As I've mentioned before, this season of Idol and DWTS has been mostly uninspiring for me. I find the talent to be sub-par, the false drama more contrived than usual and the focus of the show has been taken away from the singers and focused more on the host and judges. Let's hope the show either gets back to its roots or dies a quick death.
I read an interesting piece on the judges save which said that the cost of saving Big Mike might be high. Of course it's high; everyone is in danger once again. And that's the way the show should be.
Each season, there is someone who is voted off seemingly before their time. Whether it was J-Hud, LaToya London or Chris Daughtry, the show at least had some danger to it. When one of the faves landed in the bottom 3, it only motivated their powervoters to work over time the next week. The save eliminated that, at least temporarily.
To me, Mike's loss to the show would not have been catastrophic. Let's face it: he's not going to win. But he's received a massive amount of face time and carried the early mantle of TCO. His style is too narrow and "America" has shown a reticence to brown people winning of late. He has a tremendously loyal bloc of fans (due in large part to the face time), yet I don't think he's picking up new voters (hence last week's elimination). Vocally he's in the aiiiiiiight category and doesn't show a lot of range.
Still, the judges had no choice but to save him. He's too valuable to the show to let go this early.
Speaking of casting, I think that's part of the reason why I'm tiring of the show. It seems that when the top 24/36 is picked, they're not really picking the best vocalists (like they used to). Rather, they're picking types: black girl with a big voice. Wide-eyed teenage boy. Cute blonde girl. "Rocker" guy. This season seemed to have a couple of everybody, and as a result, the crop was mostly mediocre.
Idol seems to have forgotten that its stated mission is to find the next popular music star. Not a rocker. Not a balladeer. Not a Janis Joplin wannabe. Not a country artist.
Pop star. Like Kelly Clarkson was.
In picking types and forcing the singers into themes that are ill-suited to modern radio (big band week, anyone?), they're ensuring the winner might do a bunch of different things well, but doesn't excel at any of them. It is any wonder then that so many of the Idols have essentially disappeared from mainstream radio?
To remedy this, I propose the following:
1. Limit the banter of the judges to actual constructive criticism.
2. Do away with the themes and guest artists who just want to shill their latest album.
3. More singing, less filler. That means all of the singing shows are no more than 90 minutes and all of the results shows stop after half an hour.
4. Replace Seacrest with a host who isn't so narcissistic that he/she thinks the show is all about them.
5. Open up the checkbook and make a rule that no songs will be used that were first released before 2000 (ten years ago).
This will make the singers current, it will maximise their exposure and it will do away with the silliness that has enveloped the show and made it less about the talent and more about selling commercials, product placement and other ancillary brands.
Of course, this will never happen, but we can dream, right?
Last week's theme was the Beatles and this week it's Elvis. Great, two artists who haven't had a live hit in 40 and 33 years respectively. Yeah, Idol, that's a way to stay modern.
Before anyone forgets, let me remind you that Elvis week was when Chris Daughtry got eliminated in one of the genuine "shockers" (which I will also remind you, I correctly predicted).
Two people are going home this week, and I can only hope that this is the week Aaron and Tim get sent packing.
I'm watching the show no-filler, which means that it's 8:23 and I've hit the pause button on the DVR. Idol was originally scheduled for 1 hour with Glee on at 9:00, but with the save, they couldn't eliminate 90 seconds of filler to accommodate the extra performance, so they added 30 minutes to the entire show. Yech.
The "mentor" this week is last season's runner-up, Adam Lambert. Katie needs to be reminded that he doesn't like girls.
Leading off the show is CBX, who is one of the others the judges would have saved. I don't think she's in danger, but who knows? She goes deep into the Elvis songbook for a nice, Bonnie Raitt-ish rendition of "Saved". I'd pay money to see her in concert. I'm not a big fan of blues or roadhouse music, but as usual, Crystal turns in a good solid performance that should have been saved for last. Was that Sheryl Crow in the "friends and family" seats? My only nitpick for Crystal is that she need some dental work done.
Next up is Neck Tattoo, whom the judges would not have used the save. He changes the arrangement and slows it down a little. I'm not a fan of this song, but I like that Andrew is trying something new with it. It doesn't really work for me. Simon told Crystal the liked that she didn't pick an "obvious" Elvis song and that she didn't just do a karaoke version. Andrew does both. I think he's fallen into the same trap that Paige did. About two weeks ago, she was on Letterman sitting in the with the band and she sounded good. It was as if the weight of the world was lifted from her shoulder and she was free to sing. Andrew still has that feel. I think he's scared and going too safe. It doesn't help him that the judges (and as a result the audience) won't let go of "Straight Up". It wasn't as bad as Randy, Kara and Simon said, but nor was it great.
