Welcome to reality...
Nov. 19th, 2005 09:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
khiemtranSo, I watched Australian Idol last week. It's the third season and they're down to the final three.
Now, I know it's about popularity rather than singing. And I know it's about the voting public as much as the performers. And certainly, I'm in no position to cast aspersions on anyone's singing, being as I am, a leading candidate for worst singer on the planet.
But, what I really can't stand is the bizarre judging. It's something of a personality flaw of mine that I don't like irrational praise, even when I'm receiving it myself.
The first season of Australian Idol was actually quite good. The top four singers all had number one hits and the top two both made it to their second album. But, what made the show compelling was the honest judging, by one of the judges in particular (that judge has now gone). The bar was set high and the performers were told exactly where they had to be and you could see them making progress week-after-week as they tried to reach it. In season two, something starting going wrong. The good singers dropped out early and the mediocre ones kept going. The eventual winner wouldn't have made it into the top five of the first season.
Now, in the third season, the judges were heaping praise upon singers who are even worse again. Either they're lying through their teeth, or there's some sort of weird reality distortion field in effect. I'm not sure which. Or maybe it really is just about popularity, and that's what they're judging, but they have to say it's about singing. Sort of like Starbucks with their marketing of weak coffee to people who don't like strong coffee by telling them it's really strong coffee.
Now, I know it's about popularity rather than singing. And I know it's about the voting public as much as the performers. And certainly, I'm in no position to cast aspersions on anyone's singing, being as I am, a leading candidate for worst singer on the planet.
But, what I really can't stand is the bizarre judging. It's something of a personality flaw of mine that I don't like irrational praise, even when I'm receiving it myself.
The first season of Australian Idol was actually quite good. The top four singers all had number one hits and the top two both made it to their second album. But, what made the show compelling was the honest judging, by one of the judges in particular (that judge has now gone). The bar was set high and the performers were told exactly where they had to be and you could see them making progress week-after-week as they tried to reach it. In season two, something starting going wrong. The good singers dropped out early and the mediocre ones kept going. The eventual winner wouldn't have made it into the top five of the first season.
Now, in the third season, the judges were heaping praise upon singers who are even worse again. Either they're lying through their teeth, or there's some sort of weird reality distortion field in effect. I'm not sure which. Or maybe it really is just about popularity, and that's what they're judging, but they have to say it's about singing. Sort of like Starbucks with their marketing of weak coffee to people who don't like strong coffee by telling them it's really strong coffee.
