Trump Names Strait, Stallone And Kiss For Kennedy Center Honors And Says He'll Host The Awards Show

STILL no Liza?

Trump said he didn’t want to host the program but was invited to do so and agreed. Fucking liar, again.

Trump, who had indicated he wanted a more active role in the selection process, said he was “about 98% involved” in choosing the honorees. He said he “turned down plenty” of names, saying those individuals were “too woke,” or too liberal. He described the artists he announced on Wednesday, including several of his favorites, as “great people.”

Gloria Gaynor???

Still no Liza Minnelli and Johnny Mathis.

But they're bigger than Trump, and as much as Liza and Johnny deserve it, I wouldn't want to see them stoop to Trump's seedy, slimy level.

One-hit wonder Gloria Gaynor? Jesus Christ.

Utterly fucking ridiculous. Her nomination alone diminishes the honors.

Her one hit was almost 50 years ago.

I thought Trump would nominate The Village People so he could do his embarrassing dance of jacking off two guys...

One-hit wonder Gloria Gaynor...but no legendary Liza Minnelli?

KISS...GTFO!

Stupid motherfucker.

Unfortunately, this year all I can really think about the Kennedy honors is fuck 'em. Sorry Ms Gaynor's recognition is sullied by Trump.

Watch.

The Village People will honor Gloria Gaynor.

Lee Greenwood will honor George Strait.

Chuck Norris andJean-Claude Van Damme will honor Stallone.

Kid Rock will honor Kiss.

And Sarah Brightman will honor Crawford.

Who will present and perform on stage honoring these sad cases? Embarrassing.

Apart from social media, Trump is stuck in the 70s and 80s. With the possible exception of George Strait, all of these choices reflect that.

I would hope Michael Crawford has the dignity to decline the honor.

[quote]One-hit wonder Gloria Gaynor.

A poster on the other thread pointed out that Gloria is in fact a two-hit wonder.

Her "Never Can Say Goodbye" hit $9 on the pop singles chart in 1974.

R11. Out of your list, the only performer who belongs on stage would be Sarah Brightman honoring Michael Crawford, but I would hope both decline to be there.

R15. "Never Can Say Goodbye" wasn't even Gloria Gaynor's hit. It was a cover by her.

The song was the 1971 hit from the Jackson 5.

[quote]He said he “turned down plenty” of names, saying those individuals were “too woke,” or too liberal.

Translation: He and his team knew none of them would come anywhere near him and this shitfest, so they didn’t invite them.

At least Gloria Gaynor's segment will be short...

It’s great he can’t realize how dumb and out of touch with pop culture he is.

Gene Simmons (ne Chaim Witz) is getting a special individual award for his revolting interview with Terri Gross on NPR (two MAGA pet hates).

R20. Amen, sister.

There's a whole thread on this already. Some of us tuned into his announcement live. Trump was his usual rambling self. He used the announcement to talk more about his dictatorship plans. And how he's an expert on grass because he owns a lot of golf courses.

Anyway, the Kennedy Center Honors are always going to be awarding older people that might not be the hippest right now, so a bunch of old people that Gen Alpha doesn't totally know about is to be expected, but it's telling that he's picked people like Michael Crawford, Stallone, and Gloria Gaynor. Those folks are not really legends in their fields like the usual honorees are. They were big for a time, but not a lifetime.

As bad as this list is, it could have been much worse.

Much, much worse.

Lee Greenwood. Mel Gibson. Jon Voigt. Ted Nugent. Taylor Dayne.

I guess there’s next year.

Another attention grab to keep the Epstein files off the front page.

Words from Trump, the most insecure, narcissistic asshole ever. Why does he think he deserves a Kennedy Center Honor?

Trump: Since 1978 the Kennedy Center honors have been amongst the most prestigious awards. I wanted one, never able to get one. I would have taken it. I waited and waited and waited and I said to hell with it, I'll become chairman. I will give myself an honor. Next year we'll honor Trump, okay?

No Rosie?

Yet more confirmation that he is nothing more than a failed socialite. This is what being president means to him.

R26. Nothing says ‘prestigious award’ like giving it to yourself because nobody else would. Pathetic.

Besides, the Kennedy Center Honor is to recognize those most accomplished in the ARTS. Why does Trump think he deserves an award specifically reserved for those in the arts. Trump is not an arts and culture leader.

HOW is the right so OBSESSED with this fucking narcissistic MORON??!!

OMFG. Is there no end to this madness?

Such a small, weak and pathetic man with a fragile ego. You would think that when a person becomes the president of the United States they would behave in a manner that would match the office, but in his case it simply is not true--and can never be true because Trump does not have the capacity to show any dignity or class.

Does this award really need to exist anyway? It would be a blessing if this idiocy killed it.

R33. You have a point. The Kennedy Center Honor has lost the "honor."

Trump's insatiable ego turns the Kennedy Center into his personal vanity project, joking about self-awarding honors he never earned through actual talent or merit.

