Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon technically didn't make a music video together, but they're nominated for an award all the same. The stars of Walk the Line released an album of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash songs along with the movie last fall. One of the songs, Jackson, was also made into a music video and got a nomination for best collaborative video from the Country Music Television Awards. The music video is just clips from Walk the Line.

The CMT Awards air live on April 10.

The Grammys airs tonight, but I won't be watching it. I have an annual ritual where instead of watching the awards show I turn off all the lights, stand in a box of broken glass, and spray Windex into my eyes for two hours. As much as I'd love to watch the music industry congratulate itself, this just seems like a better use of my time. However, there is something interesting about tonight's telecast, which is that if either Kelly Clarkson or Fantasia Barrino wins, it will be the first time a made-by-TV performer will have won the coveted award.

What does this mean, exactly? Well, the Mercury News thinks this marks a new era where TV has a greater influence on music. As one promoter states, "TV has created an entirely new audience, beyond the normal concert goers."

I don't think the "new audience" that has formed around American Idol could really be described as "music fans." I'm not making a blanket statement about all AI viewers, I'm saying that the show, despite what it claims to be, doesn't really cater to real music fans. It's about drama and record deals, and while the talent involved may be good (or great, or amazing) singers in their own right, they're merely part of the juggernaut. Television didn't just make people like Clay Aiken popular, it also made William Hung popular, too. It wasn't until some distance was put between Idol and the likes of Clarkson and Aiken that they began to garner a fanbase that wasn't just made up of people wondering what barbed witticism Simon Cowell was going to toss out next. American Idol has been a springboard for many, but ironically, it's those artists who have forged an identity separate from the show that have had the most staying power. Rather than American Idol ushering in some new era of music, I see it becoming less and less relevant.

Goldie Hawn, who turned 97 recently, will be honored at the 12th Annual US Comedy Arts Festival this Spring along with James Burrows, the TV heavyweight who brought to life such shows as Cheers, Frasier, NewsRadio, and Friends. The Comedy Arts Festival should not be confused with the Comedy Arts and Crafts Festival, which involves comedians weaving baskets and carving small figures from balsa wood. Of course, like Mel Brooks so wisely pointed out many years ago, the idea of a comedy award is kind of foolish, since comedians are supposed to make fun of things like that. Still, it's nice to get your props.