SHOWSTOPPER–Jennifer Lopez arrives at the 55th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
by Nekesa Mumbi Moody
Associated Press Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A warning not to show too much skin didn’t seem to deter the stars out Sunday for the Grammy Awards.
Jennifer Lopez was among those showing off thigh-high — or higher — openings in their dresses. Katy Perry showed down-to-there cleavage in a seafoam gown.
CBS put out a memo earlier in the week asking that “buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered” for the televised award show. The memo sent out Wednesday also warned against “see-through clothing,” exposure of “the genital region” and said that “thong type costumes are problematic.”
“As you can see, I read the memo,” Lopez joked as she took the stage.
Miranda Lambert revealed some leg on the red carpet and laughed about the guidelines.
“I thought it was funny,” she said. “Country music has never really been a problem with that.”
Singer-songwriter Skylar Grey let out an “oops!” when asked about it. “I had to show the side boob,” she said. “What are they gonna do, kick me off?”
Andrew Dost of fun. said he read the memo, “but all we wanted to do is go as classy and timeless as possible.” Bandmate Jack Antonoff joked that he was “showing off a lot of ankle” going sockless with high pants.
Rihanna seemed to get the memo: The usually provocative star covered up in an elegant red gown. Taylor Swift wore a prim gold metallic floral cocktail dress by Jenny Packham to the pre-telecast awards before changing into something a bit more revealing for the red carpet. Beyonce wore a modest pantsuit. All three won early awards.
“I think it’s just, you know, we should always stay classy and dress according to the event that’s being held,” Ashanti said. “So I don’t think people should be limited so much and told what you can and cannot do. But, you know, you do have to have a certain class and prestige about yourself.”
Even she, though, revealed a fair amount of leg and cleavage. Hey, this isn’t the Oscars.
Comedian Kathy Griffin joked about the fashion warning.
“I’m here to watch all the pomp and circumstance,” she said. “You want to see a lack of underwear. I’m open to all the forbidden parts.”
The Recording Academy’s president says this year’s great clothing cover-up kerfuffle was “much ado about nothing.”
“For some reason people thought this was something new or different or even foreboding as far as being restrictive,” Neil Portnow said backstage after the show.
What was outlined in the memo was simply the standard the show has followed every year for at least a decade, he said.
What’s more, he added, every TV network has to communicate its standards and practices to anyone appearing on its shows.
AP reporter Beth Harris contributed to this report.
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