On Sunday evening I saw Rita Rudner perform at the Venetian, and I
asked myself, "Why isn't she performing on a regular basis
as she did years ago?"
She entered the stage looking like a
"lady", acting like a "lady", and sounding like a "lady".
For 90 minutes Ms. Rudner went on and on about life...talking about
her being a woman who is aging......she's 60 now, believe it or not, still looks
like a million, and unlike so many others, she's not only accepted it, but seems
to love being that age.
And those of us who can relate to being “of a certain age” will enjoy
every minute of it too !
And...to look at the trials and tribulations of a woman who has gone
through 25 years of marriage with the same man....she
stresses that as a major accomplishment in her life...
...accepting each
other's faults, and finding humor in them, must make for a fun experience for
what appears to be a very successful
marriage.
Ms. Rudner and her husband have a twelve year old daughter who they,
according to her, adopted....
...and when a person in the audience asked her if she
still toured the country with her comedy, she said she was too busy as a
mom.
Too busy as a mom...what a refreshing and unselfish attitude, I
thought !
That 90 minutes whisked by as if only 10 minutes had passed....and
she, dressed in a beautiful gown, speaking in proper English, and never using profanity in any way...brought back comedy that
in my mind, will last forever.
It was CLEAN.
And I miss that type of
entertainment.
The next day I awoke and saw a headline in the Review Journal
regarding the Grammy Award winners, and noted that the album of the year was won
by a group called "Daft Punk" and then I thought
about some words that were part of Rita Rudner's
act.
Now---my problem isn't with "Daft Punk"...because their music is more
of a 70s disco beat...which I've always
enjoyed.
My problem was with lyrics...lyrics that send out a message as to how
we have "evolved" as a society.
Ms. Rudner, in jest, made a comment that 20 years from now, what we
now know as "elevator music" will greatly
change...
And if the lyrics of Daft Punk's song, "Get
Lucky" are any indication of what a five year old kid will hear as he/she
is riding up that elevator, or as they "groove" to the oldies of the '10s, this
is what they're going to hear...
"We've Come So Far..
So Let's Raise the Bar"
AND THIS IS THE BAR THEY BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE RAISED TO
!
"She's Up All Night in the Sun
I'm Up all Night to Get Some
She's Up all Night for Good Fun
I'm Up all night to get Lucky
We're Up all Night to Get Some"
And if those are the lyrics that win Grammy
Awards....
Then I'm sure glad that I'm as old as I am, and won't have to listen
to it while they push me in and out of that elevator some
day.
... that hearing such trash, will somehow give me the strength
to walk the stairs instead !
At any rate, the next time Rita Rudner performs, make sure you see
her...and...take your kids and grand kids without worrying about what they're
going to see and hear.
And one more thing...forget the Grammy's...
...if that's how
they determine "quality" musical
entertainment deserving to be the "Best Record" and "Best Album" of the
Year."
Dick Arendt
From Dave Nall....Wilmington, North Carolina....to Anthem Opinions
ReplyDeleteAn Excellent Article, Dick!
From Jill from Chicago...to...Anthem Opinions
ReplyDeleteHi Dick,
Yes, times they are a changing...
The world in which we grew up, was not our parents world, and certainly not our grandparents world.
Each generation claims the New World as theirs with their music and fashion and even there comedians.
Fortunately the rest of us still have choices to watch- or not -listen -or not -wear the fashions -or not ...
.
Lucky us who lived and grew up in a time when the world was happier, safer, and more trustworthy.
From Sarelle Povitsky of Solera....to...Anthem Opinions
ReplyDeleteRight on !
From George Jacobs of Cleveland, Ohio...to...Anthem Opinions
ReplyDeleteDick-
Good comments.
It's interesting - class is always in style. I doubt that "Daft Punk" and their songs will be around forever.