I like Andrew's mom more than Seacrest's. The girl sitting next to Mama Seacrest is smokin' hawt, though.
Mrs. High Lord is willing to pay a large sum of money for Tim to be eliminated tomorrow. This is another "obvious" Elvis song and it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. He does a good job in pandering to the tweenie voters who are keeping him around. Who was Seacrest dancing with? And WTF is up with the false? It doesn't work for him. He should have taken Adam's advice on the ending. Mrs. High Lord says that the judges are all praising him because they're drinking the kool aid and realise that the only way to get him kicked off is to go the reverse psychology route.
The article I linked to above thinks that Lee has a shot a winning, but I don't. I don't understand why he's still around. He's singing the song that got Daughtry eliminated. I don't think his voice is a good as everyone else and I find him to be boring and flat. I simply don't think he has the charisma to be the "American Idol". That said, he turns in a respectable, if a little forgettable, performance.
Aaron, in case you didn't know, is only 16 years old and he makes Adam feel dirty. This is another bad karaoke version. He should have dressed up like the King because he comes off as a bad (underage) Elvis impersonator. I practically have to beg Mrs. High Lord to FF through the performance.
It seems that Mrs. High Lord and I are watching a different show than the three judges to the right of Simon.
We still haven't caught up with the show in real time, which is good. Siobhán is next and I can only wonder if the shrieking will return (I hope not). Someone call the Idol stylist and tell them that Siobhán should not be allowed to dress like Sheena Easton any more. I know the Idols were in Vegas, but that doesn't mean they had to stop by the Las Vegas Hilton to raid the wardrobe. It's too slow, but the vocals are very good, at least until the inevitable shouting at the end. The judges like the shouting, but I don't. I just want to hear her sing, which is good when she's not going over the top. I like that Siobhán says that she just loves to sing, which is what the show needs, not Kara trying to fit everyone into her convenient little boxes.
Kara's mouth is moving, but I can't understand the words she's saying. They're nonsensical and inane. I wish we could vote her off.
Seacrest's Dunkleman joke was just plain bad.
Like Tim, Big Mike is now officially on borrowed time. The arrangement is too slow, but at least it's not a straight cover. His pained, gospel-singer faces need to go. As does the false. Someone wake me when it's over. At least he doesn't end with a big money note.
After the best performance of last week, GHA once again makes my friend Mike (and Ellen) feel dirty by looking at her. I think she has finally realised that there is no point in playing things safe and has decided to go all-in every week. The two trips to the bottom 2 seem to have lit a fired under her and I like it. She's neither the most talented performer, nor the best entertainer, nor the best vocalist, but I think she really wants to win.
Over on ABC, Edyta and Aiden were whacked from DWTS. Mrs. High Lord can't stand Edyta because she makes the dances about her, not the celeb, which is the strong suit of Derek, Julianne and Cheryl. I thought Jake or Kate would get the axe this week, but I can't complain about Aiden's ouster. Since everyone knows that the show is Derek & Nicole's to lose, the order of elimination is the only thing in question, and that makes for a boring show.
Mrs. High Lord and I have finally caught up with the show live, just in time for Casey, who gets his first Pimp Spot of the season. As with all of his other performances, he doesn't venture out of his box, which plays well to his fans, but I don't think will be getting him any new voters. Like Crystal, I think he knows exactly what kind of performer he is and is using the show as a personal audition for his big payday after the tour rather than actually trying to win.
The Good
Crystal, "Saved"
The Bad
Casey, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy"
Lee, "A Little Less Conversation"
Katie, "Baby, What Do You Want Me to Do?"
Siobhán, "Suspicious Minds"
Andrew, "Hound Dog"
Mike, "In the Ghetto"
The Ugly
Tim, "Can't Help Falling in Love"
Aaron, "Blue Suede Shoes"
As usual, Crystal turns in the best performance of the night, something that shouldn't surprise us. Mrs. High Lord wants some combination of Aaron, Andrew, Lee and Tim eliminated, but I told her that won't happen any sooner than 3 weeks from now.
Who should be in the bottom 3: Aaron, Mike, Tim
Who will be in the bottom 3: Aaron, Andrew, Tim
Who should go home: Aaron, Tim
Who will go home: Andrew, Aaron
The girls are going to be safe for another three weeks or so. Until then, it's the guys who will be splitting votes and getting elminated.
