(08-07-2012, 09:11 AM)Miguel Wrote: That's true Tusk, but it's also true the American Idol connection is limiting her recognition by music fans in their twenties and thirties. Many people in that group pride themselves on having developed an appreciation for music outside the mainstream. To them, the American-Idol label is synonymous with someone of average talent singing formulaic pop; even if they have a good voice, they're not true artists doing something original. Haley has to win them over because the boost from American Idol isn't as great as it was when Kelly and Carrie appeared. They won their seasons at a time when Idol had higher viewership. Today, the average Idol viewer is ten years older and overall album sales for the music industry are down substantially.
Yes, I realise AI's presitge was far different in Carrie and Kelly's seasons, but I've realised, after railing against the injustice of unfair judging, defending against unfair and inaccurate criticisms by her haters, explaining away apparent fluctuations in 'weight' depending on which videos or pics, hoping that there is a wider strategy of a seemingly nonexistent promotion of her career etc for going on two years, now....that despite all these adversities and injustices, Haley still has her talent, her moxy, and her perserverance as well as what she has grown to know and understand, being raised in a musical house hold, that she will keep at it, learn, and succeed in her chosen career.
Recently, I, sarcastically posted at IDF to a fan who, from want for her to succeed, nit picked at what she was doing wrong, and what she should have done, instead of celebrating what she had accomplished at Lolla. I told him he should focus on what we do have and not what we don't. I said something like, "do you watch a sunset on the ocean and complain that it was too orange and needed a little more red"?
That made me realise I was doing the same thing in regard to AI, or her management strategies. These criticisms and injustices and misplaced strategies are all out of our/Haley's control. Whether she sells millions or 10's of thousands is really irrelevant to the fact that Haley's talent in pure and inherent and true. Despite all obstacles and missteps, ultimately, she has talent that does something really special to/for people which has to account for something.
Her talent isn't something she has to manufacture or 'enhance', give her a stool and a mic and she will make magic with her vocals, and she has the perspective learned from her parent's ability to raise a loving household, that she can and will be able to make a living in music and entertain those who are lucky enough to recognise and enjoy that talent.
I'm at a point in my fandom that, yes, I want more for her, but those things I can't control, criticisms, misconceptions, and lack of exposure, in the end don't matter. Because of the AI exposure, she has a fairly sizeable fan base, and many of these fans are extremely loyal and hunger to hear her talent. This is what matters.
That is what we
can control. I've almost gotten past being indignant about the listed injustices, and am moving on to what I can do to help spread the love. Huddling with fans wondering why this and why not that, ultimately has no effect because we can't control those things. We
can control what fans like you or I or figure8 or Stairway2halien or Himm2 or Lovinda and Buzz....etc. do. Continue to spread the support in our own ways.
We can complain about the injustices, or we can continue what we've been doing, one by one, introducing Haley to new ears, sharing our enthusiasm and exposing her to new fans, so they can each have their WTF moments organically, and not through some million dollar promotion that might never come. I'm tired of waiting for the Ellen/Leno/Letterman promo that might never come.
I know Haley is a once in a lifetime talent and I do what I can, in my own limited way to grow her fan base. It's a better use of my energy than to constantly bicker at hater's and critics and injustices.
Do what Haley does in these circumstances, Smile and move on. All we have to do is get people to "Listen Up!", Haley's talent will do the rest.
