While We Wait…

While we wait…

Here’s an article from MTV.com that contains some  AI trivia you may or may not know.  It’s already being discussed in comments. Thanks Bruno  Here are some interesting excerpts:

  • “Idol producers quietly release the voting totals after the finale, but never during the season — and for good reason. “If you knew, for instance, that Clay Aiken was so far ahead every week, it would be a waste of time watching, ” Lythgoe explained. “You wouldn’t vote for anybody else because you would think, ‘Well, [my choice] is never going to win, Clay is so far ahead of the game.’ ”
  • “These days Idol producers no longer have to go out searching for celebrity coaches. ‘There’s a [waiting line] from the record companies, as you can probably imagine, because with 30 million people-plus each week tuning in [it’s a great booking], ‘ said Warwick, who added, without naming names, that the show even had to turn down a superstar this season. ‘The time is not right, and we’ve said next year, if she’s free and she still wants to do it, then we’d love to have her and we’ll build a big show around her.'”
  • “There are few monitor speakers [enabling the singers to hear themselves] on the stage and singers are not allowed to use earpiece monitors, although the show made two exceptions this season: When Taylor started a song from the back of the room, and when Katharine began a song a cappella. Fans who watched closely could see McPhee remove the earpiece once the music came in.”
  • “Once the field is narrowed to four, finalists actually stop having the traditional eliminated contestant dinners each Wednesday night. ‘I went through the Taco Bell drive-thru, ‘ Elliott said of one of his last weeks on the show.”
  • “Producers are considering bumping the age limit for contestants up to 30. ‘The dance program that I’m involved in [‘So You Think You Can Dance’], we moved that to 30, ‘ Lythgoe said. ‘So there’s a possibility in the future we could go to 30, but after that you have to say, ‘Who is buying the records?’ And I’m not sure that you want to begin at an age older than 30. [People do find success after age 30], don’t get me wrong, but Idol is about trying to make young people’s dreams come true. I don’t want anybody that is too locked into their ways. They have got to be fresh and open to ideas.'”

The producers release vote totals at the end of the season? To whom?  I think raising the age limit to 30 is a great idea.  While they are at it, they should raise the bottom too.  18-30 would be a perfect range.

I wonder who the big female superstar is?  I wonder if “The time is not right” really means, “We weren’t backing a girl to win this year.  Maybe next year.”