potboyler
I had no use for American Idol this year; the version across the pond has been infinitely more interesting, especially the nuances that reflect our cultural differences. On BGT, originality is prized; on AI, it's a mad dash for the middle of the road, and the more faux reverence displayed for Motown stars living and dead, the better. In Britain, Simon is allowed to browbeat children to tears, something that would never fly in the US.
When I first saw that Susan Boyle had been aced out by Diversity, I was a little cynical. OK, a lot cynical--until I saw them perform. They're amazing. However, an act three times the size of a typical boy band (without singers) has a conservative shelf life of 6 months. The youngsters will hit puberty, the oldsters will get married, and unless some impresario cycles through members a la Menudo, they'll be over quicker than Ruben Studdard. Then again, maybe the voters have more wisdom than I give them credit for. Maybe the logic is: pop stars rarely last anyway, so why not vote for the cutest, the one closest to your hometown, or the one who reminds you of your fifth grade teacher?
BGT is also still in dual-host mode, which means one will backstab the other into submission and emerge as a vapid, ass-kissing entertainment mogul-in-the-making. Unless that's a purely American phenomenon.
When I first saw that Susan Boyle had been aced out by Diversity, I was a little cynical. OK, a lot cynical--until I saw them perform. They're amazing. However, an act three times the size of a typical boy band (without singers) has a conservative shelf life of 6 months. The youngsters will hit puberty, the oldsters will get married, and unless some impresario cycles through members a la Menudo, they'll be over quicker than Ruben Studdard. Then again, maybe the voters have more wisdom than I give them credit for. Maybe the logic is: pop stars rarely last anyway, so why not vote for the cutest, the one closest to your hometown, or the one who reminds you of your fifth grade teacher?
BGT is also still in dual-host mode, which means one will backstab the other into submission and emerge as a vapid, ass-kissing entertainment mogul-in-the-making. Unless that's a purely American phenomenon.