You’re completely correct about the changing paradigm of what people watch on television. At least as far as my own kids are concerned.

My daughter and her husband are 33. When I visited them this past September I was surprised that they did not have cable. Their subscriptions were Disney, Hulu, and Netflix. That was it. They don’t miss all of the cable channels showing mostly nothing along with the monthly fee those channels cost.

But it gets better. My son and his wife are 26. When I visited them last month I was even more surprised that they subscribe to NOTHING!!  They watch what they want on YouTube (not YouTube TV). They’re completely happy and don’t feel like they’re missing anything. (In fact my son just purchased a Toyota based mostly on watching several different YouTube clips of mechanics discussing which cars they see most and least in their shops. He also watched several clips on how to negotiate at a dealer and what to look out for in terms of dealer add-ons)

Jim Blaney
Nashville

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I think you should draw the line at bashing the Kennedy Center Honors. Honoring our older artists is important. Most of them have been to hell and back over the years and honoring their work is something every civilized culture should do. Please show some respect and a little more class. It’s a better look for you.
Happy new year,
Chris Frantz

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I usually agree with you but today we differ.

I really enjoyed the “variety show” last night. It gave me hope that the government can still support the arts. Biden was there ( unlike Trump who never bothered to attend).

The fact that you skipped Queen Latifah and Renee Fleming just shows how deep into your silo you are. I can’t speak about rap/hip hop but there were 4-5 of the greatest living opera sopranos on stage giving tribute to a truly genre-bending artist. You should go back and get a lesson in singing technique and expertise.

We turned it off after Renee Fleming. The BeeGees could only be a let down after that.

George Kahn.

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Couldn’t agree more with your sentiment!!

All the best, Susan Slamer

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By skipping Renee Fleming, you missed my favorite new singer: Ailyn Perez.

Too bad for you. 😉

Regards, Steve Schermherhorn

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Thanks for saying what I was thinking. However you were a more gentle about it than I would have been.

Roger Humphrey

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AMEN TO ALL OF THIS

Kurt Osenlund

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I love reading you when you are on the rag. Dionne’s voice was very special. She sold B/D songs like no one else could.

Respect your elders and the elderly. IOW: respect yourself.

The border not his frailty will sink Biden AKA RBG in drag.

Michael Fremer

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Man, I used to adore variety shows.

Standing ovation for you. Thanks for saying this.

Natalie Davis

NYC

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You really nailed it with this one.

We want bold, brave and true.

Not old, lame and blue(haired)

Delia Rae

Burbank, Ca

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Oh, Bob…your review was much more entertaining than the show was. And as depressing as your message was, I laughed all the way through it. Good stuff.

Tom Gribbin

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Spot on, Bob

Happy New Year…

Cob Carlson

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They missed an opportunity to have two older, black performers, who can REALLY sing, honor the man, and at the same time present them to a new audience. Al Green is still working and he recorded How Can You Mend A Broken Heart in 1972.

Also, Candi Staton, who is also still working, did a great version of Nights On Broadway in 1977.

Kevin Kiley

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As a lifelong Democrat and sometime left-wing radical, I agree with you. Biden makes me wince, although who else is there to vote for? I choke on my oatmeal everytime I hear about all the “other” candidates. Nikky Haley is toast.

She’ll never get past that quote about slavery, no matter how hard they spin it. Someone has to whisper in Joe’s ear “Time to step aside Joe”.  And I like Biden, but his “Speak softly and carry a big stick” approach is a tough sell in 2024.There are plenty of Democratic warriors on our side. But it may be too late for them to jump in. I’m secretly hoping Obama can sit with Joe and tell him the truth, but that’s not gonna happen. Biden is like the Raiders quarterback.

He’ll have to do. I think we can win with him.

Tom Cartwright

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I can respect some of your comments, Bob, but you don’t know what you’re talking about with Queen Latifah. She’s definitely not B level to the hip hop community and beyond. Any artist would love her career accomplishments.

Stacy Turner

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The singers of “Alfie” and “Walk On By” were not good. Nothing but vocal histrionics from the first. The “Walk On By” singer had a weird, nasally voice. It was awful.

