Newtown Students May Now Be Singing 'Call Me Maybe' at the Grammys
After cries both emotional and exploitative from the Super Bowl pre-game show, the debate over whether or not the children of Newtown should be singing at major television events continued on Tuesday with news that a group of students will be featured during this weekend's Grammy Awards.
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The Associated Press is reporting that Ryan Seacrest has a crew going to Connecticut and will interview the children live via satellite during the red-carpet segment of the broadcast. The students will also apparently be interacting with pop star Carly Rae Jepsen, possibly joining her in some of her song "Call Me Maybe."
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The children who are set to appear on the Grammys broadcast recorded a version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with Ingrid Michaelson. Some of them attend Sandy Hook Elementary. They are not, the AP points out, the same group that sang at the Super Bowl this past Sunday, who are members of the Sandy Hook Chorus.
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When word arrived that the students were going to sing before 100 million people at the Super Bowl last week, some were up in arms, saying that CBS and the NFL were exploiting children witness to massacre. Much reaction after the chorus sang "America the Beautiful" with Jennifer Hudson was positive. A number of people said the performance brought them to tears. That, of course, was a rendition of a patriotic song. In the upcoming performance children of Newtown are likely to sing a catchy pop hit, mostly known for the viral videos it spawned. The news has elicited some frustrated responses:
C'mon. Now it's just exploitation. RT @newsbreaker #Newtown children will be featured during Grammys w Ryan Seacrest bit.ly/YB7pDV
— Slade Sohmer (@SladeHV) February 5, 2013
TV producers: Stop exploiting the children of Newtown already - bit.ly/YB7pDV
— Matthew Keys (@TheMatthewKeys) February 5, 2013
The Grammy appearance, however, is the last for this group of students: Tim Hayes, who co-produced their recording, said they have no plans for major public performances from here on out. "We know the kids involved have had a wonderful experience, but we think this chapter is now done," Hayes told the AP, "and we want these kids to get back to being kids."
