Idol Headlines for 05/09/09

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Not to get cheesy or get on a soap box or anything, but this is an example of believing in yourself and knowing who you are,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Lambert said to the hundreds of students and fans gathered at Sundevil Stadium, where he was greeted by the marching band, the cheerleading squad, two furry mascots and Mayor Jerry Sanders. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Anyone who feels different or weird . . . embrace it. Embrace each otherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s differences. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cool to be different.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I love this guy!!!

I got my Entertainment Weekly in the mail yesterday and read the article last night. Eh. It’s was just a rehash of everything that has already been said in the LA Times, NY Times and by O’Reilly. Why do I get the feeling the writer, Harris, wrote this article to work out his own his own issues about being gay more than he did to write a relevant article about Adam. I give Slezak, who is gay, big props because he likes who he likes on the show regardless of gender, sexuality or race. And that’s the way it should be.

LOVE the Cobra Starship song. Then again I LOVE Cobra. And they are awesome in concert. And Leighton can sing.

I think that Mark Harris (EW article) does get Adam at all. Adam isn’t humble — what? That one great thing about Adam — even though he must know how good he is, he nevers seems self-congradulatory. And this really got me:

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Adam’s personal life remains shielded. He was apparently made by the hand of God and left in a basket backstage at Wicked, where he was discovered, bestowed with a lifetime supply of black nail polish, and raised by musical-theater queens.

He’s so focused on “is he or isn’t he …” that he doesn’t even take the time to recognize that Adam has a great family, loads of friends and has been very open about a lot of his life.

Off topic a bit (sorry MJ but I can’t resist):

WNTS has up their final rankings and it’s official Danny’s “Feeling Good” got 9/100 — the second lowest late round ranking of all time.

The all time contestant ranking are now: Adam #4 (top ranked male ever; at 75.2/100 just 1.6 behind #3 Kelly Clarkson), Kris #20 and Danny #52 out of the 95 AI finalists.

Danny did not sing Feeling Good ;0

Why do I get the feeling the writer, Harris, wrote this article to work out his own his own issues about being gay more than he did to write a relevant article about Adam.

Yes! I agree with this 100%. I find this from a lot of gay bloggers/writers.

Adam made Time? Far out.

The People article is so gushy, I had to put on my waders just to read it, but I thought its conclusion was a pretty good observation on why or why not we’re all having this conversation.

Ugh, Leighton sounds like Miley Cyrus on that track. Yuck. But I kinda like the song…good beat.

I got my EW yesterday, and it wasn’t a bad article. I do wish it had been more about his singing ability. And I kind of wish they had included the other contestants too, and I’m a big fan of Adam. Oh well, EW can do what they want to, lol.

I think TKat meant “Scream On”?

Adam made Time? Far out.

Yes, this. But even more significant?

That they said this:

Lambert might just be too weird for a show this big. But win or lose, it won’t matter: after producing plenty of singers, American Idol has found its first star.

Awww, I’m a big cheesy sap, but this made me teary. Probably because that’s so NOT what I was expecting them to say…

Go Adam!!

ETA: Idolatry’s Unauthorized Fan Video is hilarious, as usual… LMAO

Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s so focused on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“is he or isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t he à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  that he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even take the time to recognize that Adam has a great family, loads of friends and has been very open about a lot of his life.

This. Just because Adam doesn’t put a label on himself doesn’t mean he is hiding anything. Maybe I’m being wishful here, but I like to think Adam’s generation is moving away from labels etc. They don’t want to be put in a box, but rather, they would like to have the option of hopping from one box to another if they so choose to.

Mark Harris’s article was about the ways Adam Lambert is shaking up Idol, or not. It is a question worth exploring. The fact that gay writers come to mixed conclusions should not be at all surprising. For whatever reason, Adam is not sharing much of anything about his personal life, which does stand in stark contrast to what we know about the other contestant’s personal lives. We don’t know if this is his decision or the producers. It does strike me as odd that someone as bold as Adam seems to be would choose to leave that topic off the table. If we hadn’t see his earlier videos and pics, you could just assume that Adam is just a typical rock musician, where its not uncommon to see the guyliner and the nail polish.

It’s a looming question, why hide your personal life if you claim to be an honest guy who knows who he is? Personally, there’s a disconnect there for me. To be truly bold and honest, I would think he would tell people, yes, I’m bi or gay and not ashamed to say it – no matter if it loses me votes on AI or not. I think it shows some semblance of shame to keep the subject in the closet. Let it out, let it breathe. It’s better for everyone.

Idol Stage Managerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Tale of the Fall

Sounds so scary. I’m glad it didn’t turn out worse.

Why do these news and magazine articles focus on Adam not coming out and saying he’s gay? Did Cook say, “Im straight.” Last year. Did Taylor say, “I’m not gay.” Does Kris have to announce how many times a week he and his wife have sex?! It’s all so ridiculous! Being a gay winner will only be groundbreaking when it can happen without everyone talking about it!
But, I guess I’m preaching to the choir here.

For whatever reason, Adam is not sharing much of anything about his personal life, which does stand in stark contrast to what we know about the other contestantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s personal lives.

I don’t recall knowing anything about Anoop’s personal life? Does he have a girlfriend, is he gay? Someone on this blog said Matt had a girlfriend, but yet I don’t know too much about it. Who was the father of Megan’s baby and where is he now? Why did they split up? How come there wasn’t an interview about Jessie’s DUI? As far as we know Adam is single, so why does he need to talk about past relationships if no one else does?

Lambert might just be too weird for a show this big. But win or lose, it wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t matter: after producing plenty of singers, American Idol has found its first star.

What? Has this guy even seen American Idol before this season? Has the writer never heard of Clarkson, Underwood, Hudson and Daughtry? I’m not sure what he means by star I guess. Adam is very talented but by no means is he the first star.

Undercooked you said exactly what I was thinking. Why is Adam held to a different standard? If other choose to run their mouths about their family life fine for them. But I fail to see why we should EXPECT them to. They are here to sing for us, not give us a novella on their lives.

If we’re being honest, unless I zoned out on the contestants expose’ packages, I know virtually nothing at all personal about Kris or Matt or Allison, and I probably know more about Adam than those three combined. And, then we all know tons about Gokey and, oddly enough, Sarver, as well as Lil.

I think we have to acknowledge that in large part the producers control what we know, not the contestants. We know what TPTB want us to know for the drama that they wish to create. That’s all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA7bA6rhKvc&fmt=18

video of ADAM singing at his high school graduation!!

It seems to me that some journalists are trying to force the issue of Adam’s orientation. And I can understand why gay journalists would have a heightened interest in this subject.

And on a related subject, I told my conservative Christian church minister hubby today that supposedly some people were voting against Adam because he may be gay/bi. He said if people were doing that, they need to get a life. He watched Rock Week with me and agreed that Adam blew everyone away and that Danny should have gone home.

The reason Adam is held to this different standard is that he wears the mantle of breaking boundaries and being all bold and daring, with an unmistakeable air of daring sexuality. None of the other contestants this year wears that mantle. Given the reality that we live in an era when the gay community is struggling for acceptance, where it’s often one step forward and two steps back, it is unavoidable for someone who is on the national stage and appears to be gay or bi, to also be in the closet or out. And right now, Adam is in the closet. Since the whole issue of gay rights exists on the cusp right now, this is news. Heck, I would even suggest that Adams popularity is, in part, due to the fact that the issue of gay acceptance is such a hot topic. If and when we get to the point in our culture when being gay is wholly accepted, that gay marriage is legal and no big deal, then Adam would not seem so bold. But, as it is, he’s striking at something while simultaneously keeping it hidden. The only way that we’re ever going to come to the day when gayness is not an issue, is for those who are gay or bi to unapologetically be themselves without filters. Just ask Ellen or Lance Bass, Alan Cumming, Elton John, Barney Frank, Nathan Lane, or Rufus Wainwright. The fact that they have all come out of the closet, makes way for everyone to come out and live their lives freely without backlash, with full acceptance.

I wish we could move to a place where being gay didn’t have to be the defining characteristic of a person. It seems so rude to keep prying and speculating. No one is asking questions related to Kris or Danny’s sex life. Leave Adam’s sex life alone- it’s none of our business and irrelevant to AI, in my opinion.

I like Adam, I really do, but to said he is the first Idol star….pleeeeeeaseeeeeee, that is OTT and unnecesary…. Kelly, Daughtry, Hudson, Underwood, The Davids…. I mean all those people are very talented…

No one is asking questions related to Kris or Dannyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sex life.

If I get to heard about Danny or Kris sex life IÂ ´m going to need teraphy and IÂ ´m sueing Idol for the cost of the treatment….

LensCrafters has never given him free glasses, either (although a rep did helpfully tell me that many of the styles he wears are available at a store near you).

LOL! That whole article is hilarious.

You know, I’m a pretty honest person. I’m clearly hetero, I don’t go around pretending to be gay. It’s pretty clear to everyone who knows me who I love. But in my professional life, I don’t go around talking about my personal life. I don’t share my personal life with strangers. My personal life is … personal. Of course it’s easy for me to do this, I’m not famous and most people wouldn’t care.

Just because Adam is famous doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to, or isn’t entitled to, keep his personal life private to some degree.

The only way that weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re ever going to come to the day when gayness is not an issue, is for those who are gay or bi to unapologetically be themselves without filters.

You know, I don’t believe this is the only way. I believe the best way is if the rest of us decide that we don’t care who’s gay or hetero or bi, that we should try to get to the point where we just assume that everyone we meet can be any of those things and that it doesn’t matter to us. Why should it always be up to someone else to convince me to be tolerant? Maybe it should be mostly up to me to open my mind.

The reason Adam is held to this different standard is that he wears the mantle of breaking boundaries and being all bold and daring, with an unmistakeable air of daring sexuality.

Why does Adam have to carry the mantle? I think the guy just wants a recording contract. And people who want him to carry the mantle, I believe, are projecting their own needs onto Adam. Just like I never felt that Obama wanted to carry the mantle for African Americans. I felt he wanted to run for president because he is a smart guy and thought he had some good solutions to the country’s problems.

And right now, Adam is in the closet. Since the whole issue of gay rights exists on the cusp right now, this is news. Heck, I would even suggest that Adams popularity is, in part, due to the fact that the issue of gay acceptance is such a hot topic. If and when we get to the point in our culture when being gay is wholly accepted, that gay marriage is legal and no big deal, then Adam would not seem so bold.

I don’t see Adam being in the closet. I see him as a 27 year old man living his life in a way that makes him happy. I see Adam is being bold because he is performing in a way no other AI contestant has.

But, as it is, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s striking at something while simultaneously keeping it hidden. The only way that weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re ever going to come to the day when gayness is not an issue, is for those who are gay or bi to unapologetically be themselves without filters. Just ask Ellen or Lance Bass, Alan Cumming, Elton John, Barney Frank, Nathan Lane, or Rufus Wainwright. The fact that they have all come out of the closet, makes way for everyone to come out and live their lives freely without backlash, with full acceptance.

I have to bring up the issue of age and generation. Except for Lance, who really didn’t have much of a career when he came out, most of these people are decades older than Adam. Each generation is more progressive than the last. Maybe we are moving to the point where people don’t ask because they really don’t care? I think by coming out, those you mentioned above, did pave the way for people to live more openly, but then there has to be a time where we get passed that. When can a gay or bi-sexual person just do a job or perform on stage without having to carry some banner? Should we identify sexuality in all the playbills and movie credits?

I understand what you are saying, but I also think there is a time, and maybe it’s now, where someone’s sexuality doesn’t need to be defined. And by not defining sexuality, and therefore showing that it isn’t that important, maybe we have just moved on. And finally, those who wish to thrust this mantle on Adam need to remember, this is American Idol, and not a bill about gay marriage. So let’s just sit back and enjoy the show.

