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American Idol
Topic Started: Jan 22 2009, 06:27 PM (448 Views)
Caldera
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Hail to the Hammer!
What do you guys think about this show? Love it, like it, dislike it, hate it? Tell us about it!

I personally think that this show is a disgrace to music. Yeah, I'll admit the auditions are entertaining, but other than that I can't stand it. The whole concept is fucked up. I hate how they make it seem like you can go for any genre, when really it's nothing but pop-oriented music. Yes, there's some rock here and there, maybe some hip hop, a little country, but it's all done the "mainstream way." It's really ruining the music industry, making it worse than it was. They say it's all about your talents, but they also base everything on how you look. (IE: The bikini girl on the first audition this season. Yeah, she had the looks, but her voice sucked. Did they make her go home? No, they passed her. Why? She was barely wearing anything.)... I honestly think that this show adds onto America's ignorance. It's shows like this is why some people call the television the "idiot box." It just about makes me want to move to another country. You wonder why our standardized test scores are lower than Europe's. -_-

Anyway, enough of my ranting. What do you guys think? =)
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Hexxmann
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Pocket Fulla Nasty!
It's cause we're Americans, dammit, and we're NEVER wrong about anything.

Honestly, I don't really care for this show too much. You've pretty much summed up my reasons why, Cal. Yeah, it may be slightly amusing with the auditions, but I simply am unable to make myself sit there for a whole episode, despite this. First commercial break and I'm usually outta there. I like a little bit of the original music that they use on the show (that is, when sung by the artist that created it). I'll just say what my guitar teacher from back in high school said once: "Nothing but a show for one-hit wonders."
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Carwo
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That One Guy
Honestly I don't find it all that bad. I take it for what it is. A show that is there to entertain. It's like Dancing with the Stars or America's Got Talent. Sure it may not show case the best talent there is but do you really expect it to? As for also basing decisions on looks, I don't see anything too wrong with that. Usually someone who is passionate about it will also care about their looks since millions of people are going to see them on stage. Sure some people take it too far like the bikini girl you mentioned, but do you seriously think they'll last to the next round? No they won't. That's when they actually start getting rigorous in their critiques.

And in reality I think that there is actually a good side to American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, and other shows of that ilk. They expose younger kids to singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Perhaps they were never interested in it before, but after watching the show they may actually think that it'd be cool to try it. Who knows, some of them may really get invested into that one particular skill and instead of aspiring to be on one of those shows, they may instead want to aim higher and perhaps start their own band or try out for Broadway.

There are a million other intricacies I could go into (hyperbole much, Carlo?) but I'll just leave it at that.

PS: Our standardized test scores fail cause our education system is fail.
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Caldera
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Hail to the Hammer!
Carwo
Jan 23 2009, 04:45 AM
Honestly I don't find it all that bad. I take it for what it is. A show that is there to entertain. It's like Dancing with the Stars or America's Got Talent. Sure it may not show case the best talent there is but do you really expect it to? As for also basing decisions on looks, I don't see anything too wrong with that. Usually someone who is passionate about it will also care about their looks since millions of people are going to see them on stage. Sure some people take it too far like the bikini girl you mentioned, but do you seriously think they'll last to the next round? No they won't. That's when they actually start getting rigorous in their critiques.

And in reality I think that there is actually a good side to American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, and other shows of that ilk. They expose younger kids to singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Perhaps they were never interested in it before, but after watching the show they may actually think that it'd be cool to try it. Who knows, some of them may really get invested into that one particular skill and instead of aspiring to be on one of those shows, they may instead want to aim higher and perhaps start their own band or try out for Broadway.

There are a million other intricacies I could go into (hyperbole much, Carlo?) but I'll just leave it at that.

PS: Our standardized test scores fail cause our education system is fail.
Well I respect your opinion, and I'll admit, you made a pretty good point there as far as influencing kids to take up singing or dancing or playing musical instruments. But I still think it's contributing a lot to the failure of the music industry today. And by that I mean it mainly promotes music that is only made to sell sell sell instead of music that actually has all-around good artistic quality. I'm not necessarily saying that the contestants don't have any talent though, don't get me wrong on that. But to me personally that seems to be all that AI is all about, showcasing only what the media says is good. I like to stray away from what the media tells me is the hottest thing on the market. It may be the hottest thing out there, but that doesn't really mean that it's good (in my opinion), you know what I mean? I'm not gonna go crazy over something because it's all over the internet/tv and all my friends play it on their MP3 players all the time, I have to try it out first, see if I like it because I find it original or whatever (even if it is "mainstream," which usually happens every once in a while). And more than likely one week it'll be on the top charts, then the next week there's a totally different song in the same spot while the first one goes WAY down. That's one thing I hate about America, music just doesn't seem to be relevant much here, although I'm sure we do have some good talent out there somewhere, you just have to look REALLY hard for them. Whereas in Europe for example, I've heard some stuff from over there that actually sounds anywhere from decent to great, even with the genres I'm not really crazy about (pop, rap/hip hop, etc). I've heard very little music here in the states with the kind of quality they have over in Europe, music that has relevant meaning and is artistic... And out of the other shows you mentioned, I would much rather watch Dancing with the Stars any night. They have some popular stuff on there, but they also showcase other things like Broadway musicals, jazz, salsa, etc. They mix the old with the new. As for AI, they only showcase the new. I haven't heard much anything on there that's appealing, if anything at all.

