Althouse: "American Idol."

April 7, 2010

"American Idol."

Discuss the results in the comments. Did they do the right thing?

On a side issue, let me just say: Rhianna was atrocious. That just made me feel really sad. What she did has nothing to do with with rock, though she may be a big star. And that lyric "I never play the victim/I'd rather be a stalker." Utter bullshit. The lesson of abuse is to rise above being either a victim or a stalker, and the fact that you let your people use you with lyrics like that? That makes you still the victim, and that is really, really sad. I don't know why destructive material like that is on the quintessential family show of our era, but I hope you find your way.

40 comments:

Brian Day said...: I'm on the west coast so I've got 90 minutes before the show starts. By reading idolbloglive.com (http://idolbloglive.com/idolblog/) I see that Big Mike was at the bottom and the judges did use the 'save' feature. I think it was a good call.

Of course I wouldn't put it past the producers of the show to play games with the votes and manufacture the results. That and VoteForTheWorst keeping Tim in the competition.; 4/7/10, 9:26 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Tim wasn't even in the bottom 3.; 4/7/10, 9:30 PM
The Drill SGT said...: Ann,

breaking news.

a Qata diplomat flying on Unitied 663 from DC (Reagan) to Denver ytied to light his shoe and was tackled by an Air Marshal; 4/7/10, 9:36 PM
Paul Kirchner said...: "I never play the victim/I'd rather be a stalker."

I don't watch the show, but wow, that's f--d up; not clever or funny or anything.; 4/7/10, 9:37 PM
HKatz said...: That makes you still the victim, and that is really, really sad.

And young people often want to be like pop stars. These singers, they usually aren't liberated people (though that's the image - wild, free, expressive, sexually liberated). They're not. They're often in a mental and emotional prison, and their humanity is repressed, their dignity gone; a product, not a person. Yes, I hope she finds her way too - it's sad and tiring.; 4/7/10, 10:05 PM
Aaron Csicseri said...: lost leading the lost...; 4/7/10, 10:14 PM
KCFleming said...: I saw Rhianna out of the corner of my eye, during a hospital visit (niece's brain surgery; she did fine). The sound was off, and it looked like some soft porn S&M thingy. The contrast with the clinical beeps IV poles and scattered moans and wandering sad families was stark.; 4/7/10, 10:18 PM
MadisonMan said...: I couldn't watch tonight. How was David Archuleta? I would think his voice will have gained something in the past two years.

I would rather the Judges saved someone who might actually win the thing. I don't think Big Mike has a chance, especially if he keeps up with those ludicrous challenges for a pec contest with Simon. Very off-putting.

I was expecting either Aaron or Andrew to get dumped -- and no way would they be saved. I was surprised, a little, that Big Mike was sent home before he was saved, but not that he was bottom 3. He's been consistently okay, but that doesn't get you very far. Plus he went 4th. They should put Tim in the 4th slot. Didi was 4th when she got the axe, and so was Lacey.; 4/7/10, 11:00 PM
Brian Day said...: "Tim wasn't even in the bottom 3."

True. Tim's performance was actually decent yesterday, so I'm not surprised he landed outside of the bottom three.
Still, with the double elimination next week, Tim will go and the 'Vote For The Worst' crowd will not be able to keep him in.; 4/7/10, 11:12 PM
reader_iam said...: The lesson of abuse is to rise above being either a victim or a stalker,

Or do you mean "'both'...[and, possibly,'and'"]?

***

Regardless, there's little doubt left that you intend to fan the one-size-fits-all vibe. Nuance is for losers (once you decided to abandon it). Well, OK then. Whatever.; 4/7/10, 11:15 PM
reader_iam said...: By the way, I still don't give rat's turd about "American Idol." There's something that's never changed.; 4/7/10, 11:30 PM
Anonymous said...: I love that song that Mike sang, and he picked it right. Yes, it was the right thing to do. If they only have 1 save, I don't know who would merit it more.

I can't believe I just said all that, LOL, about AI. Anyway, I love Kate Bush's music, and he took it to a higher level.

I also thought Rhianna was just pathetic. It's like rock is now a cruelty fetish show.; 4/8/10, 12:10 AM
reader_iam said...: I LOVE "old" country.

C'mon, you know what I mean: the sort that made a fetish of, you know, "troubles," aka various cruelties. I love old blues--and a goodly chunk of latter-day blues, too--for the same reason.

For example and for starters.; 4/8/10, 12:17 AM
reader_iam said...: I dislike deflection from the central thing: Rhianna is of limited talent. Why not just say that and be done? (Probably because we elevate so many people as talented who couldn't, without help [including a microphone, a good or bad one] and God knows without editing, fill unaided 1/2 of a lunchroom in the country's smallest elementary school with anything approaching decent sound--in terms of pitch, tone and volume, just for starters.); 4/8/10, 12:33 AM
sonicfrog said...: I saw her on the New Years Eve NBC show. She was horrible. She was supposed to be lip-syncing, but she looked like she wasn't even trying. She looked like she was just there for the paycheck.; 4/8/10, 12:42 AM
David said...: These are not exactly thoughtful people.; 4/8/10, 1:31 AM
KCFleming said...: At least she didn't do that squat-and-butt-shaking thingy like in her new video Rude boy. Feels like I'm watching a National Geographic special on mammalian mating behaviors.