The Kennedy Center, a symbol of American cultural excellence, should never be a playground for a wannabe dictator’s vanity. This kind of behavior undermines the very fabric of democracy, where merit and public trust matter, not the whims of a power-hungry narcissist.

I called it! I said Stallone in yesterday’s thread.

Liza? Some of you guys are treating this as a real lifetime achievement award for the performing arts. This ‘honor’ was meant to be above politics, but is now about waving the flag for MAGA assholes and the few entertainers and cultural touchstones they can lay claim to.

As such, the prospective nominees were probably approached in advance to make sure there was no embarrassment for Trump once they were announced. Liza would never accept this from Trump and they knew that going in. Given her parents and her currency in the gay community, she was surely ruled out as ‘woke.’

Everything Trump touches dies.

In the case of the Kennedy Center, the death is slow, painful and embarrassing--no, humiliating. The "honor" has fallen into disrepair until the next Democratic administration can restore it to its rightful, dignified place.

Michael Crawford...please decline.

The rest of the undeserving assholes on the list will likely show up.

[quote]HOW is the right so OBSESSED with this fucking narcissistic MORON??!!

He has American culture by the balls and is in line with their values. That’s why. The Left doesn’t understand the average American and the shit that aggravates them. It isn’t Ukraine, it’s shit like political correctness and the ban on plastic bags. Trump listens to them and causes a stink. He’s on their side. It’s that simple. They also feel that they’ve been screwed over by the government “like Trump has.” He’s still considered a political outsider.

Donald will stand by the podium and grab each of the awards out of the recipients' hands.

I bet none of these were announced before securing an agreement to show up.

The list is nowhere near as bad as I expected.

Please decline, George Strait. You're the sexiest country singer and pretty much the only one I like. Don't be associated with this clown!

[quote]Sorry Ms Gaynor's recognition is sullied by Trump.

Why?

[quote]Gloria Gaynor is currently in the uk for a series of shows. This morning she was interviewed by Radio4’s Woman’s Hour. The singer talked about her youth, her career, about some of her most famous songs, several of which have become gay anthems. She also talked about her becoming a born again Christian.Finally the interviewer asked her about her status as a gay icon. She said she was really pleased with this and that saw it as an opportunity to lead her fans towards Christ. The interviewer then asked several times if there might be a contradiction between her faith and her having a gay fan base, if she considered homosexuality as a sin. Gaynor each time refused to answer the question directly. She only said that she is leading her fans to Christ and what he has to offer to them.

[quote] Those folks are not really legends in their fields like the usual honorees are.

Not many people can measure up to the legend that is Queen Latifah.

Trump on the Kennedy Center Honors: “I've been asked to host. I said, ‘I'm the president of the United States. Are you fools for asking me to do that?’…I agreed to host. Do you believe what I have to do?…They're going to say, ‘He insisted.’ I did not insist.”

Trump--you fucking insisted. In fact, it was your idea.

George Strait actually deserve the honor, but don't think it surprises anyone that he's full on MAGA. Plus its unlikely that he'll be around for another presidential term.

He’s a fucking PEDO.

I'm so glad Trump is infiltrating yet more areas of the media. We just don't hear enough about him.

R47. Correct. The award was already frequently a joke so I'm not so worked up by this Trump atrocity. Past honorees include LL Cool J, Sally Field, Shirley Maclaine, etc. They are people of achievement, but do they really warrant the country's highest cultural recognition. Then there are the honorees who have very limited connection with the country, such as Martha Argerich.

Just compare the 1979 honorees with the those of the last couple decades: Aaron Copland, Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Fonda, Martha Graham, and Tennessee Williams.

Gloria Gaynor, KISS, Sylvester Stallone and Michael Crawford do not deserve to be honored. George Strait, maybe.

Yes, Michael Crawford was excellent in Phantom of the Opera, which was a sensation when it made its debut on stage. However, Crawford is not a legend in his field.

Inflation was high in the 1970’s but I don’t recall 45s reaching anywhere near $9. 00 in 1974. I was able to afford “Never Can Say Goodbye” on my meager weekly allowance money. “Never Can Say Goodbye” was a new standard by 1974. It was reinterpreted as a slow blues song that also hit the top 40 for Isaac Hayes.

Well we also have to compare the artists around in 1979 compared with the those of the last couple decades

True. But that doesn't explain all of it. I don't think Steve Reich or Tony Kushner are as important as Copland and Williams, but they would at least be serious choices.

If Donna Summer were still alive she'd be worthy of this but Gloria Gaynor? Why not just induct Kim Carnes while they're at it.

Gaynor is a Jesus loving homophobe.

R26

"I shall also give myself the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry + 2 Olympic Gold Medals in Gymnastics."

It's not the recipients. It's the presenter. Nobody in their right mind gives a flying fuck about what Trump or the top members of the Trump Cult thinks about the arts or entertainment or popular culture or anything in this area. Trump's presence just makes the whole thing ridiculous and disgusting. I have nothing against the honorees, but all of them are diminished just by having Trump try to give them some kind of honor. He really just kills or at least poisons everything connected to him.

