Stupid hair and karaoke - Idol top 24: the men
American Idol is back and, jeebus help us all, I'm watching again. The audition shows were, as usual, totally useless. The producers pick and choose which freaks get to the last panel and there are many online accounts that suggest that what we see on TV often doesn't even reflect what actually happens at the point Randy, Paula and Simon hear them. Wrong or right, it is television and the formula seems to work for Idol, but it is getting tired... and this is only the third year I've ever watched this cheesy show.
This editing process gives the viewers particular contestants that we get to learn more about but we only see what the producers want to show. Since the show conveniently leaves out a lot, it is up to sites like VotefortheWorst.com and TMZ.com to dig up and dish out the dirt. It is my opinion that the "controversy" these sites stir up feed the Idol machine much more than they might damage it. David A. won Star Search? MCA Records, where Randy was an executive at the time, spent over 2 million on Carly's album a few years ago? Syesha was a finalist on ABC's total bomb of an Idol knockoff, "The One"? Yep, it's all true, several of these "undiscovered" talents have been "discovered" before but got nowhere before the sands of obscurity quickly buried them again for Idol to dig up anew. While I am sure these obvious plants probably do piss off some folks who imagine the show is really about making a total nobody into a superstar, many people are like me and just enjoy the stupidity of it all and play along.
Let's face it, the show hardly makes superstars. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are the only two of the six winners so far to make anything big of themselves after winning. Several also-rans have had some pretty good luck that was helped along by being featured on Idol, including Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson. Would these folks have been discovered without Idol? Maybe not, but the fact is that many, many other people make it pretty big in the entertainment industry with zero help from Idol or any other game show, so Idol is hardly the only route to fame out there. So I'm willing to let Idol present the plants as raw new talent because the show is still fun.
What bugs me, of course, is the fact that they are presenting some of these folks as "talented" at all. If you watched the first night of live singing, you know what I mean. Garret Halley? He's not even cute or interesting. David Cook? I can't hear him over his stupid hair. Speaking of hair, David Noriega came back after being eliminated in the Hollywood round last year and this year he brought a longer, more emo haircut to the table.
I was amazed Simon never called any of these people karaoke singers, but perhaps that would be too obvious. I *love* karaoke and think some folks are really good at it, but is it worth watching on TV? Yeah, I guess it is... I do love "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" Those people on that show pretty much know they suck, though, and no one is suggesting they are going to go on to fame and stardom.
Are you watching Idol this year?
This editing process gives the viewers particular contestants that we get to learn more about but we only see what the producers want to show. Since the show conveniently leaves out a lot, it is up to sites like VotefortheWorst.com and TMZ.com to dig up and dish out the dirt. It is my opinion that the "controversy" these sites stir up feed the Idol machine much more than they might damage it. David A. won Star Search? MCA Records, where Randy was an executive at the time, spent over 2 million on Carly's album a few years ago? Syesha was a finalist on ABC's total bomb of an Idol knockoff, "The One"? Yep, it's all true, several of these "undiscovered" talents have been "discovered" before but got nowhere before the sands of obscurity quickly buried them again for Idol to dig up anew. While I am sure these obvious plants probably do piss off some folks who imagine the show is really about making a total nobody into a superstar, many people are like me and just enjoy the stupidity of it all and play along.
Let's face it, the show hardly makes superstars. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are the only two of the six winners so far to make anything big of themselves after winning. Several also-rans have had some pretty good luck that was helped along by being featured on Idol, including Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson. Would these folks have been discovered without Idol? Maybe not, but the fact is that many, many other people make it pretty big in the entertainment industry with zero help from Idol or any other game show, so Idol is hardly the only route to fame out there. So I'm willing to let Idol present the plants as raw new talent because the show is still fun.
What bugs me, of course, is the fact that they are presenting some of these folks as "talented" at all. If you watched the first night of live singing, you know what I mean. Garret Halley? He's not even cute or interesting. David Cook? I can't hear him over his stupid hair. Speaking of hair, David Noriega came back after being eliminated in the Hollywood round last year and this year he brought a longer, more emo haircut to the table.
I was amazed Simon never called any of these people karaoke singers, but perhaps that would be too obvious. I *love* karaoke and think some folks are really good at it, but is it worth watching on TV? Yeah, I guess it is... I do love "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" Those people on that show pretty much know they suck, though, and no one is suggesting they are going to go on to fame and stardom.
Are you watching Idol this year?