On Sunday January 26, 2014 at the 56th Annual
Grammy Awards 33 couples were married on stage during Macklemore’s performance of
his song “Same Love.” Queen
Latifah initiated the ceremony and married the 33 couples that participated. The
couples that were married consisted of gay and straight couples, there were
also interracial couples as well. The public’s reaction to this event varied greatly.
One reaction to the event that the public held was a very
positive one. They supported what was happening at the ceremony. One tweet that
was posted about the ceremony said "so beautiful & so proud of couples
not afraid to marry who they want... Straight gay black white... Love is
Love."[1]
This quote shows that people supported these marriages and felt as though these
marriages are no different than the “traditional” view of marriage. The song itself “Same Love” conveys these same
opinions that there needs to be equality for gay couples to be able to get
married.
On the other hand there were also people who did not
support the event at all. Some people felt it was not the right time or place
for such an event. "For one night, an awards show understood what it meant
to appeal to the masses,’ wrote Breitbart.com's Christian Toto. ‘And then the
2014 Grammy Awards fired off a culture war missile aimed at those who believe
in a traditional definition of marriage.”[2] This
quote shows how people felt as though the Grammys were alienating those who
have a different view than they hold. There were also some tweets that agree
that this ceremony was not the correct time or place. "Why can't the event
just be about the music? So tired of political and social messages being
infused into everything,’ one tweeted. Others referred to it as "anti-Christian"
and "propaganda," while another weighed in: 'I don't care if they are
gay or straight this is wrong. Quit shoving your leftist agenda down my throat.
Enough is enough."1 These tweets
show how people felt that this event was an attempt to showcase certain political
views that not everyone will agree with.
After watching the event for myself I would have to say
that I do not think it really matters if you agree or disagree with gay marriage.
I think the whole argument has to do with if this was an appropriate time. Personally,
I think politics should be left out of certain events because it will only
cause people to get upset that their personal views were not publicized.
[1] McKay,
Hollie. "Grammys say 'we do,' get political with mass wedding." Fox
News, January 27, 2014. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/01/27/grammys-get-political-with-mass-wedding-to-support-same-sex-marriage/
(accessed January 29, 2014).
[2] Ramisetti,
Kirthana. "Grammys 2014: Rush Limbaugh, conservative pundits angered by
same-sex marriages during Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performance." New
York Daily News, January 28, 2014.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/conservatives-blast-grammys-wedding-ceremony-article-1.1593880
(accessed January 29, 2014).
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