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[PuraVida]

This was the moment when the Celine hatred started, I remember. Everyone I knew accused her of “screaming” the big note as opposed to singing it. My friends and the press started to make fun of her big gestures and the hitting of herself. Then MHWGO happened and the hatred sky-rocketed, SNL began having Ana Gasteyer play her and make fun of hitting herself in the chest. This was all made worse by the infamous Oscars performance where she hits the blue diamond on her chest when she goes to hit herself. She became both a worldwide star and an object of ridicule during those 2 years - ‘97/‘98.

 

I was growing up during the 90s, so not aware of music or culture at all. I always appreciate when people can tell us their memories of Celine rising to fame, and her big moments. Besides the Oscars performance of MHWGO, I only remember her hitting herself during ABM. Which is why I found it funny that even today, people mimicked her hitting herself---because then I assumed they must be familiar with her performances online of ABM.

 

It's probably unlike any other figure in history to be so polarizing within music -while- being #1, esp. worldwide. Did SNL ever make fun of her more than once?

 

Do you think she screamed the big notes for ABM/MHWGO?

[PuraVida]

Celine was watching while they were all performing, so I hope Whitney watched her too

 

I want confirmation! lol. I wish they had these full ceremonies online, because then you can look during other performances and see where people were sitting. I noticed Rene looked to someone in the audience after Celine finished, to his right, so I wonder who he was looking at to see how they liked Celine.

 

I think vocally she pretty much gave the most impressive part of the night, but Whitney/Cece during "Count on Me" was also great. I do think Celine performed the song better on the Billboard Awards, but on the Grammys she was more explosive with the high note---and she never hit it that way ever again, by chopping it into two parts i.e. an initial fading belt and then a big high punch.

Edited June 26, 2020 at 01:52 PM by PuraVida

[couldawouldashoulda]

I was growing up during the 90s, so not aware of music or culture at all. I always appreciate when people can tell us their memories of Celine rising to fame, and her big moments. Besides the Oscars performance of MHWGO, I only remember her hitting herself during ABM. Which is why I found it funny that even today, people mimicked her hitting herself---because then I assumed they must be familiar with her performances online of ABM.

 

It's probably unlike any other figure in history to be so polarizing within music -while- being #1, esp. worldwide. Did SNL ever make fun of her more than once?

 

Do you think she screamed the big notes for ABM/MHWGO?

 

In that performance of ABM, she’s definitely “screaming” - it’s not her best performance of the song, IMO. I don’t think she looks happy with herself either after the big note. As Celine herself has said, “You don’t always have 100% of yourself, but you always give 100% of what you have.” I think that performance fell on a not-so-great or tired voice day.

 

SNL made fun of her many times - they had a running sketch of Ana Gasteyer playing Celine announcing “I am Celine Dion. I am the best singer in the WORLD!” They also made fun of the age difference between Celine and Rene. “I’d like to introduce you to my father...I mean, my ‘usband, Rene!”

 

Celine hit herself during Divas Live, many of her Rosie appearances, for songs like POL, ABM, MHWGO. I remember her hitting herself on Oprah. She hit herself so much that even she talked about it during a Rosie interview “I’m singing, I get in the moment and I hit myself. I don’t know why.”

 

The thing is - the Grammys, The Oscars - these are shows everyone is watching. So if she hits herself on those shows...that’s what’s remembered by the general public.

[PuraVida]

In that performance of ABM, she’s definitely “screaming” - it’s not her best performance of the song, IMO. I don’t think she looks happy with herself either after the big note. As Celine herself has said, “You don’t always have 100% of yourself, but you always give 100% of what you have.” I think that performance fell on a not-so-great or tired voice day.

 

SNL made fun of her many times - they had a running sketch of Ana Gasteyer playing Celine announcing “I am Celine Dion. I am the best singer in the WORLD!” They also made fun of the age difference between Celine and Rene. “I’d like to introduce you to my father...I mean, my ‘usband, Rene!”

 

Celine hit herself during Divas Live, many of her Rosie appearances, for songs like POL, ABM, MHWGO. I remember her hitting herself on Oprah. She hit herself so much that even she talked about it during a Rosie interview “I’m singing, I get in the moment and I hit myself. I don’t know why.”

 

The thing is - the Grammys, The Oscars - these are shows everyone is watching. So if she hits herself on those shows...that’s what’s remembered by the general public.

 

So it wasn't just a one-off? I thought Ana only impersonated Celine on one SNL show.

