# Fuck you, Christina Aguilera **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 7, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488 "2011-02-07T04:23:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/41 "2011-02-07T16:33:03Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > In my experience, watching international rugby and soccer matches, the anthems of both countries are played before the game. Given that these games are, by definition, games between national teams, it actually makes sense to play the anthems on such occasions. Also, in those cases, the anthem is generally sung straight or played by a band, and people in the stands sing also. I think **Capitaine** meant two teams of the same nationality. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/42 "2011-02-07T16:34:48Z")
> [@Silver\_Fire](#): > > Okay so… lyric fuck up aside, that was terrible. WTH. Not quite as bad as this one though: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHnpWohrg0&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHnpWohrg0&feature=related) Am I a child for laughing my ass off at that? I also don’t care if people put their own spin on the national anthem. If they sing it well, who cares if they didn’t follow the standard unwaveringly? People have added their own personal variations in the past, some of whom quite damn well. Christina’s version was bad, though, but I already fully expected her to go full on American Idol with it, because that’s just how she sings, so no surprise or disappointment there. The flubbing of the lyrics was bad, but if I’m in a charitable mood, forgivable. That weave, however: unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/43 "2011-02-07T16:36:15Z")
I applaud every mistake and overindulgence engaged in by anthem singers at athletic events. There is absolutely no good reason for the national anthem to be part of a private, commercial entertainment presentation. I want the singers to get worse and worse and worse and more and more obnoxious, just to punish the morons who insist on having it. I fantasize that it will get so bad that everyone will just give up on it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/44 "2011-02-07T16:40:24Z")
But then we might forget where the Super Bowl is played! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/45 "2011-02-07T16:41:03Z")
> [@villa](#): > > I think **Capitaine** meant two teams of the same nationality. Oh, i guess you’re right. In that case, the answer is no. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/46 "2011-02-07T16:41:30Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Charlie Brooker said the following about Mariah Carey but it cuts 'n pastes well for Christina Aguilera just as well. > > “it’s hard to detect much in the way of palpable feeling in Carey’s music. Her singing voice wavers up and down through the octaves, like someone slowly tuning a shortwave radio in search of an authentic emotion. It’s technically amazing, but almost impossible to relate to on a human level” This. I am impressed with the voices of Aguilera and Carey, no doubt. But I don’t find them pleasurable to listen to at all. Hitting a note and holding it is much, much more pleasurable to listen to for me than the “radio tuning” described in that quote. Carey also is able to do this thing, it shows up in an older song of hers… something like “You’ve Got Me Feeling Emotion”. Anyway, she hits this insanely high note and melismas all over it, and I think “Wow, how few people in the world can do that?” but mostly I think “Dear Lord it sounds like a dog whistle”. I don’t blame any of the pop superstars for singing the national anthem like this, though. I hate it but I know that they were hired to do just what they are doing. Forgetting the lyrics is less forgivable, though. This isn’t Miss Aguilera’s first time at the rodeo. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/47 "2011-02-07T16:50:28Z")
The words are archaic and the song practically unsingable. It is rare to find a person who can sing it passably.Even opera singers leave you dissatisfied. So we have a sport before the game. Who is going to fuck it up this time. I don’t buy the pressure argument. They generally are professional singers who sing in front of large audiences or on TV for a living. They should have no trouble with the pressure at all. My favorites were Jose Feliciano and Rozanne Barr. Why do people take it so seriously? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/48 "2011-02-07T16:53:25Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Though its obviously none of my business, this. I don’t quite understand the American obsession with playing the anthem prior to (at least the ones I watch) every fuckin’ sporting event. I mean, _why_? Do people – players included – all of a sudden forget what country they are in prior to watching a B-ball game? If I recall, when we’re playing a Canadian baseball team in Canada we play the Canadian anthem. So maybe there’s something to that “remind them what country they’re in” thing. Hey, it’s just a national custom at this point, like British tea time and people who eat lutefisk - seriously, who willingly eats fish soaked in lye solution? But hey, it’s a custom, it may not make any sense in this day and age, but whatever. A lot about the Super Bowl is actually highly ritualized at this point. I’m old enough to remember when there was considerably less hoopla around it. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/49 "2011-02-07T16:55:10Z")