Thomas Quinn

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Agree 100% Bob about Biden and I’m a diehard Democrat.

Robert Pisaneschi

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I hate when you fall into, “ angry old man” complaining.
Some of what you say is true but not enough…not every endeavor in the arts or farces has only you in mind.
DeNiro’s remark wasn’t a dig…it was an endorsement!
You’re all wrong on Biden you know.
So what if his body is old, his experience and expertise saved this country and trashing him could give us Trump again.
Big fan of most of what you write but not this one.
Lighten up Bob, enjoy!
Alan Crane

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Biden is basically unelectable and I am having a meltdown about it. Clinton, Reagan, Kennedy have/had charisma and charm and smarts. Biden has smarts. You need more. Ugh.

Alan Stewart

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Well said Bob!  To me the last truly great and surprising performance/tribute the Kennedy Center Honors had to be in my opinion, Heart doing Stairway to Heaven when the surviving members of Led Zeppelin were inducted. How long ago was that now? (Just googled it and holy crap that was 11 years ago!). That was a truly stunning and complete unexpected performance. Hell even Robert Plant who had long since tired of the song, was moved by it!  Sadly even when Jon Stewart was inducted a few years back, you expected some bite and John Oliver did oblige but overall it was still a pretty meh tribute, it being a “polite DC society” and all event.

Some things are just best to let go of gracefully and lament their passing than watch it die a slow agonizing death while trying to pretend there is nothing wrong. Seems the KCH and Biden/DNC are ignoring this fact.

Michael Moniz

P.S. Biden is our 1/6 is an all time bad take.

But your point is salient about our own eyes.

My question would be where are these acolytes ?  Do you know people in your life that say its not true?  Or are you just referring to media.

I don’t know anyone in my life who is a fan or defends him.  Just the typical “he can beat trump” arguments , but always whole holding their nose.

Theres a clip somewhere of a comedian where someone yelled “f*ck joe biden!” And hes like “is that supposed to offend me?  You’re making fun of my 17th choice for president?”

Seems to be the consensus to me

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Biden should do what FDR did, he knew his health was bad- also knew that Wallace was too progressive, and the country had turned more center. He decided to let the convention pick the VP and they picked Truman. We all knew what happened then. I think that may be the thing that will help Biden. Confidence in who may have to take his place.

Peter O’Fallon

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Man, this was like watching television in the ‘70’s. Love the audience shots of old white people trying to groove… Sad to say the “Honors” jumped the shark.

Doug Pomerantz

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Gimme some truth
Thank you for the truth it is SO rare that I hear it now, it just stands out and stands up
Thanks for telling it
Peter Stema

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Wow, Bob, I didn’t expect to see Florence Greenberg get well-deserved credit in this one. You don’t often navigate towards classic soul.

She earned it. Not only with Dionne, but with the Shirelles, Maxine Brown, Chuck Jackson, Tommy Hunt and more. Hey, even the Kingsmen and B.J. Thomas. You know those artists’ hits, if not their names (let’s not discuss the British covers).

Hooray.

Adam White

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The reason kids love/watch YouTube is that teenagers are always more interested in each other than any celebrity nonsense the media manufactures. If you pay attention to young people you will learn that this has always been true.

Liz Dean

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Absolutely fabulous piece Bob. As someone that has produced, a live broadcast of an award show celebrating the arts for the last eight years, it is discouraging that most broadcasters and streamers don’t have an appetite for award shows or variety style shows such as the Kennedy Center Honors .
Broadcasters will tell you that in the face of declining ratings there is not much an appetite from the public for this genre of entertainment but what they failed to understand is that it’s way beyond ratings it’s about supporting artist, discovering new artists, celebrating extraordinary talent and Ensuring that the arts continue to thrive. I do applaud Netflix for picking up some of the award shows that have been abandoned by Traditional broadcasters, and I do hope other streamers will find a home for variety and award shows in the future.

Barry Avrich
Producer/Director
Melbar Entertainment Group

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Hear, hear Bob.  I agree with every word of this letter.

