Keller @ Large: Madonna's 'Tribute' To Aretha Franklin Was Just Plain Awful
BOSTON (CBS) - If you've ever attended a funeral or memorial service, you may have noticed that eulogies can be tricky. The best tributes are warm, personal, and full of detail about what made the deceased special. The worst are trite, boring and much more - if not entirely - about the person giving the eulogy than the person being remembered.
Unfortunately, Madonna's tribute to the late, great Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards the other night was a classic of bad eulogizing. Outside of a couple of fleeting, detail-free references to how much Aretha empowered and influenced her and a rambling story about how she sang a Franklin hit song at a long-ago audition, Madonna's remarks were mostly about herself. As a Detroit native, she could have talked about Aretha's deep connections to that city's musical culture and how she shared them. She might have discussed how Aretha's struggles to make it as a woman in a male-dominated industry provided a model for her own career.
But instead, it appeared as if Aretha's death - on Madonna's 60th birthday, no less - prompted lots of thinking about herself and little reflection on Aretha.
Too bad, because for others Aretha's life offers plenty of fodder for a real eulogy. You could talk about her transcendent skill, her commitment to civil and human rights, her elevation of soul and gospel to their rightful place of honor in American culture.
In most cases, there's plenty for a eulogist to talk about besides themself. Unless you're a raging narcissist like Madonna.
Your opinion is welcome. Share it via email at keller@wbztv.com, or use Twitter, @kelleratlarge.