 

To be honest, if I could hit notes like that, I'd probably hit myself too. It's like, you're so pleased your instrument is working just as you want it too. You're feeling yourself

[couldawouldashoulda]

 

 

So it wasn't just a one-off? I thought Ana only impersonated Celine on one SNL show.

 

To be honest, if I could hit notes like that, I'd probably hit myself too. It's like, you're so pleased your instrument is working just as you want it too. You're feeling yourself

 

SNL - they did more than one Celine skit. It was a recurring segment.

[ryba]

It’s a business and whey people talk about and imitate you, you won. I think she might have done the hitting on purpose, because it got people talking (that’s why nowadays everyone’s getting naked or twerks...) And that’s also why she is so into fashion stuff these days, because it works, she gets people’s attention. And that’s what everyone is looking for in this business. They were not stupid. Edited June 26, 2020 at 02:21 PM by ryba

[Chantemoi]

 

 

This was the moment when the Celine hatred started, I remember. Everyone I knew accused her of “screaming” the big note as opposed to singing it. My friends and the press started to make fun of her big gestures and the hitting of herself. Then MHWGO happened and the hatred sky-rocketed, SNL began having Ana Gasteyer play her and make fun of hitting herself in the chest. This was all made worse by the infamous Oscars performance where she hits the blue diamond on her chest when she goes to hit herself. She became both a worldwide star and an object of ridicule during those 2 years - ‘97/‘98.

 

Interesting... so you’re saying that performance pushed the public over the edge? I never really understood why people disliked her so... I mean, was she really that much more extra than Whitney?

[PuraVida]

SNL - they did more than one Celine skit. It was a recurring segment.

 

Never knew! I just found this archive of the Celine sketches, and of course you're right. They don't link to videos, but it shows titles and images.

 

https://snl.jt.org/imp.php-i=1588.html

 

 

To keep on topic of this thread, I'll post my favorite Celine sketch/impression. Not necessarily the best accent, but the characterization is hilarious! Tracey Ullman is a world treasure.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0FBYH_H2eI

Edited June 26, 2020 at 02:37 PM by PuraVida

[couldawouldashoulda]

Never knew! I just found this archive of the Celine sketches, and of course you're right. They don't link to videos, but it shows titles and images.

 

https://snl.jt.org/imp.php-i=1588.html

 

I know I'm right. I lived through that time period in my 20s.

[couldawouldashoulda]

Interesting... so you're saying that performance pushed the public over the edge? I never really understood why people disliked her so... I mean, was she really that much more extra than Whitney?

 

ABM on the Grammys was when I remember people really starting to make fun of Celine. Yes - she's much more extra than Whitney...to the general public. They poked fun at Whitney for sweating but she was beloved as a late teen here in her early singing career the way Celine was in Canada.

[PuraVida]

I wonder if behind the scenes, Celine has done legal discouragement of the sketches or impressions...because SNL's website has hundreds of Ana's work, but it doesn't feature any of the Celine impressions. Only in one video does she appear as Celine at the end for about a minute (it's a diva sketch with JLO as guest star).

[Celine Fan 77]

I want confirmation!

 

Watch closely at approximately 8:31

 

 

And by the way, I completely agree that she sang much better at the BBMAs than the Grammys!

[CelinesDIVO5]

 

 

SNL - they did more than one Celine skit. It was a recurring segment.

 

Ana Gasteyer also joined Celine for a stint at Madison Square Garden on the LTAL tour.

[couldawouldashoulda]

Ana Gasteyer also joined Celine for a stint at Madison Square Garden on the LTAL tour.

 

That's right! I had forgotten about that. Part of that aired somewhere, didn't it? Rosie - or VH1 Behind The Scenes - something like that?

 

So I think, to answer Pure Vida's question above, I think Celine understood that you'd "made it" when famous TV shows did a parody of you. There's an interview with Rosie where Rosie shows it to Celine and Celine gets a weird look on her face and says, "I mean...I liked it but I didn't LOVE it!"

 

The reason these sketches don't show up on the SNL website is probably because they involve music and they don't want to pay for the rights. Do they have any other sketches with music or any of the musical guests segments on their website?

[PuraVida]

Watch closely at approximately 8:31

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKgkw7NARfk&frags=pl%2Cwn

 

And by the way, I completely agree that she sang much better at the BBMAs than the Grammys!

 

I meant confirmation that Whitney was watching Celine, but always good to see Celine watching Whitney! And we saw her applauding Aretha after the 1998 Grammy performance she gave.

 

No one wants to watch Celine, even Babs went to the bathroom!

