Trump dumps Kennedy Center

Trump dumps Kennedy Center

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norman lebrecht

November 14, 2018

AP reports that President Donald Trump will not be attending the Kennedy Center Honors for cultural achievement this year, his second boycott in succession.

His wife will also stay away.

They must have something against Philip Glass. Or maybe it’s going to rain.

Other honorees are Cher, Wayne Shorter, Reba McEntire and the Hamilton team.

Comments

  • MSC says:

    Cher, Wayne Shorter, Reba McEntire and the Hamilton team: it would be easy for me to find better things to do with my time, as much as I like Glass. The rest are just not my thing.

  • Caravaggio says:

    With that set of honorees, I’d also stay home.

    • john smith says:

      I’m sorry, you can only wish that you contributed as much to art and life as Cher and Wayne Shorter. Glass as well…..

  • Barry Guerrero says:

    Personally, I’d go for Wayne Shorter and to see if Cher wears one of her outrageous outfits. But Philip Glass? . . yeah, I’d stay away too.

  • MacroV says:

    I don’t think he’d be too popular in that crowd. Perhaps best just to thank him for not going where he’s not wanted.

    I know it’s a phenomenon, but isn’t it a little early for anything Hamilton-connected to be honored?

    Otherwise, all good choices, but I’m still waiting for the Smothers Brothers.

  • Luigi Nonono says:

    The Kennedy Awards get trashier each year.

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      Started with the Obamas who, according to Michelle’s new book, used to listen to Beyonce et al. I guess that’s why he couldn’t pronounce two difficult words; Martha Argerich.

      • Petros Linardos says:

        Sue, what are you talking about?

        – How exactly is the honoree selection process related to the tastes of the president and the first lady? The wikipedia entry draws no connection.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_Center_Honors#2000s

        – A quick glance in the above article shows how the transition from “high brow” to, well, less high brow artists has been gradual over the decades.

      • Amos says:

        Ignorant as usual. No doubt you prefer trump’s list for the Presidential Freedom Medal: Elvis, Babe Ruth, 2 ex-football players and casino magnate and fellow-misogynist sheldon adelson’s wife.

    • john smith says:

      Wayne Shorter is a genius and a legend.

  • Jim says:

    Perhaps the weather forecast is for rain.

  • Webster Young says:

    What a wonderful cultural achievement those aging pop stars represent. (Next year they should do a special on the internal exile of present artists of the fine arts in the US.)

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Philip who?

  • Nix the Trump-Cher date. It was someone else.

  • Madeline says:

    Most people do not realize that the Kennedy Center Honors Concert, which does get televised, is JUST a regular television presentation.. It is not sponsored by the US government (or any of the Kennedys) in any way. It just so happens to take place in Washington DC at the Kennedy Center, so in the past some presidents did attend. Many top notch wonderful classical American musicians who were nominated and should have been honorees because of their contribution to American culture were NEVER honored!

  • Guest says:

    Aaron Copland, Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Fonda, Martha Graham, and Tennessee Williams (1979)…versus: Glass, Cher, Wayne Shorter, Reba McEntire and the Hamilton team (2018). De-vo-lu-tion?

    • john smith says:

      As an instrumentalist and composer I’d put Wayne shorter above Ella any day, perhaps Copland too. He’s at least an equal to everyone you mention.

  • Petros Linardos says:

    Nothing new about this. Trump stayed away last year.

    “When it comes to those personal rituals of the modern presidency that Americans have long since taken for granted, Donald J. Trump is the man who isn’t there.”

    https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/10/trump-doesnt-comfort-or-celebrate-nation-very-well/572914/

  • Sharon says:

    For Trump, it is all about image. If there is a chance he might be booed or harassed in some way he would stay away

  • Pianofortissimo says:

    Why should President Trump attend? To be insulted?

  • Jonathan Dunsby says:

    A misleading and overly dramatic title
    “TRUMP DUMPS KENNEDY CENTER”

    As if he’s closing it down

  • Ricardo says:

    No artists will go.

    He also hasn’t given the National Medal of Arts (an annual tradition) in over two years.

    Say what you will about the Kennedy Center Honors, it’s one of the few visible celebration of the arts we Americans have.
    They took a lot of heat last year for having only super commercial honorees, that’s why they added Glass and Shorter this year.
    Going to the White House used to be a thing, winning sports teams would go, each year there would be the awarding of the National Medal or Arts and Humanities.
    Because he’s pretty much perceived to be an outright racist and xenophobe no teams with people of color or immigrants will go there: that means no football (America’s most popular sport) or baseball.

    But I’m pretty sure the recipients said they would only accept if he stayed away that’s where we are at.

  • Rosana Martins says:

    I don’t think he likes culture. Never heard of him attending a concert or an opera. His wife probably feels the same.

  • Orchestral Musician says:

    This is a television show looking for high ratings, it is not an official U.S. government event.
    The strangest addition is Hamilton and his team. They had an incredible season, for sure, but isn’t this a bit too soon?

  • DC Guest says:

    What a nasty little post this was. He’s staying away because in previous years the winners and attendees said they were going to boo him and make political speeches. Screw that and screw them. And Hamilton? Please.

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