Lu
May 9th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Lambert might just be too weird for a show this big. But win or lose, it wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t matter: after producing plenty of singers, American Idol has found its first star.

Kris is every bit a fundamentalist Christian who is very tied to his church as Gokey, but unlike Gokey he has made a decision to keep that somewhat private and make this contest about singing. He’s not hiding it, but he’s not promoting it. Is that wrong? Is he being less than honest by letting Gokey take the fall for the “rightwing” religious stuff when Kris is very active in a church with extreme views?

For those that say his religion doesn’t matter, or that he follows a church that insists gay is a choice, then you can’t turn it around and say Adam should at all times be a spokesman for gay rights right now. After the show, I’m sure Adam may become a vocal spokesperson for gay rights, and I’m sure Kris will sing and be part of his church. But right now, it’s a singing contest and these are people. People who are many things, but right now seems to not want to be defined by one thing. I don’t see how anyone can take issue with it. (And the fact that matt has 2 chrisitans cds out and a girlfriend wasn’t made an issue. I know nothing at all about Annoop. He could be gay, bi or straight for all I know)

OK, still getting the quotes wrong. But you get the jist.

The reason Adam is held to this different standard is that he wears the mantle of breaking boundaries and being all bold and daring, with an unmistakeable air of daring sexuality. And this is the first time in the rock arena this has taken place?

edit: be polite

It would be fine with me if Adam was open about being gay (and I’m assuming he is), it’s fine with me if he chooses not to talk about it during the AI competition. I have belonged to welcoming churches where some gay members want to be able to be vocal about their orientation, and other members are happy to be in a place where they can sit with their partner/spouse and just feel normal.

Perhaps Adam doesn’t want to be the poster boy for gay artists, he just wants to be recognized as a massively talented and creative artist. What he does after finishing the competition, win place or show, is his choice.

The message I take from Adam’s success so far on American Idol is that for most viewers, it’s not important whether he’s gay. It’s important that he shows up each week at the top of his game and put on a good show.

I think it shows some semblance of shame to keep the subject in the closet. Let it out, let it breathe. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s better for everyone

Tell AI that because I have no doubt that there is some sort of gag order in that contract Adam no doubt signed.

That being said, who he sleeps with is nobody’s business but his own and that of the person he sleeps with. It’s time the media dropped their sick fascination with outing people and just enjoyed them as people. But it’s not just the media is it? If there wasn’t a demand for it, they wouldn’t write it. It’s a sad world.

I think the reference is to first international star. Which none of the others are. And what Idol has been reaching for (at least Simon) throughout this show since its inception.

Even little old 3rd place finisher Elliott Yamin is considered a pop star in Japan and I think David A is too. I guess as I said earlier it’s all in what you define a star or even an international star to be… mileage and all that.

Oh I am such an idiot!! Of course I meant “Dream On”. Never write anything when you are half asleep and dazed by an awful EW article!!

“Embrace your differences” nice for people to do .The problem is in the “real world ” in music if ya don’t fit the type(good looking or in) and the average person that are “different” some out their will not except that individual easily…..In USA Gay issues like marrying is a big issues I don’t think it is in Canada though in referance to the CI winner..

Adam is not the first because unless allot of people in the past looked like Freddy Mercury from “Queen”…

Mr.RJ-offered a beer t get into chat you could not ..so This Buds For You..
LU-Chat sometime?

Anyone who feels different or weird . . . embrace it. Embrace each otherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s differences. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cool to be different.

While I believe in this philosophy wholeheartedly, I think Adam left off one not so small caveat. It’s cool to be different as long as your one of the beautiful people. IMHO, Adam is being accepted because he is good-looking. However, if he were a bit odd looking (Clay Aiken any one), being different would be ridiculed. I’m no fan of Clay’s but I find the incongruity of their acceptance by the media as comical. True everyone voiced their approval of Clay’s coming out but he is still the butt of many jokes. So I think the lesson here is you can be weird/different as long as you don’t look weird/different – heh.

POP – Sure! Wish me luck. I make my tap dancing debut on the big stage tonight!

And to be on topic…Go Kris!!!!

Adam is not Idol’s first star, and he’s not anymore “International” than any other previous contestant – he’s famous where Idol is a big deal, just like the rest of them.

He’s talented, but the need to crown him best-biggest-awesomest ever is going to look silly when the season is over and the hype dies down. He looks like a nice, talented guy, but right now I sort of feel like I’m being whacked over the head with his superlatives, and that’s a turn-off.

I think the reference is to first international star. Which none of the others are. And what Idol has been reaching for (at least Simon) throughout this show since its inception.

I don’t think so. First, it’s not stated “international” there. Second, Kelly is an international star

Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s talented, but the need to crown him best-biggest-awesomest ever is going to look silly when the season is over and the hype dies down. He looks like a nice, talented guy, but right now I sort of feel like Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m being whacked over the head with his superlatives, and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a turn-off.

There now. Jolene you have summed up exactly how I feel.

Regarding Clay:

I am not a huge Clay fan, but if they had more phone capacity for his final, I am convinced he would have won. American did not vote Clay off, he was was eliminated by lack of phone capacity. AI made major changes to phone capacity after the Standards and Practices investigation. In other words, i don’t think “America voted against the gay guy”.

neonorange, sorry but I don’t agree with you.

IMHO, Adam is being accepted because he is good-looking. However, if he were a bit odd looking (Clay Aiken any one), being different would be ridiculed. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m no fan of Clayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s but I find the incongruity of their acceptance by the media as comical. True everyone voiced their approval of Clayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s coming out but he is still the butt of many jokes. So I think the lesson here is you can be weird/different as long as you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t look weird/different

IMO Clay set himself up for being the ridiculed because he actively denied that he was gay for years. Example: Rolling Stone 2003 Aiken said, “One thing I’ve found of people in the public eye, either you’re a womanizer or you’ve got to be gay. Since I’m neither one of those, people are completely concerned about me.”

I thought Cook was going to be the male winner to break through to Carrie/Kelly levels. Now he doesn’t even get mentioned and Adam is the first star Idol has ever produced. If we’re still around next year at this time, I can hardly wait for the articles about the “new, firstest, bested Idol of them all.” But I guess like a shark, the Idol superlatives have to keep moving forward.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think so. First, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“internationalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  there. Second, Kelly is an international star.

Yep, she gets a lot of airplay in Latin America, just yesterday I heard MLWSWY, I don ´t like the song so I change it, but it was the first station in Honduras…. I think Daughtry has a little airplay I think… Archie is getting played too atleast a little … haven ´t heard of Cookie of Carrie (and my friends have ´t told me about it, they know I ´m in to AI so they report me this kinds of things ;D), but Carrie is country so I wouldn ´t hope to heard anything from her (even so Taylor Swift is getting played a lot, even my my 22 year rocker brother listen to her *sads*)….

I think the reference is to first international star. Which none of the others are. And what Idol has been reaching for (at least Simon) throughout this show since its inception.

Kelly Clarkson isn’t an international star? That’s probably news to her.

I reponded to this farcical piece yesterday, but reading the article in context, the author is saying that other contestants act as though what they are doing– singing in a televised talent competition– is a legitimately normal exercise. What makes Adam a “star”, according to the writer, is that he understands and treats it like a television show– like what it’s supposed to be is entertainment, in other words.

That may be so. But, what I said yesterday is that this is the reason that some of us don’t feel any connection between Adam and the songs he sings. Because some others who have taken that stage– Bo, Chris, both Davids, Brooke to name just a few–are individuals who live and breathe music, so what they are doing IS quite normal to them.

The only abnormality is that their are judges sitting there evaluating them and cameras rolling. But, when the song starts, they lose themselves in that short span, and it’s just them, the microphone, and sometimes their instrument.

With Adam, once again, some of us don’t get that feeling. As technically proficient as he is, it doesn’t seem to be all about the music. It’s all about the performance.

I totally disagree with the EW writer that we know more about the other contestants lives. Aside from Gokey talking endlessly about his dead wife, I know very little about the other contestants.

The only thing I know about Kris is that he’s married and from Arkansas. Matt – from Michigan and played in a piano bar. Anoop – grad student from North Carolina and was in an accapella group once. Lil – married with 3 kids. Allison – high school student who was on a Telemundo contest once. Scott – blind and well educated. Megan – single mother. Sarver – oil rigger and married with kids.

With Adam I seen loads of friends, family, work colleagues, people from Wicked, The Zodiac Show, The Upright Cabaret, The Ten Commandments.

Let’s face it, the writer’s gay and he’s ticked off that the show hasn’t made that explicitly clear that Adam is too. Like making one’s sexuality crystal clear is a requirement.

I don’t see anyone bitching that Anoop, Matt, Allison, Scott or any of the other single contestants haven’t clarified what THEIR sexuality is (probably because they’re assuming they’re all straight). It’s an obnoxious double standard that they’re placing on Adam. Because they’re chomping at the bit to USE Adam to push their own social and political agendas. And they’re hell bent on doing it with or without Adam’s cooperation.

Someone on IDF posted that Matt will be on Andrew Cook’s radio show today 12:00 – 2:00 pm. I’m guessing Central time, since it’s in KC.

You can listen online: http://www.kcradio.com/index2.php

Bottom line, their sexuality, religion, and politics is not relevant to their singing and shouldn’t be announced or put forth while they are competing on the show. Adam and Kris are wise, as were Brook and Jason and others, to keep their private lives private. We’ve seen this season how such issues can divide voters, if paraded and widely known. Certain matters are polarizing, and when you are competing as a singer/musician/artist, that’s what you should concentrate on.

I doubt that Adam is in the closet to his friends and family, but in the public sphere of a singing competition there is no reason to talk about his private life, any more than the other contestants are required to. And after the show ends, it is up to each contestant and their family and their label what they want to make public and a lot depends on their target audience and the image they want to create as their public persona.

Not having read the EW article yet, I can’t have any opinions on it. The way that Adam was portrayed on the cover was positive, all about “loving
Adam.” The lead-in to the story asked a valid question about whether or not a gay man can win Idol. The actual article might be something else entirely.

But whichever reporter said that he is the first star from Idol is deluded. Tell it to Kelly, Carrie, and Jennifer, for starters. Kelly is definitely an international star, and the whole world watched the Oscars and the movie Dreamgirls.

Someone on IDF posted that Matt will be on Andrew Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s radio show today 12:00 – 2:00 pm. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m guessing Central time, since ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s in KC.

Andrew Cook has a readio show???????? I didn ´t know

With Adam, once again, some of us donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get that feeling. As technically proficient as he is, it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t seem to be all about the music. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s all about the performance.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Of course not everyone likes that kind of entertainer, which is fine. To me Adam is more than just a singer, not less. He’s an entertainer, performer, and actor, as well as a singer. He can be appreciated on several levels, because such all-encompassing talent is rare and does set him apart. He seems larger-than-life on stage. I don’t think he would be somehow improved if he narrowed his talents down to make them smaller and more normal.

Some people just sing. Others, like David Cook, also write songs and play instruments. They are musicians and artists as well as singers. And some like Adam have theatrical skills as well as singing skills. They each have their spheres where they can shine. Not liking Adam’s performances is fine and understandable, because nobody appeals to everyone, but I would never criticize him for being “too much” as if it was a negative. He is, literally, stunning when he performs, and it seems like a lot of people respond to it. He certainly makes me feel. Sometimes he gives me electrical chills and thrills, like the Zeppelin song, and other times he reaches me on a very personal emotional level, as in Mad World. Of course not everyone responds the same to each performer. But I definitely don’t think that he is a mere technician without passion or feeling. His technical skills are superb but often he bares his soul and makes himself extremely vulnerable and he is singing from his heart not from his brain.

and the whole world watched the Oscars and the movie Dreamgirls.

eehhhh not… some people know about JHudson winning an Oscar, but the movie never made it to most Latin America countries, I have a membership to 4 video clubs and I haven ´t see the DVD in any, but I will said this is maybe becuase we aren ´t that much in to musicals and seriously no much people in Latin America care about the Motow music…. sadly the biggest mention for JHud that I have see was because of what happened her family…

I just want to add a big AMEN! to Noctem’s brilliant post. I appreciate
Adam for being an entertainer and talented, but at the end of the day when I listen to an idol record, it will be Underwood, Cook or Doolittle. The Glambert hype is making me nauseous enough to backlash vote for Gokey (not really). I really hope Allison and Kris get a career out of this Idol season, because they deserve some recognition after the shabby way they’ve been overlooked by the Idol producers and judges.

not all the judges over look Kris, kara seems to love him. Last week was an off week for him but he will be back next week!