Touching lyrics, too.
Brings a tear to your eye, especially the syrupy "I like the way you pull my hair", or "Give it to me, baby like boom, boom, boom".
Sure, almost treacly, but I'm schmaltzy that way.

Rude boy
Come here, rude boy, boy; can you get it up?
Come here rude boy, boy; is you big enough?

I like the way you touch me there
I like the way you pull my hair
Babe, if I don't feel it I ain't faking, no, no

Do you like it?
Boy, I want, want, want whatchu want, want, want
Give it to me, baby like boom, boom, boom
What I want, want, want is what you want, want, want; 4/8/10, 6:52 AM
al said...: How was David Archuleta? I would think his voice will have gained something in the past two years.

David came on and after a few seconds I hit the mute button. Still can't stand his voice. Hit mute for Rhianna as well. She was so much more enjoyable that way...

I expect to use it for next weeks mentor.

I was 2 for 3 in the bottom 3 selections. I expected Mike, Andrew, and Tim and hoped Tim or Andrew would have gone home. AI shows, like DWTS, that it's more of a popularity contest than a talent competition.

AI is what DVRs were made for. Start halfway into the show, skip all the crap, and catch up to live with 15 or so minutes to go.; 4/8/10, 7:02 AM
MadisonMan said...: I read in the paper today: Danny Gokey will be a Ho-Chunk on May 27th!

Put the Go in Gokey!; 4/8/10, 7:06 AM
michaele said...: I'm with al on the DVR thing. I do a little time shifting so I have the option of skipping as much as I want with the results show of AI. Watched a bit of Rhianna and was appalled...just crude and unmusical.What a shame for young people that she is one of their "stars".
I don't think Big Mike is in contention to win so I don't think they should have used the save for him. Yeah,yeah, he's got the personal story of the new baby driving his case but, for most of the world, having a new baby in the family doesn't make you all that special. He has good showmanship and comfort on the stage but his voice isn't very interesting. I would never go out of my way to listen to him.
As an aside, I find the opening scene with the judges arranging their togetherness to walk down the stairs to their seats creepy.; 4/8/10, 8:17 AM
SteveR said...: The results shows are about 57 minutes too long. Almost never watched any guest performances since they almost never have on anybody worth watching... TiVo; 4/8/10, 8:26 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: I'm glad they saved big Mike. I don't think he will win (I have him slotted third) but he can sing and does make the show more interesting. The top two, Casey and Crystal, aren't going to need a save and the others aren't worthy.

I agree that Rhianna was awful. However, history is filled with bad songs and bad lyrics. Even as a youngster I knew not to take pop music too seriously. I see no reason to change now.

wv fenvices - Fen's bad habits?; 4/8/10, 8:40 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Rihanna looked like a puppet manipulated by other people. But the puppet was supposed to be this ballsy powerful woman. I found that terribly sad.; 4/8/10, 10:34 AM
Joe said...: My wife skipped Rhianna after the first ten seconds.

It was the Daughtry effect. Voters think a contestant is safe so they vote for the people they thought were in danger. End result is totally lopsided.

As al says, remember that this is a popularity contest. Performance only matters if the contestant really blows it.

And I don't get Siobhan and especially how the judges seem to lose all rationality when talking about her. I find her voice extremely grating and her performances highly annoying. A local DJ and his assistant don't get her either. We may be the only three.; 4/8/10, 10:38 AM
MadisonMan said...: Siobhan is still coasting on the high note during Respect, when she totally nailed it. Plus she's quirky. America loves the quirk.; 4/8/10, 10:52 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Siobhan is really hot in a mysterious and oddly demure way. She can be screechy but she can also be the best singer out there some nights. Love her little smile and Irish eyes.; 4/8/10, 11:28 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: At one time Siobhan was high on my list but she's been coasting lately. At this point in the competition the best competitors should be consistently good. Instead, it seems like she still hasn't figured out how to effectively compete.

And I agree, she is quirky. However, she isn't that interesting. I noticed during her introduction the other night that the other competitors talked about her singing ability instead of her personality. It was just the opposite for everyone else. It makes me think that maybe she is just kind of bland despite the tattoos and bizarre fashion sense.; 4/8/10, 1:51 PM
Chris Althouse Cohen said...: PatCA: Just watched Mike's performance of This Woman's Work. Haven't watched anything else this season because I'm sick of the show. Also, I don't have any TV channels.

