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American Idol 2011
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Tilpots
macrumors 601
I can't believe we're watching the same show. Tyler is hilarious! I don't miss Paula, Kara, or Ellen one bit and while I enjoyed Simon at times, I think the show is better right now without him. This new AI seems much lighter and more fun to me. The judges are actually listening and critiquing where previously it was looking and tearing apart.
I think Hollywood is going to be very entertaining, too. These judges have let in a few more people than previous shows so watching them squirm a bit having to narrow the field will be interesting. Hope they can continue to be as positive and constructive as they have been so far.
I think when I look at the judges and the lighter feeling of it, it's a lot easier to watch. The overall feeling is kinder is the hardest judge there is Randy.
However, without the unfiltered boob that Simon Cowell is, we may not get the most honest feedback possible. Sure, Simon was not accurate with dissing Jennifer Hudson or was off his rocker mocking what was perhaps the best single performance with Fantasia talking about her "dress", but overall Simon gets it right most of the time.
I have the feeling that both Steven and J-Lo will be too nice this first season of theirs and it will take time for them to be useful as judges. Even Simon had to work through this process for a season before he got sharp. I will give the two new judges some slack but it will take this panel some time to get to speed.
What Steven and J-Lo lack are the comedy of Ellen, the honesty of Simon, and the studio and songwriting experience of Kara. Steven and J-Lo have the front stage experience but it doesn't take two judges as from earlier years when Paula filled the "performer" spot. Of course, while Randy has some on stage experience, he brings his music business and production capabilities to the table.
Only time will tell if AI made the right choice in picking two "performers" who may or may not have music business/production/songwriting experience over vast areas of those fields, but I will give this show one more chance.
On the bright side is that more contestants are going through to the next round and this may decrease overall quality, but also add a more diverse field to choose from. AI will implode on itself if they just make carbon copies of Idols from years past. While there are exceptions like Taylor and Lee, most AI winners seem to fit a "formula" not unlike building a top 40 star.
It is a good thing for AI that Jennifer Hudson picked up an Oscar so at least detractors won't say it's just about Grammys.
However, without the unfiltered boob that Simon Cowell is, we may not get the most honest feedback possible. Sure, Simon was not accurate with dissing Jennifer Hudson or was off his rocker mocking what was perhaps the best single performance with Fantasia talking about her "dress", but overall Simon gets it right most of the time.
I have the feeling that both Steven and J-Lo will be too nice this first season of theirs and it will take time for them to be useful as judges. Even Simon had to work through this process for a season before he got sharp. I will give the two new judges some slack but it will take this panel some time to get to speed.
What Steven and J-Lo lack are the comedy of Ellen, the honesty of Simon, and the studio and songwriting experience of Kara. Steven and J-Lo have the front stage experience but it doesn't take two judges as from earlier years when Paula filled the "performer" spot. Of course, while Randy has some on stage experience, he brings his music business and production capabilities to the table.
Only time will tell if AI made the right choice in picking two "performers" who may or may not have music business/production/songwriting experience over vast areas of those fields, but I will give this show one more chance.
On the bright side is that more contestants are going through to the next round and this may decrease overall quality, but also add a more diverse field to choose from. AI will implode on itself if they just make carbon copies of Idols from years past. While there are exceptions like Taylor and Lee, most AI winners seem to fit a "formula" not unlike building a top 40 star.
It is a good thing for AI that Jennifer Hudson picked up an Oscar so at least detractors won't say it's just about Grammys.
MacNut
macrumors Core
I gave up on watching. The audition shows are the same every year, find some great talent and mix in a load of crap to make fun of. It used to be entertaining to hear Simon's comments but now it is just the same old formula. The judges are letting way to many people through and I don't think they are a good a judge of talent anymore.
Randy was always to nice, Paula never had a real opinion, and Simon was far to harsh but between the 3 of them it worked. Then they added a 4th judge for no reason but to try to get more ratings and it failed. Ellen was a huge bomb and she didn't have any music experience. Kara was maybe the best judge and once they dropped Paula keeping the 3 person team would have worked, Kara was a great at finding talent and giving advice and the trio of Her Randy and Simon would have worked but they got greedy and went overboard.
Randy was always to nice, Paula never had a real opinion, and Simon was far to harsh but between the 3 of them it worked. Then they added a 4th judge for no reason but to try to get more ratings and it failed. Ellen was a huge bomb and she didn't have any music experience. Kara was maybe the best judge and once they dropped Paula keeping the 3 person team would have worked, Kara was a great at finding talent and giving advice and the trio of Her Randy and Simon would have worked but they got greedy and went overboard.
Yeah, I think the show works better without them. Although, I think Weird Al Yankovic should have been a judge. HA!
I don't know if the show is better, but it is different. I like the more friendly feel of the show, but Simon got to the point. There are just some people that should not be auditioning. This year, the judges are more nice.
