Is it too early to say that Beyoncé will be the saving grace of the Hope for Haiti Now charity show tonight? Nah. Telethons, as a rule, are the schmaltziest publicity gimmicks that a working performer can take part in. (As we mentioned earlier today, you might think twice before giving them your cash money.) That is, unless said performer is Beyoncé, who has just finished a two-year campaign in support of I Am... that saw her release a dizzying number of singles, one which included Lady Gaga. Beyoncé's one of the last A-listers who actually needs more publicity than she has.

('’)It really does seem that all the glitterati enlisted to solicit donations--like Madonna, Anderson Cooper, and Coldplay--from idling couch potatoes may be taking part of the Haiti telethon for the wrong, careerist reasons. Whether it's to make a cable news personality look more worldly or a pop star look more personable, this whole Haiti charity mess is, quite frankly, a misfire. Which is why Beyoncé's involvement is a deviation from the norm here. It's no secret that Ms. B's about to take a well-deserved break, making her the only performer on this otherwise hopeless Haiti telethon who may actually be singing her heart out to inspire charity, not hawk wares.

Since "Single Ladies", "Crazy In Love" or even the Destiny's Child standard "Nasty Girl" may be too inappropriately upbeat for an occasion meant to inspire reflection, so maybe she'll defect to "Halo," singing, "Everywhere I'm looking now / I'm surrounded by your embrace / Haiti, I can see your halo / You know you're my saving grace." After all, it's how she paid tribute to Michael Jackson too.