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I'm out of it for a little while, and everybody gets delusions of grandeur.
Fox was apparently surprised and dismayed to find that the viewership numbers for American Idol are down this year. Fox had assumed that the writers' strike would mean that more people would turn to reality television, but from everything I've seen and heard anecdotally, it sounds like more people are turning to Netflix and to Doing Other Stuff. I have turned to the Internet, to my local library's DVD/video collections and to Not Procrastinating.
It might help if Fox's advertising approach were something other than "It's the only thing on!" I watched part of Tuesday's episode and decided that was enough for me. I won't be watching again until they get to Hollywood. I've found it increasingly annoying as the seasons go by that the audition episodes focus on the bad singers and attention-seekers and just briefly flash past the good ones. Now they go so far as to go into the homes of the bad ones, getting us invested in their story, making us think they're someone we're going to be watching all season, only to point out that it was all a joke. There are a lot of people in these audition rounds who seem to have serious mental problems that are being mocked by the judges and the show rather than being addressed seriously. I find it all distasteful.
There was one girl on Tuesday's episode who auditioned with Princess Leia buns and a Star Wars belt. She wasn't that bad; she was an okay singer, but nothing to write home about. When she was rejected, she went on a tirade about how American Idol won't have dorks on the show - they just want the pretty people who all look the same. This was overlaid with a montage of Golden Ticket winners from that round, as though American Idol was trying to say, "Oh, they all look the same, eh? Well look at all these people!" The thing was, she was right. They were all different races and all different sizes and all different ages, but there was definitely a type. They dressed similarly, they were all polished and made-up with styled hair. Clay Aiken got a makeover so that he could look like a star instead of a dork, but I'm not sure American Idol would be willing to take the same risk with a girl.
Is this a sign that I'm becoming a grumpy old person, or is American Idol actually getting worse every year?
Wake me up when they go to Hollywood. I'm going to be over here, watching old episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles on VHS instead.
srah - Thursday, 17 January 2008 - 5:09 PM
Tags: american idol, american idol 7, nerdiness, tv, writers' strike
Comments (9)
James - January 18, 2008 - 4:11 AM - ℓ
I can't speak for American Idol, but X-Factor the equivalent over here is very similar I believe. I have to agree the auditions process is a little cringe worthy, I want to see talent, not laugh at someone who is clearly a few slices short of a loaf. It's like the modern day equivalent of the Freak Shows.
Too be honest I'm not a big fan of the shows, full stop but as a music fan I often tune into the later shows, especially if there is some real talent worth listening to.
Princess Polly - January 19, 2008 - 7:12 PM - ℓ
I always find the beginning parts of these programmes the best, particularly the really bad singers who we find out loads about beforehand. With the "X-Factor" over here, which is our equivalent of AI, if they start going into someone's back story, you know they are either going to be absolutely amazing or hellishly awful. The best of the worst was a guy who worked in a chicken factory and claimed he kept people entertained in his breaks by performing. He then began to sing Aqua's "Barbie Girl" in the highest, squeakiest voice imaginable. Added to the fact that he looked like an escapee from a looney-bin, and it made absolutely hilarious viewing! (yes, I'm cruel.)
No, you're not becoming a grumpy old person. American Idol is getting worse. I get that they have a show to sell, and it's very unlikely you'll see someone deviate too much from the top 40 template, but that sound. That "I can hit every note and then a few dozen more" kind of voice. (I'm sure there's a better word for it. I'm not a musician.) Another singing style please. I think of every artist for whom I've managed to cultivate -- at the very least -- a borderline unhealthy obsession, and none of them would make it past the first cut.