American Idol Week 2 Auditions Season 8 (2009)

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As I watched this week’s American Idol tryouts, I was struck by the fact that they have become tired.  This, of course, is not good for the show, and may be the first chink in its up till now platinum armor.

The theme this year is definitely ‘style over substance.’  The producers have shown us three things so far, idiots, people with nice personalities and people with good back stories.  I have not been overly impressed the the singing ability of one person that they have shown so far (there have been three or four decent ones though).  I hold out hope that the really good singers just do not have the back-story or personality that the producers of the show are looking for this point.

I am going to take a preemptive shot at Idol here.  I have always disliked the group performance once the contestants make it to Hollywood.  There are always a few people who simply refuse to work with other people or do not have the talent to do so.  It just is not fair to send some good singers home because they are forced into a group containing someone who has a bad attitude.  Mark my words, that full-of-herself little girl from Puerto Rico with the irritating laugh will not be able to function in a group.

Speaking of her, that brings me to another point that is getting under my skin.  Last night the irritating little Puerto Rican made a statement that is being said on a regular basis by those who are trying out for the show, and some others who are dismissed from the show.  She said when asked why she was there, “I deserve to be the next American Idol.”   Look, I do not have a problem with a person having a positive attitude.  If she had just said, “I am going to be the next American Idol,” it would have been great, but hearing these kids many of whom are not even out of high school imply that they deserve to become the Idol is just wrong.  As the great Clint Eastwood once said, “Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.”  All these kids deserve is a high school diploma if they have earned it, and a swift kick in their asses to encourage them to get out of the house and become a productive member of society.

Finally, to Kara, shut the hell up and let Simon finish what he is saying.  Your bitchy little attitude that expects him to let you ramble on like Paula while at the same time expecting to be able to cut him off dissmissively whenever he comes close to criticizing someone you like (even if he’s trying to be constructive about it), is not going to fly.

American Idol racist?

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When I saw that the bottom two contestants on the stage were the only two black contestants left in the competition, I cringed.  I could hear the cries of racism in my mind.  When I got up this morning I did a quick Google search, and was disappointed to see that my suspicions were well founded.  I found people who thought American Idol was racist, America was racist, Simon was racist, and all of the above, due to the fact that Syesha and Chikezie were in the bottom two on last night’s Idol.

I want to say first, that I know there is racism in the US still to this day.  I have seen it on occasion, and as a white person, it makes me nauseous and embarrassed.  I once had a lady at a business ask me, “Do you know any women who might want a job…, you know white women?”  I felt as if I had been punched in the gut.  I had never been faced by this type of overt racism. It made me feel dirty, and I was offended that she thought she could include me in it.  I left as quickly as I could, but I regretted not saying something to her about it.

On another occasion, I was in a Wal-Mart with my wife (I do not tell this to disparage Wal-Mart, it just is the place where the event took place.  I personally love Wally World), and the lady running the fabric section was speaking to a lady customer from India (in traditional dress) as if she were a piece of trash.  I listened for a moment or two, and finally said, “If you don’t stop talking to her like that, I am going to get a manager.”  She stopped addressing her in the manner.  The Indian lady was so meek, that she thanked my wife for what I did, instead of me.  Two other customers who were standing there thanked me, and I still told the manager on the way out.  I felt pretty good about myself that day.  It was almost like I was part of one of those PSAs.  I brought all of this up to say that I know America still battles racism, but more and more it is a dying relic of another generation, and good riddance.  We’ll all be better when it’s gone.

What occurred on American Idol this week was not, however, an example of racism in America.  First of all, I think the American Idol audience deserves a little credit.  Many of the top contestants on Idol throughout the years have been black, and fully half of the winners have been black (Fantasia, Reuben, and Jordan). 

The problems that put Syesha and Chikezie in the bottom two had to do with them not racism.  As I have said before, I think that they both have two of the top voices in the competition, but their lack of success stems from elsewhere.

First, it should be noted that they both sang at the top of the show.  It is just a fact that a bad performance or a bad song choice at the beginning of the show can often be the death-knell for contestants.  While both sang well, they chose their songs poorly.  They were both boring and forgettable songs.  I stated in my last post that I do not believe the Motown love (or love-sick) song can win on Idol (look below for more information on this).  These songs come-off badly on Idol.  The only time they seem to work out for the contestant is when they are a Whitney or Aretha song with an incredible vocal, and then the contestants are playing with fire.  When Chikezie went away from this kind of music he did well, and Syesha seems to only shine when she is singing a Whitney song (which she does well).  I’ve said before that Syesha may have the best female voice in the competition, but she is also the most inconsistent person in the competition.

