After 15 years. That's quite a run. Weirdly, I have watched every year. It's hard to say why. Partly, because it goes away for a pretty long time before it restarts, like an old friend, who's annoying, but is out of town most of the year.
ADDED: This is the 419th "American Idol" post on this blog. Click the "American Idol" tag to read them all.
May 11, 2015
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Earlier this week, I was looking at the DirecTV online guide, and saw American Idol was on and was choosing who would go on to the finale.
I couldn't believe it, because I have heard nothing about it this year. I remember years when the whole nation was wrapped up in who was going to the finale. I remember living overseas and the other country being on pins and needles over who would win.
But this year, it barely even registered that American Idol was on. There's been no buzz.
I'm surprised, but not.
I've not watched once this year, but I do keep up with Reality Check from TVline.com. (Highly recommended!)
I didn't read any of the other American Idol posts, or comment on them, so I don't see why this one should be any different.
The strange thing about American Idol is that the show kept propping up minor talents as if they were the best things going.
If you walk in Times Square or scroll through YouTube, you'll see better talent all over the place.
That show was pure marketing. They got a few talents, like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, but mostly it was a Hostess Cupcake high-school talent show.
It will be back. This format is a staple of the music business.
Reading, I see that it's cancelled after next year. So AI gets a Swan Song.
Doesn't mean I'll watch it next year though.
Weirdly, I have not watched more than a few seconds in all those years. I can say why. Manufactured antagonism is not something I enjoy being a part of.
I used to look forward to AI for months in advance, and enjoy every minute. I'm not sure whether the show changed, or I did (certainly the time constraints of parenthood have made a difference), but over the last few years, watching it has seemed more like an obligation than entertainment. I'm sort of disappointed, because it seemed so nice for a while (and I've always admired the emphasis on positive competition from the contestants - no personality conflicts or manufactured outrage, just young people trying to be the best that they can be), but sort of relieved.
I used to watch it religiously, then only after the auditions, then only late in the season, then not at all.
BTW, a lot of the show's charm had to do with the fact hat most were not professionals. Sure there are better singers around, but we did get to know these singers. I have just progressively disliked the contestants and the judges a little more each year.
Plus Paula was magnetically attractive.
I am watching it this year. It's like going back to a restaurant you used to love. It was great once, but the food started going down hill. The announce a new chef and a new menu and give it another shot. Not that great. Then you go back again and try something else on the menu. Again, not that great. You stay away, but then you hear they got a new chef and a new menu, so you repeat the cycle. Same results.
Eventually, you read that the restaurant is closing, but you haven't been there in almost a year. You hope someone else opens a restaurant as good as the original.
I can proudly say I never watched an episode.
It's been awfully shitty for a long time. The loss of Simon killed the show.
Nothing worse than watching warbling mediocrity treated like genius by the judges.
The Voice is heading down that same route and won't exist in a few seasons either.
Not saying you need non-stop negativity, but you need somebody to say "You know, that was absolute crap" when something is absolute crap.
"Reading, I see that it's cancelled after next year. So AI gets a Swan Song."
They may still be hoping to keep it alive. If they're still doing another year, they're going to try to use the idea of it being the last year ever!!! as a device to get people excited again.
And the current set of judges is excellent. Jennifer Lopez is far better -- and prettier -- than Paula ever was, and Harry and Keith are much more competent as judges and much much sexier as specimens of masculinity than Simon and Randy ever were.
The show completely shed its reliance on laughing at deluded bad people and it's just a good, old fashioned talent show with a familiar narrative arc. There were some excellent characters this year and the final three are all deserving.
On the other hand it found Carrie Underwood, so I suppose the show was worth it on balance.
I do have to admit I can't believe how pretty JLo has gotten over the years.
Jennifer Lopez is far better -- and prettier -- than Paula ever was
Horseshoe crabs have a third eye on a stalk on the top of their head, the only purpose of which is to locate members of the opposite sex. My metaphorical "third eye" disagrees with you. I am not saying that J-Lo is not pretty, I am just saying that Paula was magnetic. I have always felt the same way about Annette Benning. I take your word for it on questions of masculine pulchritude.
My wife sometime tells me which women are pretty too. Not which women she thinks are pretty, but which women *are* pretty. All I can say is that it's kind of amusing.
Wow. 15 years? That's quite a run. 15 years of no talent musical crap I've never watched.
And thank you, Ann, but no. I think I'll pass on perusing your 419 posts regarding American Idol.
Jennifer Lopez is pretty is a pretty safe bet.
Maybe you are right, maybe Lopez *is* prettier. Paula just reaches through a man's eyeballs and grabs him by the groin. Maybe that is not the same thing as "pretty".
Now I am done.
I havn't ever intentionally watched a nanosecond of this show.
I am always amazed at Jennifer Lopez's beauty. I'm sure she spends a lot of time and money to look as good as she does but I can't help but feel virgin sacrifices and the drinking of blood factor in there as well.
I agree they are all great judges. But I do miss Simon's brutal honesty.
We used to watch the show every week but it's lost its mojo in the last few years. We catch the first few episodes and then lose interest.
I'm telling you, you lose interest because the judges are just boosters and not judges. If a singer belched on stage, they'd call it a bold musical choice.
Again, being a dick isn't necessary, but being critical when it is warranted is. The show has become "EVERYBODY is special"
...and all that means is that nobody is special.
both 'idol' and 'the voice' spend a lot of time on the judges' comments which, as damikesc above notes, are nothing but praise for the contestants..."amazing talent" "best performance ever" "you're already a star"... granted, the level of talent is higher on 'the voice' but that's because most of the contestants are already professional singers between contracts or pro back-up singers but you can only listen to the endless accolades for so long before it wears thin and you wonder what else is on.
Never watched it either. Not proudly. I just never felt like it. Didn't Daughtry come through there? I like him. And Underwood was a great find. As was Clarkson.
Oh and either J-Lo or Paula could spank my bare ass up and down the decks of the Good Ship Lollipop if they want to.
I think the Nicki Manaj / Mariah Carey train wreck nearly sank them. I watched part of one audition show and said "No, thanks". Turned off the station and killed the DVR program.
I like the current judging lineup and I've enjoyed this years talent more that in a while. I could see them doing specials, where there were regional eliminations and the network doing a one or two show playoff.
Paula seemed out of control. Jennifer is very controlled.
Both are/were there to represent the feminine. It's quite exaggerated and funny and, often, awful.
My all time favorite AI judge is Harry. I love him.
Nicki really tried. She's not for everyone, but she gave value. Mariah was unbelievably horrible. Just utterly deluded about her role.
OK, Paula appeared drunk sometimes.
I like the voice better. No age-ism or look-ism initially.
Not terribly shocking. As a talent show it hasn't been producing a tremendous amount of talent recently. Going through the finalists each season:
1 Kelly Clarkson (huge star)
2 Ruben Studdard (flop)
3 Fantasia (modest success)
4 Carrie Underwood (huge star)
5 Taylor Hicks (huge flop)
6 Jordin Sparks (modest success)
7 David Cook (modest success)
8 Kris Allen (flop)
9 Lee DeWyze (flop)
10 Scott McCreery (moderate success)
11 Phillip Phillips (modest success)
12 Candice Glover (flop)
13 Caleb Johnson (huge flop)
Season 5 is misleading, of course, since it produced a bunch of talent on the down ballot. I also think that David Cook and Phillip Phillips have produced better music than the Billboard charts reflect. Still, if the point of the show is to find the next big singer and it repeatedly fails to produce the next big singer, it does tend to lose the glow.
The genius of Randy Jackson:
"That was a little pitchy, dog"
Pure brilliance.
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