PBS Gives US A 4th of July Torture With Line-Up!

July 04th 2009

[Steelfish]

PBS 4th of July- sheer agony to watch elephantine Aretha Franklin sing our National Anthem and utter torture to hear Barry Manilow. Heaven's what's happened to PBS. Jimmy Smith emcees for diversity. And our tax dollars support this crap.

[Cowboy Bob]

Well...at least Jersey Boys weren’t too bad!

[HighlyOpinionated]

My Dad (87 yrs old) said he can’t stand singers who massacre the National Anthem.

[John W]

I believe Aretha would be put down under obamacare.

[MEG33]

I checked in just in time for great Army band music , Old Guard Drum and Fife corp..It was at the end...sounds like I timed it right.

[Steelfish]

Hope he didn’t hear the Aretha Franklin’s rendition. It was mostly a scream.

[NavyCanDo]

If I had to pick one singer today to sing it I would without pick Martina McBride. God, what a voice.

National Anthem - Martina Mcbride

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RrJMDsToB0

God Bless America - Martina McBride

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

[Keith in Iowa]

The one rendition from pop singers I’d like to hear again that I heard once, live - was Huey Lewis & the News - A cappella. Awesome.

[Texas56]

They could have left everyone else off the show and just had the Jersey Boys, and it would have been much better.

[Steelfish]

Katharine McPhee ain’t bad either for both voice and eye-candy.

[Texas56]

The comment that really infuriated me was the line that the Declaration of Independence was the “original audacity of hope”.

Linking Obama to the the founding fathers, got my blood boiling.

[ThreePuttinDude]

If I remember correctly, all of this screaming the Star Spangled Banner, started
with Whitney Houston at the Super Bowl in Tampa. She did all of that warbling crap
and everyone said, “Whoa what a singer”, at the time I had people threatening to throw
a beer at me if I didn't keep it down.

I've been on the war path regarding this crap ever since. What the hell has happened
with the people that hire these people to sing? If they would just hire/sign a real
singer for Half Time shows, baseball events, basketball, etc maybe we would get a real
version of the song....

rant/off

[mass55th]

Thanks. Now I don’t feel so bad that I didn’t watch it. I usually watch it every year, and was going to record it, but forgot to set the DVR. No need to catch the later show now. Smits has hosted previously, but I can do without Manilow or Franklin.

[RichInOC]

On the other hand, Natasha Bedingfield and the Muppets singing “Sing” and a patriotic medly have their charms. And Natasha is so not guilty.

[martin_fierro]

Please, no hat.

TELL me there wasn't a hat.

[Steelfish]

Agree- it’s time for a massive backlash!

[JRandomFreeper]

I have a lot of appreciation and respect for Aretha Franklin, and she normally does a great job of the National Anthem. But she is older than dirt. I hate to hear that may have affected her music.

/johnny

[Palladin]

I didn’t see it that way. I thought it was a great patriotic show.

I love Miss Aretha. She’s indestructible.

I love Barry Manilow, too, although we’re not supposed to admit that here. We’re too sophisticated.

The bands were outstanding; the color guards,; the choirs; the Colonial Guard; the fireworks...even Big Bird and the Muppets (Hi, Jim Henson. I know you were watching from Heaven!)

And “Rhapsody in Blue” was a show-stopper. Michael Feinstein and that new tall thin kid—tremendous!!!

I can’t believe you saw the same show I did.

And why not diversity? We are a melting pot—always have been. Where else can a Jewish kid from the lower east side (George Gershwin); a skinny little choir girl from Detroit (Aretha); and a scrawny kid from Brooklyn (Barry) all realize their dreams?

America! America!!

[John W]

No hat, but, she has put on another fifty pounds.

[Steelfish]

Agree!

I expect to be better entertained at the Macy’s Fireworks Ensemble. Katharine McPhee- sure guilty.