American Idol Season 6
 

American Idol started today. I know a fair few of you have zero respect for it, but I find it hilarious in the beginning and actually quite engaging later on. It's certainly a fantastic excuse to be a hyper-critical music snob, and it's pumped out some decent artists.

Today's episode was kinda boring, though. Jewel was nice at times and slightly mean, but not often. And the idiots, while mildly entertaining, weren't fantastically funny. Tomorrow's episode looks bone-chillingly disturbing, though. There are some serious freaks living in Seattle.


PS, I think Simon Cowell would fit in at Gamingforce all too well. :(

I don't see how this show will recover after allowing Taylor Hicks to win.

Tonight's episode kind of reflects what he has done to the quality of contestants. They were neither talented nor funny.

Perhaps it was just the city, but I hope Seattle will pull through.

I vowed not to watch because it's taking over my House time :( But I did. Some of those people who sucked and whined about it, I hope they are watching themselves now and finally understanding.

I usually start watching when the last few episodes are on. I am not much for watching people singing, but the panel is fun to listen to. I wonder when they are going to stop this show.... I guess when it becomes unpopular.

Wow today was painful. x_X Sometimes I wonder how they can let those people have their full audition time. I honestly had to mute a few of them, and for that freaky kid with the wide creepy eyes and the disgustingly off-pitch voice I had to mute it and avert my eyes. Some of them were pretty funny, though, like that mom-daughter combo. Almost as good as that infinitely ditzy mother-daughter from last year. Yeah.

Also, that one black 16-year-old girl was fantastic.

I really wanted to watch the episode with Seattle(because Seattle is like home!), but I can't. My channel 13 sucks! It's all blurry and I can't make out anything.

Truth. Now, if only Bigblah would introduce an English accent function into these forums...

Anyway, instant winnar : Red's Bohemian Rhapsody. I was falling out of my chair laughing at that one. (Oh, Freddie Mercury, what have you wrought?)

I was impressed with that 16-year-old singer. I can see her going far in the competition.

I was literally afraid of the guy with the weird eyes and butt cut who sang Unchained Melody. Did anyone else notice how when he was feeling uber uncomfortable he'd sort of make this fist and punch it into his own side? What. the. hell. Sometimes I feel guilty in reveling in others' discomfort like that, but I can't help it. It's just too irresistible.

Last night my husband wondered how anyone could make it to adulthood and not have been told the truth about their lack of singing abilities, and he's right. I guess their families and friends were too nice for their own good. Either that, or they have been told they can't sing and just refuse to believe it. Either way, so sad.

I was thinking about that myself, but I came to a different conclusion. Their friends must encourage them on because it's just so damn hilarious. If I knew someone who sang like those people, I'd encourage them to go on Canadian Idol just for the hilarity of it.

Especially with freaky guy - he said his coworkers that convinced him to go on the show had never actually heard him sing. I can only assume that his immense social awkwardness was caused (in part at least) by some old-fashioned Utah sheltering (and possibly home schooling, since that happens a lot in the smaller towns in Utah, one of which he was from). He was SO BAD. I literally almost cried.

You know, you would think that the way this show crucifies people each year during the auditions that by now it would become a deterrent for many people, but it seems that more people from the freak show keep coming out for it. I guess they are just so socially inept that they don't see everyone laughing at them.

Seattle was definitely much better for the comedy, but the talent is still lacking. The only thing amazing about the 16 year old was the fact that she didn't look 16. I agree with Simon Cowell that she is just too sweet for her own good.

Yeah, you can tell when someone's a freak for the sake of getting onto the show, but there's still that really strong genuine-freak contingent that makes waves year in and year out.

For 16, she had the voice of a 26-year-old. She was good. They let that young guy go through (the Indian kid), and he was good, but you could tell his voice was way too young. I don't see him getting too far, because his voice won't be able to handle some of the stuff they're going to throw at him. The 16-year-old girl, on the other hand, will probably be able to handle it. Though I do agree she was a bit too sweet, and she was far from perfect in general. Just very good.

Does anyone remember the Johnny Cash-singing cow-hick from the Minneapolis episode? It said on screen that he lives in Elk River where I do, and I was laughing my ass off at him. Anyway, come to find out while I was at Applebees last night, that the dude works at the Applebees!!! It turns out that he was putting up a facade THE WHOLE TIME he was on. He went for his 5 minutes of fame and he got it. LMAO.

Fit in? I thought some of the people here took lessons from him? :D

I think the word you're looking for is delusional, in this day and age of the internets it's easy to find a group of cheerleaders for any wannabe singer to make them feel great, until that reality check slaps them in the face

Making a more general statement about the series here then a specific season, but am I the only one who finds the auditions more entertaining then the later elimination rounds?

It becomes so predictable since they normally choose the person they can market to even the lowest common denominator of people...

"screw the guy who sounds like the new james brown he's married with kids! But this guy... damn... he's young enough for the kids to have a crush on him and old enough for the adults to desire him too! A WINNER IS J00!"

Did anyone else think that he looked a lot like Brian Peppers?

