The head of the Grammy Awards organization has expressed doubt that the controversial pairing of gay-baiting rocker Eminem and acknowledged gay singer Elton John will draw new viewers to Wednesday night's telecast.

Michael Green, president and CEO of the National Academy of recording arts & Sciences, told today's (Monday) Los Angeles times: "The only additional people that might come to this are the same people who slow down to watch car wrecks. Some people are very curious.

As a result of a lot of the debate and hoopla over the addition of Elton John, the same kind of people who tune in to watch miscreants eat rats on desert islands may tune in to see what this guy's all about. But in the last eight years we haven't seen any act create any kind of spike in terms of viewership. The Grammys are the Grammys, and the show is bigger than any of the acts."

Source: Studio Briefing