There’s been a lot of talk this week about how craptacular Taylor Swift’s Grammys performance was and it got to the point where head of her label had to release a statement. Unfortunately, Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta couldn’t get his message across without taking a swipe at other artists.

“This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It’s not about that technically perfect performance.”

Mmm mmm mmm. Kelly Clarkson wasn’t going to have any of that. The original American Idol winner took to her blog to put the big wig in his place:

Wow …..Dear Scott Borchetta,

I understand defending your artist obviously because I have done the same in the past for artists I like, including Taylor, so you might see why its upsetting to read you attacking American Idol for producing simply vocalists that hit ‘the high notes’. Thank you for that ‘Captain Obvious’ sense of humor because you know what, we not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the ‘right’ notes as well.

Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable, but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better. I have been criticized left and right for having shaky performances before (and they were shaky) and what my manager or label executives say to me and the public is “I’ll kick butt next time” or “every performance isn’t going to be perfect” ……I bring this up because you should take a lesson from these people and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.

Sincerely,

One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes 

Very well put and also: TRUE! How many artists throughout the years have gotten crap for a bad performance? Pretty much everyone in any artistic field is criticized for their work at some point. I love that Kelly’s calling this guy out because yes, it’s mad unprofessional to blame your artists’ problems on America’s tastes. If the girl didn’t sing right, she didn’t sing right. Also: I am really over seeing everyone throw themselves on the ground over Taylor Swift. Forget that I don’t really care for her music, when was the last time someone’s had their ass so universally kissed? The girl’s 19. Someone’s got to be mean to her at some point. She’s not a kitten, she’s a human and one in the entertainment industry at that. She will be exposed to a million more Kanyes and bad performances before her time is up, so let’s just let it run its course and stop acting like everything that happens to this girl is some horrible attempt to bully her in to a silent death.

When it comes to music, there aren’t too many blatantly wholesome artists I enjoy. The trifecta of nice music that I like includes Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, and Miley Cyrus. So when I heard that Kelly Clarkson did a cover of Miley’s “The Climb,” thereby combining two things of ultimate aural saintliness, I had to track it down.

Kelly hung out with her friends, country / Christian singers Jill Pickering and Kate Rapier, and recorded a harmonious cover of the song in what looks like someone’s poorly-lit living room. It’s a good thing those Jill and Kate girls are such good singers because the first 45 seconds of the video where they “ummm” and hair toss their way through the song’s introduction are absolutely excruciating. I also thought that Kelly and the girl on the left couldn’t quit texting long enough to sing the song, but now think maybe they were just reading the lyrics off their phones.

Enjoy.

“The whole airbrushing thing has gone crazy. I was like, ‘Who is that on the cover of the magazine?’ They were obviously not happy with what I look like. I’m not being mean about myself, but I just found it funny. I think it’s just one of those things that people have got so used to doing that they don’t even think twice about it.”

Kelly Clarkson to Britain’s Heat Magazine on the Self Magazine air brushing scandal

(My apologies for this woof-tastic photo, but I simply couldn’t resist)

FREAK OUT TIME! You guys, Self magazine digitally altered Kelly Clarkson’s photo for the cover of their September issue. They changed her body and her face so that she looks thinner and prettier. I think we should all get really upset about this and start bitching about the media’s contribution to unhealthy female body images, because this is the first time ever that anything like this has ever happened.

Self’s editor, Lucy Danziger, weighs in on the controversy on her personal blog:

Pictures are meant to tell a story, express a feeling, convey an emotion or capture a moment. Portraits like the one we take each month for the cover of SELF are not supposed to be unedited or a true-to-life snapshot (more on that in a moment). When the cover girl arrives at the shoot, she is usually unmade up and casually dressed, and could be mistaken for a member of the crew or the editorial team in many cases. Once we do her makeup and hair, and dress her in beautifully styled outfits and then light her, we then set the best portrait photographer we can on a road to finding a pose and capturing a moment that shows her at her best. … Then we edit the film and choose the best pictures. This is done in tandem with the star; the creative director, Cindy Searight; the photographer; and myself. Then we allow the postproduction process to happen, where we mark up the photograph to correct any awkward wrinkles in the blouse, flyaway hair and other things that might detract from the beauty of the shot. This is art, creativity and collaboration. It’s not, as in a news photograph, journalism. It is, however, meant to inspire women to want to be their best. That is the point.

Here’s what I think is interesting: Every single cover photo of every single women’s magazine since the beginning of digital technology has been digitally altered. Every. Single. One. That’s basically what Lucy is saying here. They Photoshop Kate Moss. They Photoshop Angelina Jolie. They Photoshop Jennifer Lopez and Tyra Banks and Gisele Bundchen. They Photoshop their bodies and their faces and their teeth and their lips and their lighting and the color of their clothing and their hair and their makeup. This happens always.

Why is the decision to digitally alter Kelly Clarkson such a big deal?

Because Kelly Clarkson is a big girl with an average face, and every woman who stops short of a size two and doesn’t naturally have Angelina lips and a button nose feels a need to defend Kelly Clarkson’s right to be a big girl with an average face. And that’s just fine, but I think it’s worth noting: We don’t throw hissy fits when they digital alter thin and beautiful women. Aren’t we, if anything, unfairly picking on Kelly’s plainness by causing an uproar over this photo?

Kelly Clarkson has been fighting with her record label in an effort to stop the release of her single “Already Gone”.  She co-wrote the lyrics against a trace provided by Ryan Tedder, a music producer.  Turns out, Tedder gave the same track to Beyonce who used the music as the backdrop to her single “Halo”.  

Clarkson says, “No one’s gonna be sittin’ at home, thinking ‘Man, Ryan Tedder gave Beyoncé and Kelly the same track to write to.’  No, they’re just gonna be saying I ripped someone off…I fought and fought”.  In the end, they’re releasing it without my consent.  It sucks, but it’s one of those things I have no control over. I already made my album. At this point, the record company can do whatever they want with it. It’s kind of a sh- – -y situation, but . . . you know, you learn.”

I’ve posted both tracks above.  Which is better?  I’m sure all the Evil Beet regulars know my vote.

Kelly Clarkson appeared on Late Show with David Letterman last night wearing dark denim flare leg jeans, a floral tunic and horizontal stripe cardigan.  Thoughts?

Do we just love Clarkson for her “I don’t care” attitude or would it be nice to see her in some garment, any garment, with structure?

Poor Lady Gaga’s chest exploded whilst performing at the 20th Annual MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, Canada.

Also there was Audrina Patridge in a cheap and ill-fitting dress, my fiance Bradley Cooper and the pure Jonas Brothers.  Oh, and I’m totally willing to support Kelly Clarkson in this whole body-acceptance thing she’s got going on, but there must be compromise.  No.  More.  Scarf.  Tops.

Rumer Willis appeared with her chin and Tila Tequila was positively stumped over the one-button operation of the Flip Mino HD camera.

Finally, in an admirable effort of frugality, Kim Kardashian fashioned her dress out of one of the extra costumes used by Fergie’s backup dancers.