R. Scott Furtney

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Bob  I enjoy your writing  please keep piushing for new leadership w Dem,s  Michigan governors Adam kinnzinger if not Newsom   Scared of Trump return and Winn by default  please keep pushing

Dave Prutting

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You may be correct that award shows are losing their relevance and audience, but last night’s performance of Alfie by Cynthia Erivo was riveting and worth tuning in If for nothing else. I was also there in the audience during the filming and felt transported to another world by her voice and presence. I was unaware of her prior to that moment and I’ve been obsessing ever since!

I have a 10 year old who watches mostly tik tok and YouTube and last night I had her watch just that song on the honors and her reaction to Cynthia reminded me of how I reacted when I saw Streisand in the movie Funny Girl as a child. Together we went down the YouTube rabbit hole finding Cynthia videos but few compared to what we just watched on KCH which was a brilliant matching of voice, song and production elements. Stunning.

Jennifer Cooke
Artist Manager

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This show, along with Tony’s are the only things left that come close to a classic Variety Show.

Who the hell chose those songs to honor Dionne?! The Spinners’ duet? A horrific arrangement of Walk On By.  I Say A Little YAWN! Cynthia killed Alfie – thankfully.  Where was Manilow? He doesn’t have a KC Honor yet, shockingly. But it was he who produced Dionne’s comeback album for Clive (winning her two Grammys). And while it may be a cheesy moment, the right 4some belting That’s What Friend Are For, which Dionne personally made sure made millions of dollars for AIDS, could have been a “moment.”   Either the bookers don’t bother or don’t realize that some talented youngsters like Jonas Bros, Olivia, Ariana, Miley, Shawn Mendez, Puth, Demi, Normandie would likely jump to salute their – or their parent’s – idols.

Interestingly, it seems this show only gets it right when they honor Broadway star or creator.

Latifah?! Really? Janet Jackson isn’t in there! Why? Because it’s CBS? Still? C’mon now. Taking nothing away from Queen and her career accomplishments (I actually am a huge fan of her singing voice) – but the tribute – leaning on her hip/hop contributions seems interesting.  She spent 9 years releasing 4 albums which maybe in all had 3 bonafide R&B/Rap hits.  So – a KC Honor? Was something inside CBS at work here – where’s she’s one of their stars? Hmmmmm?

Of note: in addition to Manilow, Johnny Mathis and Liza have YET to be honored.  As much of a shame as Cher not in the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame.

As for Barry Gibb… that tribute was questionable at best.  Almost thrown together haphazardly.  “Lonely Days”? – they penned hundreds of hits.  And this was a hit.  But a memorable one?  Compared to the catalogue?! No.

I mostly yelled at the TV.  Maybe they’ll ask us for help next time, Bob.

Jerry J. Sharell

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Longtime reader & songwriter down in Tennessee. I couldn’t agree with you more. On EVERYTHING in this email.

People are so afraid of everything that is happening and it seems like all anyone can do is just stick to the things that make them feel incredibly safe. Which is incredibly lame. And gets you absolutely no where fast.

Yes the world is a dumpster fire but it doesn’t mean we quit innovation. It means we gotta f*cking hustle before the great big ball in the sky burns out!

Shows like the Kennedy Center Honors are sailing right along down the river of safety for all these liberal folks who think they are so open-minded but refuse to admit when they are wrong and when cornered they start screaming. And listen, I’m a liberal but I can see the writing on the wall. Both sides of the political spectrum are equally f*cked and divided within their own parties so why on earth would anyone be persuaded to be part of either side?! The narrow-minded point of view will do us all in because those at the top, with the most power and the narrowest view are steering us into what looks to be the same kind of shipwreck you’d find down in the waters of Cape Horn.

But either way, I look forward to more of your writing and emails. They bring me comfort and I appreciate your willingness to speak the truth at a time when people choose not to hear it.