I managed to avoid the entire circus simply by leaving the TV turned off. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/50 "2011-02-07T16:57:07Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > If no one sang the Star-Spangled Banner, we’d never have the single best rendition of the national anthem: I give you Marvin Gaye, at the [1983 NBA all-star game](http://rootzoo.com/videos/view/NBA-Basketball/Marvin-Gaye-Sings-National-Anthem-at-1983-NBA-All-Star-Game/3738). > > When you think about it - what kind of title is ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ anyway? Who says ‘spangled’ nowadays? I normally don’t like people singing the anthem because they do it so poorly. However, I love Marvin Gaye. That was something special right there. I’ve never heard the crowd clap along like that. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/51 "2011-02-07T17:05:40Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > There is absolutely no good reason for the national anthem to be part of a private, commercial entertainment presentation. I rather like it as a herald of getting-down-to-business. It sets before-the-game apart from the game. Of course it’s not quite that in big-production events like the Super Bowl, where the game doesn’t start immediately following. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/52 "2011-02-07T17:08:07Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yes. > > In my experience, watching international rugby and soccer matches, the anthems of both countries are played before the game. Given that these games are, by definition, games between national teams, it actually makes sense to play the anthems on such occasions. Also, in those cases, the anthem is generally sung straight or played by a band, and people in the stands sing also. Indeed, it does (make sense). But it’s also interesting to note that, in Europe, National Anthems are no longer played prior to matches between _teams_ from different countries – events adopt some sort of theme song, and that, in turn, supercedes the National Anthems. For instance, here’s [Uefa Champions League Anthem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr6iK8akuqk). Again, I think that makes a lot of sense, since club teams (as in the US) are made up of players from any number of countries. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/53 "2011-02-07T17:15:01Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > I know this has been brought up before, and I’m bringing it up again. > > Why do we even need a singer at all? > > It’s hard to sing, even for an experienced professional. It glorifies one of the most insignificant wars we’ve been in. It’s just a bit creepily jingoistic. It’s not even _complete_, for crying out loud. And of course, not only does it frequently get butchered, some of the singers make it a _point_ to butcher it (I’m looking at you, Roseanne Barr.) EVERYONE. KNOWS. THIS. > > So if we need to play the national anthem (which I rather vehemently disagree with, but never mind that), fine, _play_ the national anthem, respectfully, professionally, and _within a reasonable time_. If it has to be part of the pregame ritual, make it just that, not some hammy star vehicle. > > (Yeah, yeah, bands cost money. This is the Super Bowl. Chump change.) Because its a WAR song and football is WAR! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/54 "2011-02-07T17:28:50Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > If I recall, when we’re playing a Canadian baseball team in Canada we play the Canadian anthem. So maybe there’s something to that “remind them what country they’re in” thing. I’ll add that at NHL hockey games in Canada, when the game is between an American team and a Canadian team, it is normal to play the American anthem and the Canadian anthem before the game. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/55 "2011-02-07T17:58:49Z")
You’d probably hear it at international matches here, but not anywhere else. The custom of playing it at the end of the movies died out sometime around 1970 and as for other social occasions, no. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/56 "2011-02-07T17:58:56Z")
> [@DragonAsh](#): > > If no one sang the Star-Spangled Banner, we’d never have the single best rendition of the national anthem: I give you Marvin Gaye, at the [1983 NBA all-star game](http://rootzoo.com/videos/view/NBA-Basketball/Marvin-Gaye-Sings-National-Anthem-at-1983-NBA-All-Star-Game/3738). > > When you think about it - what kind of title is ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ anyway? Who says ‘spangled’ nowadays? > [@Hung\_Mung](#): > > I normally don’t like people singing the anthem because they do it so poorly. > > However, I love Marvin Gaye. That was something special right there. I’ve never heard the crowd clap along like that. Heh - I linked that song in the other thread, too, because it was such a stand-out performance. > [@Spoons](#): > > I’ll add that at NHL hockey games in Canada, when the game is between an American team and a Canadian team, it is normal to play the American anthem and the Canadian anthem before the game. It’s an unusual day when I’m watching a hockey or lacrosse game and we play ONLY the Canadian anthem at the Saddledome - it’s always US anthem first, then Canadian anthem. Which I make a point of singing along to, mind you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AshenLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@AshenLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AshenLady)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/57 "2011-02-07T17:59:45Z")
What a horrible rendition of our National Anthem. Hope they get someone who can sing next year. ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/58 "2011-02-07T18:08:30Z")
They should have stuck with [Enrico Palazzo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-S-eeInJVk). ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/59 "2011-02-07T19:12:26Z")
I wish they’d just pipe it in from the same pre-recording every time. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488/60 "2011-02-07T19:36:50Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > It’s an unusual day when I’m watching a hockey or lacrosse game and we play ONLY the Canadian anthem at the Saddledome - it’s always US anthem first, then Canadian anthem. Which I make a point of singing along to, mind you. 🙂 I think it’s amusing to go to pro hockey games in the States, ones that involve two American teams. NHL teams being much more international than, say, NBA teams, the anthem starts up and I’m looking at both benches, thinking “Norwegian, Canadian, Russian, Canadian, Slovakian, Russian, Swede… oh there’s the third string goalie, I think he’s from Minnesota”. Back to the subject, I also think that maybe it’s worth pointing out that Ms Aguilera’s career isn’t what it once was, and this lyrical accident has really extended the news cycle beyond just “Christina Aguilera sings the anthem at the Super Bowl”. Any publicity is good publicity, right? And wardrobe malfunctions are \*so \*overdone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-you-christina-aguilera/570488.md?page=4)