Did the Grammys Go Overboard with the Mass Wedding Ceremony? [POLL/VIDEO]

One of the highlights of the 2014 Grammy Awards show was the mass wedding ceremony officiated by Queen Latifah as Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert and Madonna performed the Grammy award winning “Same Love.”

The song has become the hip hop genre recognition that there’s no difference between the love shared by same sex couples than there is when shared by those of the opposite sex.

The song and the video are quite moving; and to drive home the point that said love is the same – a marriage ceremony was performed between 33 couples – both gay and straight.

A bit “over the top?”

Well, let's remember. It’s Hollywood, and there’s nothing Hollywood likes more than to drive a point home by staging something in grand dramatic fashion an event that should be private.

According to this:

Queen Latifah said she was sworn in as a temporary commissioner by the state of California on Sunday, so the 33 marriages she performed from the Grammy stage during a performance by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Madonna were legal.

The landmark nuptuals took place during a medley of the rap duo's breakout hit "Same Love" — an anthem for same sex marriage advocates — as Latifah stage to officiate the simultaneous wedding of couples of varying ages and sexual orientations. The ceremony continued as Madonna took the stage and performed her own classic "Open Your Heart."

"I had to be sworn in as an official. I'm not a minister. If you come see me before 12 o'clock tonight, I got your back. After that, you'll have to take the regular route," Latifah joked backstage Sunday night.

"I look forward to the day when presiding over a historic wedding ceremony like this is just the norm — normal special, not extra, extra special," she said. "To me, it's special for all the couples who married today. And I look forward to dashing off to go sign marriage certificates. It's awesome."

Latifah said she was approached to do the mass celebration "less than two weeks ago," and while she "probably" wouldn't chose a TV wedding for her own big day, she took the responsibility "very seriously."

"The weight of it comes down, because it wouldn't matter if you're same-sex couples or heterosexual couples or interracial couples, it doesn't matter to me, this is someone's life committed to one another, and you want to make sure you do it right," she said. "That is what sunk in for me."
She said it was a privilege to be part of the "top secret" planning process.

"I think they're brave. I think they should be celebrated tonight because to have your wedding in front of 100 million people is pretty momentous. And it's been fun at the rehearsals," she said. "Just looking at the joy in their eyes, looking at the playfulness, looking at them look into each other's eyes and do dances. This is really a moment for them. They are very, very happy. And I'm just here. I can say I was here, and that will not leave me."

"We're just very proud of what happened tonight," Neil Portnow, CEO of The Recording Academy, said backstage, referring to the wedding. "I think it was as elegant and meaningful and powerful as we wanted it to be."

He said they used a "casting service" to find the candidates and swear them to secrecy.

So here’s how I break it down:

Latifa is saying,"... and while she "probably" wouldn't chose a TV wedding for her own big day,” it was still ok for the 33 couples who were “cast” to perform in the ceremony.

It was basically a performance to drive home the need for acceptance same sex couples feel America needs to come to grips with.

I think America (or a good chunk of America) does accept the notion of same sex couples getting married.

However – driving home the point in a Hollywood production cheapened it.