Happy New Year,
Lolo Pritchard

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Re:  Youtube (and smaller screen)

Ironically Bob I’m 50 and I watch more youtube than anything else.  And, aside from watching shows / movies with my wife on our big screen, I watch almost everything on my 14 inch Samsung S8 Ultra, which is basically a mini TV with a much better / brighter screen and portable.

This isn’t a commercial for Samsung, however when I bought one of their phones a couple years ago it included a six month trial for Youtube Premium which is basically no commercials, and I was hooked.  I pay $14 a month now for zero commercials.

There’s an endless treasure trove of documentaries, how-tos, MSNBC clips, political analysis by really fresh creators, I even sometimes watch OAN and Fox News when I want to get what the RepuliQans are spewing.

The only thing I / you / we have to be careful with is the recommendation engine.  Watch the wrong video that has a little bit of a rightward bent, and suddenly that algorithm will go nuts showing you click bait Jewish space lasers, illuminati, stock market crashes, Andrew Tate stuff, and other right wing conspiracy nonsense or hate-filled garbage.

The algorithm clearly WANTS you to go down that rabbit hole.  Obviously more money in it for google.

Ironically some of that comes from watching more right-tilted redneck country stuff that I have to check out for work, and also enjoy a bit of, some of it is great music, and I need to pay attention to the genre.

Also, Joe Rogan is a biggie.  Watch a couple Joe Rogan clips, even of him just telling jokes and talking about supplements, and Youtube will start recommending the craziest sh!t.

Watch military or WWII documentaries, movie clips from more violent films, it doesn’t take much for that engine to start blasting you with nonsense.

So I ignore the algorithm and watch what I like, but I can see why people with lower critical thinking skills can get pilled pretty quickly just by casually watching Youtube’s recommended videos.

Were I a parent, I’d be more concerned with my kids accidentally watching a couple of mostly harmless things that are tangentially connected by the algorithm, and winding up redpilled incels or end of the world doomsday preppers.

Anyway, I guess that’s the price of unfiltered free content.

Dan Millen

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I was scrolling through channels when I stumbled onto it.  I saw Queen Latifah and just kept scrolling. Don’t they know that people would rather watch it an hour later on YouTube with no commercials, anyway? Even boomers!  And in whatever order they want ignoring what they don’t want Chrissakes!  But you covered that in your piece.

But there was nobody present with the capacity to raise the dead.  And speaking of hagiography does anyone still wanna watch the Saints adoring the Saints? Welcoming them into heaven? The Elite adoring the Elite? Seriously?  (and all the accompanying close up very emotional
“audiencefulloSTARS”camera shots)

I don’t.  I didn’t.

And what a lame lineup!  No apologies.  Just lame.  But I’m old and who cares what I think?  If any of them devoted 10,000 of Gladwell’s hours to practice it was Renèe.  So good for her!  But  the only lineup that would please me would have to include British Rocker Saints and perhaps some others…..even born in the USA.  Heroes for longer than 15 minutes.    And I’d wait for youtube. F*ckabuncha commercials!  Maybe I’ll check out The Bee Gees minute.  But right now I’m listening to Foxtrot.  A record I bought over 50 years ago.  And it’s all I need at the moment.   (Hackett, thankfully, is keeping it alive) Am I digressing?  Am I the old paradigm? Still listening to actual albums on a turntable and not   Spotify playlists?  I want the whole experience.  Even on Spotify.   I know, there’s a  vinyl “movement.” Vinyl is “cool.”  Great.  But it was what we had.  What we did. What we lived.  And there was no tech except mebbe stereo gear, home and car, and that was analog and all about good sound and how do you explain the ethos of those times to the newlyfounds? Vinyl wasn’t cool.  It was everything.  And more.  It still is if you were there.  You can still plug in.

Anyway I’m allowed to digress.  I’m f*cking old. Colin Hay said in a song “I was invincible now I’m invisible” or something similar.  He wasn’t singing about me but he was…. Nobody sees or hears me except cashiers when I’m tapping or swiping a credit card or my kids when they want money.

Anyway Happy New Year to ya

Bill Nelson

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You’re way too angry man. Take a walk outside. The sun is out. You’ll
live longer and maybe be happier. Really.