Don't know who Brian Peppers is. :(

I think that a good indication of whether you'll get through the later rounds in Idol is how popular you were/are in high school. By the later rounds it's mostly popularity and looks rather than vocal quality, although there are abberations. For instance, Chris from last season was WAY more marketable than any of the eventual top 3, but he got voted off before they did.

Okay...if you saw that episode...it'd make you regret saying that.


And what the hell is up with all the news people jumping down Randy, Simon and Paula's throats about how they're "too mean". Of course they're going to be mean. Hell...all the horrid singers on there, are only on there cause they want to be the next William Hung. Honestly though, Hung doesn't sing that bad, compared to the people who want to be like him.

I think the editors have been mean in both their portrayal of people and what clips they choose to focus on, but that's about it.

And my cousin watched the Seattle episode today and I sat in on the fat kid's audition (the one AI is receiving flak for because he was Special Olympics and they think the show was unfair to him), but the judges were beyond nice to him, and though there was a bit too much focus on him, I think they were pretty fair overall.

I'm not really a fan of American Idol, I watch it from time to time when they get to Hollywood, but I just cannot sit through the bad auditions without having to change the channel halfway through. Yeah, they are supposed to be truthful, but some of those kids who go on there aren't there to be the next William Hung. Some of them actually think they can sing and before they actually go on to Randy, Paula, and Simon, they have more judges before them that say to some of the bad people that dress up crazy and whatever, "Hey, you are really good, so we want you to come back tommorrow and what you're wearing today, try to wear something like that tommorrow because we really like what we're seeing."

Anyway, some of the people on there that know they can't sing, but want attention is obvious. Then there are the people that think they can, but no one has told them they can't and people build up their hopes all the way to the final judges and then they humiliate them on national television, it's just horrible to watch. I know I'm going to get blasted with ridicule for this because, "That's what they signed up for when they decided to audition," but not everybody, actually most of the 'bad' contestants, on American Idol aren't really smart enough to realize that they can't sing and the people are lying to them just to get them through to be humiliated in front of millions.

Oh and do we really need 2-4 hours of these auditions for like 4-6 weeks?

I think (at least for Simon Cowell) the show has remained consistently mean in the past three or four years, but because some of the contestants are so pathetic now that people are starting to feel sorry for them.

But my question is, do you really think that American Idol is the only form of auditioning that is mean? I mean, maybe the only one that is broadcasted on TV for millions of people to see, but I hardly doubt auditioning for other venues outside of American Idol are any less humiliating at times.

I mean, come on. That one guy had crazy eyes. How can you market that while being taken seriously? To top it off, he can't even sing! So, Simon gave him actual reasons (granted, while being mean about it) why he will not be going through to Hollywood.

The way I see it, Randy, Paula, Simon, Ryan, and everyone else at American Idol have zero obligation to be nice or give constructive criticism. They are there to see the best.

I was in Seattle and I heard some really great singers...
Seattle is more talented than what the show made it out to be.

I did. XD.

My favorite from Seattle was the girl who sang Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me She was awesome but Simon was like, "Good song but you smiled too much"
The funniest audition was that kid who was in a rock band and kept singing like Creed (like he has a hoarse voice) and he sang Dancing Queen.

I'm not saying that American Idol is the only form of audition process that is mean. I know that there are so many auditions out there that have horrible people who say, "I'm sorry, but you cannot dance/sing/act worth crap." I've been to auditions like that. But you can't say that being humiliated in front of judges alone in a room or in a room with all dancers/singers/whatever is the same as being in that room with Randy, Paula, Simon and basically every other person in America. I know it is their job to be mean, and it has to be done, but I just hate how they focus 2 hours per show, for the next few weeks to show 30+ people that can't sing and maybe 5 who can and get invited to Hollywood.

It's mean and entertaining, if that's what people want to see, that's fine. I just think that some of those people auditioning don't know they can't sing and people tell them they can to humiliate them on tv. If you don't believe me, look at the people who come with their families and aren't there for attention and when they come out crying and everything, the families say, "I can't believe it, you're a great singer." or something like that. There is a difference between those people who havn't been told they aren't good and really believe it, and the ones who know they are bad and just want to be on tv.

I must say, Melinda Doolittle is the best thing to happen to American Idol in forever. She's amazing, pitch-perfect, has the most endearing personality combined with a huge stage presence, and if she doesn't make it to the end America has some serious owning up to do.

She's good, agreed.

More importantly, she's my ticket to big, cash prizes.

We'll gamble on just about anything at work. American Idol is no exception. When the 24 semi-finalists were announced, each of their names was placed on a popsicle stick. For $5, you got to randomly choose a stick. If the person on your stick wins, you win the whole cash pot, which is $120.

I put in $15 for three draws. I have Chris Richardson, Antonella Barba and Melinda Doolittle.

Antonella is $5 down the hole. Chris Richardson is okay, if not a little bit of a Justin Timberlake wannabe. He'll make Top 12 easily but probably won't get into the final six.

Melinda, however, has the goods to go the distance. Her only true competition could come from Lakisha Jones or possibly Chris Sligh, depending upon whether he delivers a few knockouts along the way.