# America's Got Talent! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2008, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199 "2008-06-17T12:35:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/21 "2008-06-20T10:03:58Z")
[QUOTE=glee] This year, a teenage dancer ( [George Sampson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKKdvyTd4rg) ) won Britain’s Got Talent. [/QUOTE] You would think the BBC could afford a decent roof to keep the kid out of rain while he was dancing. I can imagine Michael Jackson drooling over that video…both for the dancing and for the dancer. ---
**Author:** ![Saitou](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Saitou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saitou)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/22 "2008-06-20T10:38:59Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] You would think the BBC could afford a decent roof to keep the kid out of rain while he was dancing. [/QUOTE] Nitpick: Britain’s got Talent was shown on ITV opposite a BBC talent show (and beating it in the ratings). I’d look for them poking extra holes in the roof. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/23 "2008-06-20T10:42:01Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] You would think the BBC could afford a decent roof to keep the kid out of rain while he was dancing. [/QUOTE] 🙂 There’s also [this witty advertisement](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex7Uu5x6ssY) , which may be where the kid got his idea from… ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/24 "2008-06-20T11:16:13Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Piers Morgan was fired from his job as a newspaper editor and has no knowledge of show business. His speciality is being rude to children and families. :smack: :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] He does seem to be one joyless, humorless fuck. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/25 "2008-06-24T05:14:23Z")
I would have put the little girl on to Vegas. Not because I think she could win, but because she’s four years old and her family would get to go to Vegas and it would be fun, and the show can totally afford it. She did a good job. Not a $1,000,000 I’d-want-to-see-a-whole-show-of-it good job, but hell if they sent Boy Shakira or wtf last year through to Vegas, then let this little kid have her fun moment, too. That said, I do wonder about acts like that. Is it the kid really loving what they do? Or is it pushy stage parents trying to live vicariously through their kid? ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/26 "2008-06-25T18:05:38Z")
My favorite this week? That chick who shot sparks out her ass! ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/27 "2008-06-25T18:19:27Z")
How about the guy who shot flames out of his \*ahem" groin?!! ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/28 "2008-06-25T18:28:38Z")
I have very little interest in kid singers. The Brit kid would be a great castrato.though You always think he is a good singer .for a kid. That is a low level. I would not pay to hear a kid sing. Let them sing as a curiosity but don’t take them too seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/29 "2008-06-25T19:08:11Z")
I missed last weeks show, and only caught half of this weeks (have the rest TiVo’d), but I was pretty impressed with the guy who did “Walking in Memphis”. Had a good relaxed stage presence and a great look when he was performing. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/30 "2008-06-26T11:52:19Z")
I like Eli. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/31 "2008-06-26T14:46:20Z")
Most undeserving act put through: Grinder girl. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/32 "2008-06-26T15:46:02Z")
[QUOTE=Lsura] Oh, and I was terribly frightened the whole time the 80 y.o. woman was tap dancing - not that she’d fall off the front of the stage like Springer seemed to think, but that her skirt would fly up. [/QUOTE] First time I ever literally sprayed my keyboard with coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/33 "2008-06-26T15:59:29Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] Most undeserving act put through: Grinder girl. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] My vote: Gay Cowboy Dance Troupe. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/34 "2008-06-26T16:04:06Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] My vote: Gay Cowboy Dance Troupe. [/QUOTE] Seconded. Other than grabbing their own asses, what exactly did they do? ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/35 "2008-06-26T16:29:48Z")
What I didn’t like about them was that they didn’t even appear to **dance** all that well. Grinder girl was at least different. And she sort of had moves that went with the music, so I’d give her a pass probably. I’m not sure about the board jumping girl act. I’m not sure what else you can do with that besides jumping to different music maybe? Same with brick-breaking guy. How many ways are there to smash your hands through bricks? ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/36 "2008-06-26T17:07:18Z")
Truth is, so far, I haven’t seen anyone that really impressed me. By this time last season, we had Terry Fator and Cass Haley. This year, the only really different talent is Grinder Girl. Yeah, the opera guy was great, but I think the producers are just trying it out to see if it plays as well here as it did in Britain (I assure you, it won’t–at least once we get past the point where the audience stops being told when to cheer and scream.) BTW, I figure there’s a certain amount of audience prompting going on, but does it seem to anyone else to be REALLY obvious this season? I mean, like there’s a big sign saying “CHEER” on one side and “BOO” on the other? My nomination for the “no shit, REALLY?” moment of the season is the leader of the K-Y Kowboys making the “Brokeback meets Broadway” reference. This year’s requisite “family act” was particularly appalling. Piers was the only one who got it right, and then he backed off! Even Eli was just meh. Nothing special. To paraphrase Bill Maher, when the best act so far is an Elvis impersonator, America has run out of talent. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/37 "2008-06-26T17:29:09Z")
The problem really is, which acts can be expanded and stay entertaining. For example, I really liked the two tumbling guys from New Orleans. But I also doubt whether they could hold my interest for more than 10 minutes. So how could they headline a show in Vegas? The interesting thing is I think you could take a bunch of these acts and package them together as a single, almost vaudevillian type show. But a single act worth a million bucks? Not a lot out there, to be honest. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/38 "2008-06-26T20:47:04Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] The problem really is, which acts can be expanded and stay entertaining. For example, I really liked the two tumbling guys from New Orleans. But I also doubt whether they could hold my interest for more than 10 minutes. So how could they headline a show in Vegas? The interesting thing is I think you could take a bunch of these acts and package them together as a single, almost vaudevillian type show. But a single act worth a million bucks? Not a lot out there, to be honest. [/QUOTE] Which is ultimately the problem (or maybe it’s a feature and not a bug) with this show. The show is titled “America’s Got Talent,” but the premise of it couldn’t be further from the truth. The question isn’t whether you’re talented. It’s whether you could do an hour show in Vegas. It’s why these groups or people from all across America displaying every talent known to man always gets winnowed down to singers, musicians, and singer musicians. By the way, I really hated the format last year and hope they go back to something similar to year one’s competition. Last year they narrowed it down to the semi-finalists almost immediately and from there on out eliminated one act a week. The judges were almost completely irrelevant the entire time. I actually liked the system where the audience picks one to move ahead and so do the judges. It needed a bit of tweaking but it’s far superior to how things went last year. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/39 "2008-06-28T18:30:08Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Piers Morgan was fired from his job as a newspaper editor and has no knowledge of show business. His speciality is being rude to children and families. [QUOTE=zagloba] He does seem to be one joyless, humorless fuck. [/QUOTE] You are a good judge of character. 🙂 Simon Cowell can be rude too, but at least he’s professionally successful and does know something about showbiz. Here in England, I think we are an entire series behind. :eek: I’ve just seen a chap (Cass Haley?) sing an excellent version of Sting’s ‘Walking on the Moon’. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199/40 "2008-06-28T19:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Here in England, I think we are an entire series behind. :eek: I’ve just seen a chap (Cass Haley?) sing an excellent version of Sting’s ‘Walking on the Moon’. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that was last season for us – you’re in for a treat or two as things proceed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-got-talent/453199.md?page=3)