American Idol!

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 12 Feb 2009 12:41 pm

You guys think that's bad, my girlfriend used to make me watch 'Desperate Housewives' with her. Brutal!!

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 12 Feb 2009 1:20 pm

This is the first time I've commented on an "Idol" thread (probably the last). Regardless of whether you think the show is rigged or not, it's my belief that it's all about the Show, not the contestants.

IMO, everything about "American Idol" is staged for dramatic, outrageous, or humorous effect... for the show, not the contestants. The call-in thing; the producer probably cares very little what the voting outcome is, because its main purpose is a "real-time" ratings tool to sell the show to the sponsors. The contestants are actually contracted "commodities". Once the contestants sign the "Idol" contract the show gets "talent" to generate viewer interest and high-dollar sponsorship; and eventually, depending on how well 10 contestants do, the show gets a recording "star" or "stars" to make further profits from. The contracts guarantees that each contestant will have a slim-to-no chance at quick stardom, provided they do exactly what the contract demands of them.

Come on folks, the formula ain't rocket science. Fox doesn't care about 50,000 desperate adolescents hoping to become the next Alicia Keys or Justin Timberlake. They care about generating viewer shares and revenue.

My two cents, I'm outta here.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 12 Feb 2009 1:23 pm

It sounds like a lot of you guys would really appreciate Ben Elton's book "Star Struck".

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 12 Feb 2009 3:11 pm

Everyone starts from somewhere, this is a great venue.

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 12 Feb 2009 3:16 pm

Guy, I think the book by Ben Elton you are thinking about is called "Chart Throb" The book is a satire of Pop or American Idol. The point of the satire seems to be that these competitive reality shows are obviously highly engineered. The problem is, that point is so obvious. The contestants represent all the range of ego, delusion, anorexia, pathos, and questionable talent that you'd expect from the average reality show.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 12 Feb 2009 3:27 pm

Whatever!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Feb 2009 3:35 pm

[edit]

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 12 Feb 2009 4:16 pm

With all due respect, if you've never watched the show then why comment?

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 12 Feb 2009 7:11 pm

[edit] ...oh, never mind.

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 12 Feb 2009 10:04 pm

You are right, Mike. "Star Struck" is the one on Big Brother that is also very funny. But "Chart Throb" has Idol down. 'You go, girl. You really owned that song.'

Ben Elton lives in England but also has a house in Fremantle, Western Australia, so he has observed the "Idol" phenomenon both in England and Australia. Yes, that's right. There is an Australian version with different judges but the same characters as the US show. In recent series the bad judge became a good judge and they got another guy in to be the required bad judge. The set ups are the same. I reckon that the whole revenue set up revolves around the ownership of the telephone revenue for voting. The fad is passing, the revenue drops.... bye bye.

Teresa, don't let it bother you. If you like it, you like it. That's fine, by me. I think it is good a vehicle for introducing good standard songs from the repertoire to a young audience that would probably reject them out of hand, otherwise. Live TV work for musicians which is a rarity these days.

But read "Chart Throb". It really is a hoot.

Mike Shefrin · Post by **Mike Shefrin** » 12 Feb 2009 10:27 pm

Guy- Yes, it's a very funny book, and Theresa, I hope you didn't take offense to my comments. I echo Guy's response in that if you enjoy the show, then you enjoy it, and there's nothing at all wrong with that. I wasn't judging you (no pun intended) or trying to put you down. In fact I think you are a real nice person. I just don't care for the show myself, that's all.
Mike

Geoff Cole · Post by **Geoff Cole** » 12 Feb 2009 11:56 pm

My American Idol is Buddy Emmons

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 13 Feb 2009 5:41 am

No problems here, Mike do I google "Chart Throb"?

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 13 Feb 2009 6:09 am

Our power was out Wednesday night and my wife had to watch AI on a battery powered TV. It was panic city, until I came up with the TV. She was talking going to a motel, Walmart, etc... to watch the show.

My goodness, it's not like it was a Darius Rucker show or something.

Ha Ha!

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 13 Feb 2009 6:14 am

I could have enjoyed it if they did not put on all the ones who have no talent for the sake of having Simon look like the ashloct he is. Some good talent has emerged but Karoeke comes to mind on most..I'm still waiting for that Taylor (forget his last name)to wind up in Nashville..I may catch a show down the road but have no interest in watching those expoit Judges and their comments..

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 13 Feb 2009 11:00 am

Of course it's perfectly alright for Theresa or anybody else to watch it as much as they want. It's well known, though, that TV programming is meant to be an opiate for the masses, and to take our eye 'off the ball'.

'...Idol', I'm afraid, is the lowest that the medium has ever sunk in terms of exploitative and gratuitous content. (And, by the way, Theresa - I have watched it; that's how I know. I assume it's still okay to post an opinion here?)

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 13 Feb 2009 1:53 pm

Forgive me, Joe. What is an "ashloct?" I mean I can guess, but I cant find a proper definition anywhere using that spelling.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 13 Feb 2009 3:16 pm

Roger Rettig wrote:... TV programming is meant to be an opiate for the masses, ...Idol', I'm afraid, is the lowest that the medium has ever sunk

Obviously you haven't watched much TV.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 13 Feb 2009 3:29 pm

...or seen "Car 54 Where Are You?"

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 13 Feb 2009 4:24 pm

'...Idol', I'm afraid, is the lowest that the medium has ever sunk in terms of exploitative and gratuitous content.

Thank you for posting that Roger. Of course, I'm not qualified to have an opinion about this show because I've never seen it, and don't watch much TV, except for the 'boring' stuff like the news, the history channel, etc.

This post is deja vu all over again... last year we went through this idle stuff, and we'll probably go through it again next year. It seems to me that this is borderline 'off-topic' for the STEEL GUITAR FORUM, even in the MUSIC section. It a discussion about television, and about the exploitation of the 'singers' and the viewers, politics, big business, etc. There isn't much discussion of MUSIC in this topic.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 13 Feb 2009 6:18 pm

Roger, I'm sorry
I was referring to Doug's comment, about him never watching it.

Everyone has opinions and I voice mine to much...... I do like A. Idol and I'm not trying to conform you that don't. The show has to do with all types of Music and live Music with Steel Guitar, hopefully starts this week.

No one has to read a post, they don't like or aren't interested in.
Happy Valentine's Eve! This is Friday 13th!

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 13 Feb 2009 8:00 pm

Barry:
In the fifties my dad actually got a contract to do a primitve version of the Nielsons (TVs Audience Counter)on that particular show. By todays standards the repartee may have been a little slow but it had it's odd ball appeal. I remember one episode where Tooty I believe was being hustled by a funeral director who assured him his plot was on a hill overlooking Yankee Stadium so he would be able to see all the games. It was fifties tv what did you expect...Peter

Donna Dodd · Post by **Donna Dodd** » 14 Feb 2009 1:33 pm

Cover me, Theresa . . . I'm comin' in!!!!!!!!!!!
Theresa, your daughter's friend is a VERY good singer!!!

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 15 Feb 2009 4:41 am

Barry Spelling is wrong my German is weak but you got the meaning

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 17 Feb 2009 6:35 am

Hey Donna,
I knew ya had my back!

Watch tonight, I think Ann Marie is singing "The Woman In Me"!

The Steel Guitar Forum

American Idol!

Car 54, Wear-------Arhhhh- You?