Let me start off by saying I don't watch American Idol. It rewards style over substance and is all that is bad about karaoke writ large. But I have sat through this season once or twice, so I feel I can speak to this just a bit.
John Stevens is still in the running? Why in God's name is he still on the show? Actually, why was ever on the show? I'm sure he's the nice guy that everyone says he is, but the show is supposedly about who can sing well, not who has the best manners. The times that I have suffered through his work, he was atrocious. That he's gotten as far as he has is almost an indictment of democracy. (Yes, I know this isn't true democracy as one person can vote multiple times, but you get my point).
Simon has a thought or two on this as well:
Surely its the first time a vote has been so stupid that even the host starts to berate the people who called in? Ryan Seacrest started to admonish the audience after they kicked out Jennifer Hudson and left in Charles Kennedy [e]rm, John Stevens.
And what would form did that berating take?
America, don't forget you have to vote for the talent. You have to keep your favorites in the competition. You cannot let talent like this slip through the cracks.
For now, let's leave out whether or not the "talent like this" that AI has is so worth saving. I think I would pretty much chose the dulcet tones of cats humping over Mr. Stevens, um, singing.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sandra Smallson
U don't watch American Idol because it rewards style over substance? WRONG. Then u complain about John Stevens still being left? He has neither style nor substance. Therefore, the premise of your post is error strewn. Case closed. Jennifer Hudson was voted off? A travesty. She had style AND substance. You can not legislate for voters, clearly. But this myth of what these pop idol shows are about needs to be thrown out. Most of the competitiors through the seasons have been good singers, save a few. In the UK we have one who has moved over to classical music and is storming the classical charts. Yes, she can play the piano..but people like you would have watched her on the show at first and said..Karaoke singer, pop star, can't do shit. Now, she's playing Tchaikovsky and Mozart and the critics are singing her praises. She was the same bitch that was on the show, people..LOL. We have another who has written a classic timeless song called "Leave right now"..the critics are singing his praises. When he was on the show..he was disparaged as all the pop idol contestants often are. It only goes to show what you all know. This whole new trend of feeling cooler than thou when it comes to what music you like or what you think is music..is as false as the canned laughter on the last series of Friends.
2 - Stately Wayne Manor
Thank You Sandra. YAWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 - Chris Puzak
They could probably fix the "John Stevens problem" easily if they just had people vote for who they want off the show instead of who they want to keep on. That way you wouldn't have the good singers splitting the votes or people not voting because they think their favorite is too good to get voted off. Look at what happened the first season. Nikki McKibben hung around almost to the bitter end on the first season, and she couldn't cary a tune in a bucket. But, if all the bad singers wee thrown off early, the show would be boring, so I guess that's why they have it set up the way it is. Besides, with the horrible record contracts the American Idol producers sign the winners to, maybe the people getting voted off are the lucky ones.
4 - Mac Diva
I fear the only way to fix American Idol would be the fix the American hoi polloi. A lot of what is wrong with the program is also what's wrong with the populace.
I would like to know more about the AI contracts Chris (Puzak) mentioned. Hint: Instead of scads of reviews of each show by different BCs, someone could write about an ancillary issue like that. The entries would still be about AI but shed light on substantive aspects of show business.
5 - Chris Puzak
Come to think of it, I believe our very own Eric Olsen wrote about the American Idol contracts in a post about the show last year. I don't recall the title of the post though. I just remember the contracts seemed pretty bad, even by major label standards.
6 - Sandra Smallson
If the Contracts are bad, it is no reflection on society. It is a reflection of the greed of Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller who are both British:) Ofcourse, they represent a section of society i.e: record labels and bosses but I wouldn't look on the contracts as some example of society going to hell. We are on our way to hell for a variety of reasons. AI contracts hold little or no relevance when judging the issues of the populace.
7 - Sasha
I will preface this with admitting that I should not "complain" about the outcome of one week since I do not vote, however, with that said I have to just voice that either the entire voting audience is deaf, the competition is "rigged" in some way, too many adolescent young girls find John Stevens either cute or endearing (neither of which I understand), or there is some form or racism going on. The fact that the "three divas" were the bottom three is completely and utterly unbelievable. I don't care if you are 12, 24, 50, or 75 with a hearing aid, John Stevens is and has been so CLEARLY the WORST singer in the top 12 with ZERO personality that it is incomprehensible why he is still in the competition, let alone - not even in the bottom three, actually ranked ABOVE LaToya, Fantasia, and Jennifer. If this continues, I won't be a viewer of the show anymore. Not that it ever was "quality" tv, but the voting seemed relatively fair in previous seasons whereas this season has been one curveball after another. Come on American Idol Voters, do you understand what best singer means? And with that said, if I see another performance by John Stevens where I cringe at the sound of his voice and vomit as I see him reach for the camera with the most painfully boring and mechanical attempt at charisma at the end of his performance, I will scream!
