American Idol, Season 5 **Official Discussion Thread**

[tarmand]

Here's my take on last night. I liked the rocker guy from North Carolina whose wife said this was his big chance. He's got a different voice and I enjoyed his audition. I don't think the little cowboy was good enough to go on to Hollywood. I don't see him making the first round cut there, but I think it was nice of the judges to let this kid fly on a plane since that is his dream. The sixteen year old girl was amazing. She had such control and I could have listened to her sing all night. I loved that her dad said she got her talent from him and her mom said that she must have taken it all. Too funny! I didn't like the chick from Houston who was saying this is her last hope. She said she got evicted and moved in with her cousin and they are about to get evicted, yet they managed to find the money to get her and about 16 of her family and friends from Houston to Denver and have matching shirts made up. I don't get that. Use that money to pay your rent so that you and your kid aren't out on the streets. It's great to have dreams, but unfortunately, you also have to have responsibility. I'm hoping that I'm wrong, but my first judgement was that she's got a good voice, but won't be willing to put in the hard work required for the competition. Yes, I'm being judgemental, but every year they try to pull at your heartsrings with some poor person who has no where to live and needs this to go on in life. Well, I need to win the lottery but I understand that my bills have to be paid before I can spend the money on lottery tickets.

 

[Nancy]

I didn't like the chick from Houston who was saying this is her last hope. She said she got evicted and moved in with her cousin and they are about to get evicted, yet they managed to find the money to get her and about 16 of her family and friends from Houston to Denver and have matching shirts made up. I don't get that. Use that money to pay your rent so that you and your kid aren't out on the streets. It's great to have dreams, but unfortunately, you also have to have responsibility. I'm hoping that I'm wrong, but my first judgement was that she's got a good voice, but won't be willing to put in the hard work required for the competition. Yes, I'm being judgemental, but every year they try to pull at your heartsrings with some poor person who has no where to live and needs this to go on in life. Well, I need to win the lottery but I understand that my bills have to be paid before I can spend the money on lottery tickets.

I am so glad you said that about the Kansas girl because I said that to my kids last night! She was saying she was evicted, now she lives with her cousin and they are being evicted so she has no where to go home to. BUT there she has her whole family with her. I'm sure she could move in with them. I did think she could sing, we didn't need the sob story from her. I think a lot of the stuff is staged

I do not like the reality shows on a whole, Idol is the only one I watch. I don't like Simons rudeness, but sometimes it's what these people need to hear, and if they want to be in show business they better get used to it.


Oh yeah I also need to win the lottery!!!

 

[CathrynRose]

i watch Paula, she is usually nice and doesn't want to offend anyone. But with these (what I called staged performers) she is so outspoken and rude.
!

INteresting observation - Im going to pay closer attention. I think youre right!

 

[lovetheparks]

She said she got evicted and moved in with her cousin and they are about to get evicted, yet they managed to find the money to get her and about 16 of her family and friends from Houston to Denver and have matching shirts made up. I don't get that. Use that money to pay your rent so that you and your kid aren't out on the streets.

I was thinking the same about the t-shirts. I was like OK they are what? Close to $10 a pop at least, there's a good chunk of rent money right there! (Didn't catch that they were from another city as I'd TiVO'd and was skimming)

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Weirdest Moments: The cowboy kid who had never been off the farm and is now going to Hollywood.

While I don't know if Carrie Underwood left the farm before Idol--she had never really been out there before either.

(Remember the star sitings question in Hollywood...and she looked up at the sky. )

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Here's my take on last night. I liked the rocker guy from North Carolina whose wife said this was his big chance. He's got a different voice and I enjoyed his audition. I don't think the little cowboy was good enough to go on to Hollywood. I don't see him making the first round cut there, but I think it was nice of

Simon seemed to want to let him go if he could get voice lessons before the plane trip ever came up.

For a first time public performance and the kid didn't suck--Simon was impressed.

I hope he can get the lessons. Otherwise, he's going to get raked over the coals in Hollywood.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

INteresting observation - Im going to pay closer attention. I think youre right!

I think she's getting irritated herself with the *mockery* auditions. I think after the "I shot the sheriff" (but not the deputy, of course!) guy--after he left the room and she looked at I guess the producers and said "Seriously". I don't mind those who can't see making it through--but the ones getting through b/c they have a costume or are delusional about their talents...while funny...I wouldn't be happy to sit through auditions all day long like that either.