He looks like a nice, talented guy, but right now I sort of feel like Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m being whacked over the head with his superlatives, and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a turn-off.

Ditto.

Lambert might just be too weird for a show this big. But win or lose, it wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t matter: after producing plenty of singers, American Idol has found its first star.

Do people really believe this? I mean, seriously?

OK, I’ll play, too. If Adam’s debut album doesn’t outsell Carrie’s debut, then I will consider him a complete failure. Selling 6 million on one album isn’t enough to be considered star-worthy, I guess.

Well it took Carrie and Kelly a long time to build up the sales they have. Kelly didn’t even truly breakout out until her sophomore CD. Kelly IS an international star and you don’t become one overnight. However, the way Adam is being built up I have to wonder if he’ll be seen as a failure if he doesn’t outsell Daughtry or isn’t selling out stadiums all over the world a year from now.

Nice People.com Review of David Cook’s first show after his brother’s funeral.

When did opinion become news? Every one of us has a right to an opinion, whether it be posters here, feature writers for magazines or online sites, television celebrities with their own talk shows.

News: Adam is a contestant on American Idol.
Opinions: Adam is/is not gay, Adam is/is not a good singer, Adam is/is not the biggest star to hit idol….and the list goes on and on.

News: Danny Gokey is a contestant on American Idol.
Opinions: Danny did/did not pimp his deceased wife for leverage on the show, Danny has the best/worst voice ever, Danny is/is not a scumbag.

News: Kris Allen is a contestant on American Idol.
Opinions: Kris is/is not boring when he sings, Kris is/is not the cutest thing ever, Kris can/can’t sing any big powerful songs.

Everyone can post whatever they want…some will disagree with what they say, others will agree heartily. People write and say stuff in the media to sell advertising…bottom line. It rarely has anything to do with absolute truths and everything to do with perspectives.

I will support whomever I like and will not be swayed by all the mumbo jumbo that other people throw at me even though I spend way too much time reading every little thing. Somethings I find funny, others sad, some offensive, some way OTT but I just remind myself they are opinions not truths or facts!

Someone on IDF posted that Matt will be on Andrew Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s radio show

Andrew Cook has a radio show?!

David Cook couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t finish Lie.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOI_ttGKsTw

Lie lyrics:
You whisper that that you were getting tired
Got a look in your eye, looks a lot like goodbye
Hold on to your secrets tonight
Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to know
Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m okay with this silence
Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s truth that I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t want to end…

I think Lie could be about his brother, Adam. ..or heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s probably getting sick again. Poor David, hope he gets some rest.

The only way that weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re ever going to come to the day when gayness is not an issue, is for those who are gay or bi to unapologetically be themselves without filters

No sorry. It will stop when the hetero crowd stops demonizing sexuality AND demanding that gay/bi’s carry some standard and come out. Because then and only then will who someone sleeps with cease to matter.

Nice People.com Review of David Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s first show after his brotherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s funeral.

Thanks for the link, jan.

Related to that, here are magazine scans from In Touch (1), (2), and US Weekly about Adam’s passing.

Nice People.com Review of David Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s first show after his brotherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s funeral.

Thanks for posting that. I’m surprised that someone from People was there. The review is a bit dramatic, but oh well. David did have to stop shortly after he started “Lie”. The tubey video of it is, again, another one that is hard to watch. Poor guy, on top of everything else, he’s also pretty sick again. According to someone who was at the concert, he didn’t “abruptly” leave during CBTM, it was just the last song before the encore, and he walked offstage like he always does. He did take some time to re-group and come back out for the encore, and the band came out and jammed for a few minutes while he got himself together.

I’m glad he has a few days off before the trip to Manila. He needs them badly.

IMO Clay set himself up for being the ridiculed because he actively denied that he was gay for years.

Clay was a different situation. He set himself up by declaring himself a role model, even criticizing other entertainers who didn’t try to be role models. He ended up with a lot of very conservative, fundamentalist fans, who didn’t believe that he was gay no matter what.

Long story short, what set Clay apart was his army of devoted zealous fans who adamantly told anyone on the internet who would listen that Clay was definitely not gay, and who fantasized a widespread media conspiracy to make people think that he was. As if anyone would bother trying to do that!

It was the tension between Clay’s obvious gayness and his fans’ insistence that he wasn’t, that made him stand out. And his music wasn’t very good. And he did a lot of strange things that made him look silly.

Clay and Adam are different people. I think most of Adam’s fans are going to not care about his sexuality. I feel sorry for Clay if the producers shined him on. But who knows how honest that article was. I wouldn’t be surprised if Clay is a fan of Adam’s. Clay’s into musical theater, and so is his cute boyfriend (a dancer on Wicked). It would be cool if Adam could hang out with them on Broadway.

Time ran the following article a few days ago — different byline than today’s article, but interesting reading.Compares/contrasts Adam’s run on the show to Daughtry’s…

http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/04/30/idol-watch-daughtryd/

He is, like Daughtry, different from the typical Idol frontrunner. But where winning Idol may have made Daughtry seem to fans as if he’d been co-opted by the pop system, Adam would instead appear to have beaten it, or at least mastered it.

But where winning Idol may have made Daughtry seem…

What now? :blink_tb:

or heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s probably getting sick again. Poor David, hope he gets some rest.

Anyone knows when Cookie is leaving for Manila???

But where winning Idol may have made Daughtry seemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

What now?

They are saying ‘if he had won’.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a looming question, why hide your personal life if you claim to be an honest guy who knows who he is? Personally, thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a disconnect there for me. To be truly bold and honest, I would think he would tell people, yes, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m bi or gay and not ashamed to say it – no matter if it loses me votes on AI or not. I think it shows some semblance of shame to keep the subject in the closet. Let it out, let it breathe. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s better for everyone.

Why do you think it is his choice at this point?
The AI contract is notoriously all encompassing, and I would bet there is a don’t ask don’t tell sentence or two in there somewhere. I mean he’s a talkative guy, and has answered without answering so many times now I am convinced there is a gag order in place.

He’s never hidden anything- it is as blatant as the day is long. Previous to AI I would think him about the “outest out that ever outed”- mentioning Adam and “closet” in reference to one another is absurd.

With this in mind I don’t know why it continues to be this big “thing”.
Until they have a “declare yourself” theme night and everyone in the place including audience members, judges, and crew are required to wear signs around their necks stating their preference, treating a gay man any differently than we treat the rest of them is prejudicial.

I for one do think he will take up the poster boy position at some point in the future. His comments after visiting Motown read like a prime directive for the cause.
But not now.
He is in a position where things are a bit out of his hands and he seems quite comfortable biding his time. If it happens immediately after the finale, great. If he has to wait the year out (again, he belongs to them), then he will wait the year out.

But I don’t for one single moment believe that he is the type to walk through life censoring himself every moment. I’ll bet he himself would tell you that’s it’s been quite the stretch for him to be able to do it the last 2-3-4 months.

So let’s look at the larger picture. If you truly desire him to speak up and challenge things, he would be far more effective doing so as the winner. Let him cross that bridge successfully and position himself before we start being too critical of how he got there.

“First, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“internationalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  there. Second, Kelly is an international star”

And third, there’s no evidence he’s a star yet, let alone an international star. Sure he’s famous–as all of the top idols are in each season. But that doesn’t quite translate into genuine stardom once the lights go out. It takes a lot more than momentary fame to achieve that.

Who really cares what one person’s opinion is? It’s not like Adam asked for this article or even cares. He said yesterday he’d rather have just driven to San Deigo himself and doesn’t like all the limo/pomp stuff. Look, he’s been working his ass of 10 years and he’s not stupid. He wants to entertain, and I’m sure he knows the reality of the business.

I think he’ll be happy to get some work period. He’s said he’s lived in terrible places, worked horrible jobs and going from gig to gig. Of all people, he understands 15 minutes of fame. He’s a great, humble talented kid who doesnt’ deserve to be hated for other people’s ramblings. Like he said, All he wants to do is sing and entertain. He’s not proclaiming anything else.

He’ll be happy with any success and be happy for the other contestants too. Cook and Archie seem happy for each other, and one person’s success doesn’t seem to be taking away from the other.

Really, the guy’s encountered so much hate for just being himself his whole life. Why can’t people just be happy that these kids have made it this far. Or is it, the wierd kid is easy to pick on.

Adam is not Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s first star, and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not anymore à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Internationalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  than any other previous contestant – heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s famous where Idol is a big deal, just like the rest of them.

Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s talented, but the need to crown him best-biggest-awesomest ever is going to look silly when the season is over and the hype dies down. He looks like a nice, talented guy, but right now I sort of feel like Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m being whacked over the head with his superlatives, and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a turn-off.

THIS. I really do like Adam (and he looks adorable in those graduation videos IMO), but the hype is getting to ridiculous levels right now. He hasn’t even won yet (although it’s probably a foregone conclusion that he will).

While I believe in this philosophy wholeheartedly, I think Adam left off one not so small caveat. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s cool to be different as long as your one of the beautiful people. IMHO, Adam is being accepted because he is good-looking. However, if he were a bit odd looking (Clay Aiken any one), being different would be ridiculed.

I think Adam was probably talking about his high school experience with that statement. He said in one of the interview segments on the San Diego Fox affiliate that he wasn’t a “cool” or “popular” kid in high school. He made the statement about “being different is cool” at the concert at his high school. He hasn’t lived in San Diego since he was in high school. And if I recall and read it correctly, there was a statement from a family friend somewhere saying that he actually came out to his family and friends when he was in high school.

I just wonder if this trip back to San Diego for all this was surreal to him – the “weird,” theatrical, gay guy who wasn’t popular in high school is now getting all this attention and people cheering for him and yelling his name and tripping all over themselves trying to get to him or get a glimpse of him. That’s gotta be a huge disconnect for him. And I can see that being the place where those comments about “being weird is cool” came from.

Nice People.com Review of David Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s first show after his brotherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s funeral.

I think that’s the key difference between this show and the ones in Georgia and Louisville. Yesterday or the day before he actually saw his brother laid to rest. Before that, he could block it out a little more, at least when he was on stage, because he hadn’t gone to Indiana yet.

We all have different performers who we make a emotional connection with. Part of the fun of AI is finding out who has that for you and who doesn’t. For me, Adam sometimes makes that connection (ToMT, MW, RoF) and sometimes is just entertaining (Satisfaction, PTFMWB, Feeling Good). Kris reached me with Sunshine and Falling Slowing. Anoop did it with True Colors. I love Alison but never had any real emotion conection to her performances. And, although I think Danny has the potential to do it, I’m still waiting for that performance.

I know that some people just don’t get Adam, and think it is all an act. But if you saw the news interview with his Mom, I don’t see how you can not see that he is a caring, considerate person. (His Mom is almost as great as Elliot’s Mom.)

And if you watched the YouTube video of Adam’s performance at his 2000 High School Graduation, you’ll see he is a really gifted vocalist — even 9 years ago.

