Althouse: "But this is what happens when judges don't judge."

April 8, 2011

"But this is what happens when judges don't judge."

"When you treat everyone as equally awesome, weird results will happen."

30 comments:

Oclarki said...: Used to be in this country being hot counted for something. What a horrible country we live in where a girl like Pia can't reach the finals on the strength of her incredible rack and tight ass!; 4/8/11, 1:02 PM
Synova said...: Women viewers are voting for male singers.

Is this really a mystery?

I mean... do men watch this show?; 4/8/11, 1:03 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: Bleh! Redirection? Try misdirection.

(And yeah, I know. It was intentional.); 4/8/11, 1:09 PM
Dark Eden said...: The problem is obvious. The only people watching and voting are 1. tween girls, 2. teen girls. 3. gay guys. All of whom tend to vote for cute white guys.

The interesting thing is the desperate attempt to find a way to blame this on The Patriarchy. The Patriarchy doesn't even know American Idol exists. Its too busy bombing Libya.; 4/8/11, 1:17 PM
Roux said...: The sexy gal with the big boobs goes home. I guess it shows that the men aren't voting.; 4/8/11, 1:22 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I can't stand the women. I've been rooting for the elimination of all the women before any of the men. I've particularly detested Pia. I'm tired of staring at her molars while she screams out some note I don't care about.

I liked when she did the Stevie Wonder song, so I'm not just mindlessly rejecting her. And I do think she was hurt this week by the horrible make-over attributed to Gwen Stefani.

Anyway, the lack of judging at this point is wrecking the show. I'm sick of compliments. I want some brutal realism or even arbitrary trashing. Come on, make fun of... all of them. They all deserve it. We the viewers deserve it.; 4/8/11, 1:24 PM
traditionalguy said...: Simon Cowell says, "you will miss me when I am gone". Judging is educational and also a catharsis. That was the real appeal of the show. The horse race competition was also fun, but not enough to draw an audience back in.; 4/8/11, 1:35 PM
Trooper York said...: Well of course you miss Simon. You guys are very similar.

The show is much sweeter this year. The two performers who are judges are ultimately more positive with the performers than the wanna-bees like Simon and Cara. Simon built a persona on being a tough judge but he had a lot of blind spots. He was as wrong as often as he was right. He detested Jennifer Hudson who is the biggest star to come out of Idol. But Jennifer and Pia shared several attributes. They were both the best singers but had bland and placid personalities. Or at least that's what they showed to the public where someone like Kelly Pickler or Soul Patrol Taylor Hicks were not above looking stupid to show some personality. Pia had to go full "Jersey Shore."
She should have worn tight clothes and big hair and been loud and bositerious. Not quiet and humble and talented. That's a losers move.

You have to stand out from the crowd. Slut it up.; 4/8/11, 1:50 PM
Trooper York said...: The finale will be the two southern fried crackers.

Deep voiced Randy Travis Pumpkin head kid and babyfat chubby 16 year old Southern Lolita girl will be in an all country finale.; 4/8/11, 1:52 PM
MadisonMan said...: I totally agree that Gwen Stefani is to blame.

Casey being saved is the whole problem here. He defined blah and should have been tossed two weeks ago.

I do think that JLo gives good advice. Randy doesn't, but he never does. Steven was entertaining until we got to the live shows, now all he does is mumble platitudes. Boring! You really see how editing can make someone interesting.; 4/8/11, 1:55 PM
Trooper York said...: The wife and I have really enjoyed this year not least because of all the surprises.

I never liked Steven Tyler till I saw him on the show. He is very funny and has a great persoanlity. But what really impressed me was earlier in the season when we were bathing in pathos and they had wheel chair fiance guy. He rolled out his girl who was all messed up and Steven went right up and hugged her and kissed her and put his arms around her. Randy and Jennifer were very nervous and standoffish when confronted with someone who was so broken but Steven gave her the love with all of his heart. He really showed me something there.

Simon wouldn't have touched her with a ten foot pole. Steven Tyler is a mensch and all right in my book. Just sayn'; 4/8/11, 1:56 PM
Trooper York said...: Steven Tyler is full of platitudes but he is filling the Paula role this year. As a performer he knows what it is like up there and he has a lot of empthy for the singers. So he will tell a joke or a quip and generally be positive. It leads to a much more pleasant atmosphere in my opinion.

I do agree that they used the save too early as bearded douche guy has got to go along with faux voiced Rod Stewart guy and skanky blond screaming chick.; 4/8/11, 2:00 PM
Trooper York said...: You will see the differance when the "X" factor starts with Simon back as a judge. His nonsense is overrated and played out. He had his run and that show will tank.

Judges who don't judge often just follow the rules. The let the law decide not what they want to happen. The laws of American Idol are simple. The popular people who please the most will win even if more talented singers have to lose.

The American people have to decide. That's how you end up with fucked up winners like Taylor Hicks and Barack Obama. But that's our system and it is better than the alternative. Doncha think?; 4/8/11, 2:04 PM
Richard Dolan said...: What usually happens when judges don't judge is that a lot of time and energy get wasted. But I'm doubtful that it changes the ultimate result.; 4/8/11, 2:07 PM
hombre said...: I can't stand the women. I've been rooting for the elimination of all the women before any of the men.

