I actually don't. I was just being provocative. I admit I didn't watch the show last night. But, when I came into work this morning, AI is the only thing that anyone would talk about. How this person was an awful singer and how that person was yelled at. I'm just standing there saying - Huh?
I'm ignorant on this. I have never watched the show. I don't get the show. What's the appeal of the show? I mean, it's just a super-hyped talent show, right? Is a shortcut to fame and celebrity now the goal? Maybe this is a sign of me getting old, but doesn't anyone want to "pay their dues" anymore and take years of hard work to achieve your goal? I know people will put me in my place and put me on the right track. I guess I just don't get American Idol...
32 comments:
My college age sons were talking about how much they were looking forward to the show -- but only to the first couple of weeks -- where the delusional people get embarrassed and humiliated. Or maybe they don't because they're delusional. Either way, the boys thought that these were the only good shows. (This is an entirely unattractive streak of cruelty that runs through the current youth subculture. I believe we can cross reference to "Borat" here.) Anyway, after the first couple episodes, they say they stop watching. But, obviously, others are tuning in.
I don't watch either, so I know the feeling.
I was forced to watch last season's AI (at least the Tuesday night ones). I wouldn't have minded TOO much but it came on opposite of my Gilmore Girls. Not nice at all.
I don't watch it either. I guess people should think of other important things to do rather than participating/watching the show that most of people get embareassed & insulted there.
I wouldn't watch it, if for not other reason, than "House" is cancelled half the time it is on!
If I don't get my dose of sarcasm for the week, I just feel all out of sorts.
I think I'm one of the few who only enjoys watching once the true competition begins. Apparently last night's participants were from my area ("The Midworst," according to Ryan Seacrest.) I can't handle the embarassment I feel on behalf of some of these people. Really... they MUST know how bad they are!
I can't not watch American Idol. If I don't, all the kids at school will have something to talk about and I get to feel left out.
I watch for a few minutes at a time, but it's not interesting enough for me to stay tuned in.
Count me as another non-watcher.
I suppose the same goes for realioty TV shows. I'm a huge 'The Apprentice' fan, but unlike some diehard fans I can get how some people don't like the show. (Though they'd be crazy not to :P)
But what? They cancel HOUSE to screen this Idol crap?
*stuck up Brit accent* Bastards.
Im not a big fan, but have watched a few shows.(enough to know how it works and what it's about) It's interesting when the people that get in the final shows are from your area and you hear and see the hype locally. (as was the case where I live with Chris Daughtry last year.) It's entertainment I suppose. My mother is a fan, but only likes the show when it gets into the competition part. Even still, while we were at her house last night, she insisted on having it on for the first show and watching it. It's not the best thing if you're going to watch TV, but certainly isnt the worst either.
I have not watched it for years, but I think people like watching others under such high pressure situations and seeing if they can handle the pressure.
I don't watch it---but I would if they gonged people like in the old "Gong Show"...
Are any of you old enough to remember Ted Mack's Original Amature Hour? (Yes, I'm old). No one got their feelings hurt and it was a lot of fun. I don't like American Idol. It's very cruel.
MJ
Any show that deals with people's (supposed) talent is going to cause some people's feelings to be hurt. Thing/problem/entertainment/draw with American Idol is that they choose to show people with hurt feelings(as a part of the "appeal" (I use the word loosely) of the show) when they are rejected as opposed to showing people who are all good sports when they loose/are turned down. Even if it isnt shown on TV, any show that deals with talent like this will also have moments where someone does not take it well when they are told that they cannot be on that show. Most shows of the past hid the bad stuff. This show just lets warts and all hang out.
I guess its more of a joke.Cause we get a hell out of laugh from those people who can't sing and do the worst things.Well i guess it does jump start someone to fame.But talent exists too.These people can sing,and thats what people want to see.Music, is a large industry .bigee
I don't get American Idol either; I rarely watch it, but if I do, only in the beginning so I can watch the awful people sing!
I don't get this show either. I have never watched it and won't start doing so. I have nothing againt it, but I'm not interested in these "reality" TV shows. I don't care about Big Brother, AI, Survivor, or any of that other stuff that calls itself "reality" TV, when the real reality is that it's a bunch of made up drama.
I like it.(as of last season, I've become an AI fan) Although, if my coworkers hadn't brainwashed me into watching it I'd still be in the dark. Singing is a talent-unlike some of those reality shows(Fear Factor is more of a how-much-disgusting-things-can-you-do-to yourself-before-you-throw-it-all-up) and I enjoy it all, the good,the bad,the race toward the top. I don't think the competetion/criticism is a bad thing, heck,if you can't sing you're going to hear about it sooner or later.
We watch with our daughters, ages 9 and 12. Until this year, it was innocent fun and they are at they ages where dreaming of greatnes is part of their every day lives. But, I'm not loving the tone of this year's shows so far. The judges are over the top for no other reason than to hear their own voices.
My advice to those thinking of tuning in, don't. Not worth indulging this group for another season.
Reality television shows are still going strong. I'm not a big American Idol fan either, there is only one public reality tv show that I did enjoy and that was Last Comic Standing. Putting a whole bunch of comics together and having them make fun of each other was hilarious. I am a fan of the cop reality tv shows like dallas swat and first 48, both on a&e. The most interesting are the ones that create true suspense.
I was watching TV this morning and Rosie O'Donnel's comments about AI actually made the news. Is there nothing else worth talking about? global warming anyone?
I loved American Idol until the first episode of this season. BudWeiser and I have teamed up on Wednesdays to do a comedic review of the show. We invite everyone to tune in at Mimi Writes on Wednesdays.
Kudos you are my hero!!!
