Wednesday
Jan142009
The Beast is back and why I watch It
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 12:51PM
You love it, or you hate it. But let's face it. the Beast is back! Randy, Paula, Simon, Ryan and new judge Kara. I'm talking of course, American Idol.
Me? I love it. I love a good competition, especially a good karaoke competition. Most of all, it's another avenue for me to devour music.
I believe this show is my greatest guilty pleasure and I feel like I'm admitting a drug addiction. I've watched every year since Miss Kelly Clarkson took the crown. I vote by text for my favorite singers. I read fan blogs. I know, I am an insane freak.
What can I say, I'm one of those suckers who sings in the car, sometimes in the shower, sometimes in one of my rooms with headphones cranked up on high. I'm not any good, but music moves me to burst out in song once in a while.
Seriously, who doesn't at one point in their life want to be a musician? My idol growing up was Olivia Newton-John. You have no idea how many times I've watched Xanadu. I wanted to be in an all-girl band like the Go'Go's or the Bangles. I secretly wanted hair like Suzanne Hoffs, but wanted to rock out on the guitar like Jane Wiedlin. Yeah, that was a fantasy of mine, but the kids on this show might actually *be* the next Olivia Newton-John or rock out in a band like the Go-Go's
When I go to Karaoke, I scream with glee when I hear someone interpret "Call Me" with the same tone as Deborah Harry. I drop my jaw when I hear someone sound like Robert Plant. And yes, I have been known to grab the mic myself to sing with subtle applause shortly after my song ends.
I'm sensing you are starting to understand why I love this show.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
This year we were introduced to the newest judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi. She's penned tunes for Idols like Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, and Carrie Underwood. In my opinion, she's a welcome addition to a show that seems to have run its course. Her challenge to "Bikini Girl" is probably the water cooler talk of the day. Listen closely. Oh yeah, she did call that girl a bitch.
Feel free to hate on the industry that manufactures pop stars and chews them out as soon as they no longer sell copies of J-14 or Seventeen. Plus, the show is cheesy. Come on, Neil Diamond and Andrew Lloyd Webber theme nights? Honestly, it funny to watch the kids on the show struggle and admit they have never heard a Beatles song, till they were forced to sing one. Still, more power to you if you can walk away and not watch a single episode.
Seriously, there are a lot of things wrong about the show. I don't disagree that there are phony moments, and the title is rather smug. For some, it perpetuates celebrity worship when there are firefighters, doctors, and teachers that deserve more attention.
So why bother?
Still, within the beast of the show are real stories, and real people, just trying to make something of themselves, doing something that they love - singing and playing music. Sometimes I envy that, although I would never want to subject you to my version of "Eye of the Tiger" -- even though that happened on New Years Eve as I sang lead while playing Rock Band.
Yeah, there's the "Bikini Girl" looking for attention, but then there's a family man, trying to change his life and stop working on a dangerous an oil rig.
Yeah, there are enough tone deaf singers that could shatter the Sistine Chapel while auditioning. Still, there's always that one singer who sings from the heart. Watch at the end when Seacrest tries to give him a high-five. Classic.
And yeah, even I'm tired of the same "Paula vs. Simon" and is "Paula drinking again" shtick, but there's always the singers who break out from their own comfort zone. Do I believe she didn't tell her bandmates about auditioning? Hmmm, I'm not so sure, but I still think she's got a good voice.
(I would have embedded videos, but Fox is super anal about content on YouTube. Lame.)
I'm about to break out the sap here, but those are the stories and singers I watch out for. They may not win American Idol, and maybe they are better off not winning. But they are the people that I root for, people that I want to see succeed. That's why I bother watching this beast of a show. And dammit, it's entertaining!
Me? I love it. I love a good competition, especially a good karaoke competition. Most of all, it's another avenue for me to devour music.
I believe this show is my greatest guilty pleasure and I feel like I'm admitting a drug addiction. I've watched every year since Miss Kelly Clarkson took the crown. I vote by text for my favorite singers. I read fan blogs. I know, I am an insane freak.
What can I say, I'm one of those suckers who sings in the car, sometimes in the shower, sometimes in one of my rooms with headphones cranked up on high. I'm not any good, but music moves me to burst out in song once in a while.
Seriously, who doesn't at one point in their life want to be a musician? My idol growing up was Olivia Newton-John. You have no idea how many times I've watched Xanadu. I wanted to be in an all-girl band like the Go'Go's or the Bangles. I secretly wanted hair like Suzanne Hoffs, but wanted to rock out on the guitar like Jane Wiedlin. Yeah, that was a fantasy of mine, but the kids on this show might actually *be* the next Olivia Newton-John or rock out in a band like the Go-Go's
When I go to Karaoke, I scream with glee when I hear someone interpret "Call Me" with the same tone as Deborah Harry. I drop my jaw when I hear someone sound like Robert Plant. And yes, I have been known to grab the mic myself to sing with subtle applause shortly after my song ends.
I'm sensing you are starting to understand why I love this show.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
This year we were introduced to the newest judge, songwriter Kara DioGuardi. She's penned tunes for Idols like Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, and Carrie Underwood. In my opinion, she's a welcome addition to a show that seems to have run its course. Her challenge to "Bikini Girl" is probably the water cooler talk of the day. Listen closely. Oh yeah, she did call that girl a bitch.
Feel free to hate on the industry that manufactures pop stars and chews them out as soon as they no longer sell copies of J-14 or Seventeen. Plus, the show is cheesy. Come on, Neil Diamond and Andrew Lloyd Webber theme nights? Honestly, it funny to watch the kids on the show struggle and admit they have never heard a Beatles song, till they were forced to sing one. Still, more power to you if you can walk away and not watch a single episode.
Seriously, there are a lot of things wrong about the show. I don't disagree that there are phony moments, and the title is rather smug. For some, it perpetuates celebrity worship when there are firefighters, doctors, and teachers that deserve more attention.
So why bother?
Still, within the beast of the show are real stories, and real people, just trying to make something of themselves, doing something that they love - singing and playing music. Sometimes I envy that, although I would never want to subject you to my version of "Eye of the Tiger" -- even though that happened on New Years Eve as I sang lead while playing Rock Band.
Yeah, there's the "Bikini Girl" looking for attention, but then there's a family man, trying to change his life and stop working on a dangerous an oil rig.
Yeah, there are enough tone deaf singers that could shatter the Sistine Chapel while auditioning. Still, there's always that one singer who sings from the heart. Watch at the end when Seacrest tries to give him a high-five. Classic.
And yeah, even I'm tired of the same "Paula vs. Simon" and is "Paula drinking again" shtick, but there's always the singers who break out from their own comfort zone. Do I believe she didn't tell her bandmates about auditioning? Hmmm, I'm not so sure, but I still think she's got a good voice.
(I would have embedded videos, but Fox is super anal about content on YouTube. Lame.)
I'm about to break out the sap here, but those are the stories and singers I watch out for. They may not win American Idol, and maybe they are better off not winning. But they are the people that I root for, people that I want to see succeed. That's why I bother watching this beast of a show. And dammit, it's entertaining!
