# America's Got Talent: You're doing it wrong **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046 "2009-07-23T22:33:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/1 "2009-07-23T22:33:52Z")
I’m watching a DVRed episode of AGT right now, and it really _should_ be a good show. Instead, I find it annoying as crap–well, for 45 minutes of the hour I recorded. I enjoy about 15min of it, so I just give my FF button a workout. Maybe it’s just my hormonally-amplified reactionary state, but it seems like they need to cut out or drastically reduce: 1. The 4min of CRAP at the beginning (reviews, cheering crowds, introducing the judges, etc.) before beginning the talent; 2. Showing montages of performances–I sit there thinking, hey, they were good, so why don’t we get to see them? Why do I have to keep watching dumbasses? …Or, if it’s a montage of bad, then, can that just be all the bad we see? 3. Speaking of–focusing on the BAD performances and spending so much time and energy leading up to them (American Idol has a better balance, I think, though I don’t really watch AI past the first few episodes), considering how very few of the acts we actually see in their entirety–seriously, bad singer choir director guy sucked 5min out of last night’s show; 4. The rabid, surely encouraged audience responses; 5. Letting cute, but not that talented, acts go forward–some of these people can sing, some, but they aren’t THAT great (ditto the dancing–I think So You Think You Can Dance has spoiled that for me); 6. Acting like it’s a cliffhanger when two out of the three judges have already said yes–um, that’s a majority, so that means the act _is_ going to Vegas, so suspense is over; 7. Succumbing to audience pressure–when Sharon and Piers are split but the audience is cheering, David _always_ says yes; 8. Cutting away from the good acts to show audience/host/judge reactions; 9. Generally sucking. Really, this _should_ be a good show…it should! All these various acts ought to be interesting to watch. Instead, we rarely get to actually _see_ them. Grumble. Grumble, my hormones and I say. But, it’s worth 15min of entertainment at least. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/2 "2009-07-23T22:42:35Z")
I’ve never even watched the show, and I pretty much share all your opinions about its quality, so I don’t think it’s hormones. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/3 "2009-07-23T22:49:56Z")
I thought of another grumble: 1. Five weeks of auditions. **FIVE!** Bor-ing. We should’ve been on to Vegas at least two weeks ago. I just finished last night’s show in no more than 20min (hey, I was distracted and didn’t man the FF that attentively). I really liked the flippers–they were cool, and I want to see more of them. They’re also the only _good_ act I remember. Soooooo…one hour show, 2min of entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/4 "2009-07-23T23:49:44Z")
The show was a lot better when it was called '30 Seconds to Fame." ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/5 "2009-07-23T23:56:08Z")
The judges used to be a lot tougher, particularly David, but with the sudden audience impact, he’s gotten a lot softer it seems. I still enjoy the show a lot, and it will get better, but I want to watch the ACTS, I don’t want a constant 4-way flip shot between the act, the host, the judges, and the audience over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/6 "2009-07-23T23:56:59Z")
This is my first season watching and I agree with everything you posted. What’s the format going forward. Is there actual competition? ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/7 "2009-07-24T02:35:20Z")
**Gwendee** , from here they go to Las Vegas and more or less cull all the acts that shouldn’t have been sent in the first place (the older woman dancer? the older man dancer? REALLY??), and ultimately narrow it down to the top 20 (I think) acts. From there the show may improve, because we won’t have the rapid-fire audition cutaways, and the audience reactions will be less ridiculous. There still will be plenty of junk to filter out, but in smaller amounts. And oh–I _thought_ that episode was over, but the last 15min were reserved for an interview with Susan Boyle. Way to milk that cash cow all the more. It’s like, “Hey! Hey look! Hey lookie here, she was big on the OTHER show! Look! She’s going to talk about it, AGAIN! Look!” And so, I hit stop, and delete. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/8 "2009-07-30T14:29:38Z")
I would like to now add the pointlessness of the Las Vegas semi-finals. Let me get this straight: they audition in a city, and if they’re deemed good enough, they go through to Las Vegas…where, the judges re-judge them (without them performing a second time to show more of their talent) and either send them home, or off to Hollywood. WTF? What’s the point of sending people to Vegas? On other similar shows, the contestants perform again at the second location, and their two audition pieces are considered. This time around, they’re twice judged for one performance. Really… **WTF??** Not to mention WHO they’re letting through. The older woman who kind-of-danced and did a reeeeeally poor version of the moonwalk? _Really?_ Another annoying cute little girl singer? _Really?_ Seriously, AGT, _you’re doing it wrong._ ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/9 "2009-07-30T15:26:11Z")
I’m in total agreement **Ruffian**. \*\* s p o i l e r s\*\* Really? The little girl rock band? I’d love to know the reasoning behind canning the little girl who sounds like Etta James and keeping the little girl who sounds like, well…me. I agree she’s chock-a-block full of personality, and would probably flourish on a sitcom, or an Amanda Bynes type show, but she doesn’t sing well. The fact that nothing notable happened in either of the last two broadcasts is another check in the con column. And the dramamtic build up at the end of Wednesday’s show wasn’t all that dramatic. I wouldn’t have kept the girl in the headband either. Singers have more opportunities than dog acts and acrobats. If I ran AGT I wouldn’t even audition singers. Harumph. And how much time has elapsed? Why are they all wearing the same clothes as in their original auditions? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/10 "2009-07-30T15:47:35Z")
1. The 4min of CRAP at the beginning (reviews, cheering crowds, introducing the judges, etc.) before beginning the talent; Agreed. 2. Showing montages of performances–I sit there thinking, hey, they were good, so why don’t we get to see them? Why do I have to keep watching dumbasses? …Or, if it’s a montage of bad, then, can that just be all the bad we see? Because we want to see the crap (because it’s funny) - they have to bump the talent. Plus, they know we’ll be seeing the talent in the later stages of the competition. 3. Speaking of–focusing on the BAD performances and spending so much time and energy leading up to them (American Idol has a better balance, I think, though I don’t really watch AI past the first few episodes), considering how very few of the acts we actually see in their entirety–seriously, bad singer choir director guy sucked 5min out of last night’s show; I’m not a big fan of the bait and switch either, but _some_times it is funny. 4. Letting cute, but not that talented, acts go forward–some of these people can sing, some, but they aren’t THAT great (ditto the dancing–I think So You Think You Can Dance has spoiled that for me); Gotta have someone to cut later. (But yeah - they had to cut like 25 acts before Vegas began because the Hoff was too lenient.) Conclusion - you gotta DVR the show if you’re going to watch. It is hard to watch otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/11 "2009-07-31T01:18:10Z")
And the constant dramatic tension before the judges give the contestants their verdict every single freaking time . ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent-youre-doing-it-wrong/504046/12 "2009-07-31T02:20:29Z")
**Saint Cad** , you forgot to mention the DRAMATIC. MUSIC. BEATS. that punctuate EACH. OF. THE. PAUSES.