I just wonder if this trip back to San Diego for all this was surreal to him – the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“weird,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  theatrical, gay guy who wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t popular in high school is now getting all this attention and people cheering for him and yelling his name and tripping all over themselves trying to get to him or get a glimpse of him. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gotta be a huge disconnect for him. And I can see that being the place where those comments about à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“being weird is coolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  came from.

I was thinking that as well. In alot of ways, I think it could have been quite healing. Maybe he was able put to rest some of the painful high school memories (if there were any, I’m just basing this on some of the stuff he has said).

I am sure this whole AI experience has been life changing. Not just for Adam, but for all of the contestants. They all have definetely been taken out of their comfort zone and have had to mix with a variety of different people. Kris and Adam are best buds. I’m sure neither one would have ever predicted that. I can see personal growth in both Adam and Kris. Danny, not so much.

I just heard Crush in Vox FM Honduras, I knew they have being playing it a lot but is the first time I actually heard it… mades me really happy …

And in another radio station, Momentos, more like AC they were playing Behind These Hazel Eyes By Kelly Clarkson…

ETA.

According to Cook Myspace yesterday was his last show before Manila, so I guess he will be able to rest…and he is at Jimmy Fallow ´s the 25th I ove Jimmy so I ´m watching this one if I can ´t stay awake … and he is also at Ellen the 20ths… anyone knows if he going to be at the AI Finale???? Anyone knows who is going to be to the AI Finale????

Oh my, the youtube videos of David Cook’s Akron concert just break my heart. I’m so glad his band members are good friends of his and are out on the road with him, supporting him.
Hang in there David Cook – love you and pray for you.

Second, Kelly is an international starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Didn’t Breakaway sell something like 13 million worldwide? I don’t care who you are, that’s impressive.

Can’t get through all the comments but this really hit me:

I believe the best way is if the rest of us decide that we donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gay or hetero or bi, that we should try to get to the point where we just assume that everyone we meet can be any of those things and that it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t matter to us. Why should it always be up to someone else to convince me to be tolerant? Maybe it should be mostly up to me to open my mind.

Wow. Well said, and I thank you for saying it.

(soapbox)
Addressing the implication that Adam must feel shame if he’s not declaring his sexual orientation to the 25 million AI viewers:

Personally, and imo, I see absolutely NO SHAME whatsoever in how Adam is or is not choosing to handle himself concerning his sexuality. None. Zip, zero, zilch. People can project, if they must, that he feels some shame based on their own feelings on the topic and/or reading (from afar) of the situation. But that’s all it is. Well, and sometimes imo, it’s also baiting — to the effect, if you don’t shout it out, you must be ashamed. Please…. This notion is totally belied by the admission that, as a country, we’re not yet where we need to be in our tolerance and acceptance and embracing of diversity. Suggesting that somehow the onus is on the not-yet-fully-embraced minority to force the much needed progress is, to me, just further evidence of how far we really are from where we should strive to be.

More practically, can we really watch his performances and say that Adam feels shame about his sexuality????? On another thread we’ve chatted about how certain of his so-called OTT ones are considered OTT BECAUSE they reflect his sexuality. Sheesh, the guy just can’t win. Well, to me, Believe, RoF, ToMT and Feeling Good (and to some degree B&W and Mad World as well) surely reflect not only his sexuality, but also his complete comfort and pride in it — certainly not shame. Given that this is a singing competition, I think he’s shown himself, his artistry, and his sexuality in exactly the appropriate manner — on the stage.

Kudos to you, Adam, for approaching an inherently difficult (if not impossible) task with poise and grace and authenticity. I, for one, applaud you (standing. )

I agree that Adam is not the first Idol star, international or not. Setting aside all those previously mentioned, David Cook is going to have his first major international concert, in the Phillippines in about a week, sharing the bill with Archie. Reportedly huge crowds are expected. There are plenty of British and Brazilian supporters, too, in the fandom. He has only just begun to pursue the international audience.

OK, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll play, too. If Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s debut album doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t outsell Carrieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s debut, then I will consider him a complete failure. Selling 6 million on one album isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t enough to be considered star-worthy, I guess.

The way I interpreted the comment was they think Adam is going to be the first AIer to break out as an overall media celebrity. Carrie and Kelly and JHud and Daughtry are huge singing stars and very well known but I think “star” was being used in the Adam Lambert article to signify something else, perhaps a crossover celebrity who attracts a great deal of media fascination. I didn’t take it as a slam on all the other AIers, just a statement of fact that the media finds him more fascinating than they have other contestants. Basically they seem to feel his stardom isn’t going to hinge on record sales.

I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t take it as a slam on all the other AIers, just a statement of fact that the media finds him more fascinating than they have other contestants.

He is a current contestant. That in itself makes him more fascinating than previous contestants right now. The media frenzy around him is part of the Idol hype, there’s no guarantee it’ll last a long time past the season’s end (not saying it won’t, but that he has it now doesn’t mean he’ll have it later).

I simply think it’s a little early to crown him a huge, unparalleled star. He is unproven as of now outside of the Idol-sphere. This isn’t the first time the media has raved about an Idol contestant and it won’t be the last – the noise tends to die down when they’re not on our TV two nights a week.

The way I interpreted the comment was they think Adam is going to be the first AIer to break out as an overall media celebrity.

In that case I guess that honor should be JHud ´s… she has a Oscar and now her album and singles are doing really well… and Katherine McPhee has already two movies and is recording another album… Daughtry is selling millions and has had guest appeareance in tv series…

oh please !! someone have a link to the Andrew cook/Matt Giraud interview? I love them both :thumbup_tb:

The way I interpreted the comment was they think Adam is going to be the first AIer to break out as an overall media celebrity. Carrie and Kelly and JHud and Daughtry are huge singing stars and very well known but I think à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was being used in the Adam Lambert article to signify something else…

This is similar to my read on it too. I didn’t read it as the author addressing Adam’s singing success or potential album sales, as opposed to a more nebulous comparison of an intangible widespread popularity. I can’t even describe it, lol, but I didn’t read that quote as speaking to singing or even success in the traditional sense at all, really.

I believe Adam is gay. I believe he has been fairly open about his sexuality UNTIL Idol. He is a smart guy, he knows how this game is played. Id bet anything that Idol told him to tone it down, which he did.

Once off Idol he will go back to being who he was before Idol, he will be free to be himself and not cowtow to the Idol producers etc. I actually think that its part of the reason he is so empowered when he does his songs, its the only way he gets to be 100% who he is and he uses that venue to let it all out.

Clay’s fans, for the most part, were wackjobs. Wanting him to be straight and pure as the driven snow. Taylor had the same problem for a while with a large vocal contingent of the SP. WTF is wrong with these people? Its effing scary.

The way I interpreted the comment was they think Adam is going to be the first AIer to break out as an overall media celebrity.

I can’t really say what the writer’s intention was when he named Adam as the first American Idol Star but it seems reasonable to think that the above quote is pretty much on target. Will it happen…don’t have a clue, but the writer seems to think so.

And to put any of the previous American Idols up as representatives of “stars” based on the current popular definition is ludicrous. None of the Idols are household names, they may have their fan base and may be well known but they do not have any real hold in popular culture. When and if they fade away it will be a natural progression since none of them have achieved that instantly recognizable status that is officially stardom.

Stardom are those that can sell out a magazine by just having them on the cover, or having a number 1 album just because they have their name on it (regardless of how good or bad it is). Stardom is being able to get the best seat at a restaurant, or sitting courtside at a basketball game, or having people buy tickets to a movie just because your name is above the title. Stardom is selling out 50,000 seat arenas the world over…and Kelly Clarkson had to cancel her tour because she couldn’t sell 18,000 tickets per night.

Past American Idols are minor celebrities even with all their awards and acolades. They are not STARS by any stretch of the imagination! I personally think that Adam has a good chance of gaining more noteriety than other AIers but that is only an opinion…just like the writers.

oh please !! someone have a link to the Andrew cook/Matt Giraud interview? I love them both

The interview is over. I hope that the station posts a podcast. They have some previous interviews posted here:

http://www.kcradio.com/downloads.html

It was a good interview. Andrew is a MAJOR Matt fan, which of course made me very happy.

Andrew took the first few minutes of his show to thank everyone for the support and condolences following Adam’s passing. It was very touching.

I didn’t know AC had a radio show either. He told Matt that he’d started doing the show because he’s better at talking than singing. I dunno, I’ve heard him sing with David and he sounded good to me.

None of the Idols are household names

Kelly Clarkson isn’t a household name? She’s a household name even outside the US.

Guess we’ll see how much of a household name Adam is in a year.

Once off Idol he will go back to being who he was before Idol, he will be free to be himself and not cowtow to the Idol producers etc.

I’m kind of hoping he goes all out the night the results are announced, with a top hat, some glitter, heavy, heavy eye makeup, and does a song and performance along the lines of that YouTube of “Crazy” (toned down a tad just because of television standards, of course). What a subversive and fun way to show he’s not going to be anybody but Adam.

Past American Idols are minor celebrities even with all their awards and acolades.

I wouldn’t consider Carrie or J-Hud minor celebrities, but mileage obviously varies.

not all the judges over look Kris

Of course not. The Lambert haters are just out in force.

Kelly Clarkson isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a household name? Sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a household name even outside the US.

I know a lot of people who don’t know who Kelly Clarkson is.

I know a lot of people who donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know who Kelly Clarkson is.

There’s always higher grounds to break. I just think it’s sorta funny that people jump to the conclusion that Adam will be bigger than Kelly, Carrie, Daughtry etc etc before they even saw him sell one single, chart one original song, appear in one movie (if that’s part of his plan).
The way the industry is going right now, his chances of outselling any of the aforementioned Idols are slim to none. I wonder if he’s controversial enough to maintain high visibility through tabloids (a-la Britney Spears) for a long time to come, becuase that’s a big part of becoming a “household name” in this definition of having everyone know your business.

Expecting Adam to break all previous boundaries is setting him up to fail, pure and simple.

I’m so tired of all this Adam is gay stuff. Who cares? Either you like his singing/style or you don’t. To each his own.

The way I interpreted the comment was they think Adam is going to be the first AIer to break out as an overall media celebrity. Carrie and Kelly and JHud and Daughtry are huge singing stars and very well known but I think à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was being used in the Adam Lambert article to signify something elseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

That’s the way I see it.

No matter how successful Carrie/Daughtry/JHud are they aren’t being dogged by paparazzi every move they make every moment of their lives. Unfortunately, especially right now, Adam is edging dangerously close to this type “fame”.

As a fan I wish they would knock it off. It is at the level of absurd now and the next step up is pet rock/fad. The dangerous part of all this is the fame will overshadow the talent and I would hate to see that happen. That’s how crash & burn happens.

I would like to think that he is old enough and grounded enough to see through the hype and concentrate on his craft during the next few months of insanity. Time will tell, but it’s something I think he needs to remain aware of.

Adam is not Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s first star, and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not anymore à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Internationalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  than any other previous contestant – heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s famous where Idol is a big deal, just like the rest of them.

We won’t know this until after his album comes out…. LOL
Kelly Clarkson is no Michael Jackson or Beyonce….
THAT’S the type of international star Simon and others are talking about. People think Adam has the talent to get that big. Not just having songs played over a radio.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m kind of hoping he goes all out the night the results are announced, with a top hat, some glitter, heavy, heavy eye makeup, and does a song and performance along the lines of that YouTube of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Crazyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  (toned down a tad just because of television standards, of course). What a subversive and fun way to show heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not going to be anybody but Adam.

Nice dream…..not gonna happen….not on the Idol stage! …and who says he has to be that to state that he’s Adam? What’s important is what’s on the inside not the outside and so long as he’s true himself in that regard he is always being Adam.

Clayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fans, for the most part, were wackjobs. Wanting him to be straight and pure as the driven snow

Glad you said ‘for the most part’ cause not all of us were wackjobs……and to be fair to a lot of his fans (or ex-fans) a lot of that was brought on himself by his own actions. ’nuff said on that old subject.

