“Idol” shows. American Idol. NZ Pop Idol. So You Want To Be An Idol. Survivor Island: Idol.
I don’t get them.
At all.
Apart from the schadenfreude of watching the shitpile auditions in the first episode, why would anyone watch this stuff? Ever? Any yet, they’re hugely popular, people love them. Sane, rational people. People who have arguments in front of me, at work, over who would be dropped and who go on the INSTANT DEATH round where there’s a cage match. That’s not actually true, there’s no cage match. If there were, I would actually watch. I’m one of those terrible people who think that The Running Man game show is a brilliant idea. But why watch beyond the crappy auditions? If you want to see Karaoke, go to a Karaoke bar. Get drunk. Participate. It’s much more fun than watching Karaoke on TV. If you want to see bitchy sniping and bullshit politics, go to your local gay bar. Or amateur/semi-pro theatre group. Why watch this idol stuff?
Also, what kind of person who claims to want to be a serious career musician, actually goes ON these shows? With one exception the “careers” of these people, post-idol-show, have majestically soared like the Challenger spacecraft, like a late-model Concorde leaping into flight, like the New Orleans Levee System, like a Metaphor Being Stretched Too Far And Snapping. You get the idea.
Surely anyone who really wants to be a professional muso should avoid these shows as if they were the Cursed Touch of Death to your credibility. Which of course, they are. How’re those Clay and Reuben dudes doing, these days? I seem to have somehow missed either of their latest chart-placing singles. I’m sure the dinner theatre and bar-mitzvah circuit has greatly benefited from both of them.
The exception, as mentioned earlier, is Kelly Clarkson, who’s doing very well. And even then, she had to keep a very low profile for a few years, then come back without ANY mention of American Idol in her marketing. _ANY_ mention.
I’m guessing, much like reality shows, these idol things are cheap to make, syndicatable, and if the artists do well, the idol producers get additional revenue in the form of points on income streams from future works by the artist. Nice deal.
Looks good for the producers, but I’m damned if I can figure out why so many people watch.
September 26, 2005 at 11:24 am
oddly I watch the Australian version every week. I post on the LJ community. I post the WEEKLY POLL.
*hangs head in shame*
September 26, 2005 at 12:08 pm
Hah,
I have not be assimulated, or whatever its called.
September 26, 2005 at 9:44 pm
Meh.. I guess the idea is that if you get some exposure singing on a reality show then you increase your chances of getting picked up by a “label”. I’m interested to see how easy it will be for that-girl-who-sung-Bohemian-Rhapsody-on-that-INXS-show-the-other-week to find a band to play behind her. Maybe rock is a little more forgiving than the pop scene.
But as far as TV goes, most people don’t analyse.. they vegetate.
It’s too much difficulty to critique what you are watching.. that’s why you watch television rather than, I dunno, reading a book or playing video games or (who would have thunk it) going for a walk.
Personally I treat TV like a treat radio, it’s okay for news but mostly it’s a sampler for what I can buy and/or get on my computer.
I only really use the TV for DVDs and videogames.
September 26, 2005 at 9:53 pm
I’m of the opinion that it’s far better to get opinions about the shows and discuss them to death than passively sit back and just suck it up.
September 28, 2005 at 9:13 am
I watch,
because I need some brain-numbing-ness at the end of a long day.
And I can’t believe Steve picked his nose on national tv! I doubt he will get the title of NZ Idol after that one!
September 28, 2005 at 12:01 pm
He did? I missed part of it. Whend did he pick his nose??? Wow, I feel bummed out now knowing I missed that. Steve has to go anyways. Not that I have anything against him, but he was due to leave way before Teresa. Then again, I’m biased.
September 29, 2005 at 4:48 am
Must .. resist … urge to kill
September 29, 2005 at 4:51 am
*hides*