And then there's Frenchie Davis - clearly Ruben and Clay's biggest competition from season two. The voluptuous vocal powerhouse, bounced after her pictures surfaced on an adult web site, is on board for another run in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical "Rent" this summer. She recently performed a leading role in the touring company of the legendary musical "Dreamgirls," and she's negotiating a record deal. I see the equation as follows: American Idol is an immensely popular show with millions of devoted viewers, many of whom express their identification with the show not only by watching, but by voting for their favorite contestants.
By an imperfect but roughly "objective" system of "expert" judging and viewer voting, talent slowly rises through the the show's pyramid structure, gaining a fair amount of exposure to dozens of contestants per season, more exposure to the 32 semi-finalists, and a lot of exposure to the 12 finalists, who as they move forward in the competition become celebrities in their own right, people the viewers feel they know and like (or they wouldn't vote for them).
Due to the exposure, and the fact that THIS IS A TALENT SHOW with the express purpose of exposing and developing talent, doesn't it make sense that a goodly amount of the talent exposed and developed would find a place in the greater show biz structure? Seems pretty obvious to me.
What does suprise me, though, and what the article doesn't get into, is not just that some of the more prominent contestants have found a place in professional show biz, but that the show has thus far generated at least three (Kelly, Clay, Ruben) genuine (at least so far) recording stars with real hit albums, singles and a legitimate shot at a real recording career. THAT is not something I expected to necessarily see: TV and recording are very different endeavors and success on one is not necessary and sufficient for success in the other.
Article comments
1 - Sandra Smallson
What is genuine aboyt Kelly, Clay or Rueben???
2 - Eric Olsen
What is "genuine" about them is that they are succeeding in selling records, have strong fan bases, get radio play, have established personal identities (Clay is already being parodied), and have clearly made the transition from talent show stars to recording stars.
3 - Sandra Smallson
I don't agree with the established personalities and as for the rest, that comes with the show so I don't see how it makes them "genuine". Actually, I don't see how those things make anybody genuine. Isn't that just part and parcel of being a recording Artist? Ofcourse, successfully selling records is because through the show they got a fanbase. The question is can they carry that fanbase along as they make their subsequent Album/s? As they evolve?(hopefully). Let's see how their next Albums go. Just like Will Young over here whose 2nd Album is very good and having penned the beautiful "leave right now" he can fade into obscurity for all I care but he is living proof of what I have always advocated. You can come from pop idol and be as credible as the unshaven bedraggled suicidal guitar player who's been playing in small bars/busking in tube stations for the last 5 years. "Leave right now" is a beautiful song that any Artist would have been delighted to have penned or recorded., be them the stupid "cooler than thou, can't stand pop, hate Britney Spears" types or the always reliable pop musicians like Britney/Xtina.
The point is, I don't see what's genuine about Clay(Can't tell you one song of his) Kelly( Like "timeless" with Guarini and there is another good one) Rueben(smooth voice).
Clay is being parodied because even if he were a desk clerk he has the look and mannerisms of a person who would be constantly parodied.
4 - Sandra Smallson
Forgot radio play. Look, Radio may be swayed by Political agendas and what have you these days but they are not completely stupid. You have music from performers on a show where people vote in their millions week in week out. It would be commercial suicide not to play the music from the show. I think the days where radio play meant anything of note are long gone.
5 - Mac Diva
I think that was the first news story I read today, Eric. I thought there was cognitive dissonance, too. Also, I don't know that the 'success' thesis is really supported. What the reporter supplies is tales of rather modest achievement and of things that have not really happened yet. Those contracts signed may have disappointing results. Frenchy's Dream Girls stint was only for three far off-Broadway cities. William Hung is famous for embarrassing himself.
Maybe we will hear the names of some of these people in five or even 10 years. But, I don't think many will still be in the limelight.
Sandra, I agreed with you about radio until considering exceptions. For example, Limp Bizkit made it by paying stations to play its first single and album. Eamon is the s- - - with the teens with a song that gets heavy urban rotation even though half the lyrics are bleeped. I guess radio still has some power to determine pop success.
6 - BRICKLAYER
Kelly Clarkson's booty is a star.
7 - AWILDA OPIO
I THINK WHAT THEY DID TO JENNIFER HUDSON IS A DISCRACE AND NOW HAVING TAKE OUT LATOYA IS REALLY HORRIBLE I THINK AMERICAN IDOL IS A RACIST SHOW AND I WILL NEVER SEE IT AGAIN IN MY LIFE
I DONT BELEIVE IT WAS AMERICAS VOTE I JUST THINK THAT THE SHOW IS RIGGED I AM
APPAULLED THAT WE CAN ALLOW A SHOW LIKE THIS TO BASH AFRICAN AMERICANS LIKE THIS
I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THEIR WONT BE ANOTHER AMERICAN IDOL ANYMORE.I AM DISCUSSTED WITH THIS SHOW I DONT EVEN WANT TO WATCH RYAN SEACREST ANYMORE CAUSE IF HE IS GONNA HAVE A PART OF THIS SHOW THATS WHAT IM GONN ACALL IT A SHOW THEN I WONT WATCH HIM EITHER CAUSE I FEEL HE NEEDS TO SPEAK UP
8 - Eric Olsen
I agree that LaToya is far more talented, polished and appealing than Jasmine or Diana, but I think it just came down to numbers and constituencies again. I still think it most likely that Fantasia, an African-American, will win, as did Ruben, an African-American, last season. But don't give up on the show, Fantasia needs your vote to win what (I think) is rightfully hers.
9 - eri
Maybe i want diana , jasmine, or john as idol because they are nice,good,behaved, kids. They have simple, clean, and reputable home backgrounds. They are not parents at the age of 19. They don't answer back to the judges even when disgustingly humiliated by Randy and Simon. Can we let Randy and Simon sing so we can judge them too? I'm sure they'd croak like frogs. In fact they look like it. Is Simon gay???? He pays attention to clothes, make-up...
10 - wolf
What some people think is "genuine", other people think may be designed. I was intrigued how the song "I Believe" would have such an effect as it has. So I sat down and got a transcription of the chords, together with the text that I found elsewhere on the web - and here is the result. Now, look at each "beat one" of any measure (I tried to write each chord at the syllable of the text on beat "one"): You will notice that from fluffy goal-focussed words without much binding to the first beat of the measures (the song starts off beat on beat two), there is a progression from a magical dream-world (check what words are used) directly to a short touchdown on fulfilling (waited, moment, arrive), warning from peril (obstacle, dream, apart) - directly to the last repeating chorus lines that has first beats deliver the screamed "higher", "higher", "higher". To an average American audience with all of their expectations, such a song is like crack. This song then is delivered by a Southern siren Barrino who basically spent her life singing songs in a religious context - in other words, by someone who is proficient at this. If you compare the chorus lines of Barrino with the ones DeGarmo sings (both of them deliver "I Believe"), you will see that the winner of AI is by far able to layer the words on in the technically better way. I thought this would be a good contribution to this discussion, because "I Believe" comes from the general direction of Tamyra Gray, and represents American Idol vibes.
11 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Wolf, very interesting analysis!
12 - Bob A. Booey
Wolf,
Bizarre but interesting. I like the detail, whether it's accurate or not.
That is all.