American Idol

[Big Wheel]

I do get a kick out of the transnational appeal of the show. There are quite a few spinoffs, including:

Singapore Idol

Malaysian Idol

Indonesian Idol

[Jazz Kat]

I find it difficult to endure the singers who won't just sing the fucking notes, but they have to ornament them with all of that overblown Whitney Houston-sounding crap. It's like people who obviously affect a different singing voice than their speaking voice, a la the Matchbox 20 guy, Dave Matthews, and Pearl Jam. WHY!?!?! I do enjoy hardcore rejects on American Idol, though. B-)

Do you mean like when they take the note all over the place, instead of just keeping the note steady? I know what you mean, I hate that.

Edited January 26, 2005 by Jazz Kat

[Guest Chaney]

Do you mean like when they take the note all over the place, instead of just keeping the note steady? I know what you mean, I hate that.

Vocal contortionists.

[Sundog]

I hate this kind of shit.  You guys might be watching it because it's "funny" or "stupid" but that's the same reason people watch The Simple Life, The Surreal Life, The Apprentice, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette....ad nauseum.  As a result, those shows get great ratings and nine more of them pop up every day. 

Thanks. 

BTW: I don't imagine many of you listen to shitty music because it's "funny".  Well...it's the same thing.  Every bullshit record that gets popular means a good record that doesn't conform to what the current music market dictates will not get made.  How funny is Amercian Idol now? 

Lighten up bro' ... read a book, go for a walk, throw out your TV! B-)

[Dave James]

Mariah Carey's legacy will be bent note and the accompanying hand signals. It spawned an entire generation of women who think that's the way you sing. Spare me.

Up over and out.

[doubleM]

Yes, that's exactly what I mean, Jazz Kat. Make it stop!!! Please!!!!

[king ubu]

I thought this was some kind of poll... wouldn't have been sure if I'd voted for George W. the glorious crusader, or for ariceffron, future of US law

[Jim Alfredson]

I listen to bad music because it's funny. I just don't buy it. Luckily you can get enough of it free via radio, just like free bad TV shows!!

The musical term for singing a flurry of notes ala Mariah Carey is melisma. You can actually blame Stevie Wonder and other soul/R&B singers for that, but the difference is that they did it with taste.

[Jazz Kat]

I know. I always said I hate when these new pop singers do that. But then I heard George Benson doing it 30 years ago, and I actually liked it.

[RDK]

I know. I always said I hate when these new pop singers do that. But then I heard George Benson doing it 30 years ago, and I actually liked it.

Yeah, isn't it funny how we dislike the things that we don't like and appreciate the things that we do like? B-)

[Jim Alfredson]

If anyone on this board admits that they have the William Hung CD (or is it CDs now?) you will be automatically banned by Masterhit.

[JSngry]

American Idol to me is pretty much a post-Reagan Gong Show.

[jazzypaul]

If anyone on this board admits that they have the William Hung CD (or is it CDs now?) you will be automatically banned by Masterhit.

when it came out, they had it available for streaming on AOL. His version of Hotel California was the funniest thing I had heard in a L-O-N-G time. Until my Japanese student aide started singing Carpenters tunes at work...

[Jazz Kat]

American Idol to me is pretty much a post-Reagan Gong Show.

I have been saying they just need a gong. It would get the show on so much faster that way.

[Jazz Kat]

Yes, that's exactly what I mean, Jazz Kat. Make it stop!!! Please!!!!

Can't help you there, but I sure would love it if that art dissapeared.

[JSngry]

Well, there goes Gospel music!

[Dave James]

William Hung is a walking, talking and, dare I say it, singing violation of The Peter Principle. That's the theory that you rise to your level of incompetence. Hung is well beyond any level of competence I can even imagine. Still, you have to give him credit for making the best of bad situation. Most of us will never experience even one minute of fame, much less our theoretical allottment of 15. He's had months and we're still counting. I do have to admit cracking a smile, though, when I first heard he'd put out a Christmas album called "Hung for the Holidays." You gotta admit, that's pretty good.

I almost hate to cop to this, but over the holidays, I was desperately searching for the elusive William Hung bobblehead. Never found one. Hope that doesn't buy me a visit from the dreaded Masterhit.

Up over and out.

[Guest Chaney]

The doll is more attractive than the man.

[chris olivarez]

No.

Same here. Only moreso.

Likewise.

[Jim Alfredson]

Maybe it's me, but I always sensed a disturbing undercurrent to the whole Hung fad that ran a little like this:

"Ha ha! Look at that funny Chinese dude!"

If you know what I'm saying....

[GregK]

Maybe it's me, but I always sensed a disturbing undercurrent to the whole Hung fad that ran a little like this:

"Ha ha! Look at that funny Chinese dude!"

If you know what I'm saying....

I wouldn't even have known anything about that if it weren't for the people I work with who watch that show and insist on discussing it the next day. Thankfully my wife doesn't subject me to this show. Her "reality show" choice: that swimsuit model search on Wednesday nights

[ejp626]

There is a lot of cruelty inherent in this show, and I don't care for that. I really wish they hadn't added the shows featuring the worst performances last season, since it just encouraged people to ASPIRE to be the next Hung just for exposure's sake. Still, it is pretty amazing that people get on and are sure they can sing when they can't. I have the self-awareness to know I would be awful trying to sing on stage. All things considered it is better than Fear Factor, and ultimately they are producing a few pop wonders who can actually sing rather than sing to a backing track. Still, I am glad that it appears the reality fad has peaked. Most of the new reality shows are getting very poor ratings.

[Brandon Burke]

Maybe it's me, but I always sensed a disturbing undercurrent to the whole Hung fad that ran a little like this:

"Ha ha! Look at that funny Chinese dude!"

If you know what I'm saying....

I know what you're saying.

[Soul Stream]

No.

Same here. Only moreso.

Same here, except even more than your moreso. I'm SO not watching this, that I didn't even know this crappy show was still on except I keep seeing Randy Jackson on talk shows.

[RDK]

The whole William Hung phenomenon is like the old pet rock craze. His "success" was grassroots and really inexplicable. It makes you shake your head in wonder at the unpredictability of pop culture. But it's also one of those little things that makes pop culture so interesting.

And yeah, I agree. I think much of his success is due to the same people buying his CD who, years past, would have tossed chicken parts to a circus geek...