tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post2015728652432498738..comments2024-03-29T00:04:32.434-05:00Comments on Althouse: Covering "American Idol" the lazy way again.Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-82535858678143061382007-02-22T17:05:00.000-06:002007-02-22T17:05:00.000-06:00"You don't like people telling you what to do? But..."You don't like people telling you what to do? But here you are telling us what to do! Rather hypocritical, isn't it?"<BR/><BR/>Hypocritical songs, of course, have a long and storied history.<BR/><BR/>For example, "You Don't Own Me". It's a song where the girl gives the boy a whole bunch of commands, while telling him not to give her any. <BR/><BR/>Among the things she demands of him is "Don't try to change me in any way". Well, either he isn't the type of person who would make such attempts (in which case the song is purely unnecessary nag, nag, nag), or he is that type of person, and the song is an attempt to change him.<BR/><BR/>The song was of course featured prominently in "The First Wives' Club", emphasizing its core antifeminist message.Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05138730966226244399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-86571839972148207162007-02-22T15:51:00.000-06:002007-02-22T15:51:00.000-06:00HDH: Well if its work, than I understand. I try ...HDH: Well if its work, than I understand. I try to really avoid getting caught in the manipulation of the show and any pretense of quality. Its mindless entertainment and something the whole family can talk about at that level. With five of us, talking is good.Laura Reynoldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855241652633348350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-87825258323526050902007-02-22T15:43:00.000-06:002007-02-22T15:43:00.000-06:00There's something about current leftishness and sw...There's something about current leftishness and sweeping statements of condemnation. They go together. It's like the "it's all bullshit, man" stage of development was so invigorating, they zip back there as often as possible.<BR/><BR/>For other people, not necessarily people who worship the show (or whatever the topic) but just see how it's sort of okay and even cool at times, and is not destroying the culture (yet anyway) - the effect is exactly the same as with that 14 year old who keeps saying it's all bullshit man. Very, very impressed, in short, with the insight.Lonesome Paynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073898904728707106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-35481669874559114572007-02-22T15:24:00.000-06:002007-02-22T15:24:00.000-06:00SteveR...very lightened up here. I work close in...SteveR...very lightened up here. I work close in the medium and periodically there is a tipping point where it can do a great deal of good or provide wise and witty entertainment and other times when the medium turns just plain mean..this is one of them....it started with 5 nights of giving away a million, did the survivor bit, the scavenger hunts, etc., and its just so much pap and pablum.<BR/><BR/>I have to watch it so I know about it, to see what commercials are placed on it, etc., see the ratings and shares and how it effects the rest of the schedules...but it is torture.hdhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14573004614816464571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-69036656741413280082007-02-22T15:18:00.000-06:002007-02-22T15:18:00.000-06:00Am I aghast at the double "of courses?" Yes. Natc...Am I aghast at the double "of courses?" Yes. Natch.Lonesome Paynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073898904728707106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-81637732166002337612007-02-22T15:02:00.000-06:002007-02-22T15:02:00.000-06:00Ryan Seacrest is the wry humorist who feeds the ot...Ryan Seacrest is the wry humorist who feeds the others and feeds off them, though Simon can be pretty funny too. It's hard to see that kind of thing about people when you loathe them and all they stand for, of course. <BR/><BR/>They're not always hitting on all cyclinders of course. <BR/><BR/>Given the breakout of Jennifer Hudson, sales and respect-wise, it must be hard to defend the idea that AI is a complete waste of time. Saying it is not hard, I gather. That's easy, even easier than believing it.Lonesome Paynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03073898904728707106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-47871784433387187002007-02-22T14:28:00.000-06:002007-02-22T14:28:00.000-06:00HDH, if its such a waste of time go away, I'm not ...HDH, if its such a waste of time go away, I'm not defending it and neither does Ann. But really man, you got to lighten up. Have some fun without being mean. Life's too short to always be so serious. When you life is over is any body going to say, "yeah old HD, he never was much fun to be around but man he was right about the Irag war" just my opinionLaura Reynoldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855241652633348350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-77708777021534621512007-02-22T13:53:00.000-06:002007-02-22T13:53:00.000-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Ruth Anne Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01936054116421006847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-34231377924504806512007-02-22T13:52:00.001-06:002007-02-22T13:52:00.001-06:00I don't think the comments aimed at Nicole were ra...I don't think the comments aimed at Nicole were racists, they were being specific to that person.<BR/><BR/>Some people can pull certain things off, some can't.<BR/><BR/>Did you ever see Aretha Franklin her own powerfully voiced self attempt Opera?<BR/><BR/>Disaster, utter disaster.<BR/><BR/>No matter how good the singer, some things just don't sound right for them to be singing.<BR/><BR/>I felt Nicole was pretty awful at singing that particular song, and by the way she did it, seems pretty clear that she can't pull of any song from that style.<BR/><BR/>I thought Melinda Doolittle was easily the best, but then I loathe the song Lakisha did, so I think she should lose votes just for choosing that song.<BR/><BR/>Also, when they get straight-jacketed into a particular style, I think Lakisha may have trouble as she seems too enamored of a 'gospel/broadway' singing style and may have trouble fitting a different style, whereas Melinda strikes me as being more flexible with how she can sing.XWLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13646729965929680256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-48522259849185037242007-02-22T13:52:00.000-06:002007-02-22T13:52:00.000-06:00SteveRThere is nothing funny about American Idol. ...SteveR<BR/><BR/>There is nothing funny about American Idol. There is nothing funny about the thread. Idol is a complete waste of the airwaves..just my opinion....