Mitch Tenzer

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You are the last cool one of our generation.  Love your writing!
PS yes, I know it’s “uncool” to say “cool”!!

Terry Savage
Nationally Syndicated Financial Columnist
www.TerrySavage.com

Tune in Saturday December 30th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz

Writer for “Rolling Stone” and executive producer for “The Sopranos” Robin Green wrote a great memoir, “The Only Girl.” We discuss just that, being the only girl on the masthead at “Rolling Stone,” and her path from Rhode Island to Hollywood and more.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/robin-green/id1316200737?i=1000639906884

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/382b6f01-ebba-4bff-b7b4-0424c5a9302c/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-robin-green

This is what is going to disappear. Along with gasoline automobiles and so much more. A variety show with dancing and singing? They’re already gone from regular network TV, the idea of appealing to everybody went by the wayside not only with cable TV, but with the internet and streaming no one watches what they do not want to. As a matter of fact, I skipped Queen Latifah and Rénee Fleming, I just don’t have time for over the top hagiography in today’s earthy world where we’re looking to pierce hearts and minds viscerally as opposed to platitudes written by calcified writers operating under a dead construct.

And speaking of dead…

Joe Biden is the Democrats’ 1/6. As in we can see it with our own eyes and the man’s acolytes keep telling us we’re wrong. Man, this guy is OLD! And stiff. He needs the Tin Man to give his body some oil. And when he speaks… There’s little power and you start to wince. Complain to me all you want, that’s just the point, you can’t admit that the guy is too old and we need someone new. These are the same people who believe the Kennedy Center Honors appeal to anyone who isn’t nearly dead themselves. The brain might work, he might have done good things in office, but this dude is over the hill. Don’t talk to me about Trump being only four years younger, as you keep telling us people age at different speeds, and Trump, at least physically, is aging much more slowly than Biden. As for his mind…

If you’re following the polls, you know that Nikki Haley is within four points of Trump in New Hampshire. That’s the headline, the truth is just a bit different. It’s eight points and with the margin of error being four, the headline is four. In any event, that’s close. And I’d say Nikki Haley has a chance, but after the Honors I picked up my phone to find out Nikki wouldn’t admit that slavery was the cause of the Civil War. I mean talk about a layup. And it’s a bad look no matter how you spin it. You’re afraid of offending white nationalists so you won’t admit a truth over a century and a half old? Then again, maybe these states are turning into Gaza, with their book bans and rewriting of education, have you seen the clip where they delineate what is taught to these kids? Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/5963mfd8 And while you’re at it, say it’s wrong. That’s today’s world, everything is up for grabs, there is no accepted truth, and there are no universal stars.

That’s right, fifty years from now they’ll be honoring social media influencers, who’ve got more reach than streaming stars. Did you see the article that today’s young kids watch programming on YouTube, not paid streaming outlets? Disney thought this was their ace in the hole, you’ve got to pay for the history of cartoon fare. But kids are satisfied with what’s on YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/mr25rdps Wait long enough and the world turns in unexpected ways. YouTube tried original production and failed. Turns out it’s not about company-produced stuff, just like Amazon is really eBay under a different moniker. That’s where the company makes its money, on third party products.

So first they honored Dionne Warwick.

Well, first we had Gloria Estefan with a song and dance intro, so lame I couldn’t wait for it to end. Maybe tell a  few jokes. Like Robert DeNiro, who turned out to be the biggest comedian on stage. He took a potshot at Biden’s age. He came up to the line of taboo. Everybody else was stuck in the sixties, if not the fifties.

And I like “Walk on By,” but as good as Dionne is, Burt Bacharach and Hal David were better. All the money’s in the songs, never sell yours, you’ll regret it, as Daryl Hall has now publicly said.