Personality is a big part of American Idol, and these two contestants have done little for themselves in this department.  Syesha seems detached and aloof from everything that is going on.  And that “baby cry” thing she has done twice may be the most irritating thing I’ve ever heard.  She does not emote well in her songs either.  All of these are reasons that she turns up in the bottom three from time to time, and some of the other contestants are so far ahead of her at this point in the personality department that the damage may be irreparable.

Chikezie, on the other hand, broke Idol rule number one: Do not argue with Simon, you will always look like an ass.  He argued with Simon on several occasions and at times came off angry or looked as if he were pouting.  These things do not go over with the Idol audience.  Self-effacing is the way to go, and David Archuleta is the poster-boy for this crowd-winning trait.  I will accept that there may be a cultural disconnect here.  It may not be appropriate to appear all self-effacing like Archuleta where Chikezie is from, and I can understand that, but it does not mean the audience is racist if there is a disconnect because of it.  Chikezie was a contestant, and it was his responsibility to win over the audience, not the audience’s responsibility to evaluate all of the cultural mores involved in the situation.

In the end these two found themselves in the bottom two because of personality, attitude and song choice.  Lighten up, not everything is about race.

Idol Results Show, March 26th

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I have had my say about the waste of time that the results show is on two other posts, so I will lay off griping about segments like “On the Air With Idol” this week.  My opinions have not changed, and if you would like to see them please see my other posts regarding the results show for the past two weeks (http://mycrocosmos.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/idol-wastes-another-hour-of-my-life/

and http://mycrocosmos.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/scatter-shooting-at-last-night%e2%80%99s-american-idol-results-show/ ).

On a positive note, the program started and ended on the hour, allowing my DVR to record without needless complications to other recordings, and the group song was the best this season, but that is not saying much considering the fact that I could see better down the road at Six Flags.  The iTunes sell-out was a little much with the eight brand mentions in about three minutes, but at least it was well produced.  And, the guest singer, Kimberly Locke (once again a former Idol contender) was very good.

We learned some things this week.  First, Carly, like Katharine MacPhee has had to endure the embarrassment of a pregnancy rumor while on the show.  This is not to say that pregnancy is embarrassing, but no woman wants to be accused of being pregnant when she is not, especially in front of all of America.  She handled it gracefully, though.  We also learned that the human skeleton, Dolly Parton will make her appearance next week (this may be a good time to have your remote handy in case you are forced to fast-forward or change channels).  Finally, Constantine Maroulis, from season four, once again proved that he is the creepiest contestant in the history of the show.  I would not let my daughter travel to any state if I knew he were in it.

The point of the show last night was to kick someone to the curb, and when I saw the last three, Chikezie, Syesha, and Jason Castro, I was mildly surprised.  My hopes for getting rid of Ramiele in short order were dashed.  If she can go first, sing that badly, and still not be in the bottom three, she will probably be there for a while.  She must have some charm, or those tears have bought her a lot of fans, but I just don’t get it.

I knew however, that this grouping did not bode well for Chikesie, and was proven right.  I still think he had one of the better voices in the competition.  I do not remember a wrong note by him this season, and his ability to sing a fast song, moving his voice up and down quickly while retaining great diction was unmatched this season.  His problems were two-fold, attitude (personality), and song choice.

Arguing with Simon aside (never, never, never argue with Simon if you seriously want to win the show, but he did), he would come across as pouting and surly.  Last night, at times he tried to force a smile on his face, but most of the time his faced betrayed his inner unhappiness.  I’m sure it is hard to hide these feeling, and I sympathize with him, but when you are on American Idol, you have to get by all of that if you want to win.  You are up against the Archuleta and White personality machines, and they will be difficult (if not impossible) to overcome.  Unfortunately the damage done by one surly look or snippy comment can be a contestant’s ticket home no matter how good they are.

I’ve always said that there is no way a true crooner can win on idol (thank goodness there is not one this season).  Their songs, by definition are not contemporary and they usually sound boring when placed against the songs of other contestants on the show.  I think the same may now be said for the soulful, Motown love song.  It may sound great when you are sitting on your couch at home in the evening with your lady, but the Venus Flytrap genre of music just will not help you to win American Idol.  I’m not saying that it is not good music.  It just does not work in the Idol atmosphere. 

