Well, I don’t usually watch American Idol. I did way back in the day, the whole first season, with Justin and Kelly, and then the second season with Reuben and Clay, but after that I kind of lost interest. (I also lost my cable TV at the time, which may have had something to do with it.) But this year I have TV, and for some reason, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to tune in and see what’s going on.
Oh! I remember what it was that got me interested again. It was Susan Boyle. Who hasn’t seen and heard Susan Boyle? Fantastic! What a story! And what do you think, should she have a makeover or not? Well, she’s had sort of a mini-makeover, last I heard, but that’s as far as she should go, I think.
But I digress. What happened was, I was reading something about Susan Boyle, and Britain’s Got Talent, and they were comparing it to American Idol, and saying how AI has lost it’s spark, so I guess that was what made me want to tune in and see what was happening over on this side of the pond.
Well, I beg to differ. No spark lost here. By the time I tuned in, they were down to four very accomplished performers. I got to see the red-headed girl be voted off, which was really sad, because I liked her, she was quite different than your usual run-of-the-mill Idol hopeful, and I thought she did a great job singing with Adam.
But now there’s three. Three really cute guys, who can all sing like mad. Except now there’s only two, because last night, Danny Gokey got voted off.
And once again, I’m sad. Because I really liked Danny. I thought he was definitely the cutest of the bunch (love the glasses! And the smile…), and his voice has the most personality. But the American Public (or some boardroom full of Idol executives posing as the American Public, I’m still not completely sure the show isn’t rigged) said “No. Goodbye, Gokey.”
And he’s gone.
Only he’s not. Is he? Because I fully suspect he’ll have a singing career. In fact, I would be very surprised if all four of the young singers I have seen this year don’t end up having some kind of singing career. I think they’re all good, and marketable.
But here’s the strange thought I had today.
So last night, Danny was voted off. And next week it will be either Kris or Adam who DOESN’T get to be the American Idol. But you know what…
So what?
Is it really that great to be the American Idol? As I mentioned, I was watching during season two, when Rueben Studdard “won” over Clay Aiken. But today, who’s got the more successful career? And it may have happened before, during some of the other seasons when I wasn’t watching (I’m not really sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised).
Here’s the thing: when you win as the American Idol, your career is immediately placed in the hands of…who? Some record executives that YOU DIDN’T CHOOSE. They’re going to mold you and fashion you and your career into some vision that THEY have, and it may not be what you would choose for yourself.
But the “losers” in second and third place, they may have different record companies come courting THEM. And they may get to pick and choose to a greater degree than the Idol “winner” gets to do. They may get to call at least SOME of the shots.
So when Danny got “voted off” maybe he wasn’t saying “Oh, crap, I didn’t get it!” Maybe he was saying “Whew! That was close. I almost got locked in.” Maybe he’s relieved that he will now have the opportunity to have a greater degree of control over how his career will proceed.
Or….maybe not. Maybe I have no idea what I’m talking about. Maybe I need to stop worrying about American Idol and get a life. 😉 But I do hope that in that life, at some point in the future, I’ll be able to buy a Danny Gokey CD.
Your obviously senile!!!!!!
What were you listening to ? Danny Gokey, come on now. He definatly deserved third place. 4th even. 5th maybe. I am not a Danny fan. Adam though, boy can he sing— goosebumps and all. I dont even like “rock” music. I agree with you on one thing. You dont have to be a winner to be a star. I did my research. How about Kathryn Mcfee, Chris Daughtry, Kelly Pickler, and of course Jennifer Hudson. Winning isnt everything. Me I am an Adam fan, but I too digress and want Kris to win. Kris needs every little push he can get. He seems so timid. Adam on the other hand knows what and how to get what he wants from singing now. Either way, I am just glad Danny wont be in the final !
Terry
Re: Your obviously senile!!!!!!
