Céline Dion

[djm]

I do not care for the type of music that Celine Dion sings. It is not to my personal tastes. I do not hate her, as I don't even know her. The only "haters" I've seen on this thread are BillChin and Cberry, who are using the term "hater" to attack anyone who does not share their personal tastes.

djm

[emmline]

I don't think they're doing that.
I think they're applying the term to folks who bother to make a big deal about their lack of admiration for a particular artist, as opposed to promoting those they do admire.

[chrisoff]

This is an interesting, and troubling, commentary.
Now, while it is true that there are people whose tastes and interests strike me as boring--blandly, boringly, boring--, I'm not sure I could categorize someone as boring on the basis of musical preference, or even render a judgment as to whether that person "liked" music or not, just because they favored bands that a self-billed true music afficionado decreed to be insufficiently edgy. (Btw, the term "edgy" has completely lost its edge. Find another word.)
Maybe this is because I, myself, am not musically attuned enough.
I might, otoh, decree that someone whose house is completely decorated in Thomas Kinkaid paintings is boring.
And I might declare that tract mini-mansions with rigidly manicured, weed-free landscaping are boring. Whether or not I could necessarily extend that assessment to the inhabitants I guess would have to be called on an individual basis.

It is probable that my musical preferences are, in fact, boring (although I cannot name a song by Travis, Keane, Coldplay, or the Chili Peppers.)

Here...let me insert lots of smilies so that this post doesn't come across as cranky, as has inadvertently happened on the rubber board:
, and especially

Don't be troubled.

I imagine in 10 or 20 years time when I'm sitting firmly within my middle age I'll mellow out a bit and no longer detest Celine. In fact I may become that which I said I disliked, one of those people who buys albums that the guardian recommends and who doesn't give my Mum a stern talking to for buying Robbie William's swing album when she would be better off buying a Sinatra or Dean Martin reissue.

(In fact I know this is true as Nick Hornby has foretold it in his excellent book High Fidelity, also a cracking feature film starring John Cusack, which describes perfectly the life of obsessive male music fans)

For now though I'm still under the delusion that it's worth spending my time complaining about worthless music and those who make it.

[izzarina]

I like her music. I think it's fun to clean to. Maybe izzarina will agree, if she chimes in...

I don't usually clean to Céline....I end up forgetting what I'm doing and singing along far too much

I actually think that she has a fantastic voice...I sure as heck can't sing as well as she can (ask anyone who has heard me try ). My only problem with her is that she tends to be overplayed on the radio and all of that. Her range in phenomenal...I wish mine were that huge. It would be amazingly awesome

[Jack]

Sorta like an hommage to KISS without the greasepaint and chrome. What on Earth is that all about?, thought I, but I thought that was that, but then she did it again during another song. So now, to me, THAT is Céline Dion. Forever.

That's how she is...A friend sent me some clips of Ana Gasteyer from Saturday Night Live, who did some awesome parodies of her. She stretches her arms out and even beats her chest sometimes while she's singing, as well as sticking her tongue out and rubbing her nose. That's why I said people make fun of her mannerisms. They're very...distinctive.

[BillChin]

I do not care for the type of music that Celine Dion sings. It is not to my personal tastes. I do not hate her, as I don't even know her. The only "haters" I've seen on this thread are BillChin and Cberry, who are using the term "hater" to attack anyone who does not share their personal tastes.

djm

It is true, I hate the "haters," . I didn't even say anyone on the thread is/was a hater, and here I get a personal, named attack. I wrote that some that don't like have a point, while many are into pointless anti-ness, and I stand by that.

The haters as a group, are worse than global warming, worse than second hand smoke, worse than first hand smoke, worse than transfat. End of rant.

Where did I even say that I like Celine Dion's music? I thought I wrote that I don't care for her recorded music, but I guess some folks can't be bothered to read, as long as they have personal attacks to make.

I did say that Dion is a great talent, as big as Sinatra, perhaps even bigger when it is all said and done. As far as I know, Dion does nothing to deserve antipathy, by most accounts she lives her life, makes her music, doesn't hurt anyone maliciously.