8 - Sandra Smallson
...and the world will scream with you:)
9 - Stephen
People. Listen to me here. There's no racism. It's oversaturation. That week there were 3 virtually identical "divas". Three black girls that sing pretty much the same way and appeal to pretty much the same person. Catch my drift? The people that like diva soul singers had to pick their favorite of the three virtually identical singers. So, the result was one of the better singers getting booted because she was the least favorite in the group of three similar vocalists.
Make sense? Or am I crazy?
10 - Sandra Smallson
You make sense Stephen but it still makes no sense. Your point of three similar singers is well taken. Though, I think Latoya & Jenny sound less gospel than Fantasia.
The point is, are we to believe that John Stevens got more votes than Jennifer Hudson? The question was not to pick b/w the three singers. There was John stevens, diana Degarmo, the Haiwaan gal and George Huff who had his worst session on the day. It's not all about John though he is the worst..so you can not justify the daft vote with "over saturation". Was Jennifer Hudson the worst singer on the day? NO. Is Jennifer Hudson the least liked person on the show? I don't think so since she got the highest votes the week before. I don't know what happened and I am not sure I want to know.
11 - William
If people don't understand the concept of vote splitting, then people don't know much. I'm predicting right now that one of the two remaining black female singers will win this season's American Idol competition and hopefully put to rest this silly suggestion that the voting thus far has been tinged with racism. I'm still waiting for somebody to explain how a black man, Reuben Stoddard, could win last year's AI competition if the people doing the voting are so racist. Did the voters suddenly become more racist over the course of one year? I don't think so.
12 - Sheila McKenroe
We have thought that there is some electronic piracy going on since Amy first was eliminated. Felt sure this was the case when JPL (not the #1 but surely not the worst)eliminated. Now the three top performers were the bottom three. I have talked to people all over the country who were unable to vote for JPL the week he was eliminated. They tried from several places in the country and received busy signals for the entire allowed voting time. I know the lines can be tampered with, and feel sure someone is doing this. I don't know how, but ask a hacker. If y ou are a whiz with electronics, or have a job with AT&T maybe you have a way to do this. I don't feel this is a fair competition anymore and am totally losing interest in the show. Could it be someone who desperately wants one person to win? Or someone with a gripe towards AI that want the ratings to go down? Don't know.
13 - Mac Diva
Don't know what is going on either, Sheila. But, with late night television making it a joke and people like Elton John speaking out, American Idol is going to have to face up to its problems.
14 - Jennifer
I love watching American Idol, however, I don't get to vote since I live in an asian country.
It is with my hope that the fellow Americans would vote those who not only can sing but has plesant and humble personality as well. Initially, I kinda like Fantasia, but after her reluctance of accepting constructive criticism, I was totally turned off by her.
In my opinion, idols or even great performers should be a people person. Look at Princess Diana, she is not arrogant at all. The worst thing that could actually happen is Fantasia winning and she is a diva with an attitude - nobody likes that. Having the whole family actively involve in church, Fantasia should protray a more modest and humble person instead of the behavior that she protrays. I don't see any of the contestants giving off unspeakable acts and holding grudges weeks after weeks after weeks (hadn't she learnt to be a better Christian, to forgive and forget?)
Moreover, Simon is just being honest, like it or not. He is not there to win some presidential vote but he has a job to do. Everyone accepted his comment graciously but not her...... If one cannot accept constructive criticm in life, one cannot be a better person.
I guess she grew into having this big head since the day Paula said that Idol is Fantasia and she is a winner already even before entering the contest.
To Fantasia, stop pouting and grow up!
15 - Natalie Davis
Ruben won, but who got the adulation, the immediate cover of Rolling Stone, and the "benefit" of a nation musing that Ruben only won (and had the support of the judges) because of some affirmative-action mentality at AI? The John Stevens sorta-lookalike.
