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Jack Heinicke
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2/13/2008 4:23:53 PM
American Idol- legit talent search or souless bloodsucking vampires on parade?
I thought it was total crap before Taylor Hicks won. At least it was someone with some real soul and talent.
But it still reeks of a cigar chomping mogul slobbering over the potential of yet another pretty face that you can take all the way to the bank.
And yet, there are decent singers on the show.
To quote a great american icon...
"I'm soooo confused!"
Vinnie Barbarino
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Monkey68
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2/13/2008 4:29:00 PM
The latter. Definitely, the latter.
Make them sing originals, their own or other writer's and I'll maybe begin to believe it's not just an excuse to grow royalties by getting unsigned talent to do 'mega-karaoke'.
Do I sound cynical? I hope so.
Vince (Monkey68)
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Chris Hance
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2/13/2008 4:38:58 PM
There appears to be somthing about that show that epitomises the "lowest common denominator"
I found myself absorbed by something, and soon realised I was watching the uk version, where during the auditions, there was a elongated pause whilst "Syco" with-held his crucial "yes or no" for what seemed to be an eternity, as the pause endured and the camera panned between the 15yo girl auditionee and Syco, the girl whimpered "please, please simon, please", and a tear dribbled from her pathetic mascarra lined eye,
I degraded my f*cking intelligence getting drawn into watching that, I felt ashamed and embarrased that the telly had caught me, and even worse, that manipulative pseudo culture trash merchant cow smell had me.
That guy will never put that one over me again.
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2/13/2008 4:41:50 PM
I think the most aggrevating thing about American Idol is the effect on culture. My older sister learned about music watching the Beatles and many other great acts on Ed Sullivan. For me it was the tail end of Sullivan's legacy and Don Kirshner's rock concert. For a later generation it was early MTV, back when music was a big part of it. The youngstahs of today believe American Idol is what popular music is, and I think that's somewhat of a tragedy. heh
Songwriting and great rock music are not even in the same ballpark as this lame karaoke/ talent show realm so I hope parents everywhere make sure to turn their kids on to quality music and show them how it used to be. :)
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Tony Vani and Debbie Hoskin
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2/13/2008 5:18:49 PM
I've always thought of it as a national Karaoke contest, that's all, just a big karaoke contest. deb
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Jack Heinicke
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2/13/2008 5:37:10 PM
worse than MTV?
or maybe American Idol is just another bastard son of MTV
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2/13/2008 5:42:59 PM
MTV was actually pretty good the first 5 years.
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LyinDan
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2/13/2008 6:47:48 PM
American Idol is the pits. The dregs. A waiste of thyme. Speaking of which, I need to go fire some up.
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satch
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2/13/2008 11:44:29 PM
So we all agree that it's the pits - but then how come it's so darn popular???
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fly on the wall
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2/14/2008 12:07:17 AM
Because people are stupid. :~D
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Andy Broad
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2/14/2008 3:40:08 AM
"So we all agree that it's the pits - but then how come it's so darn popular??? "
Sugar is bad for out teeth and makes us fat, (well nit me nothing makes me fat :-)) so why do we all eat it?
Apart from the sugar analogy, it's the competeion element, music as a sport. An aspect I really hate.
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Andy Broad
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2/14/2008 3:42:51 AM
One of the things I hate most about these shows, be it X factor / American Idol or whatever, is that people tink of it as a way to get into the music biz, how much talent is actually dashed agaist the rocks of this idea? People that should be building their carreers by build musical contacts and real performing experience rather than trying win a musical lottery.
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Hugh Hamilton
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2/14/2008 4:48:34 AM
The whole premise is appalling - IDOL. C'mon, we're all thinking beings - let's appreciate, respect, admire each other without worshipping anybody. It's not good for either person in the relationship.
Note to self: "Hmm. I need a new idol. Someone whose sheer talent and force of personality cause me to drop to my knees in utter blissful submission. And...I've got an idea! I'll let Simon and Paula choose them for me! And the American PUBLIC! Why, that's ALMOST as fool-proof as the Presidential electoral process!! YEAH!! It'll be GREAT!"
xxoo,
H
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Kevin White
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2/14/2008 6:30:14 AM
I think any show with a music based premise is quite fine. It isn't the end of anything. It's just another thing amongst many things.
