Idol fatigue?
The ninth season of American Idol is back ... without much oomph.
IS it just me or are you also not rushing home to catch the American Idol auditions this season? After eight years, I think Idol fatigue, or at least, Idol audition fatigue has finally set in with me. Maybe it’s because there have been repeats of last year’s Idol screened on TV since late last year, but it sure seems as if the show is constantly on TV.
Or, maybe, after eight seasons, it feels like we’ve seen all the crazy we can take. Even Simon Cowell seems to have had enough: he’s announced that this will be his last season.
Now we’re all done with the auditions for season nine and this season, like the past eight, we saw a fair number of deluded wannabe singers – remember the guy who ... actually, I can’t remember any one in particular from this season’s auditions.
Oh, except the old dude Larry Platt who sang the ridiculous song, Pants On The Ground, about some dude he saw walking on the street with extremely low riding pants. (Platt has become an Idol sensation and has appeared on American talk show The View.)
Now, I still remember William Hung and that was years ago. I remember Renaldo Lapuz, the Philippino who sang We’re Brothers Forever to Cowell in season seven. And I remember bikini girl Katrina Darrel from last season. But apart from Platt, no one really stood out this season.
So, I for one am quite glad the auditions are over. And, did anyone really miss Paula Abdul? The guest judges weren’t spectacular either, except maybe for Katy Perry (didn’t you love the tension between her and Kara DioGuardi?) and Victoria Beckham (yes, I really love her cuteness).
Neil Patrick Harris wasn’t bad though he seemed to take his job way too seriously – where’s that funny guy we all love? Avril Lavigne and Joe Jonas weren’t really present, Shania Twain wasn’t too bad until she started flirting with the Korean American college boy John Park and Mary J. Blige ... well, she was just ridiculous. I don’t think I heard her utter a word.
Well, today, the Hollywood rounds begin and we’re one step closer to the start of the real competition. I am still undecided about whether or not I should devote my Wednesdays and Thursdays to Idol and I’ve decided to weigh my options. What do you think?
American Idol contestant Larry Platt performing his rap Pants On The Ground outside his home in Atlanta last month.
Why I should continue to watch Idol
1. Maybe, just maybe, there will be some inspiring performances like David Cook’s Always Be My Baby; David Archuletta’s Imagine; Adam Lambert’s Mad Men; and Kris Allen’s Heartless, to name a few.
2. Ellen DeGeneres – the new Idol judge – could actually be a delightful addition. Critics argue that she doesn’t know much about music, technically speaking, but that’s what the other three are there for, right?
3. Cowell’s cruel but necessary remarks. Plus it’s his last year.
4. Ryan Seacrest’s shameless flirting with Cowell.
5. Ready-made small talk. Stuck in a lift with your boss? Start talking about Idol. Uncomfortable first date? Talk about Idol.
6. Mentors and theme weeks: maybe somone cool like Madonna or Tommy Lee? Or The Hoff? Lorenzo Lamas? (Hey, they had Quentin Tarantino last season – I love his movies but to coach singers, really?)
7. There’ll be nothing else to watch on TV.
8. Abdul’s not on! While I don’t dislike the woman, her incessant argument with Cowell and their poking each other all through judging was annoying.
Why I shouldn’t watch Idol
1. DioGuardi may strip down to her undies again. Shudder.
2. DioGuardi may actually sing to prove she’s better than a contestant.
3. The drama and the “‘scandals”. If I really wanted to watch drama on TV, I’d watch True Blood or House MD and really, a TV scandal only works if it involves people who are really famous. So what if Adam Lambert kissed a guy?
4. It’s all become kind of tedious. It’s a new season but I feel I’ve seen it all before.
5. Those group numbers at the start of every show can be pretty lame; especially after Glee! Now those are some singers. Those are some original reworks of classics. Glee is the new Idol.
6. Seacrest’s shameless flirtling with Cowell.
7. Auditions are over so no more Posh Spice.
8. I should really be cleaning my house.
American Idol airs on Star World (Astro channel 711) every Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6pm with a prime time repeat at 8pm. It also airs on 8tv on Thursdays (10pm) and Fridays (9.30pm).