... or scorn, but not impressed.

I've had male friends tell me it's "sour grapes" on my part because they're young. lovely, obviously talented and vastly successful, while I'm old, baggy grey, poor and not a great musician.

I am however a great audience, and I've watched lots of "Celtic" women of all sorts, and, like Phil, think these women just don't have enough substance to their performance to be interesting. I'd tease that same male friend back again that they were "Celtic flavored eye candy."   I rather enjoyed the comparison to the Lennon Sisers (same kind of floaty fabric for their dresses). They're a pop version of ethnic trad. If you like that sort of thing you might like them, if you tend to take your music more seriously, they won't be very satisfying.

That shows like that ARE popular is more a positive than a negative to my way of thinking. The PBS specials with Peter, Paul & Mary, The Irish Rovers, and these ladies all include some good stuff that may be the first exposure someone has, that gets them to seek out more, look deeper, educate themselves. If someone hadn't given me recordings of Carmel Quinn and the Irish Rovers when I was in grade school, I might not have developed an ear for Tommy Makem, Frank Harte, or a score of others.

Celtic Woman just ain't my cup of tea!

Joanne in Cleveland (feeling old and trying to be sage instead of cranky) at work