<BR/><BR/>Why defend mediocrity?hdhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14573004614816464571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-35742730157960875142007-02-22T13:01:00.000-06:002007-02-22T13:01:00.000-06:00Isn't it a tad bit racist to say that white girls ...Isn't it a tad bit racist to say that white girls can't sing Aretha (like Princess Stephanie does)? I thought last night's "that song was too urban for you" comment from Randy to Nicole Tranquillo crossed that line even as it seem to sum up the other judges' criticisms of her performance (which I found outstanding even as I didn't particularly care for the song). <BR/><BR/>Imagine it played the other way (and I'm not attempting to throw up the old reverse racism canard): what if one of the judges (or "blog critics") said that so-and-so was too black to sing that song. Wouldn't that be incredibly racist? <BR/><BR/>On a related note, really no one should try to sing Aretha or even sing a duet with Aretha. The only person that has been able to hold her own singing with Aretha was Annie Lennox (even Mariah Carey couldn't keep up with her). Am Idol contestants should stay away from Aretha like the men should stay away from Elvis. Elvis and Aretha own their songs in a way that will alway invite unfavorable comparisons because they trascend their music.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-67804114618188868842007-02-22T12:58:00.000-06:002007-02-22T12:58:00.000-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-33817625606605391352007-02-22T11:45:00.000-06:002007-02-22T11:45:00.000-06:00Jennifer Hudson was mentioned last night when Laki...Jennifer Hudson was mentioned last night when Lakisha’s song was introduced as the song that brought her in contention for an Oscar Sunday night. But then Simon gave Jennifer a little dig when he said she would have to move over for Lakisha. I hope they have the good grace tonight to wish Jennifer luck. (Of course maybe they already did and I just missed it).Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03322559676901801058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-88715152989982243072007-02-22T10:41:00.000-06:002007-02-22T10:41:00.000-06:00I felt sorry for Barba. It was like she was sayin...I felt sorry for Barba. It was like she was saying, I'm sorry I beat that other girl who can actually sing. Stephanie's style I also don't like. It's like reading a term paper about blues singing instead of hearing it in a club.<BR/><BR/>And hdhouse, you missed the <I>real</I> reason Ann posts about Idol: to attract more innocent minds to indoctrinate with her "conservative" views! One of us, one of us...PatCAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08920623662477828662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-80265976515361747202007-02-22T09:41:00.000-06:002007-02-22T09:41:00.000-06:00HDH: If you had been here for any length of time,...HDH: If you had been here for any length of time, and had any interest other than being a trolling, single agenda critic, you'd know why.<BR/><BR/>Since you haven't and don't, lets not pretend you really care. Go back in the archives and do some research, we don't owe you an explanation.Laura Reynoldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855241652633348350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-37681747636318236712007-02-22T09:32:00.000-06:002007-02-22T09:32:00.000-06:004. Althouse's wry takes on popular culture are of...4. Althouse's wry takes on popular culture are often entertaining and humorous.<BR/><BR/>I'm assuming you know humor, hdhouse, don't you?Meadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03316388500723034455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-43320381598332193272007-02-22T09:16:00.001-06:002007-02-22T09:16:00.001-06:00I am assuming 3 reasons for all the recurrent post...I am assuming 3 reasons for all the recurrent posting on American Idol:<BR/><BR/>1. It brings in to this blog a number new people to the blogsite to grow your page views.<BR/>2. It searches well on google to increase visibility to your blog.<BR/>3. You like (!) american idol.<BR/><BR/>otherwise these topics make no sense whatsoever.hdhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14573004614816464571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-60955294623184346392007-02-22T09:14:00.000-06:002007-02-22T09:14:00.000-06:00@meadeThank you for enlightening me about the arth...@meade<BR/><BR/>Thank you for enlightening me about the arthropods living in my eyelashes. I had just come to peace with the fact that tens of thousands of mites live in my bed, pillow and carpets. Now that I know that they are endemically <I>in my face</I> I feel much better.Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14902888674536921220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-64333121600285522852007-02-22T08:35:00.000-06:002007-02-22T08:35:00.000-06:00"It's a guy's song..."Aerosmith's lead singer Step..."It's a guy's song..."<BR/><BR/>Aerosmith's lead singer Stephen Tyler is a harpy, not "a guy."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-49592004309719132152007-02-22T08:17:00.000-06:002007-02-22T08:17:00.000-06:00Doubtless it has been much commented upon, but the...Doubtless it has been much commented upon, but the order in which the contestants go is pretty clearly chosen ahead of time to build to who's expected to be best. Of course the vagaries of each night's performances lead to imperfect ordering. But I've been impressed in the past by how accurate the ordering is.<BR/><BR/>Stephanie Edwards was clearly out of order. There is no way they thought she'd be one of the worst. They never miss by that much. <BR/><BR/>The guys were so terrible I wonder--did they change the order for fear that people would turn off the show for good at 8:15 if Idol led with a mediocre performance?<BR/><BR/>I would have said that the best of the guys came in rather above Antonella. I'm not even sure they came in above Alaina, and I'm pretty sure they all fell below Nicole (whose song was annoying and scary but I thought technically unimpeachable) and Leslie (who I found completely unwatchable but at least not unlistenable.)<BR/><BR/>And I thought Jordin Sparks made the best case for being the next Idol. I fear Lakisha is being used to whip the others into shape. Lakisha may have been the best, but if so, not by that much.Andrew Folandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10910244125521489773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-46088829586798052272007-02-22T08:04:00.000-06:002007-02-22T08:04:00.000-06:00"Stop the maudlin "eye" kissing -- it's really eye..."Stop the maudlin "eye" kissing -- it's really eyelids..."<BR/><BR/>This will help the big creep sleep -- <A HREF="http://ambivablog.typepad.com/ambivablog/2007/01/ick.html" REL="nofollow">Demodex</A>Meadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03316388500723034455noreply@blogger.com