American Idol scares me.

[BlueJazz]

You know, we talk sometimes about the stupidity of the American populace
but on the other hand, we meet folks every day that are actually fairly
intelligent which (at least for me) rather makes me think that maybe I'm
being a little to judgmental on my fellow countrymen.

But..then I watch American Idol.

Sweet Jesus!..Have some of these people ever listened to a song where
the singer actually sings the song in tune and does not sound like a
alligator having his balls pinch by a pair of pliers??
I listen to some of the contestants and wonder if they are aware that
they couldn't carry a tune in a 4 mile long freight train.
I mean, it's like some poor soul with no arms and legs saying:
"You Know..I think I'll go Skiing this afternoon"

Scary...Theses folks reinforce my idea that 1/2 the American Populace are dumb as a box of rocks.. :)

[WeRQ4U]

1. If you're tone deaf, then you're tone deaf.

My buddy cannot sing for the life of him. He can't hit one note. He couldn't sing "Row Row Row Your Boat" in key if someone had a gun to his head. But he doesn't know that. He can't hear that he's off. He can't hear when he's on. He has no idea. If he gets the words right, he thinks he's nailed it. I had a buddy in law school that was the same way. He would sing Dave Mathews Band stuff and I would just cringe. Not a single note on key, but he didn't have a clue. He thought he was money.

What I find so much MORE distressing is the amount of anger some of the PARENTS show towards the judges. They refuse to believe that their son or daughter is not good enough. Not only do they provide their children with false hopes, they lambast the honest judges for telling the kids that they suck at singing. It's like the Hockey Dad that beats the shit out of the coach because Johnny can't play hockey and the coach cuts him for it.

[ChoralScholar]

2. I see it every day:

"MY son/daughter is a WONDERFUL singer!!!"

I want to say, "I'm sorry, but your child doesn't even match pitch. Your child can sing an entire song, and never sing more than one note."

[WeRQ4U]

3. You sig line ROCKS.

R.I.P. to Mitch. Saw him at a dive comendy club in North Dakota when I was in college. Such a loss.

[BlueJazz]

7. Thanks!..I don't even remember where I picked it up..It's been so long ago

[Hosnon]

12. RIP!?!?! How did I miss that? What did he die from? nt

[redqueen]

17. They said it was a heart attack.

:(

[WeRQ4U]

24. I think it was drug related.

The most recent reports concerning the autopsy said his system had large amounts of drugs in his system when he died.

[ChoralScholar]

28. this is not a slam, because I love Mitch Hedberg...

but I imagine there were large amounts of drugs in his system MOST of the time.

The profound stoner persona was part of what made him funny.

[MissMillie]

4. What is the most troubling

is that somewhere along the line, these totally untalented people were told, by someone who heard them sing, that they were "good" or "very good" or "terrific".


One of the people who auditioned bragged about winning 3 karaoke contests that year. I mean... seriously, people actually voted for this tone-deaf nut in a karaoke contest.

:shrug:

[Harley Quinn]

25. One thing I have learned...

never trust the judgement of a room full of drunks!

HQ-just trust me...

[DS1]

5. I think DU should do a counter-Idol-Insurgency, and have about 100

of us show up in a row, all dressed out in the dumbest outfits possible, trying to sing as badly as possible, not stopping, and having to get dragged off the make-shift stage.

I'm up for it, who's with me? :hi:

[jobycom]

13. At least one of us would receive critical acclaim and be declared

as an underground indie genius, and the clear counter to talentless pop music.

[terrya]

6. Don't they have friends that could tell them they just can't sing?

Before they go and make fools out of themselves on national television? :shrug:

[azmouse]

8. I think a lot of the people trying out know they can't sing.

They just don't care. It's their chance to get on tv.
But after watching the last few seasons it also obvious that some of these poor fools
really think they can sing and are genuinely shocked when told that they couldn't carry a
tune in a bucket.

[underpants]

11. Reviews from the karoake crowd after 10PM should not be heeded

That has to be part of the explanation too. There was a guy on in Greensboro the other night who goes out and sings karoake 6 nights a week. He SAID that a woman asked him to sing at her wedding. He was terrible. They pretty much crushed his hopes right there on national TV.

There was another guy who said he had won 10+ talen shows.

I really think that alcohol explains a lot of this, it has to.

[DinahMoeHum]

19. Yes, a lot of truth in a full bottle of whiskey. . .

and a lot of lies in an empty one.

:evilgrin:

[underpants]

21. Oh

love that saying. Never heard it before.

[DinahMoeHum]

23. First read the expression in a Jimmy Buffett short story. . .

from Tales From Margaritaville: "The Swamp Creature Let One In"

:evilgrin:

[bbernardini]

9. I still think Randy Jackson has no right to judge these people.

After all, he played with Journey in the 80s. That shows he knows absolutely nothing about what good music should sound like. And the clothes he wore then! Oy!

:)

[MissMillie]

10. Everybody wore clothes like that back then

It's not as if the act of Randy wearing them was out of the ordinary.

[jobycom]

14. They're hoping for the George Bush effect, where they are so bad

that people think they must have missed something, and support them.

[undeterred]

15. Most of the people who have done well on AI have had voice training

along the way and had considerable natural talent to begin with.

It is kind of amazing that some of these folks think they've got it when they can't carry a tune.

[xmas74]

16. I work w/ an idiot

who thinks that she could win AI if she were only younger. She sings everywhere they let her. Awful voice, cannot hit even one note properly yet people praise her all the time.
I'm afraid to tell her differently and hurt her feelings. They already think I'm elitist as it is. I think if I brought it up to her (she made the comment "Damn the age! If they hear me sing they'll take me right away." and plans on making a fool of herself on national tv next season for the auditions) she will think I'm being mean and snotty.
And I don't know if the others are just being nice to her when they say she's a wonderful singer or if they really can't hear her caterwauling. I can't sing but I can hear in near perfect pitch and had years of brass lessons(trumpet, baritone, tuba, mellophone and French horn). Maybe that's the difference between myself and my other coworkers.
BTW-she plans on singing "My Heart Will Go On". Yep, the theme from Titanic. She's saving her money to pay for the trip next season for the auditions.

[twenty4blackbirds]

30. that's very sad

why don't the auditioning people tape themselves singing, and then play it back to themselves? That could save a lot of public embarrassment.
Disclaimer: I hold the belief I'm a natural bathroom baritone (so never sing at people :P)

[redqueen]

18. ... or tone deaf, or just want to get on teevee

I love that show so much. :D

[DinahMoeHum]

20. ". . .alligator having his. . .pinched with a pair of pliers". . .LMAO !!!

I'm still trying to wrap my brains around that one!!

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Burma Jones]

22. I would prefer a new version of the Gong Show

All the riotous badness of people trying to be TV stars without the Pretentiousness of Star Search....

[gpandas]

26. that people watch this tripe...

scares me

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

27. This Brit on Cowell's "X Factor" beats anyone hands down

http://www.killsometime.com/video/video.asp?ID=26

(I hope that's the right video)

[William Bloode]

29. You would be surprised at the number of people,

Who are completely shocked when i tell them i have never seen American idol, and do not intend to do so.