But watching Warwick all I could think of was the Psychic Friends Network. Bacharach and David never had to do this. And it made me wonder about tarnishing the legacy, then again if you live long enough you know the truth is there is no legacy, almost everybody they honor will be forgotten not long after they die, if it takes that long. Jay Leno? He used to be on TV every night? Looked like they reeled him out of the casket. Young people have no idea who he is. But I’ve got to give him credit for losing weight and not dyeing his hair. Yes, there was a lot of white hair, if there was hair at all. Because this was an old audience, the kind that is not passionate, they should have protested the appearance of Justice Roberts, the lack of the right to an abortion is more important than any of the talent honored last night.

But it was civilized, like honoring the nerds in high school, you know, the National Honor Society. Talk about meaningless. Kids today might have gotten a trophy for participating, but maybe that’s why they know awards, trophies, are a joke.

And to have a totally faux Spinners sing “Then Came You”… My body had to stretch like a rubberband man to cope with that.

And there was a plethora of B-level talent throughout the show. You mean you couldn’t get anybody better?

And they wheeled out old Clive Davis, who can’t miss an opportunity for self-promotion even though his eyesight is so bad he had to read off an iPad right in front of him. Never mind that Dionne’s big hits were not on his labels. Let’s honor Florence Greenberg of Scepter Records. I remember that logo spinning on the record player. But she’s already dead and forgotten. And even Mica is gone, Ahmet didn’t have to sit through travesties like this. Ahmet had a sense of humor, he knew false when he experienced it. If you knew him, if you hung with him just a little bit, you know this was true.

Queen Latifah? I’ve got nothing against the woman, but she’s definitely a B-level artist. Fiftieth year of hip-hop and this was all you could come up with? Afraid of someone a little more dangerous?

I respect Rénee Fleming, but it’s not really my bag.

As for Billy Crystal. Heartfelt and heartwarming. Even though Crystal himself is a bit bland. It’s the edgy comedians we ultimately respect. It’s taking a very long time for Richard Pryor to leave our consciousness. Then again, Pryor never won a Kennedy Center Honor, showing its long term effectiveness in honoring talent. And while I’m raging, couldn’t they come up with a better necklace/ribbon?

DeNiro was the highlight of the night.

And Bob Costas was great too. A professional, you couldn’t tell that he was reading from the teleprompter, like too much famous talent.

As for Barry Gibb…

I liked Little Big Town’s rendition of “Lonely Days,” if for no other reason than I love that song, I thought the tribute would be all disco.

“Good morning, Mr. Sunshine…”

From slow to fast, a great record, and a hit to boot.

As much as I like “Lonely Days,” that’s how much I dislike “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.” But Michael Bublé changed it just enough so I got it. Kudos. Ben Platt doing “Nights on Broadway”… Okay, but I don’t love that song and it’s more of a record than a song anyway, hard to reproduce live.

As for Ariana DeBose singing the disco hits… Do you even know who that is? She won an Oscar on a show no one watches and no one remembers who won. She was lame, the whole bit was underwhelming, I’m surprised Barry Gibb didn’t stand up like the Nazi during “Springtime for Hitler” and scream to shut it down.

Oh, so you’re pissed I just can’t accept this dreck and say something nice. But that’s a passé paradigm. Gimme some truth.

But one of the main reasons I’m writing this is to remind you that ten years ago live-tweeting a show like this was a national pastime. Now you don’t even watch, never mind tweet.

The world has changed and it’s not only the right that refuses to admit it. Which is why we rely on youngsters to push progress, to move the nation forward. And you’re serving up ancient Joe Biden for these youngsters to believe in? Don’t tell them you know better, you’re the same people who proffered this lame show they didn’t watch.

Then again, if you speak the truth in America you’re excoriated for not prefacing it with a trigger warning.

The brave break norms. And in truth, not a single person honored last night broke norms, they were all strictly within the mainstream. Those aren’t our heroes, it’s the ones who make our jaws drop, who we can’t stop talking about, who are.

But the oldsters think they’re too dangerous for mainstream consumption. Which is how recently passed Tommy Smothers lost his Sunday night show.

But at least Tommy Smothers tried. That makes a better obit than kissing ass.

Welcome to America today, where there is no consensus, where we’re living in a Tower of Babel society, yet old media keeps telling us it’s all the same.

It’s not.