American Idol - - Anyone Watching?????

Jessica's fans better step it up. I think if Jessica, Skylar, Joshua, Philip goes home before Colton, Hollie or Elise, there is definitely something wrong. I love Colton but I think he is at the bottom of those 4 I mentioned. Hollie is nowhere near any of them. I find Elise rather immature for her age...I got that feeling about her when she wanted to play the drums to open her song....why??? She had been in jeopardy weeks before and needed to hone in her singing skills not show us that she could play the drums, who really would care??

I love this quote from AI.

Cook, Allen, Dewyze, McCreery......... The last four winners are guys. The fact that McCreery is doing well isn't because America got it right is because America got lucky that the yet another guy they voted for can sell records. Not the case for the previous three. The sad part is they are not voting for talented singers but cute guys. 42

Too many teenagers this year & all singing at the top of their lungs, except maybe Phillip or Colton. Those 2 are getting the "good looking young guy" votes. Elise is good but won't make it much further because she's too old. I think a lot of older past fans aren't voting or, like me, have quit watching. I just tune in for the last 1/2 hour of the results show now. I opt for Survivor on Wed. night & Big Bang Theory on Thurs. As for the country singers they will pull in votes from all the c & w fans throughout the country. I predict Skylar will be top 2, maybe win.

Country fans embraced Idol after we got Carrie Underwood... they don't have to win to do well... aside from Josh Gracin (who's faltered several times since Season 2 in the country music market) most of the top country singers in Idol have done well no matter where they placed.

I'm not completely convinced that this wasn't a totally fabricated result. They needed to get a judges save vote in and so far the voting had been pretty well spot on...

That's interesting, Toni. Kelly Pickler also comes to mind. Didn't she come in fourth or fifth her year? She seems to have a steady if not a blockbuster career. It's possible that country singers don't always get enough of the general vote to win the whole thing (except for Carrie and Scotty), but they get enough nationwide notice on the show to attract country fans, who will then buy their music.

I also have noticed that a lot of the winners are in the cute guy category, and that they then don't necessarily do well commercially. I haven't watched regularly lately, though, so I don't have a clear picture of what's going on these days. My theory is still that on the current pop scene, female solo singers sell better than male solo singers.

This might be a case in point: I recently found out that the guys from the new hot boy band from the U.K., One Direction, auditioned for the British talent show X Factor as soloists, didn't succeed, and were put together by the producers (who include that man with the Midas touch, Simon Cowell) to form the band. They finished in third place on that show and are now being screamed at and fainted over by girls around the globe. Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell a cute guy factor multiplied by five by Simon Cowell.

The two singers I enjoyed most on various years, besides Carrie, were Fantasia Barrino and Melinda Doolittle. Fantasia won and has had some significant success, but her own personal difficulties have gotten in her way. (Compare her with Jennifer Hudson, whose exceptional stability has carried her through the murders of her relatives and has kept her sane through a truly whirlwind career.) Melinda, a wonderful song stylist, probably lacks the glamor for a really front-burner career, but man, can she warm up a song. I still play her YouTube performances of "My Funny Valentine" and the hysterical "Nutbush, Tennessee" and the completely hysterical "Trouble Is a Woman" when I need a lift. She would have made a great soloist in the big band era.

Here's "Trouble Is a Woman"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmfYDcW2xBU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL4CE6B848EC81FF08

Melinda was apparently not memorable as I thought she was someone completely different! LOL I never was on the Fantasia bandwagon.

So, Sanchez was saved? No one went home. Jessica reminds me of a few other 16 year olds with a big voice but dull. It comes down to...would I buy their CD? Most times the answer has been no, but Idol can claim some big finds. Kelly was wonderful and has made some decent if totally predictable pop. Carrie is a country superstar but there are so many. Lambert was so versatile, he should be the lead singer of a rock band. I guess these are not the days of many great bands. Though I am out of touch. Scotty McCreery is lucky that country is the genre that most like or tolerate. He is no big talent to me, but I have not heard what he has put on his CD. Does he write his own stuff? In these days of katie Perry, Gaga, Nicki Minag, Rhihanna, there seems to be a big market for gimmicks. I am no predictor of what sells tho. I thought rap would be a short lived thing with only inner city kids buying. I thought hip-hop just a rip of of true reggae and thought it would pass quickly. And I never thought Madonna was suited for more than aerobics music at the gym. If you told me she'd be around in her 50's still attracting crowds to concerts, I'd have laughed. I see very little talent in her except self-promotion and relentless ambition.

It disturbs me that she has been so successful since the 80's. It is preternatural. The prince of this world is her great friend. It is downright scary how many people thnk the Madonna is Madge Ciccione from Michigan. It seems all the more amazing that we had glorious popular music from the 40[s through the 70's with each decade rich with one talent after the next.