The Ceasescus loved giving themselves awards.

KISS?!

Is there a reason I'm not aware of for the choice of Michael Crawford? Is he openly conservative? On record for praising Trump? Or just because he's one of the few theater names Trump could think of? (Or is he a fave of Susie Wiles?)

The only reason he is hosting them is so they will have an audience. All his sycophants and their families and his followers will get free tickets. It inevitably is going to be a rally and these performers will kiss the ring. He'll talk about himself the entire time.

[quote] At least Gloria Gaynor's segment will be short...

You should review her discography. She could sing hits for 3 hours straight. Of the honorees Gaynor is easily the most deserving. She recorded the leviathan of disco tracks, "I Will Survive" will outlast all of us.

I'm not sure who really picks these people right now. I don't think it's Trump, although he's got his huge list of "NOOOOO, NOOOOO WAYYYYY" I'm sure. But really, who. Who decides it's Gloria Gaynor's turn?

Tom Cruise declined it.

Not Diana Ross. But Gloria Gaynor?

B list awardees at best. Trump will only want people who fit into his Magaverse, and they are the only ones who would want an award presented under his auspices. I don't know much about Crawford, hopefully he will decline. Simmons is a huge asshole, and Stallone is a regular at Mar A Lago. No artist with any integrity or pride would want to be associated with Trump.

Are Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood not available?

Gawd. Host. Right. He’ll use it as another opportunity to bitch and moan about the loony left, him being persecuted in the unfair media, how everything bad happening is Biden’s fault (but that at the same time the US has never had a stronger economy or higher employment thanks to him), etc. Because it’s the Kennedy Centre, he’ll get in a few digs about the Kennedy family and how they did nothing. If nothing he’s predictable.

Do the honoree's get speeches? Can they all just tell him what a goddamn cunt he is and always has been?

I assume Crawford was chosen because he personifies the anodyne Broadway that Trump wants at the Kennedy Center.

Don't be surprised by special appearance of Dean Cain in fat Superman spandex suit.

Or more likely dressed as "honorary" ICE agent.

[quote]He said he “turned down plenty” of names, saying those individuals were “too woke,” or too liberal.

He can only get people who were popular last century

[quote]B list awardees at best.

Are you high? These people wish they were B list. They wish they were D list.

Kiss hasn't been B List since 1988. Sylvester Stallone has been C list since 1995.

Trump hosting this bullshit might even be funnier than Southpark. He has no idea where he is or what he's talking about anymore. He's going to ramble on about some weird shit and the Magaverse will have to sit and act like he's making sense

He loves "Phantom of the Opera;" all his first dates were treated to an evening at the Majestic Theatre. Michael Crawford probably personifies the role for His Madness, hence the honor.

Go to the alto section of any AME church choir in America and I bet at least half of them could sing “I Will Survive” better than Gloria Gaynor (they’d probably have better taste in wigs, too).

Patti LaBelle must have told them to lose her number.

Rocky was a great movie, and an iconic American movie. The series was in its way iconic. No matter how cheesy Stallone has become, I can see it.

Gloria Gaynor is actually a really funny choice. She is absolutely someone with an iconic song, but really, an iconic gay song. We are the only ones who really, really love that song, and many of us will love it forever. She is a very funny choice for these assholes, since deep down, we know they despise us. I would love to know how she made it through whatever vetting process they had. Did they really just decide, hey, we need a black woman, and the homos need a bone (tee hee)?

I’m sure he was limited by who would accept the honor now.

To Trump, being president is being on a four year tv show.

George Strait deserves this honor.

He does not talk politics, and recently held a concert to raise funds for Texas flood victims.

Strait is an old school southern gentleman, he would consider it bad manners to decline if he was able to attend, regardless of his personal thoughts.

All 5 nominees are supporters of the 700 Club with repeat appearances on the show over the years.

None of them will decline since they're part of the religious right.

G. Gaynor makes patrons of gay bars put on their shirts & no overt gay activity for her to perform in them.

I don't know why she gets any takers of her bigoted "talent," but I bet Pat. Robertson got large chunks of that cash.

[quote]Trump hosting this bullshit might even be funnier than Southpark. He has no idea where he is or what he's talking about anymore. He's going to ramble on about some weird shit and the Magaverse will have to sit and act like he's making sense

He'll spend half the time doing those things and he other half looking INCREDIBLY BORED because the evening isn't all about him.

All the guests will have to kiss his ass.

Liza was robbed. Far more of a Bway icon than Michael Crawford. Of course he was in one of Trump’s favorite shows.

That said, KCH is officially scraping the bottom of the barrel. Stallone??!

[Quote] Not Diana Ross. But Gloria Gaynor?

Ross already has one

Kiss the group didn't appear on The 700 Club but Gene S. was interviewed on the show.

[quote] G. Gaynor makes patrons of gay bars put on their shirts & no overt gay activity for her to perform in them.

She sings an iconic gay song. Does she really still perform in gay bars? That itself seems kind of wild.

The gay activity Gloria G. didn't want was kissing, etc. not like anal sex on a table.

