American Idol 2013

[Outcast]

The Voice hit the jackpot with Shakira, she's in a completely different league to every other female judge I've seen on any of these shows. She's sweet and funny but not a pushover. She's more than qualified to be a judge: she's a household name and has done practically everything one can possibly do in the music biz. She's got tons of experience as a singer, performer, songwriter, musician and producer. She articulates well and English isn't even her first language. And on top of that she's major eye candy, even while heavily pregnant. As far as female talent show judges go there's no one better than her, she's the queen, a real gem.

[Tom22]

And I understand picking her to try and draw young viewers. But older people HATE her. And there's no chemistry with any of the judges. And older people watch the show...and now they've moved to the Voice with those charismatic likeable judges..where Shakira can be adorable, Usher can be swoon worthy, Adam can participate in self depricating humor, and Blake can be Blake.

The contrast between the chemistry of the judges on The Voice versus Idol is stark. When I watch clips of The Voice I'm not cringing all the time or cursing the screen as when I watch Idol.

I'm with you guys.

I actualy feel good hearing the banter on the voice... it really just isn't opinion I need but some sharing and pleasantries.

Playing devil's advocate for half a second: there has been some fun banter this year now and then(teensy bit) as Keith and Nikki and Mariah all have a bit of wit to them.. the format just doesn't lend itself to letting them do so comfortably.. its just such a BIG STAGE with Ryan reminding us that it is and EVENT.. .. I like the event aspect but it works against a certain casual feeling that allows for more banter.

Also.. Once The Voice gets down to the last 7 or 8 singers it gets harder and harder for the Coaches to say anything other than "you're great" type things.

A strong singing performance where the coach felt that the singer gave it their all and made the song be the performers own just doesn't deserve to be nit-picked or compared to others. It's when the singer did less than they think they're capable of that useful comments might come.

After a certain calaiber level you need to just sit back and enjoy and pick the one you like best for what you thought was special about it.

I start getting embarrassed at the coaches for their sake when they need to say something to the mic in front of them about performances of the strong performers left near the end of the show ... they're all good and they're being asked to put their foot in their mouths trying to describe how they were good in 25 seconds.

[kaypea]

Idol keeps stumbling along and basically survives despite its many flaws.I watched some of The Voice early on and I'm not all that crazy about the format although I've heard there's a couple of people who are good so I might watch again.And Shakira is pretty cool.

The past couple of years I've become a pretty big Dancing With The Stars fan.Its not exactly the same kind of show and its not overall the same audience as Idol but at least some comparisons can be made.

The judges on Dancing are funny,entertaining and they've been there since the show's inception which says alot right there.In addition,they don't automatically shy away from criticism even if it harsh sometimes-a far cry from what generally takes place on Idol in recent years.And when it comes to the art of dancing I respect their opinions because they know alot more about it than I do.Funny how many times I don't come away with that feeling after watching Idol.So when they stand up for one of the contestants-which isn't very often- you know that the contestant deserved it.Contrast that with Idol.

Also the judges factor into deciding who goes home each week and,needless to say they don't have the ridiculous voting systen that Idol has.It all just adds up to a more rewarding viewing experience.

Idol would do well to take some pointers although I'm not holding my breath.

[Tom22]

One thing about the Dancing with Stars -

Dancing is something more frequently judged at the highest levels... I mean, there are such things as dancing competitions among the top dancers in the word ...

... you don't have professional musicianians in competitions with each other.. although they do have things like piano and violin competitions between musicians aspiring to be pro concert musicians.

pop music might not be the right sort of thing to be judged .. it really is less about execution ...but dance is also about emotion and interpreation so I can't pin any firm difference.

On the show, they are judging the amateurs more than they are judging their professional partners. The amateur dancers have more room for improvment to the highest levels of dance than the top idol peformers have between them and great singers in their genres

Just a couple thoughts.

I DO think that the singing shows should take a page from Dancing with the Stars as having 3 scores in different areas from each judge helps give some structure to comments and invites them to share why they gave less than pefrrect scores as an explanation, not as an insult.

The structure on idol, without necessary scores for say (songchoice, stage presence, exceution) makes any negative comment look like it was an optional dig and lets other's slide where they should also have the same criticism.

[mercfan3]

It's just a shame, imagine if Idol had Blake, Usher, and Shakira as judges..and the contestants got to pick their own songs and the themes were good.

It's all very fixable stuff...but Idol got lazy because they were the only show in town. The voice is already beating it, and give Simon another season to fix things and he'll be beating Idol too.

