In the words of the jazz standard, the sixth season of American Idol has left me not "bewitched" but rather "bothered and bewildered." Following this week's show, I called my friend and Idol confidant Linda Young to reflect on it. It's good to know that I'm not alone. Television's most-watched series is at an all-time creative low, and there are three directions to point to - the judges, the producers, and America.
The outcry of singer Joss Stone, who was herself discovered on a reality show, calls to light the issue of judging. She criticized the show: "There's some great people there, like Randy. He has every right to judge them. But the rest of them … why are you judging these people?" Jackson's critiques are the saving grace of the show. His résumé qualifies him - he's recorded, toured, and produced for several of the best artists in the world. Stone isn't completely right, though. Simon Cowell is a leading manager and producer, knows music's technical aspects and also the definition of success.
The problem with the show's judging lies in one - Paula Abdul, who lacks credibility. Reports, although refuted, surfaced claiming that her recent mishaps are the result of a substance abuse problem. In an interview with EW.com, she reasoned, "I have the hardest job - mid sentence, I have to think of what I'm going to say, [and] sometimes I have to talk fast because I don't want to be edited. I have to think about what I'm going to say because I might not particularly care for [a contestant's] performance." Apparently having to "think" and being able to form coherent sentences is a daunting task, but Abdul's a grown woman, no grade-schooler. Thus, she's outed herself. The fact that she is foremost a dancer and not a singer is evident. Just because she's a singer with hit singles doesn't qualify her to judge another's vocals. She doesn't understand the technical intricacies of voice that a music student does, and she's certainly no prodigy.
She's demoted herself to a good-luck charm. During the top-12 show, before she could even criticize Haley Scarnato for forgetting her words and being pitchy, she said, "Well I'll start with saying that you look lovely tonight …" Her comments lack substance. Idol isn't America's Next Top Model - it's a talent competition. Abdul's hurting the contestants because she's not honest with them, giving them a false sense of hope. For the well-being of the show, she should be released from her contract. If the success of Idol could've been projected prior to its debut, the producers would've landed greater talent. Since the show has an established audience and Simon and Randy outweigh her, she's surviving. Her reputation isn't.
The group of contestants this year is like a zoo. More ridiculous than the fact that Sanjaya Malakar wasn't voted off on the show's first episode is the fact that he hasn't been in the bottom three yet. The horrid singer was criticized by Cowell, who said on last week's show, "I think you are in your own world, and if people like you, good luck."
Third-season contest Kimberley Locke commented on this statement to EW.com, saying, "I think it would be a disservice to American Idol and the brand if Sanjaya were to win."
Cowell and the other judges can't complain. Although the top 12 contestants were voted for by the show's audience, they never would have made the semi-finals had the judges not selected them to take the stage. Take Haley Scarnato. After her performance on British invasion night, Cowell called her "sweet but forgettable," mentioning the "thousands and thousands of girls all over this country being able to sing just like that." If these "girls" really do exist, then why aren't they on the show in her place? This highlights the flaws that exist within Idol's auditioning process. There are thousands of struggling artists but few meet the producer's standards of what makes good television, and they don't make it.
That's the exact flaw that led to the formation of votefortheworst.com in 2004, a group that advocates voting for the show's worst contestant just to keep the show entertaining, as its producers enjoy it. This year, the web site is sponsoring Malakar. Young said of him, "I don't know everything about music, but I can hear." America's in control, and there are plenty of sick people out there who are destroying the show, voting for a personality-type rather than a singer.
Whatever the outcome of this year's contest, sales will ultimately determine the winner. Chris Daughtry, last year's best, has sold over three times that of the albums of winner Taylor Hicks. The true talent will survive. All one has to do is look to Jennifer Hudson. n
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