 

[tarmand]

I was thinking the same about the t-shirts. I was like OK they are what? Close to $10 a pop at least, there's a good chunk of rent money right there! (Didn't catch that they were from another city as I'd TiVO'd and was skimming)

I thought they were from Houston, but the above poster said Kansas so maybe I was wrong. But regardless, they weren't from Denver. I like to see the back story on people, but it is unfair to the contestants that don't get their story out. Someone might be more inclined to vote for this girl because they feel sorry for her when another contestant might be just as poor and they just didn't get to whine about it on the pre-shows.

 

[tarmand]

Simon seemed to want to let him go if he could get voice lessons before the plane trip ever came up.

For a first time public performance and the kid didn't suck--Simon was impressed.

I hope he can get the lessons. Otherwise, he's going to get raked over the coals in Hollywood.

I admit that he has a good voice, but I'm with Paula; he's not ready for the competition. Heck, up until now, he's only sang to his turkey. I'm glad he's getting the chance, but I think he'll get cut and have to try again next year.

 

[ckay87]

OMG - sorry if this was mentioned already, but...what about the girl-boy (was it Zachary?) This drives me crazy - people who really go out of the way to be freaky and then are so hurt and surprised when that freakiness is responded to. "I don't get it, I'm just being myself. Society is so cruel, bla bla bla."

Call me mean, but I'd be self-conscious if I left the house with an outfit that didn't match!

 

[tarmand]

OMG - sorry if this was mentioned already, but...what about the girl-boy (was it Zachary?) This drives me crazy - people who really go out of the way to be freaky and then are so hurt and surprised when that freakiness is responded to. "I don't get it, I'm just being myself. Society is so cruel, bla bla bla."

Call me mean, but I'd be self-conscious if I left the house with an outfit that didn't match!

That was just sad. I mean, he was so adament that he was a "guy" but yet he dressed and acted like a girl. And he couldn't understand why people were confused?

 

[Feralpeg]

I'm not discounting that Simon is rude, he is. He can be pretty darn mean and callous at times. But we (Americans) didn't make Simon a star. He was a star in his own right with Pop Idol, a British talent search show, before American Idol even started. This has nothing to do with "our" society.

And I'm far from an expert on the situation because I'm not talented in these fields, but from what I have heard from those people that do attend auditions for things like singing jobs and acting jobs, Broadway, etc. this is the norm. The judges are harsh and you have to have pretty darn thick skin to survive.

I know I said I wasn't going to post on this again. Sorry! This got the best of me.

DD auditions all the time for acting jobs. Yes, she is very used to rejection. That is just part of being an actor. However, she has never had anyone be downright rude or say nasty things. In fact, they are always very nice. Following your audition, they thank you and you leave. You simply don't hear anything if you don't book. Of course, they are not auditioning people in front of a camera with their objective being to use the audition to entertain. I still think Simon goes to far.

I didn't watch AI last night and don't intend to watch going forth. I just wanted to clarify the fact that not all people holding auditions act like Simon.

 

[macraven]

the judges do what they have to in order to sell the show to the audience and increase ratings......

it's all about the $$.
guess what the cost for commercials are for the AI time period.


i enjoy the fun to it all. the beginning shows in the past show the flops and amusing contestants. it helps to draw the audience in.

 

[Shugardrawers]

The gender confused guy reminded me of my niece's attitude. He has a feminine look, plays it up and then has the nerve to be hurt when the judges mention it??? Thankfully she's getting past this but my niece loved to dress all in black with that heavy duty goth look. She thought she should be able to work anywhere, even a CPA office because she was just "being herself". She got upset when people made judgements based on her appearance. Ummm that's what you are giving them to work with ding dong!

I don't get why people feel the need to argue with the judges too. The answer is no and all the arguing in the world won't change their minds. If you are fired from a job do you really think arguing and using profanity will make your employer reconsider?

Finally, I get the whole 30 seconds on national tv thing. The stupid costumes almost guarentee that. Problem is when people who *might* be other wise decent aren't even given consideration because they weren't serious about it. Case in point, the guy who dressed as the statue of liberty. From what little I heard he sounded like he might actually be able to sing but because of his silliness they just sent him away. In the end, after all the idiots are shown the door, it's a serious competition with much at stake. Why would you blow that by acting like an freak??

 

[wvrevy]

Oh, come ON folks ! It isn't like this is the first season of Idol or anything. You don't think those people going in there that couldn't sing knew what they were getting into ? Please...They wanted their 15 mintes, and they got it. You don't dress yourself in a tablecloth from a bad italian restraunt and expect to be taken seriously.