It's a bit odd when Randy is the toughest one out there.
I've been avoiding the show this season. I like America's Got Talent better, as the acts are not just about singing. Heh, but the show is on before Human Target, so I might watch some parts of American Idol this year. The show gets more interesting as the acts get more competitive.
Randy is probably told to be tougher considering the company of softies he is around now.
I think he has become a little tougher but he won't be Simon yet. He can act the part and if he is consistently tough and demanding, then he will become the tough judge and people with their short memory won't remember when he was a pushover saying, "It just didn't do it for me, dog" vs. "You should do something besides singing"
Tonight, a local girl under the age limit will hopefully be shown in the SF auditions if her stuff didn't get thrown on the Fox cutting room floor during editing for AI. I hope they bend the rules for her since she has been a real star at our local elementary and later middle school and deserves a shot at being the next Hannah Montana type.
Also a few years before that, a 40-ish singer from our local town of 2,000 people got to sing for the famous AI judges who loved him but couldn't let him go further due to his age. He looks considerably younger than Taylor Hicks, btw. 🙂
We produce some amazing talent in our very rural Northern California hamlet, but so far they have been too young or too old. Not many people in their 20s (target age for AI) live here and if they do, they leave to the big cities of LA, San Jose, or SF, or even go off to Chicago or New York where other 20-ish people go to make their dreams come true.
Also a few years before that, a 40-ish singer from our local town of 2,000 people got to sing for the famous AI judges who loved him but couldn't let him go further due to his age. He looks considerably younger than Taylor Hicks, btw. 🙂
We produce some amazing talent in our very rural Northern California hamlet, but so far they have been too young or too old. Not many people in their 20s (target age for AI) live here and if they do, they leave to the big cities of LA, San Jose, or SF, or even go off to Chicago or New York where other 20-ish people go to make their dreams come true.
bobr1952
macrumors 68020
Father?--lol--more like grandfather at 62. But I like Steven--and JLo too. it certainly has freshened up the show and made me actually want to watch it this year. Say what you may about Steven but he has earned that position in my mind and JLo adds a fresh approach--and face. Randy--well Randy is Randy--just a bit tougher version. For me this season means you really don't have to treat the contestants like crap for entertainment value. 🙂
I am glad people can see the value in the new judges.
Where the other judges brought other good attributes to the show, the new ones are not trying to replace the others who presided over 9 seasons of a highly rated TV show, but want to continue that tradition.
And for now, AI has high ratings so the new judges have not hurt the franchise. But let's see how the new judges handle Hollywood. I hope all goes well.
If AI watcher leekohler, for instance, hates the new judges, I have a feeling much of the base of the show will ditch the program. I have been AI since season 2, and so far, it's better than expected. I thought J-Lo would be completely devoid of opinion and that Tyler may be too burned out to complete a full sentence, but so far they have fit in pretty good. 🙂
Even Ellen and Kara had a hard time adjusting, and I don't see J-Lo or Tyler doing any worse. Randy has to step up into the Simon role, as we all know, and be tougher and also coach the new judges as this judge thing is not an easy business. I think it's just as hard to say no as it is to say yes in some cases because there are so many people almost good enough (for that narrow AI TV format) and one day, an AI reject will outsell any AI top 12s.
MacNut
macrumors Core
I really think the show has been a setup since the beginning. The prescreening process is really what decides who goes and who stays during the auditions. The 3 judges only see a few hundred people out of 1000s who show up. The producers are most likely sending in people they want to see do good or bad. And I would bet that the people they really want to go far are given better chances to succeed.
Look at the live programs. The judges have a list of people they want to stay or go and by the way they critique the singers can sway the viewer at home in who they vote for. There is also a lot of fluff that is thrown in to start the show, actors go in and fill out the audition process to play to the camera. Do you really think that if people were such bad singers that they would really even get to see a judge, it is all for show. They know they suck the producers know they suck. The show is so predictable that you can basically pick who will win at the end. If the producers don't like the way the show is headed they will tell the judges to be harsher or softer.
Look at the live programs. The judges have a list of people they want to stay or go and by the way they critique the singers can sway the viewer at home in who they vote for. There is also a lot of fluff that is thrown in to start the show, actors go in and fill out the audition process to play to the camera. Do you really think that if people were such bad singers that they would really even get to see a judge, it is all for show. They know they suck the producers know they suck. The show is so predictable that you can basically pick who will win at the end. If the producers don't like the way the show is headed they will tell the judges to be harsher or softer.
leekohler
macrumors G5
I don't think it's that bad, TBH. But I don't know how much more life it has left in it. I don't rush home to watch it after work anymore, but I catch it if I have the time. That will most likely change depending on the singers they find.
