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« Cheers & Jeers
Jeers: American Idol... Or Prankster?
Ben Haar by Michael Becker/FOX
Jeers to American Idol for its increasingly tiresome audition episodes. I know the tryouts are among the season's highest-rated installments (last year, they even outdrew the lackluster finale). But they're my least favorite hours. I don't know which makes me sadder — the truly deluded contestants who don't realize how bad their singing is, or the truly desperate ones who don't care how bad their singing is because they just want to be on TV. In some cases, I can't even tell the difference: I'm not convinced that season-opener Youka, with his Borat-like malapropisms ("You are sexy face"), isn't putting on an act. What's worse: I don't care. Wake me up when they get to the top 12.
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Jan 15, 2008 11:30 PM
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The audition episodes are the only episodes I look forward to. They are entertaining, however, I do think the judges are a little TOO mean sometimes especially when someone seems obviously mentally challenged. After the audition episodes I usually stop watching until the top 12 and will only watch a few episodes here and there after that, and I never watch the finales because they are majorly lame.
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Jan 16, 2008 7:39 AM
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I couldn't agree more! I stopped watching AI 2 seasons ago. Every season is exactly the same!!! If I want to watch morons making fools of themselves, I can just re-watch season 1. I'm not sure what the continued appeal of this show is. The last few winners / top 3 finishers (aside from Carrie and Daughtry) have been major disappointments in real life.
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Jan 16, 2008 9:37 AM
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I agree with the original Jeer. AI should take a hint from So You Think You Can Dance and start showcasing some of the good talent that might not make it to the finals. I know these audition episodes work for some people, but I can't stand them. I'm looking to hear talent, not people making fools of themselves.
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Jan 16, 2008 10:04 AM
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I couldn't agree with you more, Bruce. I never watch the audition episodes anymore because they are just so pathetic. As far as I'm concerned, AI doesn't start until they've at least gotten to Hollywood. I don't mind seeing a few cut from the mix because at least there is some measure of talent in the group. But no way am I going to be a part of encouraging these losers with no talent and no rational reason for believing that they have any happily make fools of themselves for America's entertainment.
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Jan 16, 2008 10:08 AM
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Agreed! What really bothers me is the set-up. I'm from the Philly area and have a few musically talented friends who went to the try-outs and never made it near the audition room with Randy, Paula and Simon (and believe me, they can sing).
I don't say this out of bitterness for those I know that didn't make it, I say this, because the cameras actually followed some of those God-awful, no-talent, trashy people to their homes and interviewed them! Pul-leeze! It's a gimmick and a scam. There's a strike - they win the ratings each year regardless. It's pathetic. AI should focus on finding a talented, charismatic performer, because honestly, not many of the people they passed to Hollywood sounded that extraordinary last night.
Side note: I actually thought Simon was very pleasant last night. He is brutally honest, but he never means to intentionally hurt any one.
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Jan 16, 2008 10:23 AM
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I am also someone who watches the auditions, had watched an occasional episode where they were culling out most of the contestants and then tuned in for the final 12 - though with the strike on and nothing better to watch, I may watch more of the shows where they narrow the playing field. I thought the judges, in particular Simon, were not too rude or harsh on last night's singers. That COULD change as they go on and are subjected to more and more bad singers and bad attitudes.
In particular, last night I thought it was typical of Simon NOT to join in the group hug for Temptress after she was told she wasn't going forward in the competition, but he did walk out with everyone and met her mother, which showed a level of compassion that had been not come out too often during other auditions.
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Jan 16, 2008 10:24 AM
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Ditto Bruce!! I have never been an American Idol fan!! Yet my friends still love seeing these retarded auditions episodes. I will be happy when the show is given the boot once and for all. The last several seasons have all been disappointments and I only look forward to receiving that TV Guide issue in the mail that breaks down the final 12
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Jan 16, 2008 10:25 AM
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Seriously. You think it says something that Simon didnt want to get all touchy feely with some stranger? i know some people are cool with that, but have some respect for those that aren't. Everyone is different and you can't judge others based on your paradigm.
And i get why people initially thought the bad performers were funny. What i don't get are the people that are so entertained by it umpteenth seasons later. it's the same shtick and even worse because most ARE just doing it to get their 15 minutes. Have some pride, people!! I guess you people that enjoy this are the same ones that think fart jokes and getting hit in the balls is innovative and freshly funny.
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Jan 16, 2008 10:31 AM
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I've never been able to watch these episodes. I hate stupid people. Dumb adults get on my nerves more than anything. I don't find it funny or get thrills out of dillusional people making an *ss of themselves. All you do is feed into their 15 seconds of fame by continuing to watch this crap. Simon has every right to trash these knuckleheads who have seen this show for 6 years and know that they aren't talented enough to advance let alone win.It's the same thing every year and it's become tiresome.
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Jan 16, 2008 11:23 AM
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What upsets me the most about the audition eps are that, they are NOT the first audition. Some of these awful people have been told they were good through two or three rounds of auditions, just to be humiliated on television. The one that upset me the most was Temptress. To use her sad story for ratings was just awful.
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Jan 16, 2008 12:05 PM
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i like nice bodys as much as the next guy...but last weeks Vegas really ticked me off..not only were all the fat jokes a disgrace. but they made a pregnant women the butt of most of them....every time i thought we ve come farther in life....all we need is tv to remind us we haven't.
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Jan 16, 2008 1:23 PM
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The only episodes worth watching are the first ones. All good singers sound the same and I could not care less who wins. Trust me, the producers at AI know that there are many people that tune in just for the crazies and the bad singers, so don't expect it to change.
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Jan 16, 2008 1:47 PM
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COmpletley agree with this jeer- the audition tapes give me a headache. I wish they'd break them up and do all the "good" ones in one hour and then the "bad" ones in the next hour, since obviously some people like to watch the bad singers. I find them depressing- annoying and not entertaining. Why did I watch? I have no idea- I guess I Didn't help the process. I agree that this show doesn't get good until the top 12.
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Jan 16, 2008 3:07 PM
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I completely agree with you. I can't say that I despise American Idol overall, because I do appreciate some of the talent (Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, and Carrie Underwood) that has come out of it. I do despise these episodes, though. I tried watching American Idol in the second season, because it was such a phenomenon in its first, but I couldn't sit through any of the audition episodes. I don't take pleasure in other people getting humiliated, and I think it is ridiculous to encourage people who are doing it on purpose (as a good portion have to be doing, considering they've had many years to learn the process).
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Jan 16, 2008 9:03 PM
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