Althouse: "We only saw one performance [Wednesday night] from someone who went all-out to demonstrate his or her worthiness in a reality competition, and that was Rob Mariano."

May 6, 2011

"We only saw one performance [Wednesday night] from someone who went all-out to demonstrate his or her worthiness in a reality competition, and that was Rob Mariano."

"I'm basically done with Idol this season, and have gone from fast-forwarding the intro packages to skipping the judging to now skipping most of each performance as well. The show that I want to see -- and the one that this Iovine-added season promised to deliver -- is one which sought and created the next contemporary artist. The show took a fatal turn away from that path two years ago when Kris Allen outlasted Adam Lambert, and the ascension this year of the G-Rated Lambert and two uninspiring country artists has not improved matters."

Adam at Throwing Things has been trying to watch the same 2 reality shows we've been trying to watch.

29 comments:

MayBee said...: Whatta grump.; 5/6/11, 8:48 AM
Jim said...: So basically he's STILL throwing a temper tantrum that Adam Lambert didn't win, and he doesn't like country music.

Thanks for clearing that up.; 5/6/11, 8:50 AM
MadisonMan said...: Haley is an interesting singer to watch. Lauren has cracked under the pressure and only does things to stay safe, and when she fails, like she did this week, she dissolves into a puddle of tears. (It's hard to remember she's -- what -- 17? when they dress her like she's 30). No way can she handle the pressure of a music career at her young age. Scotty is very good, but same old same old each week. James can't hold a pitch unless he's screaming, and now that Stefano is gone, the interesting bromance he had is gone. Jacob the Caterwauler should have been gone long ago.

I think the best they can hope for is a Haley/Scotty finale.

Jimmy Iovine has not been a good addition -- he's kept too close a rein on the singers and hasn't let them evolve organically -- except, I think, for Haley who doesn't care what Jimmy thinks. Some of the best performances this season have been when singers ignore Jimmy.

Randy is irrelevant as ever as a judge. JLo offers good critique -- sometimes -- and Steven is just "Oh I loved that and I love you" every single time. Meh.; 5/6/11, 8:53 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "It's hard to remember she's -- what -- 17? when they dress her like she's 30."

They dress her like she's 50, and if Simon were still there he'd criticize her for looking 50. No one says a thing about that. Why did they lower the eligibility age and then give us un-young-seeming youngsters. It's just creepy. The lack of freshness in a 16-year-old is just sad... and she seems sad about it.

Jimmy provides the only criticism, but it's presented the next day, after the voting is in, and with lots of time to carefully construct it.

The show is embalmed.; 5/6/11, 9:04 AM
Lauderdale Vet said...: I've never actually followed Idol. My wife and I finally tuned in a couple of weeks ago and have been pretty impressed with the contestants thus far. We like all of them, actually. I’m finding it difficult to root for one over the other. We’ll just keep breaking out the popcorn and see how it pans out.

I thought that rendition of the House of the Rising Sun was outstanding.; 5/6/11, 9:05 AM
Shanna said...: Could people just stop griping about my poor little Arkansas boy Kris Allen already? Sheesh! Adam lost, but still has a career. Who cares?; 5/6/11, 9:11 AM
galdosiana said...: Don't watch Idol, but Survivor is still my favorite reality show of all time. I've watched every episode of every season, and I plan on watching it until Jeff Probst quits or the show is canceled. Rob's work at the immunity challenge was amazing. It took me back to when he passed out on All-Stars, and I was worried he might get pretty sick for a moment, but he pulled through.

What do you think Phillip's chances are of making it to the final three, and then winning? I'm really curious as to what he thinks he could say that would earn him the million dollars...; 5/6/11, 9:28 AM
Known Unknown said...: Most of the time, the runner-up is the real winner.

And without Simon, the show is terrible.; 5/6/11, 9:29 AM
DADvocate said...: I'm basically done with Idol this season

Me, too. Of course, I was done before the season started. Haven't watched a single minute. I haven't watched an entire episode since season 1. The last person I watched sing an entire song was Taylor Hicks.; 5/6/11, 9:40 AM
Stephen A. Meigs said...: Jennifer Lopez is a marked improvement over the last two female judges they have had. The top 12 or so is the best they have had in years. But they still didn't manage to find anybody that really stands above the rest, so the winner probably won't be better than any of the recent winners. I figure James will win because he looks a great deal like the last three winners, who all look mostly the same to me.

Lauren is probably my favorite, but I don't think she is thin enough to win.; 5/6/11, 9:55 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Rob's work at the immunity challenge was amazing. It took me back to when he passed out on All-Stars, and I was worried he might get pretty sick for a moment, but he pulled through."

