# 'Iz' on American Idol

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iz-on-american-idol/584402>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 5, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iz-on-american-idol/584402 "2011-06-05T15:49:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iz-on-american-idol/584402/1 "2011-06-05T15:49:39Z")

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(NB: I have never watched _American Idol_, nor do I intend to.)

Yesterday I was picking up some Chinese take-out, and the late [Israel Kamakawiwoʻole](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Kamakawiwo%CA%BBole) was singing his popular rendition of [_Over The Rainbow_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I). I wondered if he would have ‘made it’ on _American Idol_.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iz-on-american-idol/584402/2 "2011-06-05T19:31:36Z")

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Probably not. He had the voice and the uke skills, but the music is a bit “niche”, and the physical appearance was working WAY against him. The man was bigger than Ruben, and Ruben is a massively outlying data point. (No pun intended)

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**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iz-on-american-idol/584402/3 "2011-06-06T17:41:00Z")

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> [@jayjay](#):
>
> Probably not. He had the voice and the uke skills, but the music is a bit “niche”, and the physical appearance was working WAY against him. The man was bigger than Ruben, and Ruben is a massively outlying data point. (No pun intended)

+1. I also think that he could not have fused his musical style with rock or r&b.

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**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iz-on-american-idol/584402/4 "2011-06-06T22:23:38Z")

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And here I was expecting to find that Eddie Izzard was joining American Idol!  
I would have actually watched the show \<or at least taped it\> if that had been true.

Alas, it is not.