Althouse: "No Randy... Keith Urban, Sole Survivor... The Return of Jennifer Lopez... Less Awful Contestants... The Elevator of Doom... Not Just A Cappella Anymore... It's All in the Edit... Harry Connick, Jr., Comedian..."

January 15, 2014

"No Randy... Keith Urban, Sole Survivor... The Return of Jennifer Lopez... Less Awful Contestants... The Elevator of Doom... Not Just A Cappella Anymore... It's All in the Edit... Harry Connick, Jr., Comedian..."

Television Without Pity says "American Idol" might be worth watching again this season.

I can boil that list down to one reason why I will watch: Harry! I love that guy.

17 comments:

Kev said...: (the other kev)

'American Idol,' like it's other prodigy, is like sitting at a bad kareoke bar. Pass.; 1/15/14, 3:36 PM
Lyssa said...: I hope so, then. We used to count down the days to the show, but in the past few seasons, it's felt more like an obligation than entertainment.

One thing I hope is that the judges will stop being so darn nice all the time - it's really seemed lately like they were more interested in finding creative ways to tell the contestants how much they loved them than in actually judging. Sad to see how much weight Simon* was carrying in that regard. I'm hoping HCJ can carry that load better than the others have.

* Though there was obviously more than just Simon at play there. His baby, The X Factor, is just terrible.; 1/15/14, 3:37 PM
Unknown said...: If you have t seen Harry live, you should- he gives a great concert.; 1/15/14, 3:39 PM
Virgil Hilts said...: I suspect (w/o evidence) that Althouse readers are neither watchers of American Idol nor frequenters of kareoke bars. If I'm right, this might have been a good question for the politic calibrator.; 1/15/14, 3:45 PM
Virgil Hilts said...: I was wrong. Just read that AI is considered a show that Republicans are more likely to watch than Democrats.; 1/15/14, 3:47 PM
MadisonMan said...: Good judging makes or breaks the show.

Ellen: Horrible Judge. Too nice.

Paula: Trainwreck Judge, but so very very watchable.

Simon: Good judge, honest, at first, had a good way with words. Lost it after 7 or so seasons.

Randy: Dawg! Always said the same thing, but nice jackets.

Kara: Meh. Always got the vibe that she hated the pretty women.

I'm curious to see how the judges work this year. At least Mariah and Minaj are gone -- they were entertaining in small doses, but unfortunately were given in large doses. I liked Keith Urban as a judge, and am glad he's back. J-Lo, well, as long as she doesn't start saying Baby to start of her critiques, I'll put up with her. I didn't like HCJr as a mentor, he seemed too unimaginative with respect to how songs should be song. I mean, let's face it, Candice Glover sounded great doing runs, and Harry kept telling her to shut that down. No.

Not sure if I'll watch tonight, I generally am not fond of the tryouts.; 1/15/14, 3:53 PM
MadisonMan said...: Candice Glover at her best -- from the week when Harry Connick Jr was mentor.; 1/15/14, 3:59 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I watched that Glover clip. The phrasing was atrocious:

Your smile is just a care
Less yawn; 1/15/14, 4:11 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I think Jennifer Lopez is the best AI has ever had in the female role. Paula Abdul pioneered this type but was too much about herself and weird. Lopez took the role Abdul created and — as they say on AI — made it her own. Or really: Made it much better. She was more beautiful, she projected more sincere love for the performers, and she offered support (without blabbing incoherently).

Other female judges have tried to be more like the guys, less over-the-top feminine. But since they still had the quality of wanting special attention because they were the females and the inhibition of needing to be likable, they were all pretty bad.

Nicky Minaj tried to do something new within the old female role, but it was like a spoof of the feminine, and she made it too much about her and not the contestants. Too bad she was undercut by the presence of another female. Mariah Carey was unbelievably awful, speaking last on a 4-person panel and going on too long while saying absolutely nothing of value. For Minaj to have been treated as if she was in a cat fight with Carey was so unfair! Minaj worked hard at being a character, and Carey seemed to assume everyone loved her and she didn't have to try.; 1/15/14, 4:19 PM
Ann Althouse said...: If one image epitomizes last season on AI, it's Mariah Carey, glassy eyed and mindlessly arranging her overlong fake hair around her overexposed bosoms. Blech!; 1/15/14, 4:22 PM
Birches said...: I'm not sure who I have a bigger crush on, JLo or Harry Connick Jr. . .; 1/15/14, 4:59 PM
Graham Powell said...: Harry is a funny guy. I saw him in concert about 10 years ago. His dad came on stage to sing... and forgot the lyrics in the middle of the song. Harry just laughed and said, "Don't worry, dad, that's how scat singing was invented!"; 1/15/14, 5:10 PM
SteveR said...: I probably won't watch, I gave up after it became impossible for pretty girls and/or talented girls to win. Randy leaving is good though.; 1/15/14, 5:35 PM
Julie C said...: Agree with you Althouse. I never thought I would like J Lo but I really did enjoy her on her first season of AI. My husband and younger son just sat there on the couch, dumbstruck by her beauty, so I'm not sure they heard anything she said, but she always had good comments.

I also like Keith Urban - I think he also has great feedback for the performers.

Saw Harry Connick Jr. years ago in a live performance - SWOON!; 1/15/14, 7:40 PM
MadisonMan said...: So you found her phrasing of careless to be...careless? I wonder if she did that on purpose.

I should've watched tonight...Internet was so flakey that I couldn't upload the movies I made for class. Multiple tries. Sigh.; 1/15/14, 10:13 PM
lgv said...: It should be renamed American Sob Story. It has gradually degenerated the back-story being the emphasis, the tail wagging the dog. It has become tediously predictable. I was thinking this was the season to get back on track, but it is too early to tell.

If a girl could sing like Adele showed up and told her story of how dad, the hedge fund manager, paid for years of expensive voice lessons during prep school in France, she would never get the ticket to Hollywood.

I think I'll wait until they whittle down the masses to see if it is interesting.; 1/16/14, 9:11 AM
RonF said...: I have for many years now summed up the issues with civic life in America by saying "Stop 10 people on the street. Ask them the name of this year's finalists on American Idol and the names of their State's two Senators and their Congressman. See what answers you get."; 1/16/14, 10:37 AM