Edited June 26, 2020 at 03:20 PM by PuraVida

[comingback]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVkgBXs5UDs

 

"I'm Celine Dion and I'm the best singer in the world."

 

The Celine Dion Show parody was so funny and summed up the Celine hype at that time (97/98).

 

Yes,she was everywhere at that time and the media made fun of her, but as Celine said :" If they are doing that, then you must have done something right".

Edited June 26, 2020 at 03:26 PM by comingback

[couldawouldashoulda]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVkgBXs5UDs

 

"I'm Celine Dion and I'm the best singer in the world."

 

The Celine Dion Show parody was so funny and summed up the Celine hype at that time (97/98).

 

Yes,she was everywhere at that time and the media made fun of her, but as Celine said :" If they are doing that, then you must have done something right".

 

Thanks for sharing. That's where I saw Ana on Celine's LTAL tour stop.

 

Also, as lampooned in this video, on Divas Live, Celine comes out and says "How's everybody doing in the HOUSE?!" Which, at the time, only black people said. White, Canadian girls definitely set themselves up for being laughed at for saying such a thing. And, again, it was on a MAJOR broadcast that everybody watched. She also hit herself during MHWGO.

 

And I remember at the time, it was a major bone of contention that Celine was the "final diva" of the night instead of Aretha Franklin. Most people I knew thought Aretha should be the headliner. But, come on, Celine had the #1 song in the world at that point.

[jpatdeleon09]

 

 

I meant confirmation that Whitney was watching Celine, but always good to see Celine watching Whitney! And we saw her applauding Aretha after the 1998 Grammy performance she gave.

 

No one wants to watch Celine, even Babs went to the bathroom!

 

Since we don’t know. We can safely say that they all watch her perform that night.

[CelinesDIVO5]

 

 

Thanks for sharing. That's where I saw Ana on Celine's LTAL tour stop.

 

Also, as lampooned in this video, on Divas Live, Celine comes out and says "How's everybody doing in the HOUSE?!" Which, at the time, only black people said. White, Canadian girls definitely set themselves up for being laughed at for saying such a thing. And, again, it was on a MAJOR broadcast that everybody watched. She also hit herself during MHWGO.

 

And I remember at the time, it was a major bone of contention that Celine was the "final diva" of the night instead of Aretha Franklin. Most people I knew thought Aretha should be the headliner. But, come on, Celine had the #1 song in the world at that point.

 

Actually “in the house” is a theater term. Been used for decades.

[couldawouldashoulda]

Actually "in the house" is a theater term. Been used for decades.

 

Yes but...Divas Live was over 2 decades ago at this point. I was 25 years old in 1997 and had been working professionally in theater for 7 years at that point. We, of course, refer to "the house" but "How's everyone doing in the house?!" was something hip-hop and rap artists were saying at the time. No white person asked that question to an audience.

[Chantemoi]

 

 

Yes but...Divas Live was over 2 decades ago at this point. I was 25 years old in 1997 and had been working professionally in theater for 7 years at that point. We, of course, refer to "the house" but "How's everyone doing in the house?!" was something hip-hop and rap artists were saying at the time. No white person asked that question to an audience.

 

Now that you mention it, I remember that was part of the joke: Céline would use a lot of black slang (“sista”, “girlfrin”), which showed she didn’t understand the subtleties of American pop culture and racism in our country. She worked with and mimicked a lot of black artists, yet didn’t understand that White people weren’t “supposed” to use that language. I know it’s a sensitive subject, especially nowadays, but while we as fans see that as nativité, others might see it as appropriation (or just trying too hard to be cool).

 

Nowadays, I’d say people cut her a lot of slack, to the point that it’s seen as somewhat endearing when Céline uses slang. See “Kooky Aunt” comparisons.

[couldawouldashoulda]

Now that you mention it, I remember that was part of the joke: Céline would use a lot of black slang ("sista", "girlfrin"), which showed she didn't understand the subtleties of American pop culture and racism in our country. She worked with and mimicked a lot of black artists, yet didn't understand that White people weren't "supposed" to use that language. I know it's a sensitive subject, especially nowadays, but while we as fans see that as nativité, others might see it as appropriation (or just trying too hard to be cool).

 

Nowadays, I'd say people cut her a lot of slack, to the point that it's seen as somewhat endearing when Céline uses slang. See "Kooky Aunt" comparisons.

 

I totally agree with you. I think the perception of her as the “Kooky Aunt” - so it’s fun to hear her say those things - is a new perspective the general public has on Celine. Whereas, in the 90s, it was used to discredit her.

