American Idol 2011 - My Thoughts So Far

I thought after the first week that I would not watch this season. I could not stand Steven Tyler as a judge. Still cannot, which I know puts me in the minority. However, I have been able to look past him and enjoy the season so far. The main reason I was able to look past him - Jordan Dorsey. He was the first featured auditioner for the New Orleans audition. I liked him then, I like him now. Yes, he is diva like, or was portrayed that way during the Hollywood round. However, he is good.

Also, who is this Paul McDonald guy and why do I not know more about him? All of a sudden it is like the producers said, wait a minute, we do not have much footage of this guy and he is going to the top twenty-four, so we had better get something put out there about him. I feel like I need to know more! His voice is mesmerizing, and I know no other way to describe it. I am glad we get to hear more, more, more. Of course he could totally bomb the live show and make me realize why we have not seen much of him.

I was sad to see John Wayne go, only because I thought he looked good in a cowboy hat. I think both cowboys should have stayed and let the guy who cut Jacee out of the group go. I do not care if the guy who shall not be named ends up having the most talent in the universe, I will not vote for him because of how he treated Jacee. He should have done the Jordan thing and left the group if he thought that Jacee was not a fit. My college roommate's little girl called Jacee the chubby Justin Bieber. I think that is fitting! As for the other cowboy, Scotty, I hope I never have to hear that song from him again and that he can now move on to something else!

As far as the girls go, I am not impressed with many. I like the young country chick named Lauren, but then she showed up dressed like cowgirl Barbie (the show's words, not mine). I usually feel this way about the girls at this point in the season, so there is still a chance I will be wowed.

I already have contestants that I cannot stand and make me feel the way Sanjaya made the world feel. I hope they go soon. I fear they will not. Although I agree that the guy's rendition of "God Bless the Child" was good, he has got to go! Nothing else he did was good. End of story. There is also he who must not be named. I also was not impressed like the judges were with Thia Magia or whatever her rhyming name is. I tend to agree more with the voice coach on that one. Her voice has a flatness in it that is just annoying!

Well, I hoped that this year might be the year I break my addiction, but I am hooked instead. I do think that there is a tremendous amount of talent this year. I think that it is going to be hard to forget some of the ones cut if they do come back next year to try out again like the judges seem to want (and the producers too because how can you forget Jacee ... although it will be interesting if his voice changes!). The show seems no better, no worse, which is saying a lot since I do miss Simon. I am glad that the show is finally out of the preliminary stuff and on to the singing competition. Let the real competition begin!

American Idol, you did it again

American Idol must have the smartest production staff ever. AI knows that there are only two reasons to watch the audition rounds - the personal stories and the really bad singers. Last week's episodes did not disappoint. The first one to grab the attention was the girl who has the Down's Syndrome brothers. She may not be the best singer (yet), but she is definitely one that I am rooting for. Of course some of American fell for a girl that completely annoyed me - the bumpkin that jumps bridges for fun and wears the Dollar Store dress. Seriously, she cannot sing, and they gave her unrealistic expectations that are going to be dashed and hurt her more than if they had been honest with her up front. She is terrible. If she makes the ten in the running when the real season starts, there is a serious lack of talent.

The producers know how to make us the audience talk about the really bad singers. They know that if the bad ones are not included, the audience is going to get bored. You had to have the freak out guy - there is one almost every season. The country bumpkin who could not sing a lick was represented (I would say twice, but one made it to Hollywood for some reason - see previous paragraph). Each year there has to be the one act that leaves everyone talking, at least since William Hung created the mold in Season Three. The producers found a classic one in General Larry Platt. If you read into Platt's background, there is no mistake as to why he was chosen to be this year's Internet sensation to have us talking about AI. He is a veteran, civil rights leader, and a local celebrity in Atlanta. They knew he would be appealing because of his ATL popularity. I suspect that they possibly even sought him out after hearing about him instead of him showing up on his own. Or maybe he showed up just to entertain the crowd. It was obvious that he would not qualify, and his tryout was only for show. Yet, knowing that we have been manipulated, the audience still cannot stop singing the song or talking about the guy. YouTube is now full of covers of the song. Late night hosts and football players are singing it. Facebook statuses (including one of my own) have been talking about him for a week.

Part of the reason that AI continues to be popular is because of the genius of the producers putting this material in front of us for our entertainment year in and year out. Part of the only reason I watch the early episodes is to see and laugh at the train wrecks. This year's overnight sensation quite possibly could be the best one of all. It was an original song instead of a cover, and now America is singing it. Brilliant. Instead of talking about how bad the general is, we are singing his song. By putting it in the first week, AI just created interest for the next few weeks of auditions. AI manipulates America, we know it, and yet it is still entertaining. Incredible.