Ya know… I think I am about to crucify myself here. After reading through our “Live Show” thread in the Forum, where everyone, east coast time, gets together to watch American Idol and cheer, or jeer, the contestants live, it seems I am very alone in my thoughts on this season. So here it goes, my random thoughts, which I think will be very unpopular on the opinion scale, on this years American Idol. I will admit that I have many random thoughts going on today about a few topics… American Idol, Charlie Sheen, politics… Sheen gets enough coverage as it is, politics would just get me in trouble with somebody, so American Idol it is!
I have to say that I am really, REALLY disappointed. I do like Casey Abrams, very talented and he makes me laugh. He shakes things up, makes songs his own, is lovable and down to earth, and isn’t afraid to flaunt his uniqueness. (Like the Bass playing in Hollywood week.) Otherwise, most of the others I seriously thought were horrible last night. That’s right, I said it. The notes were off, it sounded bad. People who I read some liked, I hated! Contestants that I thought I liked, I hated, or thought they were just blah.
I started off my review while watching as: 1. Meh. 2. Decent. 3. Awful. 4. Awful… Then I thought, is it me? Are my TV speakers just not very good? I have never been this pessimistic with this show. So, I called in my husband who has been known to disagree with me on many things, and he had the same opinions, without me saying a word. My teenage son, who usually spends most of his time in his teen cave, even stopped by to ask what horrible thing I was watching. So then I thought, it must be our television, because not one judge said anything about some of them hitting horrible notes, or it being Karaoke. Ok wait, I take that back. They would say things like “It’s a little pitchy in places, but it doesn’t matter, you rock!” Wait, huh? Isn’t that like saying that you weren’t in tune for a lot of that song, but it’s ok cause it doesn’t matter in this “singing” competition! I don’t get it. Unable to compute. No comprende!
Yeah, I miss Simon. Actually, that’s not necessarily true. I would be happy with a judge that just told it like it is. Coddling these contestants will NOT help them get anywhere, so to the judges I say, CUT THAT OUT. Someone needs to be the bad guy here. Please! Anyone! My guess? No one will step up. Randy is the closest to it, but still has to throw in a little coddle. J-Lo and Steven still have their careers to think about, and don’t want to say anything that may make them look bad. It’s too bad, because some realism is what is needed here. A Producer or label is not going to tell them it was “pitchy but doesn’t matter” or “your note was off, but you worked it out.”
My issues with the show however didn’t stop there. I had many, many more problems…
The backgrounds… Really? Put a River behind Scotty when he sings ‘The River’? Put rain and lightening behind Naima singing ‘Umbrella’? Oh wait I get it, she needs an umbrella so it must be raining! Oh I know, to make this even better, pan the camera at the bottom of the stage on the singer standing behind the very creative back drops, so we can see the hands waving in unison! Add the accompanying music to most of the performances last night… VERY Karaoke. I mean, add a keyboard beat to Thia’s ‘Smile’? Come on, you have to admit that was cheese. It’s like listening to these people sing to an upbeat elevator tune. I actually, finally, liked one (Thia) after a few of the more painful performances, and they add electronic beats? Why God of American Idol, why! And Paul! What happened? I liked that guy! Last night he sang, well, worse than me! I should be up there! (Trust me, no… I shouldn’t.)
AND WHERE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS? Some of these people are extremely talented when they have their instruments with them, but totally awkward on that big stage by themselves. We got to see them in Hollywood, are they banned now? Scotty mentioned backstage that he “didn’t have my guitar but” he thought he did well. Sounds to me like he was told no on the guitar. Yeah I know, it’s a “singing” competition, but seriously? I thought we were looking for the artist, and not just a singer. Once crowned “American Idol” will these people never pick up an instrument again? I doubt that. It isn’t “American Singer”, it’s “American Idol”. My guess is some of America’s great idols play instruments. I mean, we know Paul McCartney does, and he is James’ Idol right?
The whole production seems like an amateur competition this year to me, like the return of a higher end ‘Star Search’ if you will. The lighting, the music, the backgrounds, the waving arms, the screams, the arrangements, the judges never saying a bad word about anyone, no matter how they did… It must sound WAY different when there, because through my TV, most of them sounded totally off key. I am disappointed, and getting close to giving up this season to free up time for other shows. Heck knows I have other recorded things on my Tivo that have been neglected for a long, long time.
Yes I know, I am Yakkie Downer, and for that I do apologize, but I know there has to be someone out there that agrees with me! There just has to!
So… have at it folks. Let me know below how much you disagree, or agree (yeah right). Plus, come join us in the FORUM, cause if you haven’t, well, you are missing out!
Oh, and to bring things back up a bit, I will leave you with a random awesome video, instead of another downer thought. Watch it, then let me know if we can be friends again. There is a special guest in there singing, you won’t be disappointed!
After what constituted a record number of votes (over 122 million to be exact), the 2011 American Idol has been crowned. After a night full of (mostly) entertaining performances and not too many surprises (since we dispelled and confirmed some of the night’s rumors for you in our forum), the crown once worn by Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, David Cook and most recently Lee DeWyze has been handed down to the next most promising talent Nigel Lythgoe and company had to offer … Scotty McCreery. 
