Kennedy Center Horrors

2025 Kennedy Center Honorees and Trump
supporters.

This year's low-rated, horrible Kennedy Center Honors were like an auto accident on the freeway--I couldn't stop myself from looking at the wreckage. Trump has turned what was once a national honor into his own ego-driven, self-gratification ceremony. Probably because he felt slighted by the Center during his first term and refused to attend. It has since been revealed that once he got into his second term and appointed himself Chairman of the Board, he changed the rules of the board so only those he appointed were allowed to vote and thereby stacked the deck to get his name added. Then he announced he would be hosting. The honorees were figures he liked and who had hit their peaks decades ago. The resultant fiasco ceremony was a true embarrassment. 

For the broadcast, Trump made live opening and closing remarks. His opening speech was over 20 minutes and included the usual rants on tariffs, and lies about the 2020 election which he still can't admit he lost. CBS cut the political stuff and left Trump's bloviating about his supposedly saving the Kennedy Center and how this year's honorees are the greatest entertainers to ever walk the face of the earth. Really, Donald? Gloria Gaynor and Sly Stallone are on a par with William Shakespeare, Greta Garbo, and Charlie Chaplin? 

The remainder of Trump's mummified remarks were taped at the White House so Trump and Melania could be seen seen sitting next to the winner being spotlighted. BTW, there was a commercial for the $44 million dollar Amazon documentary on Melania that no one will go see in theaters. 

Michael Crawford was chosen merely because he starred in Trump's favorite musical Phantom of the Opera. It was truly pathetic when Trump sycophant Kelsey Grammer sang Hello, Dolly to him because Crawford was in the 1969 movie version. Grammer is probably angling for next year's list because they are fast running out of show-biz types who can stomach Trump. Crawford's Phantom run was almost 40 years ago and his only other Broadway appearance after that was the colossal bomb, Dance of the Vampires, one of the worst Broadway shows I've seen in 50 years of theatergoing. He did star in a British sitcom called Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em which I believe no one in the US has ever seen. 

Gloria Gaynor is best known for only a handful of disco hits from the 70s. Ironically they did not perform one of them, "I Am What I Am" from La Cage Aux Folles, a theme of gay identity. (Although I do admire her for overcoming a serious stage accident which left her paralyzed.) She is a donor to the Republican Party which I'm sure had something to do with her being chosen. I was never a fan of Sylvester Stallone. He probably secured his honor because Tom Cruise turned down Trump, claiming a scheduling conflict. That and Stallone being a Trump supporter. 

Will Trump now put his name on the medals as he has done with the building itself? He's already refashioned the sashes from rainbow to a bland navy blue, probably because of the multi-color's association with the LGBTQ community. Will next year's show be the Trump-Kennedy Center Honors? Hopefully, the lawsuit and legislation to get his name taken off will succeed before then and perhaps that will anger Trump enough to back away. If that happens, he'll maybe withdraw as Chairman and we won't have to wait until 2029 before things get back to bipartisanship. One wonders who will be next year's honorees as the list of artists willing to be associated with Trump dwindles. Maybe Kelsey Grammer, Roseanne Barr or Arnold, Nicki Manaj, Jon Voight, James Woods? The last two are not bad actors, but their career achievements hardly merit inclusion in the list.