Okay, let’s be honest everyone… singing the National Anthem on live television while millions of people watch must be the most stressful and nerve-racking thing in the world. In no way shape or form is that an easy thing to do, not even for people who have been in the entertainment business for years. Just imagine the pressure that is put upon the performer beforehand, I mean this is our country’s National Anthem for goodness sake. And I am sure we have all seen interesting renditions of the national anthem before: all the way from Roseanne Barr shrieking the anthem to Michael Bolton having the lyrics scribbled on his palm. However, for some reason, America just won’t stop talking about Fergie’s national anthem performance earlier in the month. Being the huge Fergie fan that I am means that I definitely have a few final thoughts and opinions about this situation.
First off, a lot of people have been speculating whether or not Fergie purposely intended to be offensive, and if so, does this mean she should apologize? Well, personally I don’t think Fergie did this on purpose at all. I genuinely believe she was just trying to put her own spin on the National Anthem, which many have done before her. Fergie has come forward and said that she was trying something new, a jazzier version of the anthem, instead of the more traditional version. I definitely don’t believe Fergie intended to offend anybody with her performance and rendition!
Something you must keep in mind is the fact that Fergie has always been kind of “out there” with her performances. And what I mean by that is that she doesn’t like to blend in. Fergie instead keeps things interesting by continuously being corky and extremely captivating throughout her performances. Looking back at her past musical stunts, I can see that trying something new is definitely not unlike her because she is constantly taking risks artistically.
I think we need to remember that Fergie is human too, which means she isn’t perfect and still makes mistakes, just like you and me. The world often forgets that celebrities and performers also feel emotion and embarrassment. It seems like society is always too quick to judge when a celebrity makes a mistake, rather than showing them a little grace and leniency. We live in a world consumed by social media, and the things people post online can be extremely cruel, so just imagine how Fergie is feeling right now. Well, I’m guessing she is probably feeling pretty embarrassed and perhaps even fearful to go on her social media accounts, due to the constant posts and memes pouring in that are all ridiculing her performance. I am not saying that Fergie’s rendition of the national anthem was perfect by any means, but the world needs to realize that she is an actual person with actual feelings.
In my opinion, Fergie is a one of a kind performer and artist, from being a member of the Black Eyed Peas all the way to her solo debut, she has continuously been a household name in the music industry. So, I think that it’s okay to give her a break from one not so great performance. And even though it was the National Anthem, we have witnessed worse renditions (like, much much worse...) and I don’t think it’s fair to ridicule someone, even a celebrity for making a mistake. Let’s be honest, no one is perfect. With that being said, let's cut Fergie some slack!