# American Idol **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 12, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550 "2002-06-12T00:50:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/21 "2002-06-12T17:27:15Z")
I don’t know about shills. Consider, these guys saw _hundreds_ of audtions each day, and that’s just one city. They don’t even show all the winners. All they’re going to show is some of the really good ones, some of the truly awful ones, and some of the funny ones. _Most_ of the audtions were probably unremarkable. My favorite exchange: Simon: Have you been taking singing lessons? Girl: Yes, a little Simon: Who’s your teacher? Girl: This lady up in Montana… Simon: Do you have a lawyer? Girl: No Simon: You need to get a lawyer and sue your teacher. I also loved the dude who was stripping to Britney Spears. ---
**Author:** ![lethean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@lethean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lethean)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/22 "2002-06-12T19:04:54Z")
That British man is such a bitch. But, he did make me chuckle a few times, I’m ashamed to say.:o ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/23 "2002-06-12T19:26:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*So it’s basically black women, really fem Latino guys, and Justin Timberlake clones? \*\* Although I’m not sure what this has to do with the price of tea in China, I saw some white women/girls in the commercials. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/24 "2002-06-12T19:42:10Z")
Heh. Yeah, the Britney Spears guy was pretty funny. I guess I am destined to watch part deux of this abomination tonight. ::Someone please hold me:: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![cmburns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@cmburns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmburns)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/25 "2002-06-12T20:18:52Z")
I thought the funniest thing was when people would voluntarily put their talent up for criticism, then get upset and say something like “Why do those three think they have the right to judge me?” Well, I guess they think they have the right to judge you because you asked them to! Last night’s show was hilarious, but I’m not sure how entertaining the following episodes will be. If I understand the format, the rest of it is picking the best of the people who passed the first round, which means no more off-key antics. The Britney Spears guy probably won’t be as funny the second time around, and you can’t count on the former Miss West Carolina or whatever she was to keep doing pratfalls. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/26 "2002-06-13T02:56:54Z")
I specifically recorded this last night, planning to read the thread about it today to see if it was worth watching. My interest was piqued enough, so Mrs. S and I watched it tonight, followed by the second episode. (looks over both shoulders) Ok, so I liked it. Maybe I just need a show to fill that Survivor-less summer schedule. First of all, go Dallas! At least 4 people made it to the final thirty (if I counted correctly) Adriel seems like a good contender. The chick with the multicolor hair and the slip-sliding cheerleader don’t seem to have as much potential. I don’t know how some of those kids made the cut. The J-Lo impersonator from Miami was bad IMO, although her best buddy is quite good. Anyway, we’ll be watching - I assume there’ll be a weekly thread on the subject? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/27 "2002-06-13T03:51:07Z")
After reading this thread, I decided to check out the show tonight. Almost _all_ of the contenders sucked. Most of them tried to sing in the exact same tired irritating style that is rampant on the radio today. (How many notes does a one-syllable word need, anyway?) Hardly any of them had a style all their own. I cringed the entire time that guy “sang” _Daydream Believer_. Talk about completely shredding a song. The hosts were pretty useless, but I did like the British guy. I like how he told it like it was. Very amusing to see the losers lash out at the judges. Sore losers much? I doubt I’ll watch it again. I didn’t see anybody worth rooting for. Sheri ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/28 "2002-06-13T13:47:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DarkWriter \* > \*\*Almost _all_ of the contenders sucked. Most of them tried to sing in the exact same tired irritating style that is rampant on the radio today. (How many notes does a one-syllable word need, anyway?) Hardly any of them had a style all their own. > \*\* Agreed. I kept waiting to hear at least one kid get up there and really blow 'em away, but it just didn’t happen. I wonder if Simon was right when he said that he didn’t think Aretha Franklin wouldn’t win this contest if she auditioned (presumedly as a teenager). She doesn’t have the “look”, but then again she would have absolutely destroyed the competition in the singing department. I felt bad for that one girl who went to three cities before finally getting an audition, and then stinking it up. Wasting a day on this show is bad, wasting a week following it around the country is worse. Speaking of that audition, while we were watching this, I asked my wife if she was pondering what I was pondering. She said, “Probably, don’t these kids know that they can’t