The Grammys Tried to Break Out of Its Conservative Shell, But Remains Behind the Times

The Grammys are an unnervingly conservative program, both politically and in form. No moment from last night's drawn out broadcast captured that conservatism quite like the obligatory mid-show speech from the Grammys' President and CEO Neil Portnow. It seemed at first as though Portnow was laying everything on the line. His trumpet-aided reference to "America the Beautiful" was striking, though in that moment revealing. He parlayed a wishful American anthem—not the national anthem, mind you—into a call to arms, to push the President and Congress to enact legislation to protect music earnings for artists and publishers. Is this the "Resistance" in 2017?  Read more.