On his inauguration day, President Biden managed to place one last campaign ad.
Instead of the usual inaugural ball cover – you know, a nice ballad from BeyoncHer while the president and first lady dance slowly – we got a celeb-filled, sober concert called “Celebrating America” that aired primetime on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and MSNBC.
Hoping that Rachel Maddow would sing “You’re A Grand Old Flag” while spinning flaming bats, I was disappointed by the less exciting, but just as transparent, 90-minute program. The evening was little more than a self-righteous public relations opportunity for the new government.
A press release said the program would “demonstrate the resilience, heroism, and united dedication of the American people to come together as a nation to heal and rebuild.”
Calm down, guys. Jon Bon Jovi showed this on a dock in Florida.
OK, at times it really did what the title claimed it would. Songs were introduced by frontline workers, teachers and young volunteers. No one would deny their heroism or dignity. But those segments were narrated by Biden, of course, and looked like the kind of 30-second spot you’d see on a TV in Ohio on November 6.
Just hours after the most important speech of his life, Biden was allowed to give another one. And this time, instead of being introduced by Amy Klobuchar, he was upgraded to Tom Hanks.
“[We] wanted to make sure our inauguration was not about us, but about you, ”the president said as he stood in the humble, unselfish Lincoln Memorial.
“Because of you democracy has triumphed,” added the prez. So if the other man had gotten more votes, would democracy have screwed up? Never mind. Bring on the songs.
In recent days, politicians and experts have told us that the darkest days of the pandemic are still raging. You wouldn’t know that from the chipper music choices: Jon Bon Jovi covered ‘Here Comes The Sun’, Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons played a duet on ‘Better Days’, John Legend sang Nina Simone’s classic ‘I’m Feeling Good’ and the Foo Fighters wailed “Times Like These” (“I’m a new day rise !,” the lyrics read).
Demi Lovato later jammed on “Lovely Day” as Biden and first lady Jill Biden awkwardly stroll around the White House and Katy Perry calls “Firework” as the DC sky gets full of light in the finale, see? From today it is going great!
By tomorrow, networks should stop giving their husbands free airtime to spit out empty feel-goodisms and demand real action. Hold the powerful accountable, right? Or was that only the past four years?