WGA strike: A Grammy opportunity

So after the debacle that was the Golden Globes press conference thing, the attention has turned to upcoming award shows, namely the Grammy Awards and the Oscars. The former is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and the past week has brought plenty-o-speculation on a touchy subject: will the Writers Guild of America strike could put a damper on the party?

It shouldn't.

In the coming days, we should know if the Writers Guild of America has granted the producers of the Grammy Awards a waiver, which would allow the proceedings to occur sans picket and would permit the Grammys to use WGA writers. Of late, the Grammys have been scripted by producer Ken Ehrlich and author/journalist David Wild, both of whom are WGA members, according to a spokesman for the guild. The WGA has also stated that a waiver would be unlikely to be forthcoming.

So what's going to happen if the Grammys don't receive an interim agreement from the WGA?

One thing is certain: The show will go on, as Neil Portnow (pictured) asserts in this interview with The Times' Geoff Boucher. It also appears the WGA strike certainly won't be as damaging to the Grammys as it was to the Golden Globes, especially considering the Foo Fighters and Beyonce, the latter of whom also carries a Screen Actors Guild card, have pledged to perform and support the Grammys.

And while both artists would probably voice their support for the WGA, they could face criticism for wanting to appear on the Grammys. Criticism, it should be noted, will probably come down harder on Beyonce if the strike is not settled by Feb. 10, as SAG has pledged solidarity with the WGA.

But Beyonce is one of the world's most recognizable faces because of her music, not her budding film career, and the Foo Fighters can't blame the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for the mediocrity that was "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace."

Confirmed appearances from Beyonce and the Foo Fighters should help the Recording Academy lineup other artists (R&B singer John Legend is on board for at least some pre-Grammy activities, according to Billboard). And if there are SAG-affiliated artists who prefer not to cross a potential picket line, let's not forget there's plenty of talent to go around in the music industry, and plenty of non-SAG artists who wouldn't have to make such a decision.

And many of these artists don't traditionally get air time on the Grammys. In fact, nothing against the entertainment factor of a Justin Timberlake, or a labor-friendly artist such as a Bruce Springsteen, but both are the type of artists we expect to see at the Grammys.

The absence of such star power could be a blow to CBS, certainly, but it would be nicely unexpected for the Grammys to step outside its comfort zone. So while a Grammy Awards without a WGA waiver is not anyone's ideal, it does give the Recording Academy an opportunity to provide a show unlike it ever has before. 

And with an insanely long (too long) 110 categories, perhaps it's time the Grammys start showcasing a non-superstar artist or two (or four). How about an artist we've never seen in this type of setting before? The Arcade Fire's majestic rock is built for grand stages, and they would shine on the Grammys.

Or how about giving some air time to a Bettye LaVette? The soul singer has languished in near-obscurity for her 40-plus year career, but her "Scene of the Crime," nominated for best contemporary blues album, is a smoldering soul record, one where cynicism has turned into resolve. LaVette has been waiting for her Grammy moment her entire career -- she's goes so far as to name-check the awards on the record -- so give the stage to someone with decades-long passion to win a Grammy.

After all, if there's no script to fall back on, this is the chance for the Grammys to use that added time to make a show about music discovery. Perhaps that's wishful thinking (OK, probably), but with all the 50th anniversary clips out of the way -- thanks to a Nov. 30 special that aired on CBS, "My Night At the Grammys" -- the Recording Academy has every reason to keep the nostalgia to minimum.   

And what do without a host? The solution is simple: give more airtime to musicians. When Kanye West wins album of the year, an award he should have won two times before, give him the floor, and don't cut him off.

Heck -- let the man host the show. Nothing against anyone who's ever written an awards ceremony, which seems like a relatively thankless task, but you honestly don't need the WGA when you have someone as entertaining and unfiltered in your community as a Kanye West.

There's plenty the Grammys and the music business deserve to be criticized for over the past 50 years. But throwing an anniversary ball in the midst of labor dispute between the WGA and AMPT is not one of them. There are a wealth of artists who don't double as actors, and the Recording Academy could avoid increasing the strike tensions by showcasing the musicians who make the music community as rich as it is -- not the superstars who work in multi-platforms.

Now, as to why exactly Beyonce is performing with Solange and Trinitee 5:7 ....

(Portnow photo courtesy Stefano Paltera / For The Times;  LaVette photo courtesy Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times)