One of the acts announced for this summer's celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary has left plenty of people scratching their heads. Freedom 250, the organization created by President Donald Trump to spearhead the anniversary events, announced on Wednesday that this summer's "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall would feature Martina McBride, Vanilla Ice, and C+C Music Factory, as well as Morris Day & The Time, who later announced they would not be performing. However, one name on the list caused a bit of confusion: Milli Vanilli, the European duo best known for not singing their songs.
The Milli Vanilli Controversy
The group was initially composed of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, the latter of whom died in 1998. Morvan has been performing the music solo on stage in recent years, with live vocals usually accompanied by a DJ. Milli Vanilli won the Best New Artist Grammy in 1990 and sold out arenas on the strength of their chart-topping album, "Girl You Know It's True." But everything came crashing down later that year when it was revealed that their albums were actually the work of studio musicians; they did not perform on the recordings at all, and lip-synced in concert. Their Grammy Award was revoked, the first and only time that has ever happened, and consumers who purchased the music were offered refunds.
Although some saw the duo as a cautionary tale of the entertainment industry exploiting young talent, the band still became a punchline, and their name became synonymous with fraud. The news release announcing their selection did not mention that history. It simply stated that Milli Vanilli was the "internationally recognized act known for chart-toppers including 'Girl You Know It's True.'"
Social Media Reaction
Critics on social media were baffled by the selection. One user wrote, "I'm sorry, if you had pitched 'Donald Trump will get Milli Vanilli to play in honor of America's 250th birthday' as a joke on Weekend Update they would have laughed you out of the room." Another commented, "Can't tell if real or parody, but Milli Vanilli is a little too on the nose for this administration." A congressman asked, "Milli Vanilli!! ?" while another user questioned, "Will Milli Vanilli be singing or nah?" The general sentiment was one of disbelief and mockery, with many pointing out the irony of booking a group famous for faking their vocals for a national celebration.