Review Of American Idol Season So Far

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The separation of the Idol contestants is not as obvious as in years past but it is quickly becoming apparent who the ‘real deals’ in the competition are.  As I break down this week’s performances, I will tell you what I think their chances are and how far I think they can conceivably get in the competition.  The writing is on the wall, all we have to do now is watch and wait, and hope our favorites do not have a train-wreck before the end.

 

A side note before I go on.  I have been amazed every year at females in the competition who always seem to choose songs out of their range, and I don’t mean their high range.

When you go on Idol, or even if you are just singing in church on Sunday, it is important to choose a song that you can sing.  Singing a song well, means singing the entire song well, not just blasting out a beautiful, last note after being sharp for the first three verses.  Learn your range and do not stray from it.  Hedge your bets by giving yourself a safety note.  What happens with women is that when they are relaxed in practice without an audience, their vocal cords are also relaxed, allowing them greater access to lower notes. However, when the competition rolls around, they inevitably get nervous, and together with the day’s rehearsal, their vocal cords tighten.  This reduces their access to their lower range and can (and does almost every week on Idol) leave them sharp at the beginning of their songs.

There are several ways to deal with this.  1) Relax.  This is easier said than done.  2) Choose song that is not as low.  3) Work with that band of professional musicians that the show has provided you with to arrange the song in you range.  They are good, and they know how to do it.

 

Paula was once again incommunicable at times during the show.  For the most part, I’ve decided to ignore her.  I don’t care about the dresses that they are wearing tonight (for the most part), and anything interesting she has to say has already been said by Randy.  All I have to do is wade through the “Dawgs” to get to his comments.  Listening to her attempt to use the English language is like watching a double amputee try to play ping pong.  I just don’t have the time or the energy to attempt to decipher her opinions.

 

A final note, I’ve noticed several things that make up a successful American Idol contestant.  One is style.  If you are the country singer, do you fit the mold of a country singer?  The second is personality.  How well do you relate to the fans before, during and after you sing?  The third is performance.  Can you use the stage well, and perform like a professional?  And finally there is singing ability.  Do you have a good voice and do you know how to use it?  I tend to be more concerned with singing ability than the others, but that is myopic when talking about Idol.  It is the other qualities that help you to stay in the competition when you have a bad night.

 

Amanda Overmyer-  “Back in the USSR”-  I think I get it.  I just don’t like it.  I realize she has fans, but these people must be visually oriented.  She is all style and performance.  She fits the mold and attitude of the rocker girl well, but I just can not get past that voice.  I find myself continually wishing she would cough up that wad of phlegm before she sings.  Her gravelly voice always sounds as if she has marbles in her mouth, and there is no diction.  This week, I could hardly hear her voice for the music, and I found that I liked this better.  If you like her, fine.  I just cannot see her cracking the top five or six.  Simon finally said it.  She does the same thing week after week.

Kristy Lee Cook- “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away”- I could here this song done as a country song, but I’d rather not hear her do it.  This song was too low for her, and I was surprised that the judges did not criticize her for it.  All of the verses were sharp because she just could not get down to the notes.  It was a mess.  Overall, she has no style, little personality, an inability to perform and she is the worst singer left in the competition.  Somehow she has avoided the Idol Grim Reaper for the last three straight weeks (the go-go boots helped- she should bring them back), but I have a feeling she could be in real trouble this week.  In any case, her departure may have been delayed, but it is inevitable that it will happen soon.

David Archuleta- “The Long and Winding Road”- This was a good song choice for him.  I thought it might be too low, but his voice sounded nice on the lower notes also.  It is hard to keep that soft tone to your voice as you go down in your registry, but he did it well.

David’s Idol nickname should be “the Total Package.”  It is hard to pin a style on him, but he definitely has one.  I would call it “sensitive and emotive.”  He usually looks like he is really caught up in the meaning of the songs he sings (the inflection helps this also).  He may have the best personality in the history of the show if not the history of the medium of television.  His stage performance is not always the most compelling, but he uses his facial expressions to compensate.  His vocal is great and he seems to know just what to do to it to get the perfect tone and inflection in his notes.  He is easily in the top two, and good luck to anyone who wishes to crack his fan-base.

Michael Johns- “A Day in the Life”- Sometimes I wonder if I was listening to the same performance as the judges.  This was one of those times.  First, it was nice to hear a young person who seems to respect and understand the greatness of the Beatles.  The first high note was a little rough, but I the “Ahs” were very nice.  I like it, and thought it might be his best since making the top 24.  The judges, especially Simon, savaged it. 

