Evening star., 1932-01-23

Condemnation of crooners by Car
dinal O'Connell of Boston strikes an
answering chord in most American
newspapers His Judgment in calling
this form Of vocalization "a degenerate
form of singing" and crying Vapid
words to impossible tunes" Is applaud
ed In press comments, many making
the Indictment even stronger. OBJ
jections are also raised to the quality
of the songs used by the crooners and
to the amount of time on the air
given over to them, while others recog-
nize that this form of entertainment
has it's appeal and point out that 1t
is result of popular demand.
Cardinal O'Connells characterize
ton of these vocal sounds as 'bleating
and whining" says the Springfield,
Mass. Union, sis apt and accurate,
but that bad as it is, is not their
only mode of offending. Far worse,
in the case of a large number OF
them are the ideas conveyed by the
words they moan, groan or whine into
the microphone, almost without eX-
ception cheap and vulgar and in many
cases indecent The cardinal seems
we'll justified in referring to it as a
degenerate Interpretation of love-"
1.-THE crooners do have a wide appeal
to adolescence, which is the generous
way of expressing it," comedies the
Spokane Spokesman Review, adding
that Others say the appeal Is mo-
ronic." The Abilene Reporter makes
the vigorous contribution to the dis
cussion: Many long suffering radiots
will say Bravo to the cardinals cas-
tigation, but where there is one who is
disgusted with crooners and grooming
there are probably two who figuratively
lap it up 1t is part of the price we
must pay for living in what someone
has jocularly called an enlightened
age. Nine-tenths Of the modern songs
are silly beyond belief as to lyrics and
their melody is cribbed almost, bodily
from the classics, jaZzed up and glor1-
fed by Ttn-Pan Alley"
X X
"More power to the CARDINAL" ex-
claims the Cincinnati Times-Star
That paper states further "One hears
fine voices and real songs over the
radio, but only enough of them to show
up the crooners and their Warmed-over
tunes, who and which constitute the
bulk Of so-called musical entertain
ment that comes through the air.
When one can't be certain whether
a man or woman is broadcaSt1ng, the
Shakespearean 'modeSty of nature Is
violated. Such ambiguous vocal eX-
hibitions wouldn't be tolerated in a
variety hail. and somehow most OF the
songs fit the voices. They lack punch
and originality. They are cheap 1ml-
tations of other cheap limitations OF
still other limitations of popular songs
of a vanished generation, and the
words are as fiat as the musical
setting"
Assuming that broadcasters use the
crooner because of the belief that he
gives more pleasure at lower cost than
entertainment" the Brooklyn Daily
Eagle advises that when and if it be-
comes apparent that he has ceased to
please he will have to do his grooming
in the employment agencies" The
Toledo Blade offers the judgment:
"Unquestionably the end of grooming
would have come long ago had it been
left to men. Cardinal O'Connell has
hit the mark, and in doing SO has per-
formed service with vigorous language
for many who might have preferred
to use different ammunition"
"The thing is, of course" suggests
the Birmingham Age-Herald, already
overdone, which is the sole ray of
light in the darkness. The craze is
bound to subside as countless crooners
butcher songs which should never have
been written. Soon the remorseless law
Of diminishing fads will be In evidence.
1t is day to be hailed by all lovers of
music"
Declaring there are plenty who will
agree heartily with the cardinal" the