The Fakers
Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and other excellent classical musicians who performed in frigid temperatures during last Tuesday’s inaugural address were, how shall we say this — bow-synching.
Do we blame them for not playing? NO. It was freezing. But… why fake it? Why did they not just play the recording and admit that such cold temperatures are actually BAD for instruments? Or skip it and get to the oath already.
Because admitting it was a recording, or canceling the performance, would disrupt the theatrics of it all, and we of course cannot have that.
This reminded me rather strongly of China ensuring a “cute” girl would “sing” Ode to the Motherland during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies last summer. There was some disgust with that — typical communists, etc. etc. And here we are now, lapping it up for the coronation of Obama.
It’s a small thing, of course, and I am not saying conservatives should run out and make a lot of noise about it, but it’s interesting. And typical. Perhaps if Obama can lull the far left fringe of his party with assurances and grand sweeping meaningless gestures like this, we can hope that real and larger damage will be limited.
Lane:
It is weird and a nice analogue to the Chinese theatrics of the summer. And of course, with the Chinese, it was only the Olympics. This is government, doesn’t that make it worse?
Of course, the Left will say it’s no big deal and he only wanted to put on a nice show for everyone and what’s the problem, you old fuddy-duddy…
But I think you’ve hit closer to the mark than they care to admit. After all, what was it Shakespeare said all the sound and fury signified?
Although I worry that it was not meant to lull his supporters into complacency so much as to distract his opponents. He hopes that by respecting the forms of our Republic, he can blind us while he guts the substance thereof.
25 January 2009, 8:21 pm