American Idol...

[savageseraph]

I am certain that it was the day-before-classes-start malaise that made me tune in to Fox tonight for American Idol. I haven't seen one episode of it before tonight, and frankly, based on the concept alone, I didn't think that it would hold much appeal. Honestly, I didn't plan on watching the whole thing, just enough to convince myself that I was right in not caving in to radio DJs and workmates and students going on and on and on about it in past seasons.

The biggest shock for me was how many people with voices heinous enough to make one's ears bleed, voices that sound less like they are singing and more like a yak giving birth, are 100% convinced that they have not just average or passable or good voices but GREAT voices. People who think that the judges just got it all wrong by cutting them. Unfuckingbelievable.

I sing in the car. Often. I was in chorus in middle school. I don't have a great voice, and I know it, and even when I was young enough to qualify, I would never, ever, ever just think, "Gee, perhaps I'll audition for American Idol." It pays to know one's limits.

The thing that surprised me most is the length people will go to just for the chance that they might get to audition. One guy who was not accepted was outside begging for spare change because he was totally broke. Another woman pawned her wedding rings for $200 to be able to stay in DC long enough to audition. She made the cut.

Yes, yes. Ambition, drive, being focused on your goals and willing to sacrifice for them: all qualities that are laudable. However, this seems like pawning your wedding rings to buy lottery tickets. One person out of 100,000 (or something like that) will actually win the contest.

Ummm, not that I plan on watching the show religiously or anything. Errr, certainly not.

My greatest fear-besides the fact that I might have to keep watching to see what happens-is that I will watch the show that shot here in Cleveland, every last horrifying performance captured on film, and then I will walk into class, and I will see my town's equivalent of Mary Roach sitting there. She'd be in the front row, naturally, and she'd be smiling at me.

Until I critiqued and graded one of her papers. And then...

Comments

[nesmith.livejournal.com]

"But all my friends told me I'm a great writer! But whatever, I don't need to listen to you--I know I can write!"

Sounds like every other fanfic writer out there, actually.

[savageseraph.livejournal.com]

I actually had a student like this last semester. She threw a major snit when she got a "D" on a paper because she knows that she is a WRITER, damn it. I must be out to get her or something to fail to recognize her brilliance.

Perhaps I need to have a few Simonisms in reserve for such moments.

[nesmith.livejournal.com]

I really really hate that excess of self-esteem I see out there all too often. Makes me wonder that if she doesn't believe a college professor, who would she believe? I could go on and on but I won't; I hope my students this semester aren't like that.

She's in for a rude awakening when she tries to get published, that's for sure. *grins evilly*

[caras-galadhon.livejournal.com]

What shocked me about American Idol was when I found out that the contestants we see at the beginning have all been pre-screened, and the fair-to-middlin' ones have been weeded out so we are only entertained by the very best and the very worst. So if I understand correctly, a heck of a lot of the really bad ones have been told, just a couple hours before, that they are good, and then they end up in a situation where they're bashed all to hell and told the truth. It's no wonder some of them freak out. Talk about mixed messages.

[savageseraph.livejournal.com]

Ah, I didn't know that, but I was wondering how they figured out who got to go before Simon and Co. My sis and a coworker both have friends who tried out, and neither of them made it to the Simon and Co. audition.

[maureenmcq.livejournal.com]

I walked into the family room last year or the year before while Adam was watching it, and yes, it is like watching a train wreck. Over and over. I admit, I ended plopping down on the couch and watching with him.

I was bonding. I swear it.

But I'm just pissed about American Idol this time because they pre-empted House for three weeks for it. And House is my new favorite show.

[savageseraph.livejournal.com]

I was bonding. I swear it.

Hmmm... *nods* I was playing with Willi while it was on. Spending quality time with the pup. That's it.