The appeal of the first few episodes - auditions snippets of tons of people, most who have no talent - is in seeing that no matter how weird you may act sometimes, you are really quite normal in comparison. After that, it's all about the personalities of the 'top 12' and the show is really only entertaining if you can root for (or against) one of the contestants...which varies by season.
Dr. A,
I think the term "American Idol" may translate into "train wreck" in Farsi or some other foreign language. That's really all the first six weeks are. That's when they get their highest ratings too. Most viewers tune in to see the rejects and weirdos. Once the real competition starts, the show loses it's appeal.
Typical of most talent contests (are you old enough to remember Ted Mack's Amateur Hour?), the talent AI seeks is always the same. Someone they can fold and mold into their little stylized packet. Voice aside, a trained chimp could probably do a credible job.
Why do people watch train wrecks? Because they think if they look away they're going to miss something interesting. When they get to Week 5 or 6, that's when I change the channel.
Cheers!
What's scary, is that I am a deslusional person for over 30 years!!! I started playing rock and roll in a band when I was 14 years old.. and I still have not given up that dream. (I'm a ripe 47) What does that make me?? Insane??? stupid?? yes. and yes. I do not like the show... but I understand the drive of people to be more than the everyday person. Let them have their dreams... will they make it? If they are a bad copy of something we've seen before, sure. but hey.. it's better than working at Walmart! Rock on, dudes! Your bud.. Lonesome Dale.
I LOVE AMERICAN IDOL!!!
oooooh healthcare.. no wonder you watch American Idol.
I hate American Idol
I’m not even sure why I do. But it stirs something deep inside me like few modern phenomenoe of the 21st century can. I mean I just don’t dislike it. I loathe it. More than the terrorist or the War in Iraq. More than people who commit heinous crimes, or do bad things to puppies.
Maybe its due to the fact that three already wealth showbiz types are making millions more by contributing nothing to society; they are not educating , training or encouraging the wretched masses that come before them yearning to hit it big; nor are they displaying a modicum of talent themselves ( unless you consider Paula’s penchant for being a smart, successful showbiz type off screen while lapsing into fits of ditziness on screen to be a talent.)
Maybe its due to the fact that that it brings out a cross section of all that’s wrong with America. The hopefuls who want to be famous are silently endorsing Americas idol’s themselves; the latter being the do nothing, know nothing group of the latest paparazzi hounded bubble headed pretty boy’s and girl’s who’s legacy will be to survive eight bouts of rehab, or shave off their hair in a barber shop window.
Or maybe its due to the fact that the early rounds of each season’s auditions are more a three ring circus than a serious competition. Even the Miss America pageant pales in comparison. The hopefuls, for the most part, are either clueless as to what talent they possess ( like bad breath, even their best friends won’t tell them), or shameless masochist willing to do anything to attain Warhol’s proverbial minutes of fame, or in on the joke being perpetuated on the American public that the show has any redeeming value.
Paula, Randy, and Simon each have their own style. Paula is the typical mediocre wanna be almost Diva,
who before “Idol” would have been best remembered for her album “Forever Young Girl” (which by the way took 62 weeks to hit #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart, the longest an album has been on the market before hitting #1.)
Randy , although he tries to be cruel , comes across as a sincere, nice guy who would be better off
going back to playing bass for the rock group “Journey” or producing, promoting and cheering other artist as he did in his former capacity as a high powered executive for Columbia and MCA Records .
And than there is Simon, the true star of the show. Simon is probably the third most influential American alive today, behind our Commander in Chief and the new president of Microsoft.
The future of peoples lives and careers are determined by his decisions and words. The two things about Simon are his unpredictableness and his meanness. Simon is like the Sword of Damocles. Talent or no talent, you never know which way his is going to go. A female singer with whom the others are enamoured might get the axe because Simon doesn’t like the shade of eye shadow she put on that morning.
On the other hand an obviously marginal voice might get his thumbs up ( after his trademark mildly scathing critique of course) because God Simon believes he can be the muse, the pivotal person in someone’s career whose prodigal insight can propel an otherwise lost soul onto a career of grandeur.
But what I really dislike about Simon is his meanness. There is not a glint of compassion in his eye when he pronounces the death knoll to even the most naive, starry eyed hopeful . His critique’s, albeit usually accurate, are full of sad cliches and drone on and on like an incessant Howard Stern. Don’t get me wrong. I love Howard Stern. Stern possess a keen, insightful sarcastic sense of humor and the ability to pinpoint upcoming American trends and recognize farces better than the crew at Fox News or Talk Soup . And the guy is creative AND funny. Simon is neither. He just happened to come up with the right variation of a talent show at the right time, and was in a position to pitch it to the right people which will land him a place as an icon of American entertainment, and keeps him scowling all the way to the bank !
There is much to add to the previous comment above. I don't think it could be stated any clearer. I guess my condensed version would be that American Idol is a spoof version of what Star Search used to be...or a very commercialized version of a not so well known much older tv program, The Gong Show.
If you were a musician, you'd hate the show even more.... It's unbearable. The judges obviously have axes to grind; at different stages, they criticize the good performances and praise the bad -- this is done at Mr. Cowell's direction -- to stir competition and controversy. Because of the acoustics in the room, it's nearly impossible for the judges to discern pitch. Amazingly, Mr. Cowell is the only one of the four who knows what he's hearing (MOST of the time); the other three weave asinine, inaccurate bravado. It's PAINFUL to hear. Jennifer Hudson was the last great to be on the Idol stage -- she SLAYED 'em with musicality that was so far above the heads of most of the audience and ALL of the judges. After that, the show took a rapid downhill spiral. It's nothing more than entertainment directed at young teen females (listen to the incessant screaming and caterwauling if you doubt this fact), who spend oodles of money calling in votes for candidates who best suit their pubescent fantasies. Sickening.
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