Imagine Motown and the British invasion both flowering in one decade? Idol is about finding the popular cute boy that the teenagers will spend their parent's bucks on. It was never more than this. I guess we should feel glad we have seen some great women come through, Kelly, Carrie, J Hud. I was watching the voice a bit but no one grabbed me so I kinda forgot about it.

With so much to deal with, TV seldom gets my attention sadly. I do think Smash is great fun and katherine McPhee is a talent. Not a great on, but a pretty one who has done well.

What I find odious about Idol is seeing Tyler lie a lot and then turn green with envy when lambert hits it to the moon, or durbin has a stellar rock performance. He was even jealous of Elise doing Led Zeppelin better than he could manage now. An J.Lo who is not a singer and barely a dancer. We can thank Puff Daddy for getting her in. She's a good rom com actress and very pretty. She is as talented a singer as Abdul, but Abdul was a great dancer/choreographer in her day. Randy got very lucky with this gig and will be there til they shut the lights off. He is not abrasive like Simon Cowell. The judges seem to be the show, given the signing of Howard Stern. Disgusting pervert that he is. So they give him a prime time gig.

Is it any wonder the Islamic world sees us as the enemy/purveyor of filth, etc? Idol keeps it clean and modest. I'm a fan sometime of DWTS, but could the girls be wearing much less?

I'm not ancient, but I'd love to see an old fasioned variety show with a bit of everything. Carol Burnett would not noticed in today's Hollywood. But Nicky Minaj is a big name "act." Well, enough rambling...I don't care who wins Idol. It is pretty irrelevant as none truly different and original has ever won, nor will it ever happen.

I'd like to see it turned into a show for the complete packages-singer songwriters displaying their original stuff, not just good voices doing the material of stars they often struggle to cover. But I don't guess there'd be an audience for the show I'd like to see-outside of you guys of course!

Stern is going to the XFactor, not Idol... I'm confused.

I wouldn't even be watching this season had my parents not been watching, honestly. Same with the voice, they watch so I do. I'm not a reality TV junkie, and honestly don't get my panties in a wad over what sells for pop music. I like country and contemp Christian. Idol's brought some great stuff to those genres, so I'm good with it. Colton will be a nice mix for the Christian side of things if he really does go that route.

Olympia said:

That's interesting, Toni. Kelly Pickler also comes to mind. Didn't she come in fourth or fifth her year? She seems to have a steady if not a blockbuster career. It's possible that country singers don't always get enough of the general vote to win the whole thing (except for Carrie and Scotty), but they get enough nationwide notice on the show to attract country fans, who will then buy their music.

I also have noticed that a lot of the winners are in the cute guy category, and that they then don't necessarily do well commercially. I haven't watched regularly lately, though, so I don't have a clear picture of what's going on these days. My theory is still that on the current pop scene, female solo singers sell better than male solo singers.

This might be a case in point: I recently found out that the guys from the new hot boy band from the U.K., One Direction, auditioned for the British talent show X Factor as soloists, didn't succeed, and were put together by the producers (who include that man with the Midas touch, Simon Cowell) to form the band. They finished in third place on that show and are now being screamed at and fainted over by girls around the globe. Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell a cute guy factor multiplied by five by Simon Cowell.

The two singers I enjoyed most on various years, besides Carrie, were Fantasia Barrino and Melinda Doolittle. Fantasia won and has had some significant success, but her own personal difficulties have gotten in her way. (Compare her with Jennifer Hudson, whose exceptional stability has carried her through the murders of her relatives and has kept her sane through a truly whirlwind career.) Melinda, a wonderful song stylist, probably lacks the glamor for a really front-burner career, but man, can she warm up a song. I still play her YouTube performances of "My Funny Valentine" and the hysterical "Nutbush, Tennessee" and the completely hysterical "Trouble Is a Woman" when I need a lift. She would have made a great soloist in the big band era.

Here's "Trouble Is a Woman"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmfYDcW2xBU&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL4CE6B848EC81FF08

Click to expand...

I really forget some great people, so many have come through. I really enjoyed the Fantasia we saw. "Summertime" was awesome and I never saw this performance of "Valentine" by Melinda who is such an appealing talent. Forgot all about her. Thanks for the links Olympia. So many people have covered that song but she did a truly beautiful job of it. No, She was not young enough or thin enough for Idol and its post winner production system.

Elise is a mature woman who sticks out like a sore thumb because of it. I am surprised she has made it this far. I will re-watch her cover of "whole Lotta Love" again, though it is pretty hard to watch anyone other than the original. I think she had the best performance so far, though I watch sporadically. Doesn't sound like I am missing much from this thread, though. Huge success now in music is seldom synonymous with great talent. If not for MK, I likely would never have heard of Eva Cassidy. She covers some of my favorite ballads with a voice that truly moves me- and her success was sadly after her early death at 33.

Tonichelle said:

Stern is going to the XFactor, not Idol... I'm confused.