Michael’s style is OK as a rocker, but not the best in the competition.  His personality, stage presence and vocals are also OK.  As a result I do not see him making it farther than the top six.  If he survives the criticism he received last night, he must pick it up, or go home soon.

Brooke White- “Here Comes the Sun”- I thought the song had a nice country tone to it, but she lost it a little as she tried to negotiate the microphone stand.  The main problem I had with it was that it was boring and forgettable.  The judges did not like it either.

Brooke is like David Archuleta light.  She has a more defined style than he does with her folksy Carly Simon vibe, but though she has a good personality and voice, she is not on the same level as David.  She has admitted herself that she does not have a good stage presence.  Brooke will not have trouble making the top five, and could be in the top three at the end of the competition.

David Cook- “Day Tripper”- Cook showed a nice low range on this song, and overall it was good.  However, if you are going to have the guitar on stage, then you need to play it.  Also, the Frampton bit was bad and unnecessary.  This is the kind of preponderance of elements that you do not want.  It totally took away from the song, and it is what people will remember about the performance.  The judges were split.

I hope last night’s performance does not hurt David, because he deserves to be around for a while.   He is big on style (the best rocker in the competition), and he is the best performer left in the competition.  He also uses his voice well, but he does not have the best personality there.  I think he should make the top five, and perhaps the top three.

Carly Smithson- “Blackbird”- I‘m not trying to be too much like Paula, but her dress/shirt looked awful.  However, she sang the song well, and showed a nice low range that she has not used before.  She sounded a little like Cher.  The only real problem was when she ran out of steam at the key change.  It was good but not her best.  I found Simon’s criticism on this one, “not a good choice” and “indulgent,” to be a little idiotic.

Carly is the most consistent singer in the competition.  She always sounds good.  She has a definite style and uses that stage better than most of the ladies.  Her personality is alright, but I am not sure how well the tattoos play in middle-America.  She could tone that down a little and at least wait until the season is over to stop ruining her body.  Overall, I think she is in the top two.

Jason Castro- “Michelle”- I loved his quote, “I just found out ‘my belle’ was French.  It thought it was English, ‘my bell.’”  His goofiness is an endearing quality.  He finally held some notes out in the chorus, and they sounded good.  It was good but sort of the same as always.  The judges liked it also, though Simon was critical of the vocal.

Jason definitely has a style and personality which is a good combination to develop a fan base with.  He looks awkward on stage from time to time, and I do not think he has the best vocals in the competition.  He should make the top five or six, but will have trouble going farther.

Syesha Mercado- “Yesterday”- Again, not to sound too much like Paula, but she looked beautiful last evening.  It was a brave choice, but she sang it well.  It began nice and soft, but when she hit the high notes they were exceptional and strong.  Where have these notes been?  The judges loved it and Simon was right to say it was her best performance so far.

Seysha is the wild card in the competition.  She is the most talented and inconsistent performer there.  She looked beautiful last night, but not always.  She showed the best voice in the competition last night, but not always.  She has performed on stage well before, but not always, and her personality could use improvement (she needs more of it).  I think she will make the top six for sure, but her limit will have more to do with how consistent she is from this point on than how much talent she has.  A voice like hers could win the competition, but I don’t know if she has that in her.

Chikezie- “I’ve just seen a face”- I liked the bluegrass/country/gospel version of this song.  I even liked the use of the harp (harmonica).   The judges were all over the place on this one, and Simon hated the harmonica.

I think Chikezie has come on lately to show that he is one of the more versatile performers with one of the more versatile voices in the competition.  He doesn’t really have a style, but he proves he can sing a lot of different things regularly.  His voice is always good, and his performance is exciting.  However, his personality was damaged at the beginning of the season with comments to Simon that I don’t know if he can recover from.  Chikezie may be one of the top performers in the competition, but I do not see him making the top six.

Ramiele Maluby- “I Should Have Known Better”- She sang this song well, but I just did not care.  It was forgettable.  The judges were split with Simon not liking it.

I don’t see Ramiele making it much further in the competition.  She has no style, and though she sings the notes well with a strong voice, she is able to such the life and soul out of anything she sings.  She works the stage sometimes, but her greatest asset is her offstage personality.  She has no personality when singing, but she comes off as cute the rest of the time, and this has served her well.  I cannot see her making the top five.