A report on I believe CNN said Trump said "no more drag shows being honored"

so he puts 4 old guys who wore makeup for so long up for the award LOL.

Applebees will make a big donation if Vicki Lawrence and Air Supply are honored next year.

KCH have become KFC—greasy and artery-clogging. Maybe they could rename them the William Kennedy Smith Honors—you know, keep the Kennedy but add sexual assault that is so integral to Trump’s brand.

Um, we don't need to be on the stage together, right r91? They can be a little clingy.

Jon Voight and James Woods are drowning their sorrows at a Holiday Inn bar in the Valley..

So it's a wednesday r94?

[quote] Rocky was a great movie, and an iconic American movie. The series was in its way iconic. No matter how cheesy Stallone has become, I can see it.

I always thought the Kennedy Center Honors was about excellence in the arts.

Didn't Trump cancel and ignore the Kennedy Center honors during his first term?

Probably r97. He's just that kind of mercurial cunt. Does anybody really think that grifty old whore has the faintest idea what he's doing these days, other than being a grifty old whore?

Honoree recommendations are accepted from the general public, and the Kennedy Center initiated a Special Honors Advisory Committee, which comprises members of the board of trustees as well as past Honorees and distinguished artists. The executive committee of the board of trustees selects the Honoree recipients based on their impact and contributions to American culture and excellence in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures or television. (Wikipedia)

R98 I was wrong, he didn't cancel it, he just didn't attend.

Sorry, Trump absolutely was responsible for Michael Crawford being picked. That's a Trump choice if there ever was one. I don't care what the official process is supposed to be. That's not how things work now.

[quote]I wanted one, never able to get one. I would have taken it. I waited and waited and waited and I said to hell with it, I'll become chairman. I will give myself an honor. Next year we'll honor Trump, okay?

Jesus, he is such a caricature of himself. He is truly beyond parody, which is one reason why SNL parodies of him rarely work.

Liza Minnelli and Johnny Mathis are rolling their eyes and getting on with their day. Of course they deserve a Kennedy Center Honor. But at this point, they don't give a shit. Their talents, iconic stature and contributions to the culture will last long after Trump is dead and gone, which cannot be soon enough.

Plus, Liza not Johnny do not care and would prefer to not even be in the same room as Trump.

Seriously, DLers, do NOT watch the show. If you want to see something, wait until it's on YouTube. It must be the lowest rated Honors in history. Why would you watch anyway if he's going to host?

I don't know how many people will watch, and I feel a little sorry for the honorees. But really, if you were a prominent star in any field, would you show for this? Trump makes everything fucked up and awful, unfortunately.

The ratings system has no clue whether you watch it or not. Ratings are based on a sampling system

yeah, great, fine, lovely copium r106. Trump sucks and everybody hates him. That's the issue here.

R107. Weird

Eva Marie Saint never got one.

Trump selected Michael Crawford. Trump likes Phantom of the Opera. Trump has no clue that Broadway has had hundreds of outstanding actors and productions since Michael Crawford. And yes, Crawford was quite good in the Phantom role. But Trump is stuck in a time warp.

Michael Crawford is 83 now and has not been on Broadway since 1991. He has not been in a film since 1999 (The Ghosts of Christmas Eve) and not a TV show since "Sport Relief 2016" for the BBC--and before that 1999.

Michael Crawford hardly deserves a Kennedy Center Honor. But that's Trump's idea of lifetime achievement in the arts.

I'm not here to denigrate Michael Crawford. Crawford worked in his profession as he saw fit and what was possible for him. I'm denigrating Trump and his lack of imagination, creativity, curiosity and knowledge about anything. most of all in this case, the arts in America which are key in defining our culture.

Do they have to smell his dirty diaper when accepting the award? Oh the indignity!

Crawford was on Broadway in the 2002 floo, Dance of the Vampires.

Flop, not floo.

One thing is for certain - the rainbow colored ribbon will be gone.

[quote]Eva Marie Saint never got one.

R109. Eva Marie Saint is lovely. She's still alive at 101 now. However, despite her 1955 Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for 'On the Waterfront, 'Eva Marie probably does not deserve a Kennedy Center Honor.

Besides, Trump said her tits are too small and her blonde hair is all white now, so he rates her very low.

Imagine spending your whole life wanting an award, and then getting it from Donald Fucking Trump.

Nah, don't bother Eva Marie Saint. he's a useless cunt and everybody should get that.

Maybe that Buffy Saint Marie. After all he loves grifters.

R99 that was the before times. Duh

O ok. Not completely obnoxious. Those are fair selections.

Op where are you from. Stallone and Strait are not C list. Neither is Gloria Gaynor really because that song was so prolific, it enshrines her into Americana music and pop culture history.

I didn't realize this was 1990.

R115 Why not?

In 1953, she won the Drama Critics Award for her Broadway stage role in the Horton Foote play The Trip to Bountiful (1953), in which she co-starred with actresses such as Lillian Gish and Jo Van Fleet.