Kelly Clarkson is no Michael Jackson or Beyonceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.
THATà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢S the type of international star Simon and others are talking about.

I need to remember to pull this quote out in 6 months. :wink1_tb:

I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really say what the writerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s intention was when he named Adam as the first American Idol Star but it seems reasonable to think that the above quote is pretty much on target. Will it happenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have a clue, but the writer seems to think so.

And to put any of the previous American Idols up as representatives of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“starsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  based on the current popular definition is ludicrous. None of the Idols are household names, they may have their fan base and may be well known but they do not have any real hold in popular culture. When and if they fade away it will be a natural progression since none of them have achieved that instantly recognizable status that is officially stardom.

Stardom are those that can sell out a magazine by just having them on the cover, or having a number 1 album just because they have their name on it (regardless of how good or bad it is). Stardom is being able to get the best seat at a restaurant, or sitting courtside at a basketball game, or having people buy tickets to a movie just because your name is above the title. Stardom is selling out 50,000 seat arenas the world overà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦and Kelly Clarkson had to cancel her tour because she couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sell 18,000 tickets per night.

Past American Idols are minor celebrities even with all their awards and acolades. They are not STARS by any stretch of the imagination! I personally think that Adam has a good chance of gaining more noteriety than other AIers but that is only an opinionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦just like the writers.

There are stars and international stars, but there are very few “superstars” i.e., Madonna, etc. Kelly, Daughtry. , etc., are not “Superstars” never will be.
This is what I think the writer was saying. Whether Adam can achieve this is anybody’s guess, but a hell of a lot of the press think so.

oh please !! someone have a link to the Andrew cook/Matt Giraud interview? I love them both

Download:
Andrew Cook & Matt Giraud radio interview.

ETA: MJ, hope this is ok to add this here. There are additional downloads of Andrew Cook’s radio show (from today) on DCO (DWoP thread).

So when Ryan said Carrie was not a superstar but a “megastar” based on her achievements alone, can we accept that? I think it’s up to you how you define “star”? Apparently that writer has his own interpretation of “star” when he was writing about Adam.

Btw, Carrie had her 10th consecutive number 1 this week.

Download:
Andrew Cook & Matt Giraud radio interview.

ETA: MJ, hope this is ok to add this here. There are additional downloads of Andrew Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s radio show (from today) on DCO (DWoP thread

Wordnerdarchie, Thanks a million!

Andrew Cook & Matt Giraud radio interview.

The interview was really nice, I don’t know much about Matt, but he sounds like a really nice, genuine guy. It’s so funny that Andrew has some of the same speech patterns as David. A little strange to listen to. He sounds very natural doing this.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“superstarsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  i.e., Madonna,

That is the point. And you don’t get there in a AI timeframe.
Not in a few years and especially not in a few month or a year like some people try to expect on idol.
I even think part of the problem is that a lot of people still have a image of music stardom from the the past in their head, which doesn’t exist anymore.

So people want Adam to be Idol’s first paparazzi whore? Um, OK. That will certainly be an Idol first.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m kind of hoping he goes all out the night the results are announced, with a top hat, some glitter, heavy, heavy eye makeup, and does a song and performance along the lines of that YouTube of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Crazyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  (toned down a tad just because of television standards, of course). What a subversive and fun way to show heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not going to be anybody but Adam.

Who is to say the Adam we see right now isn’t Adam as well. I think people also put him in a box when they expect him to be OTT all of the time.

When I was in my 20s, at one time, I had a nose ring and dreads. I enjoyed it at that time, but then I slowly grew out of it. The need to express myself in that manner passed. It’s like expecting Madonna to still wear the same outfit she wore in the 1980s, or to expect XTINA to still be “dirty.”

If he wants to go back to OTT dressing after the show that’s fine. But he is in his mid to late 20s. He could be shifting out of that just as a natural course of getting older. I’m sure he will always be a snazzy dresser and wear eye-liner, but he may tone it down because we all usually tone it down as we get older.

So people want Adam to be Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s first paparazzi whore? Um, OK. That will certainly be an Idol first.

What do you mean whore? That he would be baiting the paps or that the paps would be interested in him? I recall David Cook getting tailed abit during his Kimberly Caldwell phase.

I have no idea what the definition of an “international superstar” But Kelly Clarkson is the only AI contestant that you can make the arguement for. She had a #1 hit in the UK along with her long list of US #1′s, etc.

Weither or not Adam becomes a “superstar” or not, there is something different going on with Adam. A few examples:

The media and Internet buzz about him is at a unprecedented level. This is not my opinion but a fact — there are very well developed methods for measuring PR reach, social media buzz and online activity. Interest in Adam is at a level that AI has never achieved before.

The readership of Adam news is the highest of anyone in Idol history.

His brand recognition scores and favorability scores are very high for someome who has only been in the public spotlight for 3 months. By far the highest of anyone on AI8.

Today, American Idol is broadcast to over 100 nations outside of the United States — and Adam is the first AI contestant to every generate a substantial abount of online activity from SE Asia, Europe, NZ and Australia. In the past couple of weeks activity has increased from Latin American.

Adam may not be an international superstar now, but many industry insiders think he will be one.

“Anyone knows when Cookie is leaving for Manila???”

^^^ The Davids are reported to be arriving Manila, Philippines on the 12th. DC will be flying from the US while DA from the UK. Their concert (which is also reported to be the biggest ever) will be on the 16th.

^Thank you….

Their concert (which is also reported to be the biggest ever)

What does “the biggest ever” means?

Late to this party, but I would like to suggest a new twist to the show. Starting in top 6, each contestant is given the Kinsey scale and where they score determines performance order for the rest of the season.

Count me among those who think it’s a little premature to assume that Adam (or anyone else at this stage in his or her career) is going to be a superstar. I guess I’m superstitious, but I think high expectations lead, 99% of the time, to disappointment.

I will not for a moment deny Adam’s talent, but I, like some others here, think that a lot of the excitement has to do with the context of the show. The AI bubble just isn’t the real world. If he becomes a megastar, the likes of which Idol alums have never seen, then I will be happy for him and for his fans. Until then, I’m not holding my breath.

And for that record, I personally don’t find Adam all *THAT* exciting. I know he’ll try something different each week, but he’s not the one I tune in for each week. I personally am much more interested to see what Kris is going to do with a song than to see what Adam is going to do.

I think people also put him in a box when they expect him to be OTT all of the time.

I so agree with this. There are many facets to Adam. That is what makes him so fascinating. The OTT part is only one part of him, who is to say it’s the prevelant part?

I think people also put him in a box when they expect him to be OTT all of the time.

I think he stepped into that box quite willingly. And good for him, because if that’s the side of him that he wants us to see, then that’s what he should show us.

Having said that, if that’s what he chooses to show us, the criticism will follow, just as it does for each and every idol contestant. People criticize Kris for being boring. People criticize Adam for being OTT. They are who they are, but no one is going to be appreciated by all.

Adam doesn’t seem bothered by being called OTT. If he were, he would have toned it back by now.

I think he stepped into that box quite willingly. And good for him, because if thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the side of him that he wants us to see, then thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s what he should show us.

Oh I agree, but that doesn’t mean he can’t jump out of that box when he wants to. That’s all I meant. If he enjoys the OTT stuff than great. But if he decides to tone it down, it doesn’t necessarily mean he is being untrue to himself.

ETA- I don’t think he is OTT on AI. I was just referring to some of his pre-idol performances. I don’t think I consider anything on AI as being too OTT for me. I have heard some grumblings that some people want him to do some of his pre-idol stuff. But my point is that AI has probably mainstreamed him a bit. I also think he now wants to reach a broader audience.

Adam doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t seem bothered by being called OTT. If he were, he would have toned it back by now.

Uhm he has toned it back since he set foot on the Idol stage and I certainly don’t call any of that OTT. I think the original poster’s definition of OTT was the glam, glitter and tophats from the past.

Uhm he has toned it back since he set foot on the Idol stage and I certainly donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t call any of that OTT.

Ok, that’s fine. I think “OTT” is just one more matter of opinion. For a lot of people, some of his performances are just that. To me, OTT isn’t an insult, it’s an opinion. Heck, I know plenty of people who aspire to that kind of label.

I think the original posterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s definition of OTT was the glam, glitter and tophats from the past.

For those of us who don’t do the youtube stuff, we don’t have Adam’s prior work to compare with. I personally decide whether something I see on AI is OTT/boring/awesome/ridiculous/etc. within the context of the show. The “real world” is, obviously, a much bigger ball of wax.

I guess my point was that Adam seems to me to be a smart, mature guy who makes his own choices. I’m sure he’s quite accustomed to people having a variety of opinions about those choices, and I would imagine he’s fine with that.

And for the record, the fact that his style is not my personal preference does not make me a “hater”. It doesn’t mean that I don’t *get* him. As a matter of fact, Adam has grown on me A LOT over the course of this season. I think he seems like a lovely person. But he’s just not my cup of tea musically.

It is premature to declare him a future superstar when he hasn’t even put out a single cd yet. It’s interesting to know that there’s so much international buzz about him though. I didn’t know. I daresay he’s going to be noticed and “do things” but only time will show what. I think Allison is going to be a star too. For such a dull season (to me) it yielded at least two super talented people.

“And to put any of the previous American Idols up as representatives of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“starsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  based on the current popular definition is ludicrous. None of the Idols are household names, they may have their fan base and may be well known but they do not have any real hold in popular culture. When and if they fade away it will be a natural progression since none of them have achieved that instantly recognizable status that is officially stardom.”

If this is the case for previous idols like Kelly and Carrie–how much more must it be the case for Adam. He’s not a household name either–not even close. His “hold on popular culture” is zilch–and if it weren’t for the gay twist–which Time and EW and other media venues are milking for all it’s worth–there would be no news stories about his performances. Fact is, he hasn’t even quite nailed a single song in the memorable way that Archie did with Imagine or Cook did with Billie Jean or the way Allison did with Cry Baby on the Results show.

“There are stars and international stars, but there are very few à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“superstarsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  i.e., Madonna, etc. Kelly, Daughtry. , etc., are not à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Superstarsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  never will be.
This is what I think the writer was saying. Whether Adam can achieve this is anybodyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s guess, but a hell of a lot of the press think so.”

The press has an agenda–and it has nothing to do with music.

“So when Ryan said Carrie was not a superstar but a ‘megastar’ based on her achievements alone, can we accept that? I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s up to you how you define ‘star’? Apparently that writer has his own interpretation of ‘star’ when he was writing about Adam.”

Adam’s not a star, a superstar or a megastar. He’s a contestant in a reality show who has achieved fifteen minutes of fame. What happens after the curtain falls is anybody’s guess.

Fact is, he hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even quite nailed a single song in the memorable way that Archie did with Imagine or Cook did with Billie Jean.

I would have to completely disagree with that statement. In my opinion Adam has had more moments that David and Archie combined. But I know others would disagree. That’s just my opinion. That is why it’s great that there are so many artists out there making lots of different kinds of music.

From Snarky Archies , Twitters from david a’s next to last show in the uk opening for mcfly…. they played in leicester this evening, where by all accounts david was on fire, and the crowd response was phenomenal….. add archuleta to the list of ai contestants with the potential to become very large internationally, judging from the response to him so far in singapore, malaysia and the uk… on to manila…

– McFly talked about David during last quarter of the show. Said he was the loveliest guy ever and talking 2 him is like Yoga, so calming

– They didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stop cheering for him after Angels!! Heck, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ?? WE!!!