Idol has become somewhat of "The Love Boat" of the music world ... where great "have beens" of music have found new life on the tube ... but what's so wrong with giving them a little TV face time?
The singing can be spectacular, but sometimes that's lost in the spectacle ...
I only dream I could sing like some of them ... their voices can be absolute killer. The "drama" is a bit of a turn off, and yes ... it's largely a "canned" show ... but on the whole, I find it quite entertaining -- at least when it gets to the serious singing. I've seen some blow away performances.
The "early cut" segments I could do without. That's pure voyeurism over someone's misery. It's base. I usually jump in when they're past all that.
But it's all good. At least it's a show about a subject I like.
I don't care about the competition, I don't care how handsome or pretty the kids are ... but if they're going to sell in today's toughening market, they're going to require the whole plastic package ... so it realistically sort of has to be that way. I don't care that they're not playing their own material. It's a singing competition between singers. There are other shows that are showcase shows where songwriters can perform.
I wouldn't waste too much time fretting over it anyways ... like all shows suffer when the public's short attention span turns elsewhere ... it'll fade into history eventually.
In the meanwhile, I'll give the kids a listen. They're quite good, and I like music.
Best,
Kev-
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No Rhythm
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2/14/2008 7:37:28 AM
I personally have never seen American Idol, but down here in Oz we of course have it's spin off, Australian Idol. Now I have to confess I watched the first season from start to finish, but guess what, I can't tell you who actually won.
Now days I listen from another room while my wife watches it, and as Kev mentioned above some of these people have great voices,I think the format is slightly different here too with the performers doing their own arrangements on a lot of the songs.
They also have nights towards the end of the competition, where the artists can play originals or bring on an instrument and do thier very own solo version of a cover song.
So it's a little less karaokeish (is that a word?).
We have had some good artists come out of it too. One that springs to mind is Guy Sebastian, now his first album to me was total crap, exactly what you would expect from whatever contract he had to sign and it was all throw away pop written by other people. His fourth album is great, more R&B/Soul which is the kind of music he likes to sing and believe me this guy can sing. He recorded it in Memphis with some well known artists from over there.
Runner up on the same year was Shannon Noll another great singer who has had some success with some pretty good material.
Another one that springs to mind is Damien Leith, now they did a makeover on this guy (fixed his teeth, image etc.) but the bottom line is he is a very talented singer, whom no one would have heard of if not for this competition.
On the whole I hate popularity contests, however if it gives someone with a huge amount of talent, living somewhere in obscurity, a chance to make it in what we all know is a cut throat industry, then it can't be all bad. And when the good ones are allowed to do thier own thing once they are established, we all win by having some half decent songs to listen to on the radio.
Cheers Mark
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SqurlyMurly
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2/14/2008 9:22:55 AM
That's what its all about! Corporate idiots trying to screw those dying to be stars. Personally, I prefer real musicians doing their own thing. I've already heard mainstream radio hits--or is that lamestream--haha
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the kozy king
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2/14/2008 12:59:23 PM
"Now days I listen from another room while my wife watches it"
Me too Mark.
I like the beginning with all the crazy people but stop watching when the competition begins. I'm fairly good at identifying "the total package" (as my friend Nigel puts it) -- you know, the one that's going to win.
My daughter's going to try out for Canadian Idol in Winnipeg next week in spite of my best efforts to discourage her. I'm glad she has a mind of her own, but I'm still hoping not too much comes of it. :-)))
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the kozy king
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2/14/2008 1:37:54 PM
Larree:
Ha, ha! Sorry...
The deal in my family was "you're nineteen-years-old -- get out, you're on your own".
Let' em make their own mistakes. Even YOU survived man! :-P
TT
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the kozy king
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2/14/2008 1:43:49 PM
Yeah, mom and dad will be there. Maybe I'll be the first one to mutter a curse if the "lucky" kid comes out with the free ticket to Toronto. That would look great on TV wouldn't it?
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