In 1955, Saint was nominated for her first Emmy for "Best Actress In A Single Performance" on The Philco Television Playhouse, playing the young mistress of middle-aged E. G. Marshall in Middle of the Night by Paddy Chayefsky. She won another Emmy nomination for the 1955 television musical version of Our Town, adapted from the Thornton Wilder play of the same name. Co-stars were Paul Newman and Frank Sinatra.

Saint made her feature film debut in On the Waterfront (1954), starring Marlon Brando and directed by Elia Kazan—a performance for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress..

The was the leading lady in one of Hitchcock's greatest films, North by Northwest.

She also starred in A Hatful of Rain; Raintree County; Exodus; The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming; and Grand Prix.

I mean Lauren Bacall got one.

I just realize you fonted except Michael Crawford. You must be British. He is not bigger than Stallone nor the King of country music, George Strait.

[quote]One thing is for certain - the rainbow colored ribbon will be gone.

It'll be some tacky gold shit with rhinestones and a big medallion. Watch.

R121 I don’t fuck with Trump at all but you do know the people must be legends, icons not merely contemporary popular artists. Yall do remember how this works right? I don’t like Kiss but they were highly influential.

Obama didn’t put Beyonce in. He put legends and icons of his taste. It’s not about the now.

^^STFU you fucking ignorant moron.

R104 I agree with this 1000 percent.

Would be great if someone kissed his asse up to the stage and then ambushed him.

Ass*

[quote] Michael Crawford is 83 now and has not been on Broadway since 1991. He has not been in a film since 1999 (The Ghosts of Christmas Eve) and not a TV show since "Sport Relief 2016" for the BBC--and before that 1999.

Irene Dunne got one in the 1980s; she had acted since 1962.

*hadn't

You watched it when George W. Bush, A WAR CRIMINAL, was president.

I hate comments like R41.

First, "the left" makes up half the country. The "average American" of whom you speak is the "average conservative". Let's not get it twisted.

And we all know the average conservative has bought into his grift. It's not that hard to figure out. We just think they're fucking stupid for doing so.

1985 for Miss Dunne. I love the effort to equate her with Michael Crawford. If Quincy Jobes can get one why can’t Gloria GAYnor?—see how silly that sounds

Is Gloria a Trumper?

R132 Excellent point however our nominee in 2016 voted for it just like the majority of Dems. One of the few who didn’t vote for it, Bernie Sanders, had the primary STOLEN from him.

Jones*

Irene Dunne was a true great of the Golden Age, spent her retirement being philanthropic and was also a US delegate to the UN. Take *that*, Micheal Crawford.

It wasn't STOLEN from him Teacake. He lost. Democrats weren't yet ready to deal with the fuckery. Maybe now they are.

R139 it was fucking stolen.

Stolen how exactly. are you saying a ton of people voted for Bernie, but somehow Hillary won?

Jackie Kennedy spent her time as First Lady working to restore the White House into a stately home that honored the history of the country, replacing modern furniture with period pieces and renovating the gardens outside. After leaving, she worked for years to get the Kennedy Center built, so the US would have a national cultural center.

Every First Lady that came after her continued this work.

In 7 short months, this orange piece of shit has ruined The Nation’s House. He has had gold pieces of crap from Home Depot hot glued to every door and wall. He is having the Rose Garden torn up. He is building some tacky looking Staten Islandesque banquet hall that will cost $200 million, at a time when he’s throwing the poor and sick off SNAP off Medicaid. And now he’s turning the Kennedy Center Honors into a Branson, Missouri concert or county fair hoedown. All for his own glory and for his illiterate, obese followers.

I hate this fat cunt. He’s a 600 pound boil on the backside of this country.

Democrats need to be very, very clear. Everything about Trump is shit. And they intend to reverse the shit. They need to be very clear about that. It actually is what this country is looking for, deep down, right now. They cannot do their usual shit and pretend that, well, we'll meet them halfway. No, they are cunts buried in cuntitude and nobody is going to tolerate their cunting anymore.

He won't be able to resist performing himself.

I don't know enough about country music to know if Straight is deserving. But whatever.

KISS is laughable. And aren't they just drag performers who play three chord pop songs?

Gaynor? I guess I'm fine with a one hit wonder that was a huge one hit.

Crawford? No idea.

Stallone? I'm actually okay with this. He wrote and starred in one of the best movies of all time and he was as a huge movie star for a good fifteen years.

Still, a very, very, very weak ass list. But it could have been worse, I suppose.

Goes without saying, I won't be watching. As someone upthread said, none of us should.

Whenever I hear KISS's haunting rock ballad "Beth," I wish Robert Redford had used it on the "Ordinary People" soundtrack instead of "Canon in D."

Fuck that orange sonofabitch!

