Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to 64th Grammys, falls on deaf ears
Last night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the 64th Grammy awards via video message. The former lawyer, actor, and comedian turned wartime leader spoke poignantly, touching on the immense tragedies in Bucha and Mariupol. He urged those watching to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian aggressors. Unfortunately, however, I fear he has fallen on deaf ears.
Here’s part of Zelenskyy’s speech to the Grammys:
"Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded, in hospitals…"
Originally tweeted by Breaking911 (@Breaking911) on April 4, 2022.
I’m not criticizing Zelenskyy for appearing; he must do everything he can to garner help for his nation as it fights a force that aims to remove it from existence. But, at the same time, the Grammys is not the place to get that help.
A collection of, by definition, some of the most performative people in the world will not do much more than maybe sing a song and tweet about it. Sure, it may line up with a new album release, but it has a photo of Zelenksy on the deluxe edition!
Originally tweeted by Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) on April 4, 2022.
Trotting out a man that has survived a dozen assassination attempts in the last 42 days to make our most recognizable music stars feel like they make a difference is disgusting. You may think I’m being harsh, but using the pleas of a country fighting for its existence to make the elite feel better doesn’t sit right with me.
Sure, it gave Zelenskyy a massive stage, but I doubt it will do little more than make Dua Lipa feel like she stands with Ukraine. Meanwhile, the only thing 90% of the Grammys audience has in common with the President of Ukraine is they perform words other people wrote for them.
I don’t see Lil Nas X sending Javelin anti-tank systems to Chernihiv or Odesa. I don’t see Jack Harlow lobbying the EU to institute an embargo on Russian oil and gas. I sure as hell haven’t heard a peep from Taylor Swift telling her Russian fans the truth about the invasion.
That message would have been better off being played for schoolchildren as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure they probably would have gotten more out of it.
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