)

[LeftinOH]

12. Maybe next year they could get a professional vocalist to perform it.. n/t

[Va Lefty]

13. "This Land Is Your Land" would be a better choice

[Obamanaut]

15. That response, for me, was a "What a great idea!" moment. nt

[lapislzi]

31. + 1,000,000!

I've been saying this for years!

[madrchsod]

14. i prefer..this land is your land...

[Javaman]

18. Took the words out of my mouth. nt

[marmar]

17. It's a terrible song.

Very user-unfriendly.

[Javaman]

19. Considering it's based on an old drinking tune and is filled with all sorts of horrific imagry...

I think it's perfect for the current state of affairs in this nation. Drunk with power and armed to the teeth.

;) lol

[Azathoth]

20. And Turley once again demonstrates why even people who agree with him politically can't stand him

n/t

[LibertyLover]

21. I think our National Anthem has the power of La Marseillaise,

thank you very much. And when the song is not sung as a dirge, a hymn or an exercise in vocal trills, a la Ms. Aguilera's version, it's good. It tells a story, a damned good story, about a time in US history where we almost got reconquered by the British empire, but held on and held out. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a resident of Maryland and don't live too far from Ft. McHenry, the siege of which during the War of 1812 caused Francis Scott Key to write the poem that became the National Anthem. I'm proud of what that little fort did, holding the British fleet off and protecting Baltimore from being sacked and burned as Washington DC had just been. We may have won our independence from Britain in the Revolutionary War, but we proved we deserved it in the War of 1812.

[phleshdef]

22. All national anthems are pretty lame, at least all the ones I've heard.

[alcibiades_mystery]

23. O Canada is a much better national anthem, for sure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meLpuF9UMvk

This is how a national anthem is supposed to function in a country that cares about community.

[JoePhilly]

24. Kate Smith, God Bless America before Flyers games. Awesome.

[OwnedByFerrets]

25. Agree 100%

[bullwinkle428]

26. Marvin Gaye - this version does not have the so-called

"porno soundtrack" drum machine (since that seems to be the off-putting part of that performance for many)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPevEQ5NFlk

[Pacifist Patriot]

27. Having been in the position to sing it solo in public....

I hate it!!

The tune is difficult for most vocalists and the words are dreck. I agree with Turley. I actually would prefer a stirring anthem that doesn't have any words. Shut up, listen to the music and contemplate what your country means to you.

[Bandit]

28. At least she didn't have a "wardrobe malfunction"

:shrug: How awful would that have been?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime" would be more apropos for our capitalist society.