# Has the inauguration gone over-the-top?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 21, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920 "2013-01-21T17:23:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/21 "2013-01-22T00:59:41Z")
As far as good taste goes, I think it was just fine. Not over the top at all.
I gotta say though, I did not like the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of _The Battle Hymn of the Republic_. Too much musical riffing, changing keys and all that. I much prefer the song as is.
That said, at least they sang the right words. Unlike Judy Collins singing “…let us live to make men free…” in a soundtrack special for Ken Burns’ _Civil War_ series.
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### Author:  [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/22 "2013-01-22T02:09:01Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#):
>
> It was awfully fucking churchy for my tastes.
Agreed!
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#):
>
> I gotta say though, I did not like the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of _The Battle Hymn of the Republic_. Too much musical riffing, changing keys and all that. I much prefer the song as is.
Yes.
Speaking of Scalia (he segued deftly), what century did that hat come from?
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/23 "2013-01-22T02:23:34Z")
The thing I found baffling was the whole speech about the peaceful transfer of power. For the re-election of an _incumbent_. What was that all about? Is it a standard speech for every inauguration or something?
It was a little churchy, of course. But I’ve pretty much become accustomed to it. I liked the Myrlie Evers-Williams’ prayer okay, but Luis Leon’s benediction at the end just pissed me off. “Bless us, Lord, please, 'cause otherwise we’ll suck.” What? Fuck you. It felt waaaaaay too exclusionary and straight up Christian, where as the woman’s was vague enough to feel pretty ecumenical.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/24 "2013-01-22T02:28:12Z")
And regarding all the comments about the “peaceful transfer of power,” perhaps that was unusual when the country was new or young, but today most countries have such a peaceful transfer. I wish we Americans would stop patting ourselves on the back so much.
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/25 "2013-01-22T02:35:25Z")
> [@Diceman](#):
>
> I wandered into the break room during my lunch break, and on the TV is some guy reading poetry. I’ve heard that Beyonce and other people will be performing later. Is it just me, or is this getting utterly ridiculous? It’s a presidential inauguration, not the Academy Awards.
Ronald Reagan’s inaugurations, IIRC, more resembled a Royal Coronation. As a matter of fact, so did his week-long funeral.
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### Author:  [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/26 "2013-01-22T03:15:11Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> If you still want to watch the speech, visit a news website like CNN’s. They have the speech available as a video to watch, or a transcript to read.
You can also watch it in full (as well as most/every? other recent Presidential speech) online at the White House’s website.
[http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2013/01/21/2013-inauguration-ceremony](http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2013/01/21/2013-inauguration-ceremony)
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### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/27 "2013-01-22T03:58:57Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> …There were also 10 official inaugural balls that year. Tonight there will be two balls - I was trying to figure out a way to avoid suggesting a pun but I give up - plus a concert for military families.
Yeah, but those two balls are going to be MEGA-sized according to Dr Maddow.
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### Author:  [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/28 "2013-01-22T04:24:02Z")
Did they airlift in a 12’ tall chocolate Obama sculpture and have everyone in the audience lick it until their tongues revealed the shining gold tabernacle hidden within?
Because if not, I think the ceremony may have actually been a little too sedate.
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### Author:  [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/29 "2013-01-22T13:44:40Z")
That would have been a terrible idea, Colander. Surely you’ve heard about the flu epidemic.
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/30 "2013-01-22T17:16:11Z")
> [@Diceman](#):
>
> I’ve heard that Beyonce and other people will be performing later.
Imma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best inagurations of all time.
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### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/31 "2013-01-22T21:43:27Z")
Seems like too much to me, but I never have been a fan of inaugurations. I think the concept is a great thing, peaceful transition of power, but that really doesn’t need to be more than a 30 minute ceremony with a speech.
Could we have some airing of grievances instead of Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson?
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-inauguration-gone-over-the-top/647920/32 "2013-01-22T22:35:20Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#):
>
> That said, at least they sang the right words. Unlike Judy Collins singing “…let us live to make men free…” in a soundtrack special for Ken Burns’ _Civil War_ series.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed/hated that change!
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