In truth, there are a lot of factors involved, but pigmentationism is surely one of them. The biggest one, however, IMO, is the lack of taste in general of the American public.
16 - Mac Diva
Props to Natalie.
I've been mulling the Ruben evasion, too. A fine singer, he. He deserved to win. But, he is also a very non-threatening African-American man. Could a black fellow who has 'flavor,' including sex appeal, do the same?
(I'm leaving Justin out because based on comments on the message boards, many white people do not realize he is of African descent.)
17 - Al Barger
No Diva, no one of ANY race with any "flavor" is going to get on this show. That's the classic problem with all these star search type shows every- they ALWAYS look for non-offensive lowest-common-denominator generic CRAP.
Leaving race entirely out of the picture, could you imagine Eminem or Bob Dylan either one coming up through this show?
Elvis Presley wouldn't have had a CHANCE on this show- they're looking for Pat Boone.
18 - Sandra Smallson
MacDiva, who is of African decent? Justin? Justin who?..lol..I want to withold my laughter till I get a response from you. I'll just chuckle, meanwhile.
I am in full support of every American Idol contestant's courage to chase their dreams. I may not like all of them but I admire their drive to try to grab this opportunity. It's all well and good to scribble in anonymity and disparage these people like we all do but "Everyone has a talent, what is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads." (Erica Jong) and "Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke.
Some may have personality, some may be bland, they are making the best and most of what they have infront of millions of people every week. What have you yourself done today to make you feel proud?!
The choice is allegedly there for the American Public to make. The American Public voted Dubya President. I am ashamed of myself that I would expect to find the voting on American Idol without any complications.
19 - Craig Lyndall
I don't doubt that as Natalie said, pigmentation had something to do with the Ruben v. Clay thing, but, I would argue that it was also a marketing thing. When they did those singles immediately after the show, Clay did Bridge Over Troubled Water. Ruben did Flying Without Wings. I don't even know what song that is. Again, Clay did Bridge Over Troubled Water. This, being one of the most well known songs in the history of rock music, makes for a much better entry into the market.
So, while I agree that race had something to do with it, I think there were other factors as well.
20 - Sandra Smallson
Flying without wings is a fantastic song that in my opinion can rank alongside Bridge over troubled waters. The difference is..FWW was sung by a "boyband" called WestLife. If Bob Dylan or Joni Mitchell had sang FWW everyone would have been all over it as a lyrical masterpiece and a ballad to stand the test of time. Now, it was made popular by little wee Westlife not even famous in America..and Clay is supposedly said to have gotten more recognition because he sang Bridge over troubled waters and not this "unknown" song.
No issue of whether it was a good song or not..It was just unknown compared to this rock history song..it really just gets sadder and sadder and it almost becomes devastating when you realise "they" don't even see the falseness in which "they" use to judge music.
21 - Craig Lyndall
Sandra, I am not sure what you are saying exactly with all your quotes and your last sentence there. The fact is that the song IS largely unknown, especially when compared to Bridge Over Troubled Water.
22 - Sandra Smallson
Let me break it down to you..The song IS largely unknown compared to Bridge Over Troubled waters. So? That means what exactly? Is that part justification for Clay on RS instead of Rubby in your view?
If so, it is further confirmation that no matter how "deep" or "cool" you think your musical tastes run, people are always willing to use "popularity" as a trump card when it suits them but spend the rest of the time spitting on "popular musicians".
I can not understand how you justify the mass attention on Clay in Comparison to the Rubster on some forlorn notion of the rock history of BOTW in comparison to FWW.
23 - Mac Diva
Justin Guarini, Sandra. Justin's father is African-American. His name was Bell before his mother married Guarini. Pops has quite the rep as a lady's man in Atlanta.
24 - Sandra Smallson
sorry macd..thot u meant timberlake..totally forgot about guarini
25 - Craig Lyndall
It is not a justification, but an explanation (among others) that explains Clay's popularity. So, yes, the difference between the two song selections is part of the explanation.
Then you have people saying it is a racial issue. I would say that is partially true as well.
Also, I think the difference between the two is that Clay is weird, which makes him a little more compelling. People were trying to figure out if he was gay or straight, and why he had his "moves" onstage which were also strange. These aren't a reason for popularity, but it leads to a more compelling story and thus more people thought it entertaining to read and write about Clay.
I am just saying it all goes much deeper than singing talent and/or race, although those are also factors.