Nothing Says Trend Like a Robot Army....

I watched the Grammys last night (no, the picture at the right isn't from a horror film - thanks to the NY Daily News, it is a pic of the opening number w/Lady GaGa). It was the most pure definition of the word trend I've seen in a long time. So many of the performers went with a military theme. As you can see, Lady GaGa went with hard core soldiers - she even made Elton John smear dirt on his face as though he'd just crawled out of a foxhole.

Then Beyonce marched down the aisle trailed by doznes of soldiers in armor - even her dress was armor plated. The Black Eyed Peas kicked it up a notch with a robot army of dancers. Jamie Fox came out in epaulets. It passed mere coincidence and verged on the ridiculous. Made you wonder if maybe all the nominees got on a conference call and decided war would be a good theme to celebrate musical excellence this year?

Of course they didn't. In fact, more than a few are probably quite peeved this morning, having been guaranteed their costumes and choreography would be fresh, exciting, and most of all - unique. And there lies the key. Because there was a chord of uniqueness in every performance. Its what kept me from turning the channel. And it is what keeps readers turning the page.

Case in point. I just finished a fantastic new book - Soulless by Gail Carriger. It is a romance set in Victorian England full of vampires. If you are bored with the stakes and fangs of the current vampire trend, you might be tempted to breeze past it in search of something more fresh; less trendy. But it was a fanastic book, with a spot on voice for the period, thoroughly engaging characters and some really good twists. In other words, it didn't matter that it falls smack dab in the middle of one of the hottest writing trends of the last few years. The book itself stood out, unique and very fresh and full of terrific writing (I can't wait for the sequel!). So please don't be so quick to dismiss a trend. After all, I thought both Beyonce and the Black Eyed Peas did a great job. Their music shone through the similar costumes. And great writing will equally shine through whatever trend is hot.