– à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“MOLTON HAWT LAVA FIREWORKS OF PURE PASSION for Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Let Go and even during Waiting For Yesterday!! ANGELS AMAZING CROWD RESPONSE!!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

– à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Told him he was the bestest ever. Amazing new runs and licks! Soooo on fire! Lots of jumping and bouncing on stage. GROWLS & so much soul!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

– à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Back from show!!!! Barely alive!!! Holy canneloni! Did Mr. D tweet yet? LOL It was the best show of the tour. He agreed when we met him LOLà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

http://www.snarkyarchies.com/

Fact is, he hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even quite nailed a single song in the memorable way that Archie did with Imagine or Cook did with Billie Jean.

Hmmm, I guess Mad World doesn’t count?

“I would have to completely disagree with that statement. In my opinion Adam has had more moments that David and Archie combined. But I know others would disagree.”

They would disagree because Adam has yet to have nailed a single song in that special way which brings about consensus. People don’t talk about how he sang a particular song, they talk about Adam generally and how entertaining he is. He has chops, certainly–but he falls short of the mark each week when it comes to connecting with the music.

but he falls short of the mark each week when it comes to connecting with the music.

Again I ask…..what about Mad World? There seemed to be a pretty strong consensus on it.

“From Snarky Archies , Twitters from david aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s next to last show in the uk opening for mcflyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦. they played in leicester this evening, where by all accounts david was on fire, and the crowd response was phenomenalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.”

He’s done amazingly well in the UK. The tour was a good match for him–and for McFly.

To me Adam’s version of “Mad World” isn’t that different from Gary Jules’ recording. None of Adam’s performances was a “moment” for me, but everybody likes different things. There’s probably somebody, somewhere (besides Gokey) who liked Gokey’s “Dream On”.

To me Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s version of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Mad Worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t that different from Gary Julesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ recording. None of Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performances was a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“momentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  for me, but everybody likes different things. Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s probably somebody, somewhere (besides Gokey) who liked Gokeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Dream Onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

Sad but true!

The thing is many AI viewers, myself included, do not know every version of every song ever sang. I knew Tears for Fears original version of Mad World so, to me, Adam’s version was strikingly different and was a moment for me. Same with ROF.

I would have to completely disagree with that statement. In my opinion Adam has had more moments that David and Archie combined. But I know others would disagree. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just my opinion. That is why ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s great that there are so many artists out there making lots of different kinds of music.

You are correct that it is all inherently subjective. But, the best way to gauge a “moment” is by mass-sampling consensus opinion of quality, and for that we have WNTS.

WNTS doesn’t classify performances as “moments”, but they do classify what they call “showstoppers”–any performance that receives above a 90 for its WNTS score. Cook, Archie, and Adam each had one of those, Billie Jean scored a 93, Mad World scored a 92, and Imagine scored a 91.

As far as their overall WNTS averages, Adam currently has the 6th highest WNTS average in Idol history with a 75.2. David Cook has the twenty-first highest with a 64.7. And David Archuleta had the the 45th highest with a 56.5.
(Incidentally, Alison Iraheta had the eighth highest score ever with a 72.8).

There are a couple of VERY important qualifiers to be made here. Last year from F5 on, Cook and Archie had to give two performances a for two consecutive weeks, and three performances a week for the last two weeks. For the two weeks, when DC and DA had to perform twice, Adam and Alison only had to perform once (the duet doesn’t count for WNTS purposes). And next week when Adam will only have to perform twice, the Davids had to perform three times. I presume the finalists this year will still have to sing three times.

Cook’s WNTS trajectory bares this out. Prior to the start of the two performance weeks, Cook, like Adam, had one of the highest WNTS scores ever. But, then his score began to fall once they had to sing two and three times a night.

Furthermore, Cook and Archie had to go through three rounds of semifinals. Adam only had to pass through one. By this point in the season, the Davids had each given fifteen performances. Adam has only given eleven.

OK this video is love….

Interest in Adam is at a level that AI has never achieved before.

If the level of interest is that much higher than other years, I wonder why the ratings for the show have not increased. Votes have increased but that might have more to do with better access to faster technology (votes have also been high on nights when Adam supposedly was not #1). It will be interesting, however, to see whether the EW article results in increased viewership. My guess is that people will tune in to see what all the fuss is about.

“Hmmm, I guess Mad World doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t count?”

It only serves to prove my point. Take another look at Allison’s performance. It all came together–body, soul, and voice. What’s striking was the complete honesty of the performance. Her own sense of self was lost in it. With Adam it’s just the other way around. He never loses himself in any music. It’s always about himself performing.

this is lyao funny :lol_tb: – and goes to show that ”crush” is still a beast, and there are more than teen and tween girls that dig david’s music… these guys are hysterical, and crush sounds as good as ever……

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxbYzOqvyqo

It only serves to prove my point. Take another look at Allisonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance. It all came togetherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’body, soul, and voice. Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s striking was the complete honesty of the performance. Her own sense of self was lost in it. With Adam ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just the other way around. He never loses himself in any music. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s always about himself performing.

In your opinion……..

this is lyao funny – and goes to show that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ crushà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is still a beast, and there are more than teen and tween girls that dig davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s musicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ these guys are hysterical, and crush sounds as good as everà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

lolz…. :lol_tb:

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Hmmm, I guess Mad World doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t count?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

It only serves to prove my point. Take another look at Allisonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance. It all came togetherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’body, soul, and voice. Whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s striking was the complete honesty of the performance. Her own sense of self was lost in it. With Adam ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just the other way around. He never loses himself in any music. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s always about himself performing.

I was very touched by Allison’s performances of “Cry Baby,” especially on elimination night. Of course, my emotions were already peaking because I felt that she was one of the two top performers all season. Neither she nor Adam have had a bad performance, IMO. As much as I like Kris, he’s slipped a couple of times.

That said, I was also very touched by Adam’s “Mad World.” My only complaint would be the lighting, because while it was obviously meant to set a mood, I feel it took a little away from his hauntingly beautiful performance.

I think the issue here is that we will all respond differently to these contestants. That, and we project a hella lot on these kids. I know I’m guilty of it.

I think the issue here is that we will all respond differently to these contestants. That, and we project a hella lot on these kids. I know Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m guilty of it.

Yes, yes, and yes.

eta: pj, that last “yes” was agreeing with you about me, not about you … if that makes sense

“Furthermore, Cook and Archie had to go through three rounds of semifinals. Adam only had to pass through one. By this point in the season, the Davids had each given fifteen performances. Adam has only given eleven.”

you need also to take into consideration the backstage sabotage–certain songs denied one contestant but granted to another. Original arrangements vetoed. Songs approved, then abruptly dis-approved, sending the contestant scrambling for a song the last minute. All this happened in season 7. Btw, excuse my ignorance–but what’s WNTS?

WNTS = What Not To Sing is a site that evaluates the performances of the contestants on idol. See the link at the left on MJ’S page.

you need also to take into consideration the backstage sabotageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’certain songs denied one contestant but granted to another. Original arrangements vetoed. Songs approved, then abruptly dis-approved, sending the contestant scrambling for a song the last minute. All this happened in season 7.

praepos, don’t you think this has happened this season, too. I was thinking about Anoop, but also others. I bet this has happened every season, especially after the first. Clay having to sing Vincent and then add an extra verse at the last minute comes to mind. It is so unfair, but who said Reakity Shows were fair?

By this point in the season, the Davids had each given fifteen performances. Adam has only given eleven.

Then we need to add losing one performance for TOP 3. The viewers are being cheated, IMO. Using time allotment for the fourth judge should not be an excuse at this point in time.

you need also to take into consideration the backstage sabotageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’certain songs denied one contestant but granted to another. Original arrangements vetoed. Songs approved, then abruptly dis-approved, sending the contestant scrambling for a song the last minute. All this happened in season 7. Btw, excuse my ignoranceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’but whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s WNTS?

Yes, and that happens every season. From my understanding Adam sang Satisfaction because his first choice didn’t get cleared. He also sang Play That Funky Music because his original song got denied on Monday, the day before the show.

I also heard this season Danny and Scott both had to switch songs. So I think this is pretty much the norm every season.

“WNTS = What Not To Sing is a site that evaluates the performances of the contestants on idol. See the link at the left on MJà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢S page.”

I checked it out. The methodology seems very doubtful. It collects opinions from bloggers and critics, etc–then ascribes a score. But these are the very people whose investment in particular contestants would preclude objectivity.

I definitely find it disappointing that they can’t seem to work in three songs per contestant at this point. While on one hand it makes it easier on the contestants to have fewer songs to prepare, on the other hand it gives them fewer opportunities for “moments”. At this stage, fewer songs stacks on the pressure in terms of getting things right the first (i.e., only) time each week.

And for the viewers, it stinks.

Regarding WTNS, I like to keep in mind (along with a salt shaker) that the site was (IIRC) conceived and developed by some folks who sincerely believe that Nadia Turner should have won Season 4.

Nothing against Nadia (I liked her that year), but FTW? WTF?

I checked it out. The methodology seems very doubtful. It collects opinions from bloggers and critics, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’then ascribes a score. But these are the very people whose investment in particular contestants would preclude objectivity.

I get what you are saying, but where is objectivity to be found? That’s the problem, isn’t it … it’s all opinion, regardless of whom you are asking. I’d say the bloggers and critics are the best choice out there because they stick around from season to season and generally have less personal investment than, say, the average fan.

To be fair, I don’t frequent the site so I probably shouldn’t be offering an opinion at all.

“praepos, donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t you think this has happened this season, too. I was thinking about Anoop, but also others. I bet this has happened every season, especially after the first.”

Sure, it’s happening right now with the systematic put-down of Kris, for instance. Last year they saddled Syesha with the Penguin song–and forced Archie to sing Longer straight when he had been rehearsing an uptempo version. And this was after Paula had chosen another slow ballad for him–a middle aged man’s lament–And So It Goes. They had to know that ballads were undermining his popularity–so they pushed him in that direction to help Cook. Another time they approved of an Aerosmith song for Archie, then changed their minds and gave it to Cook instead–sending Archie scrambling for a song to sing just two days before the show. He had trouble over and over getting songs approved–whereas by Cook’s own admission he had no trouble at all. I’m sure the same thing is happening this year–Kris is getting the same short end of the stick whereas Adam gets light shows and tongue baths and pimp spots–though at least for Kris there’s less stress with fewer songs to sing and the lip-syncing for group performances. I notice the Ford ads are much simpler productions as well.

I am not going to argue about who is a star or not. In the music arena, Jhud is a star with a small s as she has not sold Carrie or Kelly numbers. She probably won’t. She certainly isn’t considered mainstream as AC nor HAC gives her much thought. As long as she is relegated to the urban section, she is not considered superstar, Oscar or not. Carrie isn’t an international star as country doesn’t usually travel well. I don’t know what the author of the article meant, certainly not what we think because idol has produced stars. We all know that, why argue about it? Well I guess because we can, but it’s really inconsequential. I don’t know what Adam will do in the future, but having watched every season, this does seem different somehow.

I also won’t argue about connection, because I really think that sometimes the connection that we feel has as much to do with the recipient and the artist. I love Taylor Hicks, and I identified with his idol journey because I was going through a serious life changing ordeal at the time. Every week he lasted seemed like a personal victory for me. I felt that connection. People said that David Archuleta just sang pretty, but that he was too young to make people feel anything. I never agreed with that because I know what I felt as he sang Imagine, or even Love Me Tender. I know that what I felt in fact emanated from him, but I could not have received it, if I weren’t open to it. Certainly people now see what I did, now that they are more receptive and can look at him without the context of competition. I am sure that is what will happen with Adam.

Clay having to sing Vincent and then add an extra verse at the last minute comes to mind. It is so unfair, but who said Reakity Shows were fair?

This always struck me as an excuse. They don’t learn the entire song? I mean how do you not learn the entire song so that you can find what works best for you? This makes me admire those who just go through it and don’t bitch and moan about all of the unfairness. How did they know he would whiff it? Others have forgotten words and improvised or not. Archie missed several words, but he just fessed up and didn’t cry about it. If Clay had knocked it out of the park, nobody would have known anything about the adding a verse….