For reference, the 2001 Kennedy Center Honors:

Julie Andrews

Van Cliburn

Quincy Jones

Jack Nicholson

Luciano Pavarotti

2011 Honors:

Barbara Cook

Yo Yo Ma

Neil Diamond

Sonny Rollins

Meryl Streep

2021:

Justino Diaz

Barry Gordy

Lorne Michaels

Bette Midler

Joni Mitchell

sigh

For reference, the 2005 Kennedy Center Honors:

Tony Bennett

Julie Harris

Suzanne Farrell

Robert Redford

Tina Turner

Trump, the newly-installed committee, this year's nominees, the whole fucking thing is an utter abomination.

That homophobic cunt didn't even write I Will Survive. There a thousand more deserving female singers.

KISS instead of The Village People?

I'll bet anything that the ceremony format will change to allow honorees to give acceptance speeches that will undoubtedly praise Trump to to the skies.

The honorees have been silly for years now. Queen latifah and LL Cool J were honored a few years ago.

The whole night will be speeches about how great Trump is. He’ll go nuts if anyone else gets too much attention. Over the years the honors seem to have devolved into just another awards show for TV. Pass.

Once you start comparing the earlier honorees…Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Count Basie, Cary Grant etc. to recent winners it gets kind of depressing. Maybe it’s time to bag the whole thing,

Next year's list is already complete: Roseanne Barr, Kanye, Chuck Norris, Susan Olsen, Joe Rogan, Caitlyn Jenner, Candace Cameron-Bure and Vince McMahon.

[quote]Trump selected Michael Crawford.

He's not even American!

Imagine who the honorees will be in 20 years..all influencers and TikTok celebs.

By that time they will be called the Laura Loomer Center Honorees.

R130. Yes, but Dunne was an actress of range, depth, and versatility. She starred in one of the first films to win Best Picture (Cimarron—yes, a snore, but it is part of film history), helped invent and lead a genre (screwball comedy), was in the original of one of the greatest romantic dramas (Love Affair) and was perfect in one of the most-loved American Classics (I Remember Mama), not to mention being the first sound Magnolia in James Whale’s Show Boat. And was wise enough to retire before she had to resort to psychobiddy roles. That she never won a competitive Oscar reflects poorly on the Academy. That she lost twice to simpering Louise Rainer and once to Jane Wyman, who mainly kept a stoic face in Johnny Belinda says much.

R155 They are pioneers of the most influential musical genre for the past 30 years A genre so powerful not even just in America, but the most influential in the world. Put some respect on they mafuckin name.

Learn your history r163 the genre had been around over 15 years before they burst on the scene. In their entire careers neither brought an ounce of innovation or inspiration to the genre.

R164 They both came out in the late 80s. LL as early as 87. What is you talkin bout.

Rap artists began in the early 70s, rapping on top of disco beats. Those 2 "pioneers" weren't around then.

R166 Ok that wasn’t prior to 15 yrs. Your talking about disco and the more urban disco that came out of the South Bronx. Yes hip hop beat samples were being developed but niggas wasn’t really raping until the 80s. LL and Queen Latifah are amongst the pioneers of hip hop. Ll is corny as fuck but has some iconic ass records. Queen laid the foundation of conscious female rap. Unity is considered one of the best hip hop songs of all time. And they were first in the early 90s, to marry hip hop with mainstream Hollywood; something that is as common as big boob blonde.

Turrrble choices. I definitely fucks wit Trump and I stand on my mafuckin MAGA values, but I done been mad disappointed with this shit. No Queen Bey? No Rebbie Jackson? Cmon!

Trump ain’t care though; he juss be like "I said what I said". You has to loves the nigga, he be funny as hell.

Despite some recent honorees who perhaps left some people wondering, it does not compare to the sliminess of being associated with Trump this year.

The Kennedy Center Honors was still by and large a classy show with distinguished guests. However, it is no longer. The stench of Trump is disgusting.

The Kennedy Center Honors had a good long run, but that era is now over. It may come back once Trump is out of office, but it's a narcissistic slime-fest now.

Honorees: Decline the honor.

R168 I weep for horrendous parody. You’re like Scary Movie 5. Terrible. Good night cunt.

Good night to all my beautiful dataloungers.

Art Linkletter was the first Rapper.

Rebbie would be good. "When the Centipede gets hot"

When Liza made it clear she would not accept a KCH because of Trump he should've offered it to Lorna.

Hell, he should've offered it to Joey in the Blue Room.

R173 Yall notice Trump loves the gayest things of the 70s? Village People, Liza. Bitch ain’t gay but suspect. Thats the type of shit we could hit Trump with if we still had straight men in the party who weren’t upper echelon.

[quote] Go to the alto section of any AME church choir in America and I bet at least half of them could sing “I Will Survive” better than Gloria Gaynor (they’d probably have better taste in wigs, too).

Those girls could outsing just about every charted recording artist of the past 30 years so I don't get your point. Gaynor has a dynamic, emotive voice that she used to created a huge hit.

One-hit wonders regardless of the popularity and longevity of "I Will Survive" do not deserve a Kennedy Center Honor.

Perhaps Gloria Gaynor could receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame or an honorary Grammy for her contribution to pop and disco music, but NOT a Kennedy Center Honor.

Stallone and Strait are A-list though Stallone's glory days are WELL behind him. The list is a result of who passed Trump's muster and was willing to say yes.

