Respect

Fergie's rendition of the National Anthem at the NBA All-Star game has been so roundly criticized that I was hesitant to watch it after the fact. Probably because my expectations were so low I actually liked it. She hit the high notes, her intonation was good, and she got the words right---those three qualities alone make her performance above average at least.



Her interpretation--bluesy and sultry, or is that redundant?--is the source of the criticism. Watching her closely I didn't see any sign of disrespect, just an artist trying to put her own interpretation on something everyone is very familiar with.

Breaking the mold is safe if the subject is immune from artistic criticism.

Not-so-risky art (New York Times photo)