Late to this party, but I would like to suggest a new twist to the show. Starting in top 6, each contestant is given the Kinsey scale and where they score determines performance order for the rest of the season.

BWA! You might want to be careful. You never know who got a bit ‘experimental’ in their youth.

I just think this is all very silly. This isn’t the first time a contestant has gotten a lot of buzz. The only thing a lot of buzz does is raise expectations and make the bar higher for Adam. I just hope he can keep a good head on his shoulders, and not get down if he can’t reach that bar immediately after Idol.

Nothing against Nadia (I liked her that year), but FTW? WTF?

I liked her style more than her substance as I thought that she wasn’t a very good singer. They also would have had Ruben out several weeks before the finals, and that was plain crap. It’s fun to read there if you are an idol junkie. I just don’t take their ranking seriously, but they would be good research for what not to sing, lol.

edit: don’t question the motives or criticize the opinions of your fellow posters. Keep it in “I” statements

And for that record, I personally donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t find Adam all *THAT* exciting. I know heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll try something different each week, but heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not the one I tune in for each week. I personally am much more interested to see what Kris is going to do with a song than to see what Adam is going to do.

Maybe thats why you don’t think Adam will be a mega superstar. Its because you don’t like him. lol You have to look at this stuff objectively by sales, buzz, publicity, etc. Not based on whether or not you would buy the person’s music.

“People said that David Archuleta just sang pretty, but that he was too young to make people feel anything. I never agreed with that because I know what I felt as he sang Imagine, or even Love Me Tender. I know that what I felt in fact emanated from him, but I could not have received it, if I werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t open to it. Certainly people now see what I did, now that they are more receptive and can look at him without the context of competition. I am sure that is what will happen with Adam.”

I think you make a valid point.

So for someone to blatantly state that Adam hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t had a moment is nothing more than a statement about their opinion and an individuals opinion is not always a true statement of fact.

But people always think their opinions are fact….. LOL

“I get what you are saying, but where is objectivity to be found? Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the problem, isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t it à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s all opinion, regardless of whom you are asking. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d say the bloggers and critics are the best choice out there because they stick around from season to season and generally have less personal investment than, say, the average fan.”

But they’re the very people who ARE most opinionated and won’t give credit where credit’s due once they’ve made their minds up about a contestant. Some objective polling might be possible initially, but once attitudes have hardened as the season progresses, objectivity would be impossible.

Sanjaya had terrific buzz his season. I’m not comparing him and Adam talent wise but seriously Sanjaya was a cultural phenom. He was lampooned on SNL, Jon Stewart. Internet blogs etc. Aside from the EW cover and Time magazine, I haven’t seen Adam getting that much buzz. And since ratings are down I wonder how famous he really is.

I’ve heard fans and the media predict lots of things for Idol contestants. One winner was the next Elvis, another was bigger than the Beatles. Right now the hype is at it’s peak. When the dust clears in about a month, we’ll see how interested anyone still is and in about six months we’ll know if Adam is even a viable recording artist let alone an international superstar.

If you ask 10 different people to list the songs and performers that were a moment on Idol you would get 10 completely different lists with no two having the same contestants or the same order or the same song. Musical taste is completely subjective, to myself, to most people and especially to reviewers.

Uh-huh. I totally agree with this. Moment or no moment … both are valid opinions. For instance, “Falling Slowly” was the biggest moment of the season for me, but I realize that for many folks it was a yawner. “Mad World” did not move me a bit, and I don’t care to be told that I should accept it as a great performance.

But there do seem to be few, if any, performances this season that are considered by the majority of viewers to be “moments”. I think some of that has to do with the polarizing styles of the contestants. I also think the disingenuous reactions of the judges (either OTT praise or OTT criticism) detract from even the best performances.

Last year they saddled Syesha with the Penguin songà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’and forced Archie to sing Longer straight when he had been rehearsing an uptempo version. And this was after Paula had chosen another slow ballad for himà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’a middle aged manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s lamentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’And So It Goes. They had to know that ballads were undermining his popularityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’so they pushed him in that direction to help Cook. Another time they approved of an Aerosmith song for Archie, then changed their minds and gave it to Cook insteadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’sending Archie scrambling for a song to sing just two days before the show. He had trouble over and over getting songs approvedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’whereas by Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s own admission he had no trouble at all.

Praepos, I don’t want to revisit S7 too much, but let’s at least agree that there were shenanigans and manipulations on both sides. For the judge’s choice, Archie and Syesha both got good songs for them, Cook got a song from Roberta Flack. Also, Cook didn’t have a personal music arranger providing him with arrangements that were created in an outside studio.

And, then of course, the finale judging might as well have taken place in an alternate universe. Most Cook fans conceded that Archie was in fact a little better that night, but thought both were great. Incidentally, Cook’s WNTS average was 56 for the night, and Archie’s was 63. So, that seven point difference kind of bears out that it wasn’t quite the “knockout” that Simon called. But, the truly assy part was that the judges failed at the end to acknowledge how Cook had consistently exceled all season long (once again, look at his WNTS average). Instead he was told that he was a “nice guy”.

(Incidentally, the poster above misinformed you. WNTS does NOT only factor in the opinion of journalists and bloggers. It also includes online fan opinion sampling. It’s not perfect, of course, but they do draw their data from over three hundred sources and they also rotate which sources they use every week. So, they are able to establish a rough consensus opinion of each performance from a statistically significant sample. Considering the subjectivity of the subject matter they are attempting to track, I think it’s the best possible way to assess quality.)

Maybe thats why you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think Adam will be a mega superstar. Its because you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t like him. lol You have to look at this stuff objectively by sales, buzz, publicity, etc. Not based on whether or not you would buy the personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s music.

First of all, I never said that I didn’t think Adam would be a mega superstar. I said that I think it’s too early to make that prediction for any contestant. There simply isn’t, in my opinion, enough sales, buzz, and publicity at this stage to predict that someone is going to be a huge star after the show.

Secondly, it has nothing to do with whether or not I like Adam. I was talking specifically about timelines and realistic expectations. And I have never once said that I don’t like Adam. I’ve stated plenty of times that while he isn’t my favorite in terms of his musical choices, I like him just fine and have a lot of respect for his talent. I also said that I would be happy for him and for his fans if he were to become a star. It’s not personal for me. I wish all of these kids could succeed.

ETA:

But people always think their opinions are factà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.. LOL

I don’t.

I said that I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s too early to make that prediction for any contestant. There simply isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t, in my opinion, enough sales, buzz, and publicity at this stage to predict that someone is going to be a huge star after the show.

That is common sense. Of course we don’t know how good or bad these contestants will do. We won’t know that for at least a minimum of 1-2 years. However, there are too many people who “doubt” Adam can do that well just because he doesn’t fit their particular musical tastes. That is crazy. Kris is boring to me, but that doesn’t mean he can’t become a star and sell millions and millions of records longevity.

“If you ask 10 different people to list the songs and performers that were a moment on Idol you would get 10 completely different lists with no two having the same contestants or the same order or the same song. Musical taste is completely subjective, to myself, to most people and especially to reviewers.”

It isn’t just a matter of whether people subjectively like a performance or not–it’s about how deep an impression has been made by a performance, how much it is talked about in the media and around the water coolers across America, and how much it lingers in the public consciousness, sometimes for years. People still talk about Fantasia’s Summertime. It has got to be because of the intensity of the original impression made.

BWA! You might want to be careful. You never know who got a bit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹experimentalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ in their youth.

Hee! At least someone appreciated my lame attempt to lighten the mood.

For the judgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s choice, Archie and Syesha both got good songs for them, Cook got a song from Roberta Flack.

Actually, I think Simon picking Roberta Flack was genius. It showed us a different size of Cook, which was very impressive. But again, here we are with opinions again…..

But there do seem to be few, if any, performances this season that are considered by the majority of viewers to be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“momentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . I think some of that has to do with the polarizing styles of the contestants. I also think the disingenuous reactions of the judges (either OTT praise or OTT criticism) detract from even the best performances.

To say a judge’s criticism is OTT just because he or she disagrees with you is what is OTT. They have their opinion like everyone else.

However, there are too many people who à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“doubtà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Adam can do that well just because he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t fit their particular musical tastes. That is crazy.

But see, I didn’t even say I doubted that Adam could do well. I happen to think that he has a pretty good shot. If you go back and read my post, I said that I’m superstitious about high expectations and that I think they can be unfair to the contestants. I said that it’s too early to predict megastardom. At least that’s what I thought I was saying.

I have yet to have a favorite win this show. I know all too well that people who don’t fit my musical tastes do quite well. And more power to them.

Just because someone’s not my favorite, it doesn’t mean that I’m rooting against them.

To say a judgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s criticism is OTT just because he or she disagrees with you is what is OTT. They have their opinion like everyone else.

I specifically didn’t name contestants in my statement because I was trying to avoid this kind of discussion … but if it matters, I was thinking about the praise that Danny – not Adam – has received. And yes, it’s my opinion that Danny has received OTT praise for some underwhelming performances. Just as I think Allison (not my fave either) rarely got the credit she deserved.

I come to this blog because I enjoy the differences in opinion here. It makes things lively and fun. I don’t expect people to agree with me. I don’t think my opinion trumps anyone else’s, but I do appreciate being able to express it. I don’t think that expressing my disagreement with the judges’ opinions and their behavior makes me OTT.

I seem to be ruffling feathers (not at all my intention) so I am going to bow out for the evening.

Good night and peace out.

I thought Cook was going to be the male winner to break through to Carrie/Kelly levels. Now he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even get mentioned and Adam is the first star Idol has ever produced.

I’m not saying Adam isn’t talented and deserving of some attention, but IMO, Adam is the shiny new thing plus Hollywood’s and the media’s poster boy for the gay issue, just like the movie “Broke Back Mountain” was.

This is just fascinating to me– the crowds in England fiercely singing along with David to Angels–bad camera work but amazing participation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5qa3XD6JU4

“And yes, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s my opinion that Danny has received OTT praise for some underwhelming performances. Just as I think Allison (not my fave either) rarely got the credit she deserved.”

I agree. Simon’s been particularly off the mark this year–and nastier than usual.

I thought Cook was going to be the male winner to break through to Carrie/Kelly levels. Now he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even get mentioned and Adam is the first star Idol has ever produced. If weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re still around next year at this time, I can hardly wait for the articles about the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“new, firstest, bested Idol of them all.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

But I guess like a shark, the Idol superlatives have to keep moving forward.

It’s funny you used the word “shark” because last week was when I realized Idol had jumped the shark, although it probably jumped it looooooong before my own realization. But, when Danny and Alison stared at each other like they’re eyes were going to bulge out of their craniums because “OH MY GOD, ADAM LAMBERT IS IN THE BOTTOM TWO!” as if Armageddon was going to break out across the planet if he was eliminated, and their would be weeping and gnashing of teeth in the streets, and the universe itself might just implode!

You make very shrewd observations on your other points too, David and David were going to become the hottest stars in music and compete for multi-platinum albums, #1 hits, and Grammys to boot.

I mean, they’re both doing “all right, dawg!” They’ve both locked down second albums; successful tours; Cook at least went single platinum and will have two platinum singles; Archie went gold and will have a double-platinum single. But, their major label careers are not guaranteed beyond their next records.

The year before that, Blake Lewis was this hot cutting edge artist who was going to outsell his season’s winner. And every year some hysterically over-the-top fanbase is convinced that their Idol is going to become the biggest supahstah evah! This notion is fed by the celebrity-crazed media who will take any it-kid of the month and hype him or her to the high heavens.

I can see it going one of two ways with Adam– he could stay true to his musical heart and release an electronica glam rock album, and he will flop harder than Taylor Hicks. Then the Idol behemoth itself will sink to its death after next year when Simon leaves (actually, could this happen anyway whether Adam flops or not– pretty, pretty please?)

