Posted on 01/19/2007 11:01:04 AM PST by meg88
Idol" Sparks New Controversy on Access Hollywood
By Laura Saltman
The show is only back two days and already "American Idol" is sparking controversy. Today the buzz all around my office is about how mean-spirited the show is during the audition rounds. While I was out having dinner, an email came over my blackberry from our music producer, Nancy Harrison, who was on the east coast watching the show, "I must say tonight's episode was quite disturbing. Two of the Seattle contestants--Kenneth and Jonathan--were clearly limited... and the judges still poked fun of them. I found this to be in really poor taste and can't believe this show would sink this low for ratings." My first thought, having not seen the show yet was, "old news." The show has done this throughout its first five seasons on the air. The fact of the matter is that snickering at people who clearly can't sing or telling people they are "too fat" or "not the right look" to be the next American Idol is nothing new here. That's what the audition shows are all about each and every year. They poke fun of bad singers and everyone laughs.
Then I got home and watched the show and realized what the outrage was over. I want to share this email I got from our show's Senior Producer, Claudia Eaton, who was watching with her son, David. As a parent, I'm sure her sentiment is something being felt all over households today: "Last night's programming was uncomfortably entertaining ... painful to laugh at ... I had to explain to my son on more than one occasion how inappropriate these adults were. And, as a budding thespian, had to convince him that it would in fact be ok for him to try out for the school play. What does bother me as a newcomer to the Idol craze is how cavalierly the public seems to accept the way Simon talks to people to their faces about things as basic as how they look or talk ... PLEASE let them hurry up and get to the finals ... where hopefully truly talented people will truly entertain people with talent ... and we do NOT laugh at people for being "ugly," "odd," "tall," or just plain different."
While I don't think the format of the audition shows has changed, what I think has happened is that the judges are acting more and more like catty school children with each passing season. Simon is the bully on the playground and Randy and Paula are his underlings. Someone says something mean and the others either laugh or play along. It's like watching the movie, "Mean Girls." Every once in awhile Paula and Randy will scold Simon but in a laughing manner, never to the point where someone is saying 'you know what, this is inappropriate.' Do I think it's their fault? Partially. Only partially because Idol is a reality show and therefore the producers must create situations. That means they must put bad singers in front of the judges to make the auditions interesting. After seeing thousands of people who are either playing it up for the cameras to get on TV or just plain delusional about their talent it has to get frustrating for the judges.
Having said that... you, America, are the ones who have allowed this type of behavior to go on. 37 million of you were watching on Tuesday night while the insults were flying... up 2 million from last year. If people were truly offended, well then they should have tuned out last night. Not the case though. Another 37 million watched the Seattle auditions. In fact, the audition shows always get a higher audience then the performance shows. This morning I talked to Katharine McPhee, who did not watch the audition shows this week but heard about the controversy on "The View." On the subject, she told me, "There crosses a point I think where you start actually being mean about people's appearances and I think that kind of really is just wrong. I've never liked that part of the show. So, that's why I don't really tune in for the early part of it."
Last night's outrage I'd say was mainly over the way 21-year-old contestant, Jonathan Jayne, and 23-year-old Kenneth Briggs were portrayed. Obviously, a little different than others, Simon's calling Kenneth a "bush baby" just went to far. We talked to Jonathan this morning who truly was just happy for the chance to be on TV. His only complaint wasn't about how he was portrayed on TV but that Randy was chuckling during his audition, " I just think that he was trying to make television at that time. He didn't really mean it." He did however get very upset about the way Kenneth was treated, "They treated him horribly. I just didn't like what they said about him. That really made me kind of ticked off that they were treating him like that."
Paula humors and patronizes a lot of people. I'd say it's wrong of her, but that's her role on the show. She's probably contractually obliged to find something nice to say.
her voice and soulfullness carried her through... it outshined to the point where she didn't have to rely on "pop-style" looks...
Check this:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2458532
So it's OUR fault. Like we knew they were going to humiliate two people to the degree that the did. I was appalled and thought it cruel and in terrible taste. Whatever happened to "Love Thy Neighbor?" Oh yeah, that's right, celebrities haven't read the book! Overall, it's a good show and considering television these days, rather mild and still can be watched by families. I put another spin on it though and say, let's teach our children that this is NOT the way to act and also it's a good lesson to show that money and fame do not give one character, soul, or any number of qualities that one would consider as virtues.
Comedic gold mine, thank you!
The Taylor Hicks wannabe was not as scary as Red. I think Seattle was looking at its next serial or spree killer there.
"Don't be...not wait...don't be it, just sing it...don't bring it, just sing it..."
I should get that printed up on t-shirts.
Was he the pie-eyed software developer from Utah? Mrs. P. and I concluded he had Asperger's Syndrome and some devilish co-workers who put him up to it.
They do but are passed through anyway.
Keep in mind that when this whole thing started the judges were lesser figures. In the public eye Paula was pretty much an 80s has been (she's actually been fairly successful out of hte public eye but most of the audience didn't know that), and Simon and Randy were both "behind the throne" powers in the music industry (Simon actually invented the show, and at least at the start the record company he worked for was the one handing out the contracts to winners). And Simon got to where he was as an A&R guy, so listening to lots of people who can't sing and telling them so was nothing new to him. And the threesome made good TV as a judge panel, sacharine sweet, nice but honest, and downright brutal is TV gold in a threesome.
Really if the people would stop walking into the beartrap this whole section of the show couldn't exist. If wannabes would take the time to get honest real assessments of their talent, then there wouldn't be the crowd of hideous singers begging for Simon to insult them.
Heroes is indeed stupid. I made my husband sit through a rerun of Sleepless in Seattle last week and then forced myself to watch Heroes with him. It is all about compromise. However, both of us would have to be tied down to get us to watch Idol.
I would flip Chuck Barris on in like 1978 or 1979 when he was just about to get cancelled and he was pulling the hat over his head all of the time, some wild shows back then! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq3oKdY67u8
This morning I talked to Katharine McPhee, who did not watch the audition shows this week but heard about the controversy on "The View." On the subject, she told me, "There crosses a point I think where you start actually being mean about people's appearances and I think that kind of really is just wrong. I've never liked that part of the show. So, that's why I don't really tune in for the early part of it."
The contestants in Seattle deserved to be mocked mercilessly. These people were right out of a carnival freak show.
http://www.americanidol.com/videos/view/?vid=497
For the rest; It's entertainment. Not everyone in the world has a right to be not offended.
Some of you sound like a bunch of libruls, "I'm so offended and my feelings are hurt". Geez!.
:)
PS: I thought "Red" could be the next unibomber too.
heh. They're not getting those honest assessments from their parents - that's certain!
He reminds me of my son. My son has Asperger's and is a great kid, but doesn't pick up on social cues well. On my support lists Nick Zitzmann was a hot topic. Most of the parents thought he was treated cruelly as well. Compared to the usual treatment given to contestants, I would have to disagree. After Simon's initial remarks, I think the judges picked up that there was something not quite right and backed off. I had to admire Nick's attitude, though.
Sure they did. This is TV... there are no "accidents". They put the worst of the worst out there specifically so 37 million people could laugh at them in unison and then talk about it the next day.
(And here I am posting on an American Idol thread....[sigh]).
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