As for Simon, he's simply saying what a lot of us are thinking, even if we've the tact to not state it out loud. Is he arrogant ? Absolutely. But he is not, in any way, shape, or form, "ignorant." The man knows his business, and knows what will work and what won't. He gives the idiots that show up the brutal truth...and while it may be brutal, it IS still "truth." Which is worse: him telling them that they need to find another career and stop wasting their time, or Paula giving them false hope?

I am, and will remain, a HUGE fan of the show. If you want to watch a touchy feely talent competition, turn the channel to Ed McMahon. The music biz ain't Sunday school. If they can't handle tough criticism, they've got no business being on this show (especially now, when it is well known that Simon doesn't easily suffer fools).

 

[MamaLema]

I can't stand when the contestants go ballistic after the audition pretending not to care.

Of course you do. That's why you stood 5 hours in the rain and slept on the ground for 2 nights.

I feel for the contestants that say "I gave it my best shot" They have so much more class

 

[Tiger926]

wvrevy - I guess you're missing the point. It's plain to see that some of the participants are mentally unstable - no one needs to be a psychologist or psychiatrist to see that. Some of them can't speak, don't look in the eye, snap, etc. and that's not from nerves! It's plain exploitation, no matter how you look at it. Saying that it's ok because he is toughening them up is not acceptable - the show's producers are exploiting these fragile people, front and centre and these people are not well enough or with it enough to see that! Zachary, the gender confused teenager is a perfect example of how dangerous this type of attitude is - there is no other reason that the producers put this boy on stage then to exploit him, period, yet there are good singers who don't get to go in front of the judge, hmm? Doesn't take a genius to see what is going on there!

It's funny that so many people think that Simon is so great at what he does, when he hasn't worked with anyone in the same league that Randy Jackson has produced: Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, for example, yet he's fooled peoople into thinking that he's the end all, be all of the music industry. I'm not saying he doesn't know his stuff, but he's extremely narcisstic and arrogant in a self serving way. Does anyone really believe that he cares about any of the people he's auditioning? I don't think so! He doesn't seem to care about his own partners in crime, the other judges, so realistically, I don't expect him to notice when people are not all there, but when the time comes and he's assaulted, I'm sure the whole world is going to hear about how someone dared to cross his path and hurt him, meanwhile, he emotionally hurts people each and every week for ratings! Am I justifying someone assaulting him, absolutely not, but his, "I'm the best record executive around and it's my job to tell people how this biz works" attitude is not only old and tired, but it's ignorant and unecessary.

I for one have stopped watching because of him, Tiger

 

[Nancy]

First off, I think every single one of those contestants know exactly what is going on. You don't believe for one second that they haven't already signed all kinds of papers and waivers if they are getting in front of the judges? If they are being filmed and then shown on TV they are well aware ahead of time what is going on. They couldn't show them on TV without something in writing...if not they would have tons of lawsuits on their hands. It's a TV show, as much as it is a reality show, I think it is a staged reality show up to a point. I don't see any of the contestants as being mentally unstable, I see them as being dillusional about how good they are. But I guess if your Mom and Grandma tell you haow great you are and cry when you sing then being brought back down to reality is a hard blow. I think alot of the "unstableness" you see is a big act. It got them on TV, it worked.

 

[SideshowBob]

Oh, come ON folks ! It isn't like this is the first season of Idol or anything. You don't think those people going in there that couldn't sing knew what they were getting into ? Please...They wanted their 15 mintes, and they got it. You don't dress yourself in a tablecloth from a bad italian restraunt and expect to be taken seriously.

As for Simon, he's simply saying what a lot of us are thinking, even if we've the tact to not state it out loud. Is he arrogant ? Absolutely. But he is not, in any way, shape, or form, "ignorant." The man knows his business, and knows what will work and what won't. He gives the idiots that show up the brutal truth...and while it may be brutal, it IS still "truth." Which is worse: him telling them that they need to find another career and stop wasting their time, or Paula giving them false hope?

I am, and will remain, a HUGE fan of the show. If you want to watch a touchy feely talent competition, turn the channel to Ed McMahon. The music biz ain't Sunday school. If they can't handle tough criticism, they've got no business being on this show (especially now, when it is well known that Simon doesn't easily suffer fools).

Shocking, I know... but SSB had NEVER seen it until last night... was pretty good stuff. May have to keep up with this year, so added to HDDVR!

PS: congrats on final ranking of WV!

 

[lillygator]

as I said in a previous post earlier in this thread...if these mentally challenged people are going to be driven to the edge at some point in their life - it could a number of things to do that....not necessarily AI - I mean, if they don't go to the audition and they are so unstable I am sure something else that happens to them in life will bring them to the edge...and if they have family giving them false hope then that is the family exploiting them, not the show