“Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds are better singers and musicians than Gokey and Grace, but they’re too much like past winners and ‘A’ successes,” the woman said. “Adam’s too close in style and sound to Chris Daughtry, while Lil Rounds is a dead ringer for Fantasia. Even their background stories are similar!Adam is like Chris Daughtry? That's so off that I doubt the source entirely. They've never had anyone like Adam in a position to win. Adam is the most exciting choice. You might just as well say that Gokey is too much like Taylor Hicks.
“The producers really want it to be Danny or Alexis. They think they’re very commercially viable, have a good image and a great story.”
Anyway, I can believe this is the final 4 they want. That doesn't mean the contest is fixed in any significant way. They're stuck with the votes that come in. Misreporting the vote would, if discovered, destroy the show. But they can do plenty of things to help the contestants they like best. They can showcase a singer when they want, putting him in the last or the first slot, and so forth. And they've got that new rule that lets them save one contestant once during the season. I assume the point of that rule is to save Adam — the best idol ever.
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Adam oversings everything. I wrote over on Troop's blog that he reminds me of Amanda from last year, shouting everything into the mic -- although his pitch and tone are better.
At this point, I'm rooting for Alexis and L'il -- both from Memphis, and I like both of their sounds. As for Gokey? Make him go away. Please. If I never have to see him and his Ugly Betty glasses again, I will be happy.
I much preferred Danny Gokey's friend -- the one who didn't make the final 36.
I had always assumed it was fixed. It seems hard to believe that, by sheer coincidence, the diversity of the residuum of contenders is maintained as the numbers are winnowed by sheer coincidence, as always appears to happen.
The best idol ever, by the way, is quite obviously Kelly Clarkson, for the most obvious reason of all: she still has a career. The other winners - with the exception of Carrie Underwood - have faded back into obscurity, have they not? (One winner - I think this is brilliant - was most recently seen as a backing singer on an album by someone whom she "beat"!)
Adam is the one that looks like Flock of Seaguls crashed into Depeche Mode, right? His is the look that people will be embarassed to have had.
"Lil Rounds," what a great name. Sounds like it's from the '30s.
There is no doubt that the producers fix outcomes to the extent they can. The rules for how they count votes are extremely lose and subject to manipulation (one out they give themselves is that demon dialers are banned--which means they can throw out as many duplicate votes as they wish.) However, this power is still limited to close votes. No amount of manipulation could save Chris Daughtry.
Joe said...
"There is no doubt that the producers fix outcomes to the extent they can."
Say you have two singers who can be a little pitchy. And one of them is the wrong demographic - you've already got a black person or a woman for the final, for example - so you need to ensure that one of them will bomb out. You simply run one of their mics through Autotune, add some subtle delay and reverb to sweeten the pot, and leave the other one as is.
"No amount of manipulation could save Chris Daughtry."
Well, you assume that saving him would have been on the agenda. Why? His booting was a big upset, right - a spanner in the works, a headline-grabbing shock? Isn't that exactly the sort of ratings-boosting plot twist you'd think of as a producer if you were fixing it?
BTW, speaking of Clarkson, she was on SNL on Saturday, and she looked great. Is she pregnant or has she let herself get a little fatter?
Let me see if I understand this. There are people who thought it _wasn't_ rigged?
Well, you assume that saving him would have been on the agenda. Why?
Because ultimately this show is about Simon Cowell selling records Once you understand that, you understand his criticisms. He wants traditional pop starts that you can exploit for a handful of albums and tons of teen magazines and then go on. In this regard, [second place] David Archuleta has been insanely successful.
Chris Daughtry doesn't exactly fit this mold, but he has a lot of natural talent and sells albums. Besides an upset two weeks later would have been more dramatic.
The producers and judges allways try to influence the voting by who they praise and who they knock.
Lambert is peaking too early and will not win. He is this seasons Bo Bice.
They will knock him by saying he is too theatrical and over the top and praise some one else. My money is on the red headed step child in a Jordan
Sparks finale.
Kelly Clarkson is really looking hot with a few extra pounds. Primo tenderloin.
Actually, they've already picked the winner.
Simon: I think "Idols" should count winners and non-winners, especially if Adam currently counts. In that case, Jennifer Hudson has a career. And that method only works with people who were on a while ago, so you're really not picking from a large pool of people. The last two winners still have careers, and so does Chris Daughtry.
peaking of Clarkson, she was on SNL on Saturday, and she looked great. Is she pregnant or has she let herself get a little fatter?
She's always been a little thick, and has gotten a little thicker over the past few years. I love her, and she is the best American Idol of all time. Her new album is fun.
