# American Music Awards - What a Joke

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-awards-what-a-joke/381995>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 27, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-awards-what-a-joke/381995 "2006-11-27T22:15:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![50million](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/9fc348/32.png) [@50million](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/50million)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-awards-what-a-joke/381995/1 "2006-11-27T22:15:32Z")

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In general I don’t watch award shows, they seem to be some of the most pointless television out there. Alas, I was obliged to watch the American Music Awards this past week. I have two observations / criticisms.

1. The same 3 - 4 bands were nominated for just about every award. Chili Peppers, Black Eyed Peas, some lame-ass group, and The Pussy Cat Dolls.

2. The Pussy Cat Dolls have to be the most no-talent-ass-clowns in the history of “music”. They are worse than the Spice Girls and every boy-band combined! How are they nominated for music awards? Is this the best America can produce?

How and why is this show so lame?

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**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-awards-what-a-joke/381995/2 "2006-11-28T00:29:49Z")

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They’ve always been a lame teenybopper popularity contest.

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**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-awards-what-a-joke/381995/3 "2006-11-28T08:42:06Z")

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One reason the AMA’s are so lackluster is how the nominees are chosen. The Grammys, Oscars, and other major awards are chosen by fellow artists and industry executives. In contrast, AMA nominations are decided solely by commercial factors (CD sales, airplay, etc.). That means nominations only go to the most commercial acts which are rarely the best acts. (That explains the Pussycat Dolls.) The reason so many of the same acts get nominated so many times is that in today’s music climate there’s not much variety on commercial radio, which is a major component of the AMA nominations.

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**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-awards-what-a-joke/381995/4 "2006-11-28T09:53:44Z")

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[QUOTE=50million]  
The Pussy Cat Dolls have to be the most no-talent-ass-clowns in the history of “music”.  
[/QUOTE]  
Except for Michael Bolton.

Anyway, Pussycat Dolls are much hotter than the spice girls. I think that should count for something. 😉

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-music-awards-what-a-joke/381995/5 "2006-11-28T15:04:30Z")

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I’m amazed the Pussycat Dolls actually sell that many albums. They’ve only had one song I can remember and it was kind of a joke/novelty song.