And going back to the topic on basing things on looks, I do agree that looking your best is a great thing to do, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. What I was getting at is how you could have a good looking person come in and they'd have a better chance of passing the auditions (even if they are over-confident about themselves). But when you get a not-so-good-looking person in there, even if they look their absolute best, are totally selfless, can sing really well and show passion for it, they would probably have a better chance at failing regardless. At least that's how it all seems to me from what I've seen of it.

But all that's just me. =/

PS: Ain't that the truth. The high school I graduated from is living proof of that.
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Carwo
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That One Guy
Yeah I get what you're saying. But that's just how America is. People want to get rich fast with minimal effort and if they can do that by going on a show, sing for a bit, and get a million bucks then they'll do it. Same with most of the music labels. They'll pick someone up the moment they become popular just to sell sell sell. Most music labels are in it not to promote talent but to make cash. But there are a few golden eggs out there that really just want to showcase someone's talent and it's our jobs to go find those labels and those artists. It's just sad that the big labels have the money to plug their half-way decent artists into every media outlet there is. But that's just how America works and there is nothing we can do about it, save just ignoring them.
I think that was the point you were making in your first few sentences, if not lemme know.

As for the media showcasing only what they think is good, just don't let them get to you. I haven't listened to anything on MTV, the radio, or any other popular music facet in over half a decade. I find songs through my friends or through the internet. I'm sure that's how all of us here are. But sadly not everyone is fortunate enough to be like us and find their own music. Either because they don't know of the existence of music outside of the mainstream or they just don't care, it's the way they want their music and there's nothing we can do about it because that's how influential the media is.

As for your point about Europe, I really don't follow that one. Sure there is a lot of great European music, I have a ton from there as well. But Europe also has it's own "mainstream" music. Just look at their charts. Now don't tell me you actually follow who is number 1 over there. And half the time there are American artists in the top 10. It's the same all over the world. The mainstream stigma doesn't end in America. And I'm sure there are a bunch of people in different countries ranting about "mainstream" like we are.
Again if that's not the point you were going for, just correct me.

As for the looks thing again, yes the better looking person will usually get past. But sadly that's just how America is and again there is nothing we can do about it. But occasionally there are a few contestants that break that rule. If you remember Clay Aiken looked like a huge ass nerd when he first appeared. Of course they prettied him up once he advanced a few rounds. Another exception was the red headed kid who sand like Frank Sinatra. While he only made it to the top 5, he made it there solely on his amazing singing voice. As for the bikini girl, do you really think she'll make it to the next round? No she won't. She was there just for amusement and probably a viewers boost (everyone's talking about her) and that's it. Everyone will forget about her until the recap episode that usually happens at the end of the season.

In the end it seems like you have more trouble with the music industry as a whole instead of just American Idol, which is pretty much an extension of the music industry. In the end there's not much an individual can do about it except moan and groan. If as a group, though, we can rally enough people (it'd have to be in the millions) we can slowly shape the music industry into something better. Radiohead and Trent Reznor have begun a small movement that if continued could radically change how things are done. And if enough people follow them, then I believe we will see some change in the foreseeable future.

Also I'd like to say I don't watch American Idol save for maybe 4 episodes in total. I just don't see anything wrong with it as an entertainment program so I'm playing devil's advocate here.
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LadySheDevil
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The daytime... OF THE NIGHT.
I don't even find it entertaining... Just incredibly painful to watch. Even the people who have won in the past... Can't say I'm a fan. :/

Though I did like the aforementioned redhead that sounded like Sinatra... Go figure.

And it's weird, considering my general disdain toward all of the Idol shows... I LOVE So You Think You Can Dance... Hm.
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Seta
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Vote fore Sanjaiya!
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Silver
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I don't find it entertaining, I watched it when I was younger because I had nothing better to do. Nothing against it in concept, people like to see others rise from being nothing to being rich. Gives them hope for the future. I do think it's a damn shame that more people call in to that show than vote in elections, not to mention the fact that adtime during American Idol is now at $700,000 for a minute that's Superbowl level insanity.
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Houdini Splicer
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Adam Lambert's Fag Hag
I love AI ^^;; I've been watching it since the first season. Don't know what got me hooked but....yeah xD I don't like a lot of the past winners though to be honest :x Only one I remotely like is Kelly Clarkson. Other than that....yeah. I don't give a shit about Fantasia, Reuben, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, etc....Blah. I don't agree with any of that shit xo

Funny though, since I can't stand most other reality shows......as in, this is the one and only show like this I watch :o
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Houdini Splicer
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Adam Lambert's Fag Hag
Double post, I don't care, look how long it's been. And this is an important announcement.


ADAM LAMBERT

That is all.
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