And this alters the oft-voiced premise that, "female viewers vote for male singers [no matter what]," how?

"I know Pia has a great voice, but that outfit ...." (Besides, she's too good looking.)

"I know Crystal is the better singer/performer, but those outfits." (Besides, she is too not good looking.)

I won't even get into the Adam-Chris fiasco.; 4/8/11, 2:17 PM
hombre said...: Given Pia's outfit last night, I demand a recount!!; 4/8/11, 2:22 PM
Trooper York said...: She should have been styled by Snookie and J-Wow instead of Gwen.

Then she would have had a chance.; 4/8/11, 2:29 PM
Merny11 said...: I didnt like Pia. No personality at all! Scotty is fun but just too goofy - looks a bit like Howdy Doody. Paul has a weird voice, i would go so far as to call it unpleasant. I'm leaning toward Lauren .... she could be the next Miranda Lambert or Carrie U; 4/8/11, 2:42 PM
Trooper York said...: Or the new Sue Lyon.; 4/8/11, 2:43 PM
Phil 314 said...: There's this:

The problem is obvious. The only people watching and voting are 1. tween girls, 2. teen girls. 3. gay guys. All of whom tend to vote for cute white guys.

and then this:

I can't stand the women. I've been rooting for the elimination of all the women before any of the men.

The word for the day:

feminism; 4/8/11, 3:21 PM
Phil 314 said...: So I'm hearing the sentiment that without the harsh words from the judges the voters don't know how to vote. So are we all really saying that the voters really like Pia but they needed a Simon Cowell to vote out one of the others. In other words, without guidance the voters saw Pia as the worst

I'm struggling to understand that.; 4/8/11, 3:25 PM
Phil 314 said...: Anyway, the lack of judging at this point is wrecking the show. I'm sick of compliments. I want some brutal realism or even arbitrary trashing. Come on, make fun of... all of them. They all deserve it. We the viewers deserve it.

Why do I feel like the Professor is playing the troll roll on this thread.; 4/8/11, 3:42 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: I'd say the quotes you used are a nice summation of what happens in a non-judgmental culture:

Weird things.

I know one of the reasons my wife was able to kill is because I was the only one willing to speak up. All those "you can believe what you want to believe" types are just as guilty if you ask me. be an adult and say something - and not just online where you can do it anonymously, like a coward.; 4/8/11, 6:40 PM
Phil 314 said...: Pia was not meant for a Lady Gaga age.; 4/8/11, 7:22 PM
Synova said...: So... I actually went to you tube to find out how great Pia was supposed to be.

The screaming is no good. No Celine Dion. Sorry. And no, she doesn't hit those notes "dead on." Her voice gets hard. The low and sultry might do it if she gets some non shrieking jazz or even how about trying country if it's lite, but... she's boring.

I don't know why she's boring. Why is she boring. She stands there, is one. The other is, two songs I watched and she did the same thing with her hand. She seems polished, but sort of... constrained. Like all the interesting bits have been polished off.; 4/8/11, 7:54 PM
Trooper York said...: She is in fact a wedding singer. In real life. And in every sense of the word.; 4/8/11, 9:25 PM
Synova said...: I watched some of the other videos, I think I figured out who the "Deep voiced Randy Travis Pumpkin head kid and babyfat chubby 16 year old Southern Lolita girl" are. And there were a couple of girls I thought had real potential, were interesting, and could be a "star" at some point. That young guy with a beard was amazing.

And they held on to Pia for how long?

They weren't polished, but they looked like they were having fun and the raw talent was there. Growth is possible.

Does Pia have any room for growth?; 4/8/11, 9:58 PM
Trooper York said...: The bearded douche guy is a one trick pony. He growls through everything. One of the first weeks he sang like Joe Cocker which is who he is. A white dude trying to sound like an old black dude.

He got the save that should have went to someone else. Just sayn'; 4/8/11, 10:14 PM
Synova said...: No doubt you're right, Trooper. But I still think that he could *do* more, eventually, and probably will. No doubt he had his "one trick" that worked well for him and he just did more of it. But he looked like he was having fun, and if it was old black dude songs they were old black dude songs that had actual life in them. He seemed like he'd be fun to jam with. Can you imagine Pia jamming? I can't. She'd be all, "Okay, but I'm standing here with my feet together making this motion with my left arm... you all go for it... when you get to a screaming part I'll join in."; 4/8/11, 11:01 PM
Synova said...: I suppose that what I'm saying badly is that the others might not be all that good, but my impression of Pia is that she was polished and that was that. Some of the comments I saw were that she ought to win, that she was all the way good already. And I think she probably was more, well, professional, or at least consistent. But what consistent means is pretty much that there is probably no where to go and if that's the final product then she's not a top tier star.

Some of the younger, inconsistent, early to be voted off, one-tune performers might someday be a top tier star. Or at least they *could* be.

Maybe not the bearded guy, mostly because what he seems to enjoy the most, old black dude music, is sort of a small genre niche.; 4/8/11, 11:08 PM