[quote]Honorees: Decline the honor.

They've already accepted it or they wouldn't have been announced as honorees. Part of the deal of getting the honor is that you have to agree to show up. The reason Liza wasn't honored in recent years (pre-Trump) is because she's not up to attending the weekend of events required.

His legendary TV and film career should have made him a "shoe in" for a KC Honor years ago, but the Washington-NYC-Hollywood elites wouldn't recognize his contributions! Just for "Home Alone 2" he deserved it.

GAYnor won a competitive Grammy…for whatever that’s worth.

“A real Christian church allows gays to come in. Just as they allow anyone else to come in. And the only prerequisite is that you want to live according to the will and ways of God,” she explains. “I think that anything that can be taken literally in the Bible should be taken literally.”

Gaynor says her ideal perfect happiness is being in love with someone who is in love with you — in a union blessed by God, coupled with peace, good health and physical comfort.

Does Gaynor think there’s anything wrong in that “perfect happiness” equation if the couple shared the same gender?

“I wouldn’t touch that with a 10-foot pole. Because that calls for judgment,” she says. “I’m afraid to judge anyone. Because I don’t want to be judged.”

What about two loving men in a union blessed by God? Is that what Gaynor has a problem with?

“Yeah,” she admits. “But my opinion is not based on what I see and what I think. My opinion is based on my knowledge of the word of God.”

Would Gaynor ever attend a commitment ceremony for a same-sex couple?

“No,” she firmly says. “If I went to a commitment ceremony for anyone, I would have to be supportive of it. I would need to feel a part of it. And the way I read the Bible, I don’t read that it’s God’s way.”

Gaynor acknowledges that she’s treading on shaky ground. And she said her stance is sometimes misinterpreted.

“I’ve been burnt. Let me just say that,” she says. “And my husband — along with my manager — is going to have a hemorrhage just because I’m on this subject.”

Chaka Khan doesn’t have one and she’s a far more prominent artist historically than Gloria Gaynor. Maybe Trump loves “I will survive” a lot

That two-bit cunt Gaynor has been playing Republican events and inauguration for decades.

That has-been has nothing else.

Irene Dunne had a body of work behind her that stood the test of time. That's why traditionally it was oldsters in their twilight years getting recognized for work from decades past. They had a BODY of work, decades of roles/songs/written works/etc. that had a lasting impact.

Gloria Gaynor has ONE SONG. Yes, I know she recorded many others and some of them are still familiar to her older gay fans, but the general public knows "I Will Survive" and that's it. That one song is the totality of her cultural impact, which is what The Kennedy Center is supposed to be honoring.

[quote]Maybe Trump loves “I will survive” a lot

Trump loves:

1) creating chaos

2) trolling "the libs"

3) trolling "the blacks"

4) trolling "the alphabet people (us)"

Honoring Gloria Gaynor, conservative Christian, entertainer to Republican events, one hit wonder from half a century ago, and the epitome of a black disco queen that "the gays" "adore," is a powerful four-fer move for Trump, it checks all the boxes.

This is just embarrassing. None of these people deserve this honor. Trump is just shitting all over everything.

Trump said he loved Gaynor's 2019 gospel album.

And if you believe that, you're probably stupid enough to have voted for him.

[quote] One-hit wonders regardless of the popularity and longevity of "I Will Survive" do not deserve a Kennedy Center Honor.

One hit wonder?!!! Baby, you must not know me! I will pray our Father removes the veil of ignorance from your eyes and the scourge of enmity from your heart.

In the name of Jesus!!!

But not today, today I'm partying...

Datalounge: the one place on Earth where the merits of Irene Dunne vs. Gloria Gaynor will inspire lengthy and emotional debate.

It was Dunne vs. Crawford! GAYnor is strictly the undercard.

Gloria Gaynor reminds Trump of good times with Roy Cohn, snorting poppers together on a packed dance floor.

Blow flowed!

R183 Chaka Khan will be next year's blank nominee.

She appeared at GOP functions over the years, as well as the 700 Club several times & needs the publicity.

Next up, Taylor Dayne, Dean Cain, Ronn Moss and the great great Melissa Rivers.

Also, great world renown song stylist and entertainer Lara Trump!

Gloria Estefan has one. These things don't mean much anymore.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WAYNE NEWTON!

Hey, I ain't got time for this nonsense. I'm busy throwing random brown people at Home Depot into unmarked vans, like a real Merkin, okay?

"Chaka Khan will be next year's blank nominee."

She will fit in well with all the MAGAt junkies, prescription drug abusers and alkies in attendance.

Ah cayn't way-et tew wawrch!!

I wonder if it was offered to a number of people and they turned it down.

I would definitely like to see these two from DWTS Israel perform as a " salute" to Trump.

Scott Baio must be PISSED. He had two sitcoms that ran for years, he has way more cultural relevance than Gloria Gaynor

What about me?

Who the fuck is Irene Dunne?

LL Cool J and Queen Latifah are pioneers of rap music. Of course they would get in there.