Like so many at the top, or near the top, these successful folks or organizations often become the target of pointless anti-ness. Fine, all the haters, and complainers can spend their time and energy hating if they like, most other folks spend their time enjoying what they enjoy, and let the rest be. Promote what you like, sing their virtues, but to denigrate someone who is popular just because he/she is popular is pointless, worse than pointless. It is destructive.

I don't even think that Dion is all that popular. Probably much less so than any number of other popular singers or groups. Why she evokes any antipathy is beyond me. In my opinion, she is a great singer, probably one of the top fifty vocalists of all time. It is a gift that folks are able to hear her music and see her perform. While what she sings may not be my cup of tea, I do appreciate talent.

[Innocent Bystander]

I have no thoughts either way on Celine Dion.

But I just re-watched the Millenium episode of "Dinnerladies" by Victoria Wood. Yengis - yez won't know what I'm on about. Ignore me.
It's called "Minnelium" because Brenda doesn't always get the words right.

Dolly says: "But what about the coming of Our Lord?"
Twinkle: "Not him again!"
Phillipa: "No, Twinkle's right. After all we are multi-faith here aren't we? I mean, who do you worship, Anita, in your family?
Anita: (Pause) "Well, we all really like Celine Dion...."

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

Celine Dion pretty much represents everything I find excreable about modern mainstream popular music. Technically speaking, she does of course posess talent as a vocalist, however the songs she sings are so achingly bland, glib, and oozing with false emotion that their only redeeming feature is that they're generally instantly forgettable...

There is plenty of great popular music being made by Francophone Canadians that's far, far better than anything she has done...Life is too short to waste any of it listening to Celine Dion.

[Jack]

There is plenty of great popular music being made by Francophone Canadians that's far, far better than anything she has done.

By all means, please name some.

[djm]

Michel Pagliaro

djm

[cowtime]

I did not vote. None apply to my feelings on said Dion. I do think she has an amazing voice. Any time I've heard her I am wowed by the voice. I don't like the music though and do not like to watch her perform. I don't hate her.

I do detest "mc mansions, thomas kincaid "art", and I also know tunes by the Chili Peppers, albeit, from the early years, and Coldplay-but only as performed by Christopher O'Reiley on piano. I am not boring.

[Miwokhill]

She reminds me of Oprah... she usually bugs the hell out of me but once in awhile I have to give her credit. ...and they both have so much money I'm sure they could give a hair on a gnat's ass what i think.

[Wombat]

There is plenty of great popular music being made by Francophone Canadians that's far, far better than anything she has done.

By all means, please name some.

Michael Bublé



Oh, and Azalin.

[CHasR]

[quote="The Sporting Pitchfork"]... she does of course posess talent as a vocalist, however the songs she sings are so achingly bland, glib, and oozing with false emotion that their only redeeming feature is that they're generally instantly forgettable...
quote]

yeah. I have no strong likes or dislikes about her act,
but I certainly deplore the fact that mainstream tastes have been dictated to us by those who have but an indirect hand in the actual making of music.

Wether or not she's chosen the repertoire herself, I dont know,...

but I strongly suspect any uniqueness, or originality has been emasculated by numerous engineers , producers, assistants, agents, through innmuerable mixdowns, re-packagings, etc.

For far too long now, talent has been a vehicle for mediocrity, and its a real danger, imo.

[fearfaoin]

I could ignore her music, which I find boring. But it's her attitude
that bothers me. Do you remember when Lady Marmalade was
remade several years ago? The producers of the movie Moulin
Rouge brought in 4 popular female singers to record the song. And,
after I heard it a few (too many) times, I realized that it must have
been tough to get that thing recorded. It sounded like each solo was
being used by the performer to "out-diva" the rest of the ladies. It
was constant upstagemanship. The video seemed to confirm that,
for each lady's dance seemed calculated to wrest attention from the
others.

To me, Celine seems to be constantly out-divaing herself. It feels
like she is deperate to keep your attention, as if it feeds her, and
she is starving. That, I just can't tolerate. For similar reasons, I
harbor great disdain for Paris Hilton (though, at least Celine has
some talent to fall back on).