[nuts2you]

 

this is my fav part of the french shows,,

[nuts2you]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnm76C7MF-M

[PuraVida]

Now that you mention it, I remember that was part of the joke: Céline would use a lot of black slang ("sista", "girlfrin"), which showed she didn't understand the subtleties of American pop culture and racism in our country. She worked with and mimicked a lot of black artists, yet didn't understand that White people weren't "supposed" to use that language. I know it's a sensitive subject, especially nowadays, but while we as fans see that as nativité, others might see it as appropriation (or just trying too hard to be cool).

 

Nowadays, I'd say people cut her a lot of slack, to the point that it's seen as somewhat endearing when Céline uses slang. See "Kooky Aunt" comparisons.

 

This topic makes me think of Carl Wilson's excerpt in his book re: Celine on Larry King talking about Hurricane Katrina:

Edited June 26, 2020 at 08:12 PM by PuraVida

[sebulba]

This was the moment when the Celine hatred started, I remember. Everyone I knew accused her of “screaming” the big note as opposed to singing it. My friends and the press started to make fun of her big gestures and the hitting of herself. Then MHWGO happened and the hatred sky-rocketed, SNL began having Ana Gasteyer play her and make fun of hitting herself in the chest. This was all made worse by the infamous Oscars performance where she hits the blue diamond on her chest when she goes to hit herself. She became both a worldwide star and an object of ridicule during those 2 years - ‘97/‘98.

Or the moment Celine became a real superstar. I mean like SNL if they do a skit of a celebrity I think of two reasons either you are a douche that makes mistakes or made a big mistake that deserves to make fun of OR you've become so big of a superstar that people have gotten tired of you for the moment. Which in Celine case can be the latter I think. Thinking MHWGO and Titanice were everywhere at a time. Doing skits or funny impressions isn't hate in my mind. As long as it's funny and not really mean it's ok. How I see it is that you have kinda "made it" for real when a show makes a little fun of you. Compared to being in the gossip news all the time which isn't as flattering.

[jpatdeleon09]

Of course! She’s a big superstar. She’s famous that’s why we can see a Céline Dion skit on SNL. She’s not a nobody. Edited June 27, 2020 at 07:46 AM by jpatdeleon09

[sebulba]

Celine was watching while they were all performing, so I hope Whitney watched her too

Sorry but with Whitneys history I can't help but thinking that I wouldn't be surprised if Whitney was in the bathroom doing coke.

But I hope she was watching.

Edited June 27, 2020 at 07:52 AM by sebulba

[sebulba]

5:09 is the start of the auto tune. I don't know why they do that but they did that since 2011. Open Arms. Not necessarily needed but they think it's beautiful but it's not. It sounded robotic. Most noticeable in the early Céline residency show 2011-2014, the last belt note of MHWGO (pre recorded) The vibrato sounded so robotic

 

5:40

 

https://youtu.be/dubTtpL9fp8

Since everyone uses auto-tune I've never thought Celine would be an exception. But in that clip even if I know it's there I find it hard to hear it anyway.

So to use it in a very subtle way like that is totally fine IMO. The most obvious must be the MHWGO Billboard show. The performance is still amazing but in that it's very present in the verses I think. Compare to many other artists that uses it as a crutch to compensate for their lack of skill. It's more like auto-tune is the artist and the real artist is the backup, hehe.

I'm all for technical enhancements but it shouldn't be noticable. You should not hear when it's on but you should hear when it's off. If that makes sense.

Edited June 27, 2020 at 08:06 AM by sebulba

[jpatdeleon09]

 

Since everyone uses auto-tune I've never thought Celine would be an exception. But in that clip even if I know it's there I find it hard to hear it anyway.

So to use it in a very subtle way like that is totally fine IMO. The most obvious must be the MHWGO Billboard show. The performance is still amazing but in that it's very present in the verses I think. Compare to many other artists that uses it as a crutch to compensate for their lack of skill. It's more like auto-tune is the artist and the real artist is the backup, hehe.

I'm all for technical enhancements but it shouldn't be noticable. You should not hear when it's on but you should hear when it's off. If that makes sense.

 

I don’t know what’s the sound guy is thinking. When i first heard her performance in Billboards 2017 singing MHWGO (pre recorded) the amount of auto tune used was so obvious. The first thing that comes on my mind was “Oh my god”, it’s quite embarrassing for me. At least, thank god that people watching that didn’t care or noticed the autotune enhancements done.