Althouse: "I told my mom that if I get kicked off sometime, I’m gonna get a teepee and just live in the woods for a few days and get out of the city..."

April 19, 2014

"I told my mom that if I get kicked off sometime, I’m gonna get a teepee and just live in the woods for a few days and get out of the city..."

"... ’cause I’m all about the outdoors and stuff. But I’m going to keep my singing career and hopefully have a hunting show one day. That’s my dream, my big dream. I want to try to get, like, turkeys and ducks and whitetails, stuff like that. I’m gonna hit up Nashville...."

It's interesting — the specificity of a young person's vision of modest success and how to deal with it.

11 comments:

Grackle said...: Shouldn't we be happy that some people have modest visions? We need them. What if everyone wanted to be an esteemed law professor? The masses who fell short would always feel inadequate. I would rather have a happy baker selling bread than a bitter baker. There is dignity in any honest work.; 4/19/14, 9:44 AM
Ann Althouse said...: @Grackle I hope you are not reading disparagement into what I have written, so I won't read what you wrote as a projection of your own defended-against negativity.; 4/19/14, 9:51 AM
Paddy O said...: An Idol post!

Great group of people this year, great set of finalists. Dexter had a great attitude all the way through, clearly there because he loved singing not for the primary goal of fame.

He's going to do fine for himself. I could see him getting a band together and becoming more well-known than whoever eventually wins. And I like pretty much everyone left on the show.

Even a budding romance of sorts this season, with Jena into Caleb. Caleb is into Jena being into him.; 4/19/14, 9:56 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "An Idol post!"

I've liked Alex all along and I'm surprised that the voting public has fixed on him (to the consternation of the producers of the show who had Sam as the guy to be in that niche (because he's clearly cuter)).; 4/19/14, 10:03 AM
Paddy O said...: Alex is great too. Probably the best actual musician.

The voting this year seems to be pretty on target. The people who are doing well keep going on, and Alex has been pretty consistent, making his mark. I'll be surprised if he wins (I think Caleb and Jena are going to be the top 2), but like Dexter, he's done what he needed to do and doesn't really need to win at this point.

I think the audience is skewing older, and maybe Harry Connick jr. is bringing in more musically inclined fans.; 4/19/14, 10:13 AM
Wince said...: "Hell, no! Right after I graduate I'm going to cut the soles off my shoes, sit in a tree and learn to play the flute!"; 4/19/14, 10:15 AM
john said...: "I told my mom..."?

Dexter doesn't look like the outdoor type, except perhaps when he purchases his bigmac at the drive through. On those occasions when mom doesn't cook.; 4/19/14, 10:56 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "The voting this year seems to be pretty on target. The people who are doing well keep going on, and Alex has been pretty consistent, making his mark. I'll be surprised if he wins (I think Caleb and Jena are going to be the top 2), but like Dexter, he's done what he needed to do and doesn't really need to win at this point."

But Alex is singing in a style that's very popular today, and Caleb's act is forthrightly retro. Caleb should be in a Led Zeppelin tribute band. It's entertaining, but it goes against the idea of finding the "next idol."

Not that there haven't been past seasons where the winner was not at all current in style.; 4/19/14, 12:14 PM
Paddy O said...: "Dexter doesn't look like the outdoor type..."

Farmhand. Professional Dog trainer. Hunter.; 4/19/14, 12:56 PM
Paddy O said...: "Caleb's act is forthrightly retro"

Yes, but he does it so entirely well.

All depends on the AI audience, and I think the AI audience skews older. That's why Sam lost a couple weeks ago.

Alex might bring together different audiences, but he has a bit of a strange look about him.

I'm rooting for CJ, but I don't think he's going to win.; 4/19/14, 1:00 PM
Wen said...: I know I missed the discussion on this blog of the irony of the "celebritneys" tag. It dates back to 2008! Am I late to the party or the first one here?; 4/19/14, 6:02 PM