The National Anthem Isn T A Pop Song Summary
“The National Anthem Isn’t a Pop Song” by Mark Corallo Critique
For many reasons, Mark Corallo’s article on Christina Aguilera’s performance does not fulfill its purpose in any great extent. His assumptions were not all accurate. He claims her singing on kick- off Sunday night was an embarrassment to herself and everyone else. It also states mostly how she didn’t even have the right lyrics to the song. The article drew a lot of attention to Christina and how she was the wrong person for this position. Corallo starts off stating how “we should be so critical of a pop star that probably has no idea of the origins of the Star Spangled Banner.” (par. 2) This statement would be considered a hasty generalization by Corallo. It is not in all cases
that a pop star doesn’t know the origins of this song. This is being very stereotypical. Not all pop stars are the same, nor have there been a dozen pops stars treating the anthem like a “poem open to their artistic interpretation.” (par. 2) It is true there have been some bad performances during Super Bowls, World Series, NBA All Star Games and other sporting events, but who is to say which singers were the worst. Christina may have said the wrong lyrics, but mistakes can be made. Not to mention, she has always used very strong tunes in almost all her music. Some might agree that Christina’s performance was sung from the heart of her own style that most people know her as. It is true that being a musician or performer is not so much of an easy profession. Music is loved and respected by many people. Corallo talks about how he is an Army veteran, and the national anthem is very sacred to him because of what the flag represents. Yet the anthem is originally from “The Anacreontic Song” which is not exactly known to be sacred. This would be a false assumption as well. Not only has that, but the word “anthem” come from the Latin word “antiphon” which is a type of hymn. Hymns are spirituals or songs you may hear at church and it is not common to hear the anthem while at church.
The song is about the courage and devotion shown by a group of Americans who in the course of a raging British naval bombardment refused to let the Stars and Stripes fall. (par. 5) It is a song filled with respect, freedom and peace from the war. It is about the pride of the flag flying over the land of the free and home of the brave. This is the type of song that touches many people’s hearts the moment they hear it. It is hard to say someone could purposely “murder” the tune, as Corallo had quoted. Corallo’s conclusion to his article was to give advice to other pop singers and save their singing for concerts only. He also says “to sing the song the way they were taught to sing it in kindergarten.” (par. 6) He begins calling the pop singers self-centered with their egos. This is a hasty another generalization.
Pop stars are like any other singer, just with a different style. They still sing from the heart and how they feel for the music. Christina Aguilera was not trying to embarrass herself or anyone else for that matter. It is not proven that she was trying to be known as a superstar musician, she could have just simply sung the anthem the way she felt it. The anthem should be respected by all of America no matter who the one performing it may be. These are all the many reasons to why Corallos article doesn’t affect many of his readers.
Work Cited
Coallo, Mark. “The National Anthem Isn’t a Pop Song.” Daily Caller. Daily Caller, 8 Feb, 2011. Web. 1 Oct, 2013.
For many reasons, Mark Corallo’s article on Christina Aguilera’s performance does not fulfill its purpose in any great extent. His assumptions were not all accurate. He claims her singing on kick- off Sunday night was an embarrassment to herself and everyone else. It also states mostly how she didn’t even have the right lyrics to the song. The article drew a lot of attention to Christina and how she was the wrong person for this position. Corallo starts off stating how “we should be so critical of a pop star that probably has no idea of the origins of the Star Spangled Banner.” (par. 2) This statement would be considered a hasty generalization by Corallo. It is not in all cases
that a pop star doesn’t know the origins of this song. This is being very stereotypical. Not all pop stars are the same, nor have there been a dozen pops stars treating the anthem like a “poem open to their artistic interpretation.” (par. 2) It is true there have been some bad performances during Super Bowls, World Series, NBA All Star Games and other sporting events, but who is to say which singers were the worst. Christina may have said the wrong lyrics, but mistakes can be made. Not to mention, she has always used very strong tunes in almost all her music. Some might agree that Christina’s performance was sung from the heart of her own style that most people know her as. It is true that being a musician or performer is not so much of an easy profession. Music is loved and respected by many people. Corallo talks about how he is an Army veteran, and the national anthem is very sacred to him because of what the flag represents. Yet the anthem is originally from “The Anacreontic Song” which is not exactly known to be sacred. This would be a false assumption as well. Not only has that, but the word “anthem” come from the Latin word “antiphon” which is a type of hymn. Hymns are spirituals or songs you may hear at church and it is not common to hear the anthem while at church.
The song is about the courage and devotion shown by a group of Americans who in the course of a raging British naval bombardment refused to let the Stars and Stripes fall. (par. 5) It is a song filled with respect, freedom and peace from the war. It is about the pride of the flag flying over the land of the free and home of the brave. This is the type of song that touches many people’s hearts the moment they hear it. It is hard to say someone could purposely “murder” the tune, as Corallo had quoted. Corallo’s conclusion to his article was to give advice to other pop singers and save their singing for concerts only. He also says “to sing the song the way they were taught to sing it in kindergarten.” (par. 6) He begins calling the pop singers self-centered with their egos. This is a hasty another generalization.
Pop stars are like any other singer, just with a different style. They still sing from the heart and how they feel for the music. Christina Aguilera was not trying to embarrass herself or anyone else for that matter. It is not proven that she was trying to be known as a superstar musician, she could have just simply sung the anthem the way she felt it. The anthem should be respected by all of America no matter who the one performing it may be. These are all the many reasons to why Corallos article doesn’t affect many of his readers.
Work Cited
Coallo, Mark. “The National Anthem Isn’t a Pop Song.” Daily Caller. Daily Caller, 8 Feb, 2011. Web. 1 Oct, 2013.