sing? I wouldn’t be waiting in line for 12 hours for an audition unless a lot of people had been telling me I was a great singer for a long time.” This baffled me as well. If you can’t sing a note, why bother? Maybe these kids just have nothing to do during the summer (I assume these auditions were held recently). Btw, we knew immediately which room was going home when they showed a few people last night. Directed by Mark Burnett this show aint. They shouldn’t have shown deaf-parents Jim in the one room because we all knew he was moving on. Then they showed the girl with the long face (sorry, can’t think of a better way to describe her) who completely bombed her audition in the other room. Wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Lol and what was up with the big guy reaming on the judges at the end. What a moron. Way to make certain that you never do have a career in entertainment by showing the community that you’re a bitch (if the community even watches this nonsense). ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/29 "2002-06-13T14:05:45Z")
I saw on the news last night that evil Simon has been receiving death threats. Apparently three of the rejected constestants in NY came back wielding baseball bats. :eek: Simon says he will not change his ways, but now has two bodyguards following him everywhere he goes. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/30 "2002-06-13T14:18:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LolaCocaCola \* > **Simon says he will not change his ways, but now has two bodyguards following him everywhere he goes.** Heh. I said “Simon says.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![annieclaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@annieclaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annieclaus)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/31 "2002-06-13T14:58:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Slacker \* > \*\* > > Agreed. I kept waiting to hear at least one kid get up there and really blow 'em away, but it just didn’t happen. I wonder if Simon was right when he said that he didn’t think Aretha Franklin wouldn’t win this contest if she auditioned (presumedly as a teenager). She doesn’t have the “look”, but then again she would have absolutely destroyed the competition in the singing department. . . . > > Maybe these kids just have nothing to do during the summer (I assume these auditions were held recently). > > \*\* Just had to select these two parts from your excellent post, Slacker. I work for a FOX owned and operated station, so I can tell you that the auditions were held about 6 weeks ago. They were for 16-22 year-olds (and I may be a year high on the top age.) I agree that they would not have picked Aretha. Aretha doesn’t fit the slim, sexy, under-talented mold of the modern pop star! I think they’re looking for the next Britney Spears or Ricky Martin. . . a totally packaged, manufactured, performing puppet who can be marketed to success. Remember that in the next three weeks, 70% of the remaining group of contestants will be voted off the program. By the viewers! Should be fun to watch! Ten contestants will perform on the Tuesday shows and the Wednesday shows revealing the surviving three singers will air LIVE! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Wrong_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/32 "2002-06-13T15:36:16Z")
I knew it couldn’t last. When they picked the girl who thought that she wouldn’t be picked because she was big, I was like “geez…they can’t be looking for actual talent, and not just looks, can they?” Of course, they chose to tell her after she came to Hollywood that she doesn’t look like a star. I felt really bad for her then. I mean, they got her hopes up and everything, and then just smushed them. The show was kind of “ehh” last night, I thought. I seriously couldn’t believe barely any of them could memorize a song like “I say a little prayer.” They’d never heard it before? It made me feel old before my time. I’m 19 and I know that song (from “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” actually–so it’s not like I’m some closet teenage Burt Bacharach fan.) I’m liking the guy with the deaf parents more and more–he’s definitely the best looking one there, IMO, although his second audition didn’t go so well. And Alexandra? Blech. She’s the one who sang “Genie in a Bottle” for her first audition and wore those horrendous jewel things that looked like zits on her face last night. Apparently, she also tried out for “Popstars” on the WB and got rejected for that. Hmph. And the sad thing is, she could totally win if the American public is the one doing the voting. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/33 "2002-06-13T15:45:51Z")
Yeah, deaf parents guy will definitely win this whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/34 "2002-06-13T15:53:49Z")
It was on last night??? Darn it, I missed it! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/35 "2002-06-18T22:11:18Z")
Guess what’s back toniiiiiiiight? heh heh heh 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550/36 "2002-06-18T22:15:46Z")
Simon Cowell was one of the UK judges, and he was solely exported for his Mister Nasty act. I think it got a little stale – if entertaining nonetheless – here, so the producers decided to try the Anne Robinson tactic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol/113550.md?page=1)