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IN DEFENSE OF KATHARINE MCPHEE
I’ve seen posts everywhere riding Katharine, saying she is so “full of herself” and thinks she’s it. Well I don’t know Katharine personally but what I see is a girl who is overwhelmed with the change in her life, not pompousness or conceit. You see, it’s not that she actually comes across that way; it’s that she looks like she should. Let me make my case.
By Idolhead Ed
People everywhere have strong opinions about all of the Idols this year and they are the most polarizing ever. You either hate them or love them. Not a whole lot of middle ground.
Before I get to Kat let me first say something about Kellie. If you really think she’s putting on an act or is a dumb hick blonde, it will be easy to find out. Don’t call the press. Just call anyone in Albemarle, North Carolina (Pop. 15,680). Go online and find the Albemarle phone book and call somebody. I’m sure someone in town knows her and I’m also sure not everyone loves her but they will tell you how genuine or not she is.
Unfortunately you can’t do this for Kat. Everyone in L.A. doesn’t know her. As a matter of fact she is such a small fish in such a big pond probably 99% still don’t know who she is. Not the stuff conceit springs from I wouldn’t think. L.A. is where humble pie is baked everyday especially for people who are trying to make in the industry. So instead of looking up someone in L.A., you’ll just have to see if my evidence will help you look at Kat more objectively and if not objectively, at least in a different light.
I just read a few posts on my latest article and figured it was time to take up arms. Although I would love to meet her, as I said earlier, I do not know Katharine, except for what I see on TV as do you posters and writers who think she is quite “Full of herself”. So I am making my assessments based solely on that and if you follow me you may just see things a bit differently. I personally don’t like to see anyone verbally bashed. Generally those doing the bashing have undealt with insecurities of their own.
Let’s start at the beginning:
When Katharine first auditioned she did not nod her head in agreement or approval when the judges showered her with unmitigated praise. What did she do? She began to cry. She cried because she really wasn’t confident that she would make it, much less get the kudos she got. Kellie and Paris also cried but not in front of the judges. This is an important detail because it was a genuine feeling of major accomplishment that instantly hit her. It didn’t matter to her what the judges thought about her emotions running away. She was overcome with joy & surprise, not expectation. Were she “full of herself” as I’ve seen posted, she would have nodded to the judges in her approval. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
When she sang her first song in the top 24, instead of crying she was as giddy as a child at the toy store admitting she was nervous contorting her body every which way to eliviate the nerves. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
When she got her first negative comments the next week from the judges (I might note the last ones she has had) instead of acting incensed (that’s what snotty people do in this situation) she admitted she felt her song choice probably wasn’t the best and said she wasn’t destroyed or anything. The part about being destroyed was Kat reassuring herself, not anyone else. This is a sign of someone who is still not quite sure if they are up to the level they need to be or not. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
When Kat joined the bottom 3, someone “full of herself” would have again looked incensed, not scared to death. And she did look scared to death. After all the praise heaped on her by the judges not only was this unexpected by her, it was by everyone else as well. Some people took her comment “This is a new place for me” as “well what in the world have you stupid Americans have done”. Not hardly. I think she was thinking out loud. And thinking that she would be going home, again had to reassure herself with the statement “whatever God has planned for me”. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
And Queen elimination Wednesday when Ryan asked Katharine if she was nervous, trying to keep from crying, she said “I’m always nervous” in a voice that could only be described as on the edge of freaking out. Not the standard “Oh whatever the voters decide……”gag me with a spoon line. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
And most recently when Simon told her that she made the other contestants look like good amateurs, just go back and look at her expression. It’s like “What?! I don’t think so” along with surprise. Definitely not the stuff of conceit I say.
A side note: While I know Simon’s comment made her mom, dad and fans feel great, it made her feel downright uncomfortable and just like telling Carrie last year in the top 11 she would win and sell more records blah, blah it shouldn’t have been said. He should have said, since he felt that way, she was the best of the night instead. This I think would have made everyone more comfortable and Paula wouldn't have tried shoving her hand down Simon's throat to shut him up. A side note to my side note: He was right about Carrie.
I would suspect most of the comments aimed toward Katharine are more of the envious type than anything else. The little girls I talk to from church love her. They want to be like her just like Carrie. My thinking is the girls who bash her are envious, and the guys who do, feel she’s representation of the girl that wouldn’t pay them any attention. The thoughts from the envious: “It’s bad enough that she can sing her butt off but does she have to be so beautiful too!? Wah! Wah! It’s unfair!” If Katharine looked like Lili Taylor, not Liv Tyler or Taylor Hicks, do you think she would have more support? As sad as it sounds, I think so. People have little control over their looks whether they are as homely as the Idolhead or as beautiful as Katharine. Just like everyone who ever comes on this show, Katharine’s looks have also taken a move up. If you’ll notice in the auditions she looked a little frumpy. I guess she should have gone for the frumpy look to keep down the envy level.
Well I love Kat the way she is and I don’t see any of this snottyness I read about. And until she gives me and her real fans reason to, to us she is simply the best. And get ready envy train; I expect she will again win the night again on Tuesday. What I don’t expect is for her to nod her head in approval and feel that she has won the competition when the judges give their glowing comments because......... “She is not the stuff of conceit I say”.
Is it Tuesday yet?
Idolhead Ed
My problem with her is that she isn't very consistent. Her experience in performing musicals in LA, might make her better well known than the author thinks and her nomination as best female vocal in a musical, made me think that she would be more consistent. I think that I why Simon said she ALMOST had a 'moment'.
This guy gets it.
Very good points. I too have been looking at her facial expressions when the judges talk to her. She is genuinely surprised when they say she is good, or she had a good song choice. That being said, she also knows this is a competition and can (and does) look threatened when someone is "working the crowd" better than she is. I've watched and re-watched all of the episodes, there is one in particular, in the old studio with the red circular couch, where Katharine is sitting apart from the rest of the girls. This may be to clear her own head (she had already performed) or to not let another girls' success mess with her own head. You gotta do what you gotta do to win!
I'm thrilled to see someone like her in this competition. Her voice, especially in the lower range is so soothing, and we haven't had someone like that since Karen Carpenter.