"Idol Chatter"

Last week I sat down to watch the first installments of this year's "American Idol." My wife and I always enjoy these early shows when they show you the contestants with talent and without talent. The show is a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly. That is the way it has always been, and it is a successful formula that really pays off in the ratings.

During the first two tryout shows the panel of judges threw people out with a vengeance. In one situation after a certain guy had sung his song (or tried to sing his song) Judge Simon Cowell told him he was a terrible singer and that he looked like a "bush baby." The guy who was thus admonished took it with a grain of salt but the next day there was an outcry from the media. It was said that Cowell was too harsh or maybe just plain mean.

I agree the "bush baby" phrase might have been a little too personal but on the other part he was a bad singer. I find it hard to believe that bad singers don't know they are bad singers, or at least someone near and dear to them ought to bite the bullet and tell them they are BAD!!!!

When I was in high school we had a girl in our class who could not sing. I mean she was tone deaf. Still somehow her mother thought she could sing and was forever getting her to sing at special events or at church services. It was painful to hear and painful to watch because when she sang all of us kids would snicker or outright laugh and she would get upset.

I could never understand why someone didn't just tell her she stunk. To me that would have been kinder than letting her howl away and embarrass herself. When we graduated she was still singing and may be till this day. Thankfully she is too old to audition for "American Idol."

This girl was not alone in her no talent voice. I have been in many churches where someone will stand up in the choir and let lose with notes that could shred paper. These are not people who are just having a bad voice day. These are people who should only sing in the privacy of their homes. I know God loves a joyful noise but even He probably wants it to be on key.

The whole point of "American Idol" is to find the best singer in America. It is not to encourage the non-talented. If a person is a shrieker, or tone deaf or tone deprived they should be told. Anyone auditioning for "AI" knows going in that the judges are going to be blunt so it isn't like they are ambushed. 

On "American Idol" you get the good, the bad and the ugly. It is the judges' jobs to point out which is which. So let the games begin and may the best voice win.
 

 

 

 

 

©2007 Jackie K. Cooper

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