American Idol 2

benj · 01-31-2003, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zooropa
The only episode I ever watched was the first one because a friend said, "Hey, look at this new show that's on." Being unfamiliar with it, I turned to it and was horrified. I guess the comedy aspect is good, but can't you get that same kind of comedy just by turning on MTV and watching the videos they play? On either American Idol or MTV you can laugh at people making fools of themselves. And then the people on American Idol are making fools of themselves competing to see who gets to win a record deal and be on MTV and make fools of themselves even more! A ridiculous but humorous twist. I know I sound cynical, but isn't this true?

MTV is more tragic than comedic. It is funny, on American Idol, they have let a through people make it to the next round just because of their image being marketable. Another person was almost held back because he didn't have the right look, although he may have been more talented that the guy who had the look. This show is all business and no art. This is a machine and this is the new input.

I am also fascinated by the fact that many of the contestants have no idea that they are tone-deaf. This baffles me. Some of the worst singers in the world go out for this and really expect that they will make it. What is wrong with them?

**Rach** · 01-31-2003, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by benj
I am also fascinated by the fact that many of the contestants have no idea that they are tone-deaf. This baffles me. Some of the worst singers in the world go out for this and really expect that they will make it. What is wrong with them?

I would have to agree with this point. It is positivly comedic to see some of these people trying. Not to mention murder on the ears.

Zooropa · 01-31-2003, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by benj
MTV is more tragic than comedic. It is funny, on American Idol, they have let a through people make it to the next round just because of their image being marketable.

Yeah it is tragic. It's tragic that idiocy is marketable. I wonder if we would have ever known a lot of the great classic artists if this image marketing had existed (at least on such a large level) a few decades ago.

benj · 01-31-2003, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zooropa
Yeah it is tragic. It's tragic that idiocy is marketable. I wonder if we would have ever known a lot of the great classic artists if this image marketing had existed (at least on such a large level) a few decades ago.

If they were marketable, I bet we would have... What do you think has caused this shift from great quality music to garbage? Did the people ask or did the marketing sceme tell them? I honestly don't know. On some level, we must have consented, but where did it first break in? MTV's appearance on the scene? The music video?

Zooropa · 01-31-2003, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by benj
If they were marketable, I bet we would have... What do you think has caused this shift from great quality music to garbage? Did the people ask or did the marketing sceme tell them? I honestly don't know. On some level, we must have consented, but where did it first break in? MTV's appearance on the scene? The music video?

I don't know man. Image without substance has existed for decades, but it has never dominated like it does now. MTV is definately responsible for the most part. I think a lot of it has to do with this generation of the general public just being dumber somehow......actually that can't be right. I don't think they're dumber overall, they just don't think for themselves as much as previous generations. It's a tough question to answer, but I'm going to lay most of the blame on MTV. Not because I'm trying to be hip and anti-MTV, but because it's the truth. What else could have possibly been behind this shift except for maybe a lack of good, accessible rock/pop music? After Cobain died and the middle of the 90's ended, popular music entered a really awful period. I think that's the time most of this began. Wow, we've really strayed off topic here. Perhaps we should start a thread in secular music to try and answer this question?

benj · 01-31-2003, 04:09 AM

Yeah, that'd be a great idea, man. I'd really like to see what everyone's thoughts are on who or what started this massive slouch of quality to crap. And when exactly did it start? I wonder if an MTV-esque entity could have existed during the Beatles, or Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Dylan, CSN&Y, etc.

I tend to think MTV too. The fact that they manufacture the bands like Limp Bizkit is one aspect of their guilt. They work under the guise of serving the people's wants with TRL although there is not really a choice in the matter, and even if there were, no one would know who else to request thanks to MTV's brainwashing. They run basically a monopoly on the pre-teen to gen-X demographic (that might be an understatement). These points, at least, seem to point the figer squarely at them.

baseballboy · 01-31-2003, 05:33 PM

I don't regularly watch American Idol but I did see one episode. There was this one guy that was so terrible and he thought of himself as a great singer. And after they sent him away he kept telling people that he made it. Then he even went back to the waiting room saying that the judges asked him to come back. Another guy I only saw sing for a little bit. He had a really bad voice and he was singing The National Anthem but he had all the words mixed up. "Oh say can you see, light, the rockets glare..." I wonder if he tried to or if he really didn't know how to sing it.

HyperKnux24 · 02-01-2003, 11:34 AM

I only watch the auditions. They're so funny! This one girl wouldn't let them say no. This one guy stunk really bad, and when they just stared at him when he finished, he thought that they were speechless because of his greatness and started again. Poor Simon, man.