There have been a flurry of articles recently charging American Idol with increased cruelty towards the hapless no-talents who audition in front of the celebrity judges during the early rounds. The Seattle Times says, “Considering it’s the biggest kid on the block, ‘American Idol’ is becoming quite the bully.”
The Charlotte Observer weighs in, “Plumbing the depths of people who will do anything to get on television, ‘Idol’ has veered sharply in its fifth season. No longer a feel-good talent hunt, the early rounds of TV’s No. 1 show have evolved into a showcase of emotionally fragile specimens from America’s stockpile of the vocally deluded.”
In the Charlotte piece, Randy is quoted defending the show, “This show is definitely not about cruelty…we tell them what they need, to work on it — but they don’t–Selective listening.” Randy adds that the the friction will continue into the eliminations this time. It appears the tension between contestants will not be left on the cutting-room floor.
Most of the articles I’ve read seem to be fueled by the complaints that GLADD and the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance have lodged against the producers for allowing politically incorrect jokes to be made at the contestants’ expense.
Here’s what I think. After William Hung’s unlikely rise to fame season three–and since it’s become apparent that the train-wrecks, and the humiliation that follows, are why people tune in early on–the producers have stacked the audition episodes with even more “bad” auditioners. The early episodes are now completely dominated by the untalented. The critiques aren’t meaner–there’s just more of ’em. It’s a matter of quantity, rather than quality.
The producers promise that the “edgier” tone will continue into the competition–that we’ll see the contestants go at each other on camera. Traditionally, when the good singers take over, the snark disappears–at least between the competing contestants. Maybe the producers are hoping to hold on to the audience who abandon the show after the auditions? Could be.
Some odds and ends.
Halicia Thompson is not only a singer, but she’s a budding comic as well! Who knew? article find by grrrr–thanks chica
At the end of every episode, I recap “The Road to Hollywood, “–a video montage that features unnamed contestants who’ve been advanced to Hollywood. Thanks to the folks who have helped me identify some of them:
Melody Mertz from Denver
Here is her My Space page. In her blog, she asks for help setting up a website for her newly acquired domain www.melodymertz.com. Since she has personally acquired her own domain name and is setting up a website, I think it’s safe to assume that she’s not Top 44.
Brooke Kilgarriff auditioned in San Francisco. Thanks to the awesome mod (excuse me while I KA) from Survivor Sucks who originally posted this article.
Eagan teen to compete on ‘A.I.’ON TVAnother local teen is on the way to Hollywood to compete on Fox’s reality hit “American Idol.” Eagan’s Brooke Kilgarriff attended auditions for the show in San Francisco while in California with her father last fall.
Another local teen is on the way to Hollywood to compete on Fox’s reality hit “American Idol.” Eagan’s Brooke Kilgarriff attended auditions for the show in San Francisco while in California with her father last fall.Kilgarriff, a junior at Eastview High School in Apple Valley, said all three judges ‘ Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell ‘ agreed to send her through to the next round. Surprisingly, the 17-year-old said the hardest part about the “American Idol” audition wasn’t performing in front of the famous faces, it was “the waiting” that stirred her nerves. Kilgarriff and Hudson, Wis., teen Zachary Smits will appear on the “Hollywood” round of the show in early February.
Here is John Steven’s (AI3) buddy, Brian Miller. Ditto AMASS. I almost didn’t catch that edit…
A Local Makes American Idol!Another Williamsville East graduate wins over the judges on American Idol. His name is Brian Miller.
Another Williamsville East graduate wins over the judges on American Idol. His name is Brian Miller.If you blinked while watching the FOX television show Wednesday night, then you probably missed Miller. His audition was not broadcast, but he was seen coming out of the audition room with the yellow paper that says he’s going to Hollywood.
Miller attended Williamsville East high school with John Stevens. Stevens was a finalist on American Idol in 2004.
Some brand-spankin’ new fansites found ’round the web:
Ayla Brown She auditioned in Boston–the episode hasn’t aired yet. Check out the clip of her singing at the charity function for Walk F.A.R for NAAR posted on the front page. The site is relatively content free at the moment, and the design is a little cluttered.
Jose Penala aka SWAY Wow, this site has a ton of content already, that’s very well organized and easy to find. I’m impressed.
Kellie Pickler Here’s a new message board for Kellie Pickler fans. To read topics, registration is required