---

That was absolutely adorable Candice. And well deserved after Idol attempted to mini-Haley you.

[Haleylvr4evr]

That "surprise" was way too obvious.

[buzzenator]

^^^Excellent comments...and no one was thrown under the bus here.

Idol has been pushing the theme this season, to separate themselves from the other shows, of "we produce the truly successful stars", i.e. Kelly, Carrie, Jennifer, etc. So, last night we got...Stefano and Lee?

Liz Raftery of TV Guide had this to say today, "...and Seacrest tossed to Idol alum Stefano Langone, who performed a song no one will remember tomorrow. "Yes to Love," maybe? No one cares."

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/american-idol-w...00198.html

She had no comment on Lee's performance. It was interesting that Lee got some air time because there was an extra week.

[kaypea]

Hats off to Jimmy I.for standing up to the judges on the issue of song choice.He told it like it is and in the process made the judges look more inept or maybe hypocritical than they were before seeing as how judges are always pointing out the importance of that.And then they give standing ovations to MacCarther Park and Cry Me A River.

I'm still rooting for Candice although,seeing as how the voting went I wouldn't put money on it.At this point doesn't it basically come down to a power voting contest?

[Himm2]

I'm still rooting for Candice although,seeing as how the voting went I wouldn't put money on it.At this point doesn't it basically come down to a power voting contest?

This Idol season shaping up to come down to the same ole perverbal Country vs. Pop winner with R&B/Soul/Gospel playing second fiddle or is it third fiddle even though there's no fiddle in R&B/Soul/Gospel

Kree vs. Angie getting the power votes for the finale and Amber & Candice battling it out for the remaining hometown celebration.

[Tom22]

I got into an exchange with a commenter at another forum about Mc Atrhur park.

I don't really see how 80% of people disliking a song makes it a bad song if 20% really find it a classic.

Art is that way.. the ones that don't like something don't need to listen to it. Those that do really like something may number in the millions and any piece of art that millions of people like is a great piece of art even if other's "don't get it".

Why ? Art's goal isn't to speak to all people.. its to say something that maybe some people gain something from. You can't have a "negative insight".. i mean .. you can't know less about the world after hearing a song you don't get.. but those that get it have a positive.

Now.. I do agree with Jimmy in terms of Voting and what it takes to attract a bigger following that the next person.

But he went to a level of stupidity dimissing the song not as something that went over his head but entirely dismissed the fact that dozens of the greatest artists of the second half of last century decided to record the song (not only summers but frank sinatra, tony bennet and a list of almost 50 others) and that the song was popular and sold etc.

He didn't get the song.. that's a failure to see what others saw seem to like. He backed up a bit and basically called the judges crazy or something ...
... someone else took issue with issue with Keith thinking or summer from the song claiming that it wasn't at all about summer. Look.. if Keith is reminded of summer its about summer to him. Once you mention a Sundress, a song is about summer to me , even if you mention a sundress on a snow bank in the middle of winter (that too me would be a message that summer will always come and the memory of it is still alive even if the sundress is frozen on )

Now, everyone doesnt' need to see things the same way... .but to question the opinions of other people in terms of the value the song has for them is such a negative small way of... jealous irritation almost that people like what they hate.

I think many times.. and what Jimmy was doing .... was reacting against the fact.. almost in a fit of insecurity.. that other people are fond of dreaming of what he things are things with no basis in reality.

It reminds me of the bitterness some people who don't have a religious faith have with people who do have a faith. It goes beyond a lack of understanding of other humans to almost a bitterness that others throughout history have had such faiths.

Anyway, he's entitled to his opinion but I just think his approach was rudely dismissive of others when there was so much evidence (all thost great artists performing the song, and all the sales of that song) that it is and was an important song in our musical culture even if he personally doesn't like it.

Even if he doesn't like the flights of of fancy in the song ,, it's a flight of fancy of his to deny how many people really got it and take a lot from it.

And for that matter: What does he think Motzart's horn concerto in D major says? Does the music say nothing because it has no words? It it just random gibberish?

Classical music does call emotions and attitudes and such to mind. E.E cumings might for many (i have a harder time with that). James Joyce novels are important works even if I can't bear to read even a few pages of them....

... I mean ... as soon as you say a few words, Recipe , Cake, Dress.. you're saying something by calling images to mind..even if you don't sting them together in full sentences.

He sort of made fun of John Lennon's lyrics earlier in the season too. The guy is more about money and reality that a dreamer like most of us value in artists.