Many viewers tuned in for the 2012 Grammy Awards show last night with high expectations and curiosity. This show is considered popular and viewer ratings tend to be high each year. For this reason, many performers feel the need to have bizarre stage performances and wardrobes that spark a buzz in the entertainment community. Singer, Lady Gaga has been known to do just this. This leads me to question why many are only angered by Niki Manaj’s performance that gave tribute to Exorcism movies. I personally feel that Lady Gaga’s performances are just as extreme as Niki Manaj’s performance so I’m not sure as to why the Catholic League has been angered by her performance alone. I understand that many people take their religious views and spirituality very personal, but in my view, Niki Manaj’s performance was just an imitation of the many exorcism movies that have existed for years.
I am a Christian, and there have been times where music artists and celebrities have said or done things that I don’t believe in and things that I find offensive but I never see complaints against those artists in the media. This leads me to question, what is so different between Lady Gaga performing in a costume made of raw meat emulating the devil, and Niki Manaj re-enacting scenes from popular Exorcism movies that have already been shown in theaters for years. I personally do not agree with either one of these performers however, I see no contrast behind their intentions and actions. I have also read reports that have stated that the Catholic League have written spiteful letters to the producers of the Grammy’s and Niki Manaj’s record label questioning how her performance got approved but I ask the same question about Lady Gaga’s past performances. Once again, I am not agreeing with Niki Manaj’s performance at all, I can definitely see how it would be considered offensive to someone of Catholic faith. All I’m saying is that I also find Lady Gaga’s performances offensive and uncomfortable but instead of people going against her, they idolize her and I don’t find that fair at all. In my humble opinion, the only differences between Niki Manaj and Lady Gaga when considering there a performance are the color of their skin and the genre of music they create. With that said, I think it is time for entertainment media news and society to start acknowledging all inappropriate performances done by artists and not single out any particular artists because it seems a bit prejudice in my view.