Hehe! I knew I would hear *something* from you in response to this post, I just had no idea who you were a fan of, and who you were NOT a fan of. Obviously not a Gokey fan. Well, that’s alright. To each his own, I just wouldn’t go quite so far as to say all Gokey fans are SENILE. 🙂
Anyway, I agree with you at this point: Adam TOTALLY deserves it. Of the remaining three, I was least impressed with Kris, and if it comes down to an Adam/Kris showdown (which it has) then Adam deserves it. Tho, as I mention in my post, I’d almost like to see him NOT win, so he can sign with a real record label, not whoever AI hooks him up with. Well, as long as they don’t make him change too much. I’ll buy his CD’s, and I’ll also buy Danny’s. Tomorrow’s the big night. Well, actually, this Wednesday is the BIG night. Are you ready??
Re: Your obviously senile!!!!!!
Ok, I guess it was the heat of the moment when I called you senile. Sorry for that. If you want to really start up a controversy how about the quote from Kris that said he “doesnt want the Christian vote”. Round three….ding.
Re: Your obviously senile!!!!!!
Well, first, I hope you know I was not *really* offended by you calling me senile, I was just kidding around. It just obviously showed how seriously your take your American Idol—which is very refreshing, whenever you see someone getting excited about something! And to tell the truth, sometimes I do wonder if I AM going senile, even just a little bit (like when I can’t remember three items I need to get at the grocery store. Not a whole list, just…three…little…you know how that is?)
Anyway, I just don’t get that stuff about the Christian vote. I read something today about it coming to a showdown between the “Christian” and the “flamboyant gay guy.” I know nothing about Kris Allen’s religious experience, but I took exception to this statement because, tho I would almost bet the farm that Adam is gay (again, I haven’t been watching long, so I don’t know if that is already an established fact, or something everyone just *assumes*) STILL…STILL…Adam is NOT “flamboyant.” What the…???!!!
Yes, he dresses with “style” but if you ask me, it’s more about being GOTH than about being gay. And btw, I LOVE his style. Last night when he sang that song…that song….(I’m having a senile moment here, because I can’t think of the name of that song!!!) the first song he sang, with the coat—ah, yes! Mad World!—that was SUCH a performance, so moody, so dark, so…well, that was the stuff.
I’m voting for Adam all the way. I totally see him having a very successful career, while Kris will go the way of David Cassidy (am I dating myself here?) since we know that most of his fans are in elementary and middle school. They don’t know anything about music yet, they just know a cute boy when they see one. (But cute boys are a dime a dozen, aren’t they? Voices like Adam’s don’t come along quite that often.)
Well, anyway, I’ve said enough. Check in tomorrow and let me know how you think it all went!
Chrissy
Love Susan Boyle
OK, have not watched idol since Bo Vice and Carrie Underwood…but will tell you that I love Susan Boyle. Have only seen her on you-tube clips, an amazing voice from one who you would not expect it from. I’ve watched the clip several times and still enjoy her beautiful voice.
by the way, Karin has a Blake Lewis CD, so I guess you don’t have to be the winner to truly be a winner…
John
Re: Love Susan Boyle
Yes, I love Susan Boyle too — the voice, and the story, how unlikely it all is. I guess they don’t do things in Britain like we do over here. It appears all the contestants get one change to hear “Yea!” or “Nay!” and then there’s some big contest at the end. I hear she’s up against a lot of really talented little kids. It would be nice if they could somehow let us over here in the USA watch that finale at the same time the Brits are seeing it. I know there would be an audience for it.
As for Blake Lewis, I’m sorry but I have no idea who that is. I was so out of American Idol for so long, that they only thing I’m really sure of from the last several years was that there was some young Indian boy named Sanjaya or something like that who had really pretty hair. Remember him?
American Idol
I loved what you said in the very end…Maybe I need to stop worrying about what happens on American Idol and get a life………….there are other TV shows that have a far better merit value then this idolatry fixation imposed on the American public.