I searched for this one on YouTube because Kate Bush is my favorite artist of all time. And for all of Kara's crying about how beautiful it was, while he did a reasonably good job, it certainly can't hold a candle to the original version of the song or the Maxwell cover that he was imitating. I particularly disliked the choice to pretty much not do the chorus of the song. In this American Idol version, the chorus is sung by pre-recorded back-up vocals, and Mike just sings some R&B mumbo jumbo over it, and never personally sings the chorus. The most noteworthy thing about the original song is the chorus, which is very beautiful while musically and lyrically simple. Maxwell's version dolls up the central melody in an R&B style but does so without losing the heart of the original. Mike, I thought, pretty much buried the chorus along with everything good about the song in a way that I think would make it not seem like a particularly good song to anyone who wasn't already familiar with the original or the Maxwell version.; 4/8/10, 2:02 PM
Anonymous said...: To each his own, Chris. I loved Mike's version. :)

But I'm not watching anymore--Obama is going to be on the show! Leave us alone!; 4/8/10, 2:20 PM
Big Mike said...: BTW, I'm not that Big Mike. He's an imposter!; 4/8/10, 4:00 PM
Cedarford said...: I watch because the wife watches. And youngest daughter did until she suddenly declared "I'm over Idol". Though I actually enjoy it.

This season My wife was on the Crystal is a Goddess kick. And how adorable she thought Big huggy huggy Mike is.
I chose Lacey and Siobhan, essentially to piss her off with liking "non-Crystals"...but seriously began to like Siobhan more and more each week other than a couple of bad screams. Wife is also now on with Magnus as at least being worthy of being a temple attendent in the Finals or Final 3 to Goddess Crystal.

She is off "Big Mike" totally and absolutely as a favorite, buying into my belief the guy is a cheesy, phony jerk and buffoon....who does music in a style and delivery that nauseates younger music buyers.

Also yesterday we found that post-Idol daughter actually does watch, it appears...only because "friends watch it" mind you...
Her opinion is that (1)Casey is awesome, (2)Lee is so sensitive and authentic, (3)Her Mom will buy Crystals stuff, but not her, (4)She would touch anything Big Mike did with a ten foot pole and can't stand him, (5)Siobhan, same age - is this gorgeous, incredible, sweet person and unbelievable talent and she can't wait to hear Magnus's 1st CD.
(6) All the rest are not worth talking about, but Aaron was "sooo much like Steve!" (a 16 year old she dated and crushed on before that and after he dumped her when she was 14).; 4/8/10, 6:22 PM
cathy said...: Rhianna--Somehow I think Hollywood can never really like whatever they call family.; 4/8/10, 7:39 PM
Trooper York said...: Cedarford, that was a great recap and I too am on the Siobhan bandwagon.

I was fine with them bringing Big Mike back since they all seem to like him and stops this bullshit where they have to sing to avoid elimination.; 4/8/10, 8:50 PM
Trooper York said...: Why did they give David Ardhuleta a Mia Farrow haircut?; 4/8/10, 8:52 PM
Trooper York said...: Next week Adam Lambert is the "mentor."

Think there is gonna be a lot of "glam rock" or what?; 4/8/10, 8:52 PM
Trooper York said...: Lee seems very solid but boring.

Andrew is out next week.

Vote for the worst can only keep Tim in the Sanjaya spot for so long until the field narrows down and he is out. In three weeks.

Did you ever notice that Katy has a kinda fat Cabbage Patch head. Freaks me out.

Crystal has to lose because the favorites always do. She will peter out when people get tired of her being praised and jump to another less likely performer like last year when Chris beat out Adam.; 4/8/10, 8:56 PM
Trooper York said...: I do think it is kind of funnny that Althouse want's to bitch slap
Rhianna. Hee.

I think we should get her a "Chris Brown was Right" T-shirt.; 4/8/10, 8:59 PM
Trooper York said...: You know Meade is a big Ike Turner fan.

Just sayn'; 4/8/10, 9:01 PM
Daniel12 said...: Just caught up on dvr last night (though I'm sure everyone else has moved on). Thoughts:

Mike's Eleanor Rigby was the only performance of his I really enjoyed so far. Glad they saved him after it. Also, I noticed it was a different genre for him -- more rock rather than r&b. I wonder if he lost a few fans doing it.

Casey James's jealous guy was pretty much the only performance of this season that I thought ranks with the top American Idol performances over the course of the show. Really spectacular. And I find his standard guitar-rock to be a bit generic and wooden.

Lee SUCKED. Seriously.

Crystal's a bit inconsistent. Another song where the second half was way way better than the first. She's great, but definitely slips into coffee shop mode periodically.

Andrew Garcia -- still can't get "Filipino lesbian" outta my head. Heheheh.

Judges pretty much had to save Mike this week. Only 4 left until the save was gone, so they had to use it, and Mike was clearly the choice.; 4/9/10, 2:06 PM
Tom said...: Big Mike should not have been saved. The save should only be used to protect contestants who really have a chance to win. Big Mike does not in that group. Anyways he's annoying with all that chest pounding nonsense.

Potential winners this year are Crystal, Lee, and Casey. My bet is on Lee because Crystal (who is the best performer) seems a little out there for the upper crusts who make up most of AI's audience. That chin piercing may be a little over the top for a lot of AI viewers.

Who will have the best career? That's hard to say. Casey will be a country star, my wife loves him. Lee is kind of like Daughtry. Crystal will do very well, but I suspect Siobhan will be the star because she's so unique. She looks like a rock star with the piercings, tats and attire.

This has been a good year for AI. Ellen is a good addition. Now if they can just dump Kara and keep Simon all will be well.; 4/10/10, 9:10 AM