Regards, Ivan
Posted on 08/23/2005 10:17:07 PM PDT by MadIvan
Where politicians and a draft constitution have failed, a television show has succeeded. Iraq stands united in its enthusiasm for its own version of Pop Idol.
Iraq Star has become a television phenomenon since it began six weeks ago and more than 2,000 hopefuls have risked the country's dangerous roads to audition.
This week, in a studio in a corner of Baghdad's Babylon Hotel, a teenage girl attempted one of the Lebanese pop songs popular among young Iraqis only to be mercilessly ridiculed for her inability to dance.
Then, in a musical critique rarely heard on the British version of the show, a singer was upbraided for making a grammatical mistake in her metaphorical tale about a humming bird. " 'Slaughtered bird' is masculine," the judge complained. "But you kept saying it is feminine."
Wadia Nader, the show's producer, admitted surprise at the success of his creation, watched by an estimated half of all viewers when broadcast at 9pm every night.
"We have people coming from across the provinces to audition who say that everyone they know is watching it and talking about those who appear," he said.
He believes it offers much needed respite from the strains of daily life in Iraq, its power cuts, water shortages and constant threat of death.
As in Britain, contestants take turns to audition before three judges. The most successful are invited back for the final rounds in which the public will vote by telephone.
The show even has its own Simon Cowell, the feared music producer whose caustic put-downs have reduced many contestants to tears, in Muhammad Hadi. A music teacher at Baghdad's Institute of Arts, he likes to interrogate the performers while dressed in a black suit.
However, security fears mean there is no studio audience and the final will be held in Lebanon to avoid being targeted by bombers.
A 12-year-old boy from Mosul named Bilal is being tipped as a winner. At the audition he performed his own song that told of the destruction of Iraq and the suffering of the children.
Half way through he started to cry and by the time he had finished all three judges were weeping. Even the panel's Mr Nasty was sobbing loudly.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Uh-oh. They are becoming more American. Alert Cindy Sheehan and gang.
Uh-oh. They are becoming more American. Alert Cindy Sheehan and gang.
gee fox is exporting all their formats over there...first "Cops" and now idol..
At least they can communicate. They're learning.
OMG! I hope they don't send Simon Cowell out to judge - the war will never end!
First Saddam and now Pop Idol. Haven't they suffered enough?
Those nutball Jihadis try to kill anybody who could steal attentions away from them. Talking about jealousy!
Not to mention pop stars with questionable material.
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