The indie world felt a universal wave of elation when Arcade Fire took out the coveted Album of the Year Grammy on Sunday, February 13, but not everyone was convinced of its worth.
One internet-savvy user started a tumblr blog cataloguing the bewilderment of twitter and facebook users, including Rosie O'Donnell.
Twitter user @DeannaEffinMack tweeted 'The Grammy's are fixed, like straight up; how are all these nobodys winning? And why is everyone from Arcade Fire hideously ugly?#appalled' in one of the few grammatically correct posts on the blog.
Other twitterers thought the name of the album, 'The Suburbs', was the name of the band.
@DeedeIsACutie said 'Who in the hell were those suburbs ppl that won album of the year???? Omg really??? I'm pissed!', @AhmedzSabbagh said 'Album of the year goes to who ? The suburbs ? Seriously ? Who are they 0.o', while another blurred out facebook user said they 'love the chick drummer' in Arcade Fire only to have a friend 'correct' them saying 'That was the song lol the band is The Suburbs.'
A Facebook user whose name was blurred out said 'Congratulations to all 10 people in the world who have ever heard of arcade fire before...,' apparently unaware that 'The Suburbs' debuted at #1 in the United States, Canada, the U.K. and Ireland upon its release last year and sold 165,000 copies in the USA in its first week alone.
Some of the blunter remarks came from @username_tj, who said 'Shut the fuck up about Arcade Fire. I had never even heard of them before tonight so they must suck. Award shows don't mean shit anyway,' while @xXDevXx accused The Grammys of rigging the awards, saying 'STOP RIGGIN THIS SHIT.... U LOST MANY VIEWERS..LOOK AT THE REACTIONS U LOST ALOT.'
Even Rosie O'Donnell chimed into the argument saying (with poorer grammar than I would have expected from Rosie O) 'album of the year ? ummm never heard of them ever'
Lady Gaga fans weren't happy either, with user Vegetarianspower saying on the www.ladygaga.com forums 'Arcade Fire sucks. They have not talent. They were just screaming into the mircophone. Now I'm mad at Gaga for the meat dress but seriously? Eminem, Katy Perry (my fav,) or Lady Gaga deserved it much more than Arcade Fire.'
Not everyone is anti-Arcade Fire. One of their bigger supporters, Kanye West tweeted the ecstatic and simple '#ARCADEFIRE'
Arcade Fire's third album 'The Suburbs' was the 80th highest selling album in the United States in 2010, although it was only released in August. It was also the only album that both myself and my colleague Andrew Tijs put in our top albums of 2010. If you haven't heard of Arcade Fire, get on it!
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