Gloria Estefan is a trailblazer for latin music.

r206, Not every rapper from the 20th century is a pioneer. rap music was already established and popular by the time they came along.

Think like a KC donor…LL and Latifah work just fine.

[quote]Not every rapper from the 20th century is a pioneer.

Well there's the problem. LL and Queen aren't "every rapper"

Latifah was the first successful female solo rapper, who's gone on to have a successful singing career, as well as an acclaimed acting career (Oscar and Emmy nominee)

LL is one of the first rappers to achieve commercial success.

Figures people here wouldn't downplay that but think every person should know some actress who hasn't been relevant in 50 years.

Gloria Estefan's music was easy listening dreck for secretaries.

R206, you might want to learn to google, just to hide your massive cultural ignorance.

You might want to turn on your sarcasm alarm.

JOE ROGAN COME ON DOWN!

Hell, he'll probably get the Medal of Freedom, well him and Big Balls r213.

We don't have to make everything so pedestrian, classless, tacky and undeserving. We can aspire to true greatness especially in the arts and those things that expand and truly define our culture. And yes, there have been occasions when there may have been a few missteps along the way and a nominee wasn't what we hoped.

However, this year's list and Trump's narcissistic, low-rent and in-your-face association with it is a fucking abomination. It's an enormous disappointment that Trump ruins everything. It's not a case of not appealing to everyone; it's a case of lifting us up to highlight talent, dedication and showcasing a lifelong pursuit of greatness and the human spirit.

Trump does none of this, and he inspires his supporters toward negativity, mediocrity and in so many cases, our worst instincts.

Get drunk and hang out on a Sunday morning at 4 a.m. with an expensive car, get a Medal of Freedom!

This is all about his retribution to Hollywood. He is quite knowingly making as mockery of it all.

It certainly didn't take him long to make a mockery of the presidency.

He also destroyed the news media, the economy, our international relations, and our colleges and universities.. Let's give credit where credit is due, R218. You's think the man would need a breather, but he's seamlessly turned his sights on blue cities next.

Are we great yet?

I wonder if it will just be Gene Simmons. Paul Stanley is a big fucking Mo and if he shows out most certainly will be outed.

Well that would be entertaining at least r220. And here they are. Gene Simmons, with the tongue. And that big fucking Homo, Paul Stanley. Here's this whatever the fuck, honor I guess.

It’s not true that Liza has turned down a KCH because she cannot travel.

According to the director of the recent documentary about her life, Liza has never been offered a KCH

^^R222. Which is a fucking crime. The Kennedy Center selection committee (past and present) should be ashamed of themselves. Liza Minnelli is a living legend, extraordinarily talented and a national treasure who deserves a Kennedy Center Honor.

But it's not only Liza. Johnny Mathis should have received a KCH long ago. He is another outstanding performer whose career began in the 1950s and whose music has endured for nearly 70 years.

As he should...

Madonna might very well accept while Trump is president. Narcissists understand each other which is why I'm somewhat surprised Cruise said "no."

Haha. I knew it! Should have stated my theory that Stallone was Trump's second choice and that he probably asked Tom Cruise first and he declined. Of course, the story says both Cruise and Stallone were going to be honored, but I'm curious if that's really true.

Will this be televised on the shit network FOX?

Wonder what Caroline Kennedy is thinking about all of this - the cultural institution named for her father being destroyed - and outcast cousin RFK Jr. attending as a member of Trump's cabinet.

No, CBS.

Historically, annually the Kennedy Center Honors are awarded in early December and taped for a televised airing which happens late December on CBS.

Don't be surprised if CBS is axed in favor of Fox.

[quote]It’s not true that Liza has turned down a KCH because she cannot travel. According to the director of the recent documentary about her life, Liza has never been offered a KCH.

I heard differently from someone associated with the Kennedy Center. And it's more than just an inability to travel. Believe what you like.

[quote]Wonder what Caroline Kennedy is thinking about all of this - the cultural institution named for her father being destroyed - and outcast cousin RFK Jr. attending as a member of Trump's cabinet.

Caroline Kennedy spoke out publicly and frankly on the subject of her cousin, warning that it would be a terrible mistake to put him in that position.

R202 called it. Though I wouldn't think it would be a Scientology cultist to break. A Bondi pal from Church of Scientology in Clearwater?

[quote]Madonna might very well accept while Trump is president.

*yawns*

I think you mean Gaga. Steffi's the awards chaser.

The couch jumper turned him down!

Loving it!

Will South Park cover this?

Gaining respect for Tom Cruise wasn't on my bingo card, but I'll take it.

[quote]Don't be surprised if CBS is axed in favor of Fox.

CBS has a contract to air the Kennedy Center Honors and is only too happy to suck up to Trump. The "Tiffany Network" is also airing next July's Cage Match Spectacular on the White House lawn.

CBS is full MAGA now, 100%. Trump doesn't need to slum it on Fox anymore.

No one is saving us. All of our institutions have been destroyed or subjugated.

R235 Way to go, Tom!