The dumbing down of America....
As I said in my last post, I am not going to be watching America's Got Talent anymore. It was a fantastic waste of a few hours each week to end with Kevin Skinner winning. This was probably the first time that Piers Morgan told someone he couldn't sing but praised him in the same breath, and America caught on.
What I saw a couple nights ago perpetuates the idea that this country is becoming much too "soft." I hear stories of parents who try to shield their children from everything, sports clubs who try to make everyone winners instead of letting some teams lose--the list goes on and on.
While it's important to be positive and pass that outlook on to our children, this concept that "nothing bad happens," that "everyone is a winner," needs to STOP. Case in point, the majority of "we the people" (if the show indeed ISN'T rigged) just voted for someone who can barely carry a tune to win a TALENT competition. Why? Because he is poor, because he was a chicken catcher, because he needed it. Forget about technical skill... forget about the other people who worked so hard to be good singers (whether they spent money to study or not should be beside the point)... feeling sorry for people is the only thing that seems to drive this country anymore.
Why feel sorry for him? He obviously chose to be a chicken catcher, for better or worse. It may not have been the most desirable job, but if people like him didn't exist, we would go without. If he didn't like doing it, he could have chosen some other vocation. Obviously he could afford to get to the AGT auditions, so I wouldn't call him destitute.
I think we all need to keep in mind that people have choices. People are not predisposed to any certain fate. Life is what you make of it. I'm sure if he made better decisions for himself, he wouldn't have ended up being a farmhand if he didn't want to. I don't need to feel sorry for him because of decisions he made. The show I spent a couple of months watching is there for people who have talent to get a chance to make something of themselves. He did not have the best voice, the best stage presence... he did not captivate me in the slightest. His final performance was horrible, and his weak attempt to sing during the opening song at the finale was horrid. After watching this atrocity, I feel like I can go audition for AGT with my mediocre singing voice, as long as I have a sad story and can cry at the drop of a hat.
Sorry, America, but here's a news flash: People win, but people ALSO LOSE. People do not grow up in the best living conditions, but their future is WHAT THEY MAKE OF IT! Not every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a sob story needs sympathy!!!! Many people with horrible pasts OVERCOME THEM THROUGH DEDICATION AND PERCERVERENCE. If you are not a good singer, you will NOT BE A SUCCESSFUL SINGER. Instead of catching fish for people, TEACH THEM HOW TO FISH FOR THEMSELVES!!!!
What I saw a couple nights ago perpetuates the idea that this country is becoming much too "soft." I hear stories of parents who try to shield their children from everything, sports clubs who try to make everyone winners instead of letting some teams lose--the list goes on and on.
While it's important to be positive and pass that outlook on to our children, this concept that "nothing bad happens," that "everyone is a winner," needs to STOP. Case in point, the majority of "we the people" (if the show indeed ISN'T rigged) just voted for someone who can barely carry a tune to win a TALENT competition. Why? Because he is poor, because he was a chicken catcher, because he needed it. Forget about technical skill... forget about the other people who worked so hard to be good singers (whether they spent money to study or not should be beside the point)... feeling sorry for people is the only thing that seems to drive this country anymore.
Why feel sorry for him? He obviously chose to be a chicken catcher, for better or worse. It may not have been the most desirable job, but if people like him didn't exist, we would go without. If he didn't like doing it, he could have chosen some other vocation. Obviously he could afford to get to the AGT auditions, so I wouldn't call him destitute.
I think we all need to keep in mind that people have choices. People are not predisposed to any certain fate. Life is what you make of it. I'm sure if he made better decisions for himself, he wouldn't have ended up being a farmhand if he didn't want to. I don't need to feel sorry for him because of decisions he made. The show I spent a couple of months watching is there for people who have talent to get a chance to make something of themselves. He did not have the best voice, the best stage presence... he did not captivate me in the slightest. His final performance was horrible, and his weak attempt to sing during the opening song at the finale was horrid. After watching this atrocity, I feel like I can go audition for AGT with my mediocre singing voice, as long as I have a sad story and can cry at the drop of a hat.
Sorry, America, but here's a news flash: People win, but people ALSO LOSE. People do not grow up in the best living conditions, but their future is WHAT THEY MAKE OF IT! Not every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a sob story needs sympathy!!!! Many people with horrible pasts OVERCOME THEM THROUGH DEDICATION AND PERCERVERENCE. If you are not a good singer, you will NOT BE A SUCCESSFUL SINGER. Instead of catching fish for people, TEACH THEM HOW TO FISH FOR THEMSELVES!!!!