Adam Lambert over sings, screeches even, sometimes. But I'm willing to give him a chance and see if he tones it down. Tonight is country night (barf), so we'll see what he does. He is hot, and as Titus would say, I would definitely do him. That Gokey guy with the dead wife has always reminded me of Taylor Hicks and he needs to be eliminated ASAP. He is the fucking worst. Gross.
As far as whether or not the Final 4 are already chosen, I'm sure one of the producers themselves leaked the story to the paper to generate interest in the show. Maybe people will tune in to see if those particular four make it to the end, to see if the show is actually fixed. or maybe they won't. Either way, the ratings are down and they'll do pretty much anything to get people watching.
If those four do make it to the end, the show can say, well, they are the best singers, our show is not rigged. If those 4 don't make it, the show can say "See! We're not rigged."
Joe said...
"Because ultimately this show is about Simon Cowell selling records"
Absolutely, that and ratings. And if those are the goals, Daughtry's exit makes perfect sense. It was a ratings-amplifying shock, and it allowed Daughtry to escape without the millstone of being an Idol finalist. Winning Idol was always going to detract from the kind of music he was going to make, but having competed and been dumped fits in with the whole outsider rebel rock image. You can't be a credible rock performer if you've won a TV bubblegum pop / R&B talent contest - that kind of manufacturing is the antithesis of the image a rock performer wants to project.
Zachary Paul Sire said...
"She's always been a little thick, and has gotten a little thicker over the past few years."
I thought she had raked up about the time she was on SNL last (playing "Breakaway")?
Yeah she might have. She's a yo-yo dieter I think. But the last three years I have always seen her looking "healthy." To be clear, I think she looks great. Skinny girls (who aren't naturally skinny but who are instead starving themselves) make me sick and should die. It's awesome that a normal looking girl like Kelly can be as popular and successful as she is.
They've already picked the winner. The show is a scam and for anyone to think otherwise is naive. I stopped watching two seasons ago.
I agree with MadisonMan on Adam. And look at his picture! He is way too concerned with makeup and hair, and I fear him turning into a Michael Jackson.
I actually agree Simon--Daughtry is very likely much better off not having won--but I do think people were trying to game the voting and blew it. This is actually the only thing that really interests me about the show: the voting patterns and trying to figure out who will continue based on demographics.
(Incidentally, I do think Simon Cowell has way more positive influence than people like to admit and really does have a gift for ascertaining success. I find it interesting that he wasn't a big fan of Fantasia and his original instincts seems have been born out.
Another thing that fascinates me is how poorly contestants pick their songs. It's like these people never watched the damn show or came up with a game plan beforehand. Even the ones that got in on a lark would be well served to have gone through music lists and visited voice coaches to help pick music best suited for them.)
One other thing: saw a documentary some years ago about reality shows and more than one producer stated that it's not unusual for contestants to want out and the producers are usually accommodating. There are also situations where there has been some violation of a rule or something contractual would cause problems if that person won and the producers and contestant arrange a face-saving exit.
You simply run one of their mics through Autotune, add some subtle delay and reverb to sweeten the pot, and leave the other one as is.
And then hope the sound technician(s) don't decide to sell you out?
BTW, raked up? Gotten plump?
Please Joe, tell me it aint true. The odds of Reality anything appearing on Reality TV is about 1 in a 100. And that mistake would quickly be eliminated. That's why football sports on TV are popular. They are not fixed to go by the story line. FYI, the Pro Wrestling shows are not wrestling at all, and every moment of their ballet performance is scripted.So most entertainment is a paid for fantasy, like a NYT story is a paid for fantasy.
blake said...
"raked up? Gotten plump?"
Quite the opposite: rake as in rake thin.
I used "reality shows" as the name of a genre, not as a descriptive phrase.
(My reality show is to take members of congress and put them on an island. What they don't know is that nobody is filming them and nobody will ever be back to pick them up.)
Adam was GodAwful wretched tonight. His performance of Ring of Fire belonged on the Album with Capt. Kirk singing Mr. Tambourine Man. Self-indulgent and horrid.
OTOH, Anoop killed and so did Megan (What was keeping her breasts inside that dress?)
Based on performances, either Adam or Scott should be booted.
MM: Yes, Adam was dreadful. (It will be interesting to see whether the Professor attempts a defense. Maybe, Who gives a fig if it was supposed to be country music night, the point is Adam was being Adam.') I thought Alexis and Danny were disappointing, too. A good night for some of the underdogs.
They only say they like Adam because they think he's "current".
But Idol is a dated show. They have to be, they're playing other people's songs!
And jumping on board the emo bandwagon now is ridiculous. I'm waiting for one of the judges to talk about young people and their 8-tracks or something.
Adam the best idol ever? Give me a break! Not even close, and I hope he doesn't even make the final five or so.
Adam was current in 1980!
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