American Idol 2009! Rank your favorites!

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#2
I'm checking in...and I'm sure Kingsgirl4 will, too! I didn't watch most of the first season and she convinced me to give it a chance. I did and quickly got hooked.
 

Warhawk

Give blood and save a life!
Staff member
#11
I usually watch a few of the early shows to see all the freaks get booted. After that it is way too contrived for my taste. ;) I will sometimes watch the last show just to see who won and if I saw them in the early shows.
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#13
"Barracuda Girl" (Emily) was probably my favorite, except her attitude stinks. I've seen her band (Go Betty Go, on myspace if you're interested) and they aren't some crappy bar band nobody's heard of. They got radio play in LA when I lived there (which was before she joined, but she's 100x better than their old singer) and also on XM. Why the hell would she diss her band on national tv? I do know that she actually did go on the European tour though. Kind of funny to see someone that is supposed to be all counter-culture sell it all out for American Idol. She also copped the line about getting all tatted up from someone else, though I've forgotten who right now.
 
#15
Did any of you think that guy that said "be careful" meant it as a threat? The judges were big jerks. He didn't mean anything bad by it. :rolleyes:
 
#17
Yeah, all this manufactured tension is really wearing on me. As a matter of fact, I'm sick of it. I might not watch the show anymore until Hollywood Week.

It really pissed me off last night when they decided to show five seconds a piece of some of the best singers, singing some of the best songs (one guy was singing Sam Cooke "Change Gon' Come"), so that they could spend five minutes on farmers who won't make the show. I mean, some of these crazies are funny, but don't most people watch the show for the singing?
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#18
They swore up and down that they weren't going to focus on the rejects and from what I saw they showed 3 auditions where people actually got tickets and clips of the others. Why?

And there has been some obvious editing of the rejects going on where its doubtful that some of the footage was captured in front of the judges, or at least "enhancements" are being made.

The entire audition process is a sham anyways, why don't they just admit it and schedule a week of "crazies only" and then focus on the real singers the rest of the time. Well I know why, because this show isn't really about singing, but still...
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#19
I do not like the new judge and the contrived tension between her and Simon is irritating to say the least...

This show is going to become its worst nightmare - a parody of itself - if it's not careful.
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#20
This show is going to become its worst nightmare - a parody of itself - if it's not careful.
I would say this already happened somewhere around the 4th/5th season.

At that point you had people trying out just to make the "idiot" portion of the show and enough characters from previous seasons that their selection criteria seemingly included casting contestants to be the next <blank>. Plus it was also around this point that many contestants stopped trying to "win" figuring a 4th or 5th place finish would free them from the bad 19E contract the winners have to sign. When the losers start doing better than the winners, its over.
 

SLAB

Hall of Famer
#21
Am-Idol is what it is...


Sure it's not the same as the first few seasons, but people still watch it.


People still like the train-wreck auditions --- hence the audition episodes.
...And then the show will start to take itself seriously right when it should --- Welcome to the Hollywood episodes.


I for one am enjoying the season so far. Sure it's corny, but who cares? It's American Idol.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#22
I would say this already happened somewhere around the 4th/5th season.

At that point you had people trying out just to make the "idiot" portion of the show and enough characters from previous seasons that their selection criteria seemingly included casting contestants to be the next <blank>. Plus it was also around this point that many contestants stopped trying to "win" figuring a 4th or 5th place finish would free them from the bad 19E contract the winners have to sign. When the losers start doing better than the winners, its over.
Good points. I guess after watching Michael Johns sent home last season, my whole attitude about the show has been altered anyway. I'll wait until they get down to the final 12 or so and then tune in - just to see who I rhink will be the Michael Johns of this season, meaning the best performer who gets sent home way too early.
 
#23
I do not like the new judge and the contrived tension between her and Simon is irritating to say the least...

This show is going to become its worst nightmare - a parody of itself - if it's not careful.
I actually like Kara. I don't like the intensifying bickering between her and Simon, or the histrionics between her and Paula, but I think she's fair and honest and knows what a performer should do to be successful.
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#24
I actually like Kara. I don't like the intensifying bickering between her and Simon, or the histrionics between her and Paula, but I think she's fair and honest and knows what a performer should do to be successful.
I actually agree with this. She is something of a breath of fresh air, because this is all new to her. I don't think she is fully on board to the fact that they intentionally screen out a fair amount of good singers in favor of truly awful singers to put on the tv shows so her comments are rather amusing (like congratulating the girl for her joke audition). She is still trying to find her groove - she's actually a blend of the best parts of all 3 judges (Paula's cheerleading, Randy's behind the scenes/production skills and Simon's eye for talent) which unfortunately also means she will butt heads with all of them. And the "sing off" she pulled with the one girl who didn't get that she was oversinging everything on the first episode was just completely unprofessional.

In short, she does completely mess up the chemistry, but I actually welcome her insight.
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#26
Ok, maybe I chose the wrong word with "professional". But you know what I'm saying, the other 3 know that the bad talent is there to fill the tv show and they know to throw a few insults but stay above the fray. I'm not sure Kara gets that and in some ways its lifting up the curtain but in other ways its just embarassing for her to sink to that level.
 
#27
Cara needs to calm down a bit. She has started to jump all over Simon at any hint of a negative comment, without realizing that doesn't mean Simon is going to vote no. He called the one singer's perfomance a little "buskerish," but even I knew he would vote yes and liked the guy. Cara was dramatically upset instantly, then upset again that he voted "yes" after a negative comment.

Simon may choose some harsh words, but people don't need pats on the back all the time. The comment Simon made to that guy was actually to help him. He was pointing out one of the things he thinks the guy needs to work on, if he wants to stay in the competition at the next level. That's actually a nice thing to do, even if hard to hear sometimes, and I often think Simon only gives those kinds of tips to people he truly does see as talented.

Cara should be angry if he steps all over her comments, but her histionics are getting a bit out of control.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#28
^^Exactly.

Cara needs to be careful. By taking so much umbrage early on, there might not be any left when she really needs it...

;)
 
#30
I can't stand Tatiana (spelling?). She annoys me ALOT. I really don't care for Norman or Nick or whatever name he wants to use.

I was really disappointed they let Jamar Rogers go.