I wouldn't even be watching this season had my parents not been watching, honestly. Same with the voice, they watch so I do. I'm not a reality TV junkie, and honestly don't get my panties in a wad over what sells for pop music. I like country and contemp Christian. Idol's brought some great stuff to those genres, so I'm good with it. Colton will be a nice mix for the Christian side of things if he really does go that route.

Click to expand...

Whereas I like classical, folk, and American standards (Jerome Kern and such), so I'm in an even greater pickle than you. But there's something fascinating about watching talent show up and start its journey, so I still enjoy watching from time to time.

By the way, did anyone see the Britain's Got Talent audition of Jonathan Antoine and his singing partner, Charlotte? This is a voice with a future!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsNlcr4frs4

Yes, Of course I left that out just typing fast-he'd never be welcome on idol. If you have ever seen Howard Stern's disgusting TV shows, you would definitely not want him on any prime time show, esp. people who like "contemp christian" music. On these shows, it is very important that the judges be big stars or in Stern's case disgusting and controversial. What does he know about music? As for Cowell, do you folks know while Nicole and Paula were fired by him? I wondered but not enough to google the gossip. Colton is not bad, nor offensive. I think he is like most the guys who won, forgettable after a year. I think McCreery has a longer shelf life only because he sings plain old country and is clean, sparkly, christian and acceptable to the whole country industry. I guess he will do better than the guys we have forgotten already. But I am not good at guessing trends of music since the 80's.

I love something or I tune it out. I hope a lot of Tv viewers will vote for their opinion of Stern as X-Factor judge by changing the channel or flip it off. He is a true misogynist.

I don't get upset about shows decisions like that. Especially when I don't watch - the XFactor is trying to get ratings. *shrugs* it could jump the shark completely, who knows, don't truly care. Again, not something I'm going to spend time getting upset over. My liking of Christian Music has nothing to do with it. The X Factor - I might point out, though - is not a singing competition. It's a Talent Competition. An act for Vegas. That's how we got Terry Factor (spelling?) who entertains with puppets...

Stern is going to America's Got Talent not the X-Factor...... 42

show 42 said:

Stern is going to America's Got Talent not the X-Factor...... 42

Click to expand...

thank you that's what I meant (obviously as I mentioned other winners from that show) I've got a 48 hour plus migraine going on... hard to think.

Tonichelle said:

I don't get upset about shows decisions like that. Especially when I don't watch - the XFactor is trying to get ratings. *shrugs* it could jump the shark completely, who knows, don't truly care. Again, not something I'm going to spend time getting upset over. My liking of Christian Music has nothing to do with it. The X Factor - I might point out, though - is not a singing competition. It's a Talent Competition. An act for Vegas. That's how we got Terry Factor (spelling?) who entertains with puppets...

Click to expand...

Yeah, we're kind of unused to talent shows these days, with dog acts and whatnot. Like the old Ed Sullivan show, which had the most amazing amalgam of puppet acts, ballet (Nureyev performed once), pop singers, stand-up comedians, and cutting-edge rockers like Elvis and the Beatles. A little of that stuff goes a looooong way with me. I think it's kind of a remnant of vaudeville; you can still see hints of it in some of the old "backstage" movie musicals. An example is Easter Parade, where at one point Fred Astaire and Judy Garland go onstage either before or after a man and his performing dogs.

You're actually in good company on Idol, I think, Toni. Several of the singers have either recorded music for the Christian music market or taken part in gospel or Christian albums as background singers. I think Melinda Doolittle sang in back of BeBe and/or CeCe Winans before her stint on Idol, and on one of the later shows, they performed with her.

I'm not as big a fan of Gospel as Contemp. Christian... And I haven't followed Idol since Carrie Underwood's season - so it's been a while. I watch it this year only because others in the house are (and there's nothing else on to watch).

Tonichelle said:

thank you that's what I meant (obviously as I mentioned other winners from that show) I've got a 48 hour plus migraine going on... hard to think.

Click to expand...

Me, too Migraine...if you can find nothing that helps, I can tell you the one thing that works for me to an extent. I think it's great we support contemporary christian, and if you have never seen howard stern in disgusting talk and the dehumanization and sexualization of women, it must be on youtube. I want to see America thumbs down him wheverever he shows up. He is so totally offensive to women, and makes huge money off being a misogynist. Why do people pay attention to him, nevermind pay him that money.

If you have litle results with whatever you use for migraine, I will tell you the compunded thing I have used over years-out of pocket-not covered for me, like so much. Feel better, Toni.

I think it's going to be very hard to get rid of someone tonight.

I thought the same thing last night, Dee... though I thought Elise was a weak link - I like he voice, I did not like her song choice for the first song, and I didn't like her changes to Let's Get It On...

I also was not impressed with Jessica... and Josh's second ssong wasn't impressive either... so I guess they'd be my bottom three, but they're all still amazing...

What a shocker!! Still can't believe who was sent home and who was saved.