Or he could be molded into a dance pop artist, and then he’ll probably do decently well– perhaps even better than Cook has done as last year’s winner. But, how in the world would anyone think that in the current music industry climate, he could even approach the levels of the the only three music superstars that AI has ever cranked out, let alone become some kind of global icon? Newsflash–there are other gay people who sing!

What I do find seriously strange, though, is that the judges and media are referring to him as a “rocker”. Let me tell you right now, the label he’ll be under will not touch his brand of “rock” with a 19 foot pole!

From my understanding Adam sang Satisfaction because his first choice didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get cleared. He also sang Play That Funky Music because his original song got denied on Monday, the day before the show.

Shhhh… That will blow people’s theory all to heck that Adam was indeed TCO.

IMHO (& everyone’s mileage varies) it was pretty clear in his audition that Adam was cute enough to bring in the interest & the mad vocal skills just made it a plus. I honestly think they thought he would turn into a joke as the time went on. I think Danny was TCO from the first. Problem came about that people started to really like Adam. The buzz on the net caught on, people started talking about not being able to wait until Tuesday to see what he would do next (remembrances of Cook last year anyone?).

Simon has criticized Adam several times mostly in the earlier performances. “Indulgent, Horrific” & “it was a little bit like watching the Rocky Horror Musical in parts” for Born to Be Wild.

He does not criticize Danny, except to say he can’t dance & for last week (when 98% of the *hearing* world knew Danny blew it) Simon says: “The last note was like watching a horror movieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦it was a little over the top”. Just from those two examples & Adam vs Danny critique, I would say Adam got the harshest from Simon.

I believe there was another bad one for both guys from Simon but I am tired so not looking it up.

Meanwhile Kris is pretty much flying under the radar.

So when did Simon start liking Adam? He liked him ok on B&W, he hated RoF the next week & then the following week Adam to went Simon’s zone with “Tracks of my Tears” “It was THE best performance of the nightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦you were able to sum up everthing we said tonightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦you have emerged to me as a star.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Simon got behind him after that performance. Simon was always behind Danny and still is or so we shall see this coming week.

I think Matt was “suppose” to be the back up for Danny. Matt had trouble connecting with the audience and although I like Matt, he did not deliver in the end. That put him in jeopardy in Simon’s eyes even after the save.

I believe Simon has liked Kris all along. Kris sings songs more in Simon’s style, the slower songs. Oh wiat, here comes Adam who just threw a wrench into that with his Tracks of My Tears & Mad World & it put Adam in a tie with Kris as the new back up to Danny.

What the producer’s did not see coming was all the “dead wife” backlash with Danny. Danny is an ok singer, but his back story, come on, that is a reality tv show’s dream come true. Along comes fans for Adam who is honestly not really Simon’s cup of tea but Adam pull’s out a couple of lovely slow performances & it makes Simon take notice. Now comes another cutie who can sing but is shy and that too pull’s at America’s heart string Simon loves the slow songs. So now we have Kris in the mix.

Danny=America’s heart strings for his deceased wife, low voice which women love on men. (Dorky in a Taylor way)
Adam=undeniable talent, handsome young guy who puts on a heck of a show which is what this show is all about. Buzz factor for not knowing what he will come up with next. (No one to really compare him to)
Kris=talented young handsome singer, quiet, loves his wife, All American boy next door (See: Carrie, All American Girl Next Door).

For the producer’s any of these guys would be a “win”. The bigger the buzz be it good or bad, the better for the show. It’s all about getting people to tune in. The money they make off the show for commercials & from FOX far outweigh what any of them could produce from album sales. I think first & foremost this is a reality tv show which after 8 seasons still sits on the top of the tv heap. The “winner” doing good selling albums is just icing on the cake.

Commercial revenues:

(source) http://advertising.about.com/b/2008/01/16/american-idol-offers-hefty-price-tag-to-sponsors.htm

“AT&T, Coca-Cola and Ford have all signed up again as primary sponsors for American Idol but it’s not without a hefty price tag. Each company is paying about $35 million for commercial time, online content, co-branding and to be featured during the show.”

That is just for those 3 companies. So let’s see what other’s pay:
(source) http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/industry_news/2005_Sep_13_record_ad_price

This is from 3 seasons ago: American Idol 5 has broken a television record by selling a 30-second ad for $705,000, the most expensive 30-second commercial ever for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a regularly scheduled prime-time network series,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Adweek reports.

How many commercials per episode of AI? I get like 5 minutes of commercials for every 4 of AI here. It’s really silly. What does FOX pay for the series? AI’s bread & butter is in those commercials. The kid’s are commodities. The better the back stories, the buzz on the net for whatever reason, the better for the show.

I don’t think AI picks “TCO” for how much talent each contestant has, but honestly for how much buzz they will create on the show to draw in viewers. They have done this for 8 seasons so they know what to look for in the “buzz’ department. They know who will create good and bad buzz. (The only one who has not created bad is Kris).

And, sheesh I have written a book and did not mean to. LOL. My bottom line is as of “now” any of these guys can win in two weeks. If my fave get’s voted off, I personally won’t be tuning in to watch the finale, but you can bet on it that there will be one million others to take my place. That can be said about any of these three guy’s fans.

Win/Win/Win

I just think this is all very silly. This isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the first time a contestant has gotten a lot of buzz. The only thing a lot of buzz does is raise expectations and make the bar higher for Adam. I just hope he can keep a good head on his shoulders, and not get down if he canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t reach that bar immediately after Idol.

erin, I agree with you completely, and you are very awesome, btw. Every year, I read about how this idol or that idol is going to shake up the music industry, and be the new {insert totally outdated musician here} and it pains me for these kids that they are 99% sure to fall short of the expectations. I will just be happy if they can somehow carve themselves out a place in the music industry as it actually exists today. American Idol has no effect on the music industry. American Idol is still stuck at Celine Dion, while everyone else has moved on about a thousand times over and I hear shitty singers with awesome songs on the radio all day long and I love it. However, AI will constantly only want Celine Dion, as if that is something to aspire to anymore.

The only thing that AI has going for it this year is that it actually observed a trend. The 80s have been coming back into music since for a while, and I hear more 80s infused tracks on the radio all the time. Really, it started with The Killers and Panic for me (for you), they have always had an 80s flair, retro and modern at the same time, it’s very cool. So perhaps Adam will be able to ride onto that trend with his slightly retro stylings. As long as I don’t have to tight roll my pants or rat my hair, because the neon and the unflattering skinny pants are bad enough. My Gokey, those things make my hips look like a Mack Truck while my ankles look like twigs.

I just had to quote this whole post jpfan, because you nailed it:

Sanjaya had terrific buzz his season. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not comparing him and Adam talent wise but seriously Sanjaya was a cultural phenom. He was lampooned on SNL, Jon Stewart. Internet blogs etc. Aside from the EW cover and Time magazine, I havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t seen Adam getting that much buzz. And since ratings are down I wonder how famous he really is.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard fans and the media predict lots of things for Idol contestants. One winner was the next Elvis, another was bigger than the Beatles. Right now the hype is at ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s peak. When the dust clears in about a month, weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll see how interested anyone still is and in about six months weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll know if Adam is even a viable recording artist let alone an international superstar.

noctem, you too:

The year before that, Blake Lewis was this hot cutting edge artist who was going to outsell his seasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s winner. And every year some hysterically over-the-top fanbase is convinced that their Idol is going to become the biggest supahstah evah! This notion is fed by the celebrity-crazed media who will take any it-kid of the month and hype him or her to the high heavens.

Adam’s understandably getting a lot of buzz right now, but I really don’t know that it’s indicative of anything regarding Adam’s future stardom. For that, as always, we just gotta wait and see.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not saying Adam isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t talented and deserving of some attention, but IMO, Adam is the shiny new thing plus Hollywoodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and the mediaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s poster boy for the gay issue, just like the movie à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Broke Back Mountainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  was.

How is Adam the poster boy for gay issues when the word has never passed his lips? He hasn’t spoken of any issues as far as I have heard.

How is Adam the poster boy for gay issues when the word has never passed his lips? He hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t spoken of any issues as far as I have heard.

He doesn’t need to, the media is speaking about it for him.

Like it or not, Adam’s orientation is part of his appeal to mass media. It’s good that it’s working in his favor if it needs to be an issue at all.

Noctem, your last post was really good. Very analytical and grounded in reality.

Simon was always behind Danny and still is or so we shall see this coming week.

Simon is so over Danny. I think that’s pretty clear from the interview he did immediately after Wednesday’s results show when he flat out said Adam was the only one he cared about in terms of who made the final. Then Randy chimed in with, “Well, as me and Simon have been sayin’ all along (way to think for yourself, Randy), it’s coming down to an Adam/Danny final.” And Simon sort of said, “yeah, right,” in a total whatever voice.

I think the fact that Danny’s performance was so bad, laughably bad, virally-skewered-on-the-internet bad was the last straw for Simon. He can’t even bring himself to pretend any interest in Danny anymore.

Maybe thats why you don’t think Adam will be a mega superstar. Its because you don’t like him. lol You have to look at this stuff objectively by sales, buzz, publicity, etc. Not based on whether or not you would buy the person’s music.

DON’T question the motives of your fellow posters. This is the kind of attitude that gets you banned.

You’re in moderation for now.

My blog is not the place for fans who can’t handle criticism of their favorites without getting angry, defensive or questioning poster’s motives.

I’m not going to tolerate discussions deteriorating into arguments that include personal insults.

Posters who bait and lead discussions down that path will be banned. Simple as that.

My guidelines:

http://mjsbigblog.com/?page_id=1172

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWttLKO6Ixc

Not on topic, MJ. Here’s Elliott’s video that was just released for his single (You Say) in Japan. The Japanese have much better taste in music imo (lol). This song is flying up the charts over there. I hope Elliott gets some traction with this cd. It’s really amazing.

Now on topic for a minute… I think if Kris survives this week he may just have a shot at winning the whole thing. People seem to like him pretty well. It seems that people have very strong opinions about both Danny and Adam and they appear to be pretty poloarizing. I think the judges have probably not helped matters by declaring them as being in the finale when it was only top 13.

Lu, I think you’re right. If it was a Kris/Danny finale Kris would win. However, isn’t this about choosing and ‘Idol’ that excites people? I really think Kris is a good singer, Danny too, but they are both very safe and average. The only real choice would be Adam, he may not be everybody’s cup of tea but at least he’s exciting. He’s also sells, why else is he on the cover of Entertainment Weekly? $$$$$

“For the judgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s choice, Archie and Syesha both got good songs for them, Cook got a song from Roberta Flack.”

This only illustrates how fans’ perceptions differ. To me the Roberta Flack song–The Last Time Ever I Saw Your Face–was a masterful choice since it’s by all accounts one of the greatest love ballads ever written. It was totally appropriate for Cook.

And So It Goes by Billy Joel, on the other hand, was a totally inappropriate middle-aged man’s lament. This was chosen by Paula after she had been urging him for weeks to lighten up and sing songs more appropriate for a seventeen year old kid–not easy to do on a show like Idol with its rigid formats. It also compounded his problems on the show by bogging him down with still another ballad, together with the crappy Longer which he was not allowed to sing uptempo as he wanted. He was ordered by the producers to sing it straight. This was after they switched the Aerosmith song he’d been rehearsing and gave it to Cook–who, of course, was fulsomely praised for the kind of clever arrangements denied to Archie. Talk about unfair.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I think this is on topic since it’s about judges choices for final three.

Last year people were shocked that Simon gave David Cook ‘First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ by Roberta Flack. I love this song and was thrilled.

Here is David’s singing it and a special message at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNuUjr0HcaU

American Idol is a launching pad. But some launches fizzle, some put a contestant into close orbit, some put a contestant into the stratosphere.