I actually watched last night’s “American Idol” Season 11 premiere.
Yes, I’m the one.
Just kidding. Â There were actually quite a few people who watched last night. Â But 23% fewer than watched last year. Â
This show is dead.
It may limp along and have an occasional really good ratings night – but it’s all over. Â We all know it.
A couple of years ago, I said the show was dead as soon as Simon Cowell announced he was leaving.
I suppose I was wrong only because the show did continue – and actually had some nice moments last year – but creatively it was dead.
Last night, it was painful to watch Randy Jackson try to be the “tough” Simon-type judge. Â He just doesn’t have the verbal chops to pull it off.
“It was awful.” Â “That was really bad, dude.” Â “Just terrible.”
And you could see him trying to be the one with authority because Jennifer Lopez is too nice (but seems to be the only one trying to be constructive) and Steven Tyler too clueless to take on that role (though I actually like Steven Tyler and think he would have been a great addition instead of Kara DioGuardi in the year they thought they needed four judges).
Simon is desperately needed for this show to work. Â And, what’s really crazy is he DOESN’T work on his own show. Â I think “The X Factor” is terrible – just awful, dude (to quote Randy).
So Simon leaving “American Idol” basically made two shows suck.
Another problem, last night I realized the talent in this country is all the same (either that or the “AI” producers want the same talent).
- We had Tent Girl (Amy Brumfield) – who was basically Crystal Bowersox – (hopefully she can stay out of jail)
- We had Phillip Phillips – who is David Cook (among many others)
- We had a teenage Michael Jackson (who annoyingly fancies himself a lady’s man)
- We had some awkward Lee DeWyzes (more awkward than Lee DeWyze)
- We had a few Daughtrys
- We had some hot chicks who could barely carry a tune but made it through to Hollywood (because it’s a singing competition – you HAVE to have good looking people on the show)
- We had numerous Jennifer Hudsons
- We had a lot of country music types (can country music absorb another failed pop star?)
It’s just enough with these singing talent shows. Â The ratings drop-off year-over-year should be proving that America is getting tired of it and Hollywood is refusing to offer us something new.
But I understand how hard it is for Fox to give it up. Â It’s produced at a minimum cost (relative) and still gets double the ratings of any new scripted show they launch – so why not keep it going no matter how lame?
But that doesn’t mean I have to like it… or watch it.
Jill Kennedy – OnMedea
There was horrible moments cringe inducing moments last night. That girl singing in front of her entire family including the baseball player. Why would they do that? She is just okay but you know they just put her through so they could have that baseball player angle. I suppose I liked that Phillip phillips guy but he seems like a total mashup of all the other David Cook types out there. There seems to be one every year. And Tent Girl is like a total drunk and a felon.
Disagree; That girl can sing. She has some vocals on her and you can’t say she’s there because her baseball dad! If that was the case, don’t you think Jim Carrey’s daughter would be around just for the views? And Phillip Phillips is not like David Cook. I honesty think he has a interesting concept to his voice you guys seem to be ignoring and attempting to compare to someone else. You can say everyone sounds like David, but then you can go off and say David sounds like some other singer out there too. You’re only making comparisons because someone was before them that had a similar tone. Eventually everyone is going to say “They all sound like Adele”. A lot of singers sound like another person already out there, but it’s whether or not they can make employable works of art to make it to stardom. That’s what everyone forgets to open their eyes to is to someone’s potential. We all loved the first couple of seasons because it was new and there was variety. But all that variety will start to be really similar to all the other previous artist before them. It’s their music and story they express in their songs that will make them shine. So stop accusing and give these people a chance.
This is the first year I didn’t watch. Oversaturation with all these reality/talent shows is part of the problem, but honestly, based on the last few years with no real breakout talents, and the amount of good scripted shows I watch, and the amount of filler in these shows, I feel it’s not really worth 3 hours of my time a week.
Tyler and Jackson were much more annoying with their “gorgeous girl, can’t think or talk” stupefied-faces reaction than Jennifer’s pretty fair assessment of her talent.
There were only a couple that I thought deserved to go through. I think they’ve just exhausted the talent pools and don’t really care anymore.
This show has lost all it’s luster. I stopped watching after about the 4th season. The show really sucks now.
As an ardent American Idol hater, I can’t wait for this crap to be canceled. Worthless garbage. I don’t care about people looking to become ’stars’. I do look for quality entertainment on TV. AI isn’t it and never will be.
I watched last night and actually got moved by a couple of the singers who made it through. The problem is the track record. With the exception of Carrie Underwood there isn’t a legitimate superstar to come from the competition. Many have done okay and are making a living but so what. The career paths are underwhelming for the winners. So who cares.
I heard that Tent Girl has already posted on her Facebook page that she is out of the competition. What a loser – can’t even follow a confidentiality agreement.
I just heard that, too. I would say, to put it nicely, the girl has a few personal problems in her life.
I totally agree. iused to watch it all all the time. Now it’s sort of on in the background or a Tivo it and never watch it. Its time is over.
Same thing happened with Who Wants To Be a Millionaire years ago. At first it was a great show, then ABC had it only every night, then twice a night and finally everyone grew tired of it. There’s too many of these talent / singing / dancing shows now and they have sealed their own fate.
“… so why not keep it going no matter how lame?”
The same philosophy applies to why The Simpsons is still on.
True – but I have a much softer stance on “The Simpsons” because I love it so much. To me, it’s the greatest comedy series ever with the best writing in the history of the medium. Period. So I cut “The Simpsons” a lot of slack – and, I actually laugh quite a few times every week – even though I know it’s not the same as it used to be.
To quote Groucho Marx:
I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
He said this in the late 1950’s, seems that nothings changed.
I really love to watch American Idol since you can always find some ordinary person with lots of gifted talent in that tv show. American idol is a great singing contest that everyone should watch.