THEY'VE GOT IT DOWN TO A SCIENCE

1. . . . The American Music Awards show that was on ABC last night. Another Dick Clark production. Three hours packed tight, and they got off the air on time. The network likes that.
   SOME OBSERVANCES:
   1. The open of the show was too pre-packed and therefore unexciting. Didn't give you a sense of a live show about to happen. Next year, get rid of that.
   2. Would somebody wind down Will Smith? Thank you.
   3. Coke has a swing dance commercial now. It's animation that looks like real people are under it or something. Unique.
   4. It's too close to The People's Choice Awards, which were on the night before. Garth Brooks and Celine Dion said practically the same things when they won on both shows.
   5. There was no podium, which made it awkward at times for some of the presenters and winners. It seemed like they didn't know where to go when they walked up there.
   6. 'N Sync thanked "our savior Jesus Christ." Are they all born again?
   7. GOOD PROMO. For And The Beat Goes On, a Sonny & Cher TV movie coming in February. And the actors they chose do look like Sonny & Cher did.
   8. . . . Cher "sang" that Believe song she's got out. It's #1 all over the world, except for the U.S. The routine they did to it was ridiculous. The pants she had on made her look too big from the waist down, exaggerated by the low angle camera shooting up at her. And she didn't even sing live-she lip- synched the whole thing, for crissakes.
   9. Brandy can't sing very well. (She does do a good head bob though.) Perfect example of what they can do in a recording studio. (She also sings in a key much too low.)
   10. The Dixie Chicks won and when they did, the middle girl got up from her seat and crowed like a rooster and yelled Yee Hah like a hillbilly up on the stage. Youthful exuberance I guess.
   11. That same Chick also thanked the group's makeup artist and hair stylist, "cuz that's what it's all about." In many instances today, that's the truth. Style over substance.
   12. Does every artist who wants a comeback have to team up with rappers? (Blondie did.) Is rap the only thing in music that's happening that's selling today?
   13. Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks were good singing Our Love-It's a Powerful Thing.
   14. I sure hope Garth Brooks and his wife Sandy stay together. God knows he thanks her enough every time he's in public.
   15. TIRED OF ... The obligatory gospel choir in the robe thing. Rapper Master P used one in his performance, but you could barely hear them. So what's the need?
   16. Melissa Joan Hart and Brandy were good, youthful hosts.
   17. Dick Clark's wife Keri was researcher on the show. She's done it for years and always gets a credit. And they ran the credits full-screen-no scrunching them to the side of the TV screen. Thank you.
   18. Good Billy Joel tribute. It was fun hearing the young coming-uppers doing his signature songs.
   19. Suzanne Somers sat right behind Joel in the audience. What was she doing there?
   20. Diana Ross is always crying in every movie she makes. This time it's Double Platinum, which they showed a promo for. She's been crying since Lady Sings The Blues, and that was 1973.
   21. The screaming teenage girls in the balcony got old real quick.
   22. Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello were a nice touch of maturity.

2. Does lipstick weigh much? (If it does, what a hardship.) L'Oreal was advertising "weightless" Rouge Virtuale.

rocci@roccifisch.com

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