What makes it hard to see the top judges is that you usually have to be good, unless you are completely horrible (and then you can become famous like William Hung). I wish the show would only allow for the truly good ones to get on to see the top judges, but making fun of truly bad singers when AI hits the big cities is probably great for ratings.
That part of being TV worthy (including being bad) makes the show pretty much a fake reality show, but not as fake as others. It was weird when I found out that Kelly Clarkson was a professional (although small time) singer before she won the first season of AI. That kind of tells you something. By the time professionals were acknowledged, AI saw the likes of professional backup singer Melinda Doolitle who I wished had won.
While I loved the reality show The Osbournes, and it was brave of the son (Jack Osbourne) to come out and tell the press that the show was scripted. Even though it's purely fake in almost every aspect, The Osbournes was highly entertaining.
Even though I love the show The Bachelor, evil Michelle is a seasoned actor who had to have her impressive IMDB site taken off lest people find out she isn't just some hairdresser from Utah.
And WWF/WWE got so outed for being fake, possibly even the rift between the dude with the black wraparound sunglasses and big boss McMahon, that some investors ditched that circus and went to UFC. I don't want to burst the bubble of those who think that UFC is any more real than WWF/WWE, but I have a friend who sets up their shows and another whose husband is on tour with UFC and similar MMA events/tours when he didn't make the big dance at WWE. There was a time I thought UFC may be more akin to a real sport like boxing, but the marketing of people like Kimbo Slice pretty much tells us that it's a warmed up WWF/WWE with a little grittiness thrown in.
And even if you go as far back to the dating game, you will see Andy Kaufman, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tom Selleck as bachelors there. Kind of strange, don't you think? (Selleck would go on the Ellen Degeneres show to pretty much tell everybody that all reality TV is fake. Heck, he should know from his dating game experiences, but I don't blame him for getting exposure since Magnum P.I. came out after his TV game show debut and the rest is history. 🙂
UPDATE:
Wow did you see that last contestant in San Francisco? He will definitely make top 12.
It's ironic that again in San Francisco, you find a powerhouse singer. Before it was Adam Lambert but this guy may be just as good.
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leekohler
macrumors G5
The ratings have been decent though, so I think it'll survive at least another year.
bobr1952
macrumors 68020
Different strokes--I love the judges--well maybe not so much with Randy. But I think both JLo and Steven have added a new freshness that was severely lacking with the old crew--I like the chemistry between all of them--even Ryan. I am enjoying this season much more than the last few and to me it proves you don't have to be a caustic idiot to every contestant in order to win good ratings. Speaking of ratings, the ratings for last night were the highest of any show since March 8, 2007 for a non-sporting event on a Thursday night.
Durbin is from my town 🙂 We are hoping he goes far. He's got quite the backstory, as do many of the contestants.
leekohler
macrumors G5
Yes, he does. I can only imagine what he's been through. The guy is a frickin' star though. He's so naturally talented. No need to feel sorry for him anymore. He's going to be just fine from here on out I bet.
Is it me or is this yet another season where the guys are quite a bit better as a group than the girls?
I don't think we will find the next Kelly, Fantasia, or Carrie this season.
It's hard to say how the judges will host this season though they seem OK as a group, but at least there are a few really great male singers this year to keep the attention on the contestants, as should be the case.
With all the cuts last night, some of them totally surprising, it's hard to predict how the fans will vote this year.
I don't think we will find the next Kelly, Fantasia, or Carrie this season.
It's hard to say how the judges will host this season though they seem OK as a group, but at least there are a few really great male singers this year to keep the attention on the contestants, as should be the case.
With all the cuts last night, some of them totally surprising, it's hard to predict how the fans will vote this year.
leekohler
macrumors G5
It's not just you. There will be a girl going home next week and the week after and after. They are not that good. The guys are really bringing it this year once again. I don't get it. The girls have not been very good the last few years. We won't even get a Crystal Bowersox this year.
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Crystal was that one shining exception. I really like her.
I hope the guy from my region, Santa Cruz, does well. I can see him making top 6, but then again I am biased. I am sure it's no big deal if somebody from Chicago makes it into the top 12 or if somebody from New York or LA gets into the competition. But Santa Cruz? Whoever heard of that, and it's one of the bigger towns in the area.
One year we had another Santa Cruz person, a girl, make it into the top 40 and that was a big deal here for a small town. She didn't go top 12 but she was like a star for us small town folk in the southern end of the valley of microchips and bad haircuts.
I like James (probably a finalist and rooting for him because he's hometown for me, too), Casey, Jacob (my favorite if I had to vote for Las Vegas odds), and Pia. I think Pia's the only girl who has a realistic shot at the top 3.
Adam Lambert was great tonight. I thought he was kind of the lone high singer of the entire IDOL franchise, but this year has a few who can hit the high notes and though I didn't like too much high singing, it seems to have found a home this season. Pia, Jacob, and James can hit the highest of notes.