Key fact narrated by Jeff: It was 110°. How awful it would have been if Rob had gone out on a medical emergency, like the "other Russell" a few seasons back. But it was a great challenge. Just seeing the structure must have intimidated everyone. Phillip knew he couldn't do it, shouldn't do it. The 2 worthless girls just didn't even try. Why did Andrea try? I think she knew she was at the bottom of the pecking order, which has to make you wonder why she claimed to have been surprised to get voted out.

"What do you think Phillip's chances are of making it to the final three, and then winning? I'm really curious as to what he thinks he could say that would earn him the million dollars."

He has a closing argument... and I hope he makes it just so we get to hear what it is. I'm rooting for Phillip just because it's boring to sit back and watch Rob win. Phillip has been playing the "crazy guy" strategy, and he's probably crazy enough to do it without being a good actor. I loved his interaction with his sister, which seemed to reinforce him. Yeah, Phillip, do what you need to do to win. It's a game.

The real game is Jeff, et al, keeping us watching. How can the rig and re-rig the rules, challenges, immunity, editing to make it interesting enough when nearly all the players are coasting toward their doom?; 5/6/11, 9:55 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Jennifer Lopez is a marked improvement over the last two female judges they have had."

Sort of. But she needs to stop glancing at her notes! And she needs to acknowledge Scottie's 1/4 Puerto Rican, which she's been snubbing, after promoting other contestants for their ethnic ties to hers.

My favorite has been James all along, but he needs to keep it together. He's got some emotional fragility and I think they know it and can't push him too much anymore (as they did the time they brought in Hulk Hogan).; 5/6/11, 9:59 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Survivor won the competition weeks ago in my home. I haven't even bothered to DVR Idol the last few weeks. The singing talent may be better but the personalities suck. I don't really care about any of them.; 5/6/11, 10:02 AM
Anonymous said...: Why would it not be great for Rob M to win? He has never won, but has pushed others to win in his stead!

He's worked HARD for the win this season. I hope to hell he gets it.

Phillip - if he's just playing crazy that's not fair. My favorite Survivor ever - Matthew - wasn't putting it on. He carried a whole slew of people and then got shellacked in the final vote. So maybe being actually crazy and unsettling is far worse than "putting it on"? I doubt it. If Rob is there, he will win the vote.; 5/6/11, 10:08 AM
Joe said...: I'm forced to watch Idol. It's dreadful this season. The judges are way too accomodating and seem utterly oblivious of anything actually musical. Even my wife, who is a MAJOR Idol fan, admits this is one of the worse years ever and now skips the DVR playback through the judge's comments.

The only contestant with honest to God talent is Scotty McCreery and he should be on Nashville Star, not American Idol. (He's a little rough, but he's only 16 and has plenty of room to develop.)

Finally, even the guest stars have been dreadful. I've been surprised lately how often my wife has skipped through performances.; 5/6/11, 10:10 AM
MayBee said...: Haley has a gift for telling the listener the story of the song. I first noticed it with "Bennie and the Jets", a stupid song that she absolutely made me believe was coming from a girl who had just read BillBoard and was telling all her friends about this cool band.

She should go to Broadway.

Scotty's going to be a star tomorrow.

Lauren is dressed like she's 50 because she isn't as skinny as we expect our young singing stars to be.
I say by December we hear she's moved in with Steven Tyler.; 5/6/11, 10:11 AM
galdosiana said...: He has a closing argument... and I hope he makes it just so we get to hear what it is. I'm rooting for Phillip just because it's boring to sit back and watch Rob win.

I completely agree! I have been rooting for Phillip for quite some time, and now that he says he's got a great closing argument that could win it for him, I'm even more intrigued! Of course, in order for him to make it to the final three, I think he has to keep bugging everyone just enough so as not to get kicked out, but to make them want to keep him on because they think they'll look good against him.

I love that aspect of Survivor: the annoying person actually becomes an asset to the powerful people, but that does not necessarily diminish the pest's chances at winning, either. It's such a social game, full of twists that are often unpredictable. In spite of the players' dedication to "the game" and to not making friends, the social aspect inevitably becomes a vital part of their strategy as the game progresses. (And it's something that Russell Hantz learned the hard way, 3x over.); 5/6/11, 10:13 AM
MayBee said...: The girls in Rob's tribe are lucky they are on this earth in 2011 and safely occupied on Survivor, instead of living in 1970 when Charles Manson would have lured them in.; 5/6/11, 10:14 AM
BJM said...: Will Rob be the Susan Lucci of Survivor?

I'm beginning to think Punkinhead Scotty will prevail with the tweens-mom voters.