Tomorrow, I think I'm going to be running the Grand Staircase with some buddies, so if you're on Elendilmir, look me up (Kindelle, level 59 elf hunter, almost level 60). I'll be watching the show so check back after the eliminations.
High Lord. Out.
EDIT: I forgot that two people were being eliminated, so I added a second person to the should/will go home lists. I think Tim will outlast Aaron with the tweenie voters, but I also think it's a given that Andrew will be on the chopping block.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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5 comments:
Ohmygosh, I don't even watch the show, but I *totally* agree with your smart wife about Edyta! Ugh, I cannot stand her preening.
I think you're right about the lack of drama due to the absence of a real competition - there's Crystal, and then there's everyone else. I'm thinking of it less as a contest and enjoying it more as a show, but I do hear what you're saying.
I hope you're right about Andrew; I missed most of the show, but the 10 seconds I heard of Hound Dog were not good.
Gotta be Andrew and Aaron going home. Or I start to believe that Andrew has some dirt on the producers.
You're right about Edyta, but she's such a gorgeous creature I like watching her anyway. I hadn't thought of it being "making it all about her" - I thought she was distracting us from the fact that her partner isn't really doing anything. so when it's over, you go "wow, that was GREAT" forgetting that the guy just stood there.
anyhoo.
I agree, Andrew and Aaron. I like both of their voices, but they're both just in way over their heads.
-betsy
I picture Dunkleman sitting at home stuffing his face, yelling at the TV and throwing things, like Ben Stiller at the end of Dodge Ball!
Aaron and Andrew are my picks as well. I thought Tim did very well!! I voted for him (don't tell Mrs. High Lord).
gotta disagree about the comment that "America doesn't like brown people" line. 3 of 8 winners have been "brown" people as you put it. America hasn't let any other minority type win or even get close, so some issues there, but seriously, what "brown" person should have won over the person who did? Thinking about it, each time they've made the final, they've won. To me, it's more a style issue. LaToya could have stayed longer, but she wasn't going to win, and as has been proven, loosing doesn't prevent a good artist/performer making it. Can't think of any songs from her on the radio.
I do like some of your ideas for changing the show, except the "nothing older than 2000 songs". Most of the audience won't know songs that young, and won't like most of the choices. Too many good covers of the older songs. And many of those older songs/groups/singers were better than much of the new stuff. it really is as Simon says, all about song selection. If you want to win, you have to understand that Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska et al. are the people you need to win over. It's strange, but the more I watch, the less I think people in NYC/LA/Chicago etc. vote, and the more I think it's the very rural types that do. Don't offend these people with tattoos, and don't offend their taste, you win. (how many winners would sell out in Branford? most? likely why Adam lost, Kris would work in Branford, not so much Adam, same with why Taylor was so popular)
As for last night, I think you are way off with Tim. He definitely wasn't bad last night, no where near the bottom, and won't be going home soon. He's one of the few who is improving week to week, and the banter with the judges the past weeks is making him a darling for standing up for himself. Tim is probably safe for 3 weeks if he doesn't have a terrible night.
Aaron needs to go, that was plain bad. Andrew probably goes, though Mike is still a possibility. Andrew disappointed me by not having his song change to a fast pace midway through. It felt to me like the song wanted to break into an up tempo piece, and he forced it not to.
For me, Crystal and Casey were ok, not great, normal good, but like the judges mentioned, the same, didn't risk anything, and did nothing to add voters or support.
I liked Katie's swagger and attempt to call out the judges through the song, so she'll likely pick up support with that. Tim as well, strong solo performance, moving and well sung. He is strengthening not only the young vote, but he's picking up in the rural America vote block. He may actually be the one person picking up voters every week as others go. And that's the key to winning. Katie might have started to as well.
Lee is looking less timid on stage, but I'm with you on his vocals just not moving me in any way that I care. Has a lot to work on to make me think he'd be a contender. Mike's was nice, and probably keeps him safe, but it's possible people have tired of his same ole' same ole' routine.
Siobhan will go probably at the top 5 week. Style will be offensive to the "rural" block, as will the tattoos. She's a little too much. If she were to dial back the hair and outfits, be tasteful and creative but not wild, and cover the tats, she'd be a shoe-in for top 3.
So when Aaron and Andrew go tonight, the big question is, who will those people support? The haven't been supporting CBX, Casey, Mike, etc., so they seem to like underdogs, or youth, or originality. So sounds like Tim, Katie, and CBX (for at least some of Andrews block). I wish we knew numbers of votes and could track voting movement over the years :)
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