Haley's screaming and growling is just annoying and Lauren's too immature, she can't handle the pressure. Lauren goes next week and Harley makes it to the final three, but the finale will be James vs Scotty.

The producers have certainly telegraphed that they want another country Idol to capitalize on that market.

Thank the Gods that Jacob was finally sent home...his last few performances were painful to watch. He needs to return to gospel, this genre just wasn't his style.; 5/6/11, 10:16 AM
kimsch said...: We really started watching Jordin's season, didn't watch last season on Idol but are watching this season. Haley is a local girl and I'm pulling for her. Also, she's my daughter's age. The Big Girl is special needs and more like a three year old with developmental delays, epilepsy, and now lupus as well. I cried when I looked at Haley and thought that my Big Girl could have been like her if she didn't have the issues she has.

Jacob should have gone long ago. Casey should still be on.

We watched both nights' episodes last night. At one point, after the judges spoke, I said "Everybody wins!" It seemed as though the judges said each one was the next idol without much constructive criticism.

Don't get me started on the outfit JLo wore when singing her song.

wv: scric; 5/6/11, 10:38 AM
Trooper York said...: There is no doubt that the final will be between Pumkinheaded Randy Travis kid and Screaming Tourettes Rocker dude.

You forget that our baby fat Lolita is really just fifteen going on sixteen.

She ain't even old enough for that "Sound of Music” song.; 5/6/11, 5:24 PM
Trooper York said...: This has been the best season of Idol in the last four years. Thank God Simon is gone. He became sour and nasty and just didn't want to be there.

It was like Pernall Roberts on the last season of Bonaza. He was just going through the motions.; 5/6/11, 5:25 PM
Trooper York said...: Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez made this season very enjoyable. They are performers and they know what it takes to become a star. Jennifer Lopez went from being a back up dancer on a half hour comedy show to having number one hits.

Although I not a big fan of Aerosmith you have to admit that they are one of the biggest rock bands around for along time.

So they kinda know what they are talking about as far being entertainers.; 5/6/11, 6:05 PM
Trooper York said...: I know MadisonMan is an Idol fan but I have to disagree with him about Jimmy Iovine. He is one of the top record executives in the business and a much bigger deal than Simon ever was. And he had top record producers like Don Was working with these kids. It is a more polished and professional product.

The worse thing that happened is when the kids went against his advice. Pumpkinhead would have killed with the Glenn Campbell song on movie night. Glenn Campbell is his nitch. So Jimmy hates heavy metal. Hey newsflash....everybody hates heavy metal. Well except for forty year old potheads living in their mothers basements. You know. Jeremy.; 5/6/11, 6:09 PM
Trooper York said...: Now babyfat Lolita is just a little bit too young or she would have Carrie Underwooded her way right to the finals. Carrie was the same girl. Just about five or six years older. 20 instead of 15. And she was the biggest star that ever came out of Idol. They had the same thing with her if they had made her wait a year or two.

You could see in her face she was devastated that she was in the bottom two last night. She just can't handle it. It's a shame because she is a talented kid.; 5/6/11, 6:13 PM
Trooper York said...: Screechy cartoon head girl is way overrated. But Randy is right. She sounds just like Janis Joplin. Cause Janis has been dead for what thirty or forty years now. Yeah she sounds like that there.; 5/6/11, 6:20 PM
Trooper York said...: Thank the Baby Jesus that Luther Vandross Chocolate Puddin diva guy is gone. I mean one of things you have to do is accept yourself. He needed to stay in the Luther Vandross/Donny Hathaway/Pops Staples lane. Swivling his hips and trying to be sexy just was not cutting it.

And when he had a chance to hit it out of the park he blew it. When he sang "I Want to Dance With My Father" I was all set to weep like a big pussy. I mean we had gone to a wake that week for some friends of ours who had just lost their father and the wife and I were snivling before the song even started. And it wasn't all that great.

Maybe he can go on the road with the Velvet Teddy Bear and entertain the church ladies.; 5/6/11, 6:33 PM
Trooper York said...: Screaming Tourettes Dude will be in the finals but I think he will lose. He said Adam Lambert was his role model so he is destined to lose to the more accessible candidate

But that is cool. Idol is pretty good about bringing people back and he can start up a band and open for Aerosmith and shit like that there. I mean Idol even brought back Dead Wife guy and his lame ass band. So look to see him for the next couple of years.

At an Ozzfest near you.; 5/6/11, 6:59 PM
damikesc said...: Honestly, if you want singing ability, The Voice has Idol obliterated.

I know ratings are slightly up --- but as I always say, if EVERYBODY is terrific, then nobody is terrific.; 5/6/11, 8:05 PM