# My first pit: AI's Melinda Doolittle **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 23, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338 "2007-04-23T17:50:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/1 "2007-04-23T17:50:44Z")
I can’t believe how many like Melinda. She’s a complete phony, and she’s not very good at being such. You see glimpses of her true personality every once in a while; she’s clearly a prima donna. Her little-Miss-innocent neck-disappearing looks of “Am I really a good singer? Do you really mean it?” inspire feelings of anger inside me so deep, I could make Lewis Black quiver. Does anyone else not see this? Or do they just ignore it? Does anyone remember when they interviewed her several episodes back, and she mentioned that she brought along some “close friends” – her two stylists. Enter that bad smell. Then she went ahead and explained that that Oprah wouldn’t be anything without her friend Gayle, so she referred to her two friends as “her Gayles.” Wha? She’s Oprah now? And what happened to American Idol being a competition where it was only for people who never sang professionally? This woman’s gotta go. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/2 "2007-04-23T17:52:51Z")
AI? I thought the little robot boy was creepy. Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/3 "2007-04-23T17:59:15Z")
Sorry, but I couldn’t disagree more. I like her humbleness and her personality. I saw an interview on her where she spoke of her roots in background singing etc…etc… and she mentions her almost complete inability to be in the spotlight as being a phobia. To me she’s someone who gained power over her phobia, and is enjoying her humble beginnings. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/4 "2007-04-23T18:07:10Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] Sorry, but I couldn’t disagree more. I like her humbleness and her personality. I saw an interview on her where she spoke of her roots in background singing etc…etc… and she mentions her almost complete inability to be in the spotlight as being a phobia. To me she’s someone who gained power over her phobia, and is enjoying her humble beginnings. [/QUOTE] I view her apparent degree of meekness as viewer manipulation. When she’s singing on stage, you don’t see an ounce of it – if I don’t recall …ever… seeing evidence of a phobia during her performance. As soon as she’s done singing, like hitting a switch, she turns into the neckless kitten. I think she’s very intelligent and she’s using it. Either that, or she’s got a Jekyll and Hyde disorder. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/5 "2007-04-23T18:08:11Z")
[QUOTE=DudleyGarrett] I view her apparent degree of meekness as viewer manipulation. When she’s singing on stage, you don’t see an ounce of it – if I don’t recall …ever… seeing evidence of a phobia during her performance. As soon as she’s done singing, like hitting a switch, she turns into the neckless kitten. I think she’s very intelligent and she’s using it. Either that, or she’s got a Jekyll and Hyde disorder. [/QUOTE] Can’t edit… erase that “if” after the double hyphen. ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/6 "2007-04-23T18:09:51Z")
Whatever. She’s far and away the best singer that competition has ever seen. Her last two performances were like a master class - the timing and tone were perfect on some really, really difficult stuff. No one else on that show could dream of singing either one of those songs - she made them look easy. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/7 "2007-04-23T18:19:10Z")
She’s also beginning to lose the whole thing you don’t like. Simon told her last week to do just that: “I’m going to ask you to drop the surprise… [etc.]”. And she did. Immediately. I think she’s gracious and classy. Not to mention that she sings like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/8 "2007-04-23T18:22:31Z")
[QUOTE=DudleyGarrett] And what happened to American Idol being a competition where it was only for people who never sang professionally? [/QUOTE] Since when? Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry and Constantine Maroulis all sang professionally before they appeared on Idol. The requirement is that you may not have had a recording contract before. Melinda hasn’t. How is this inconsistent? ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/9 "2007-04-23T18:23:38Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] She’s also beginning to lose the whole thing you don’t like. Simon told her last week to do just that: “I’m going to ask you to drop the surprise… [etc.]”. And she did. Immediately. I think she’s gracious and classy. Not to mention that she sings like a cool breeze on a hot summer day. [/QUOTE] So, if she was able to stop that, immediately, on command… doesn’t that tell you that it was an act? Personally, I don’t care if she sings great or not – that has absolutely nothing to do with my point (or the show’s – the best singer never wins, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/10 "2007-04-23T18:50:28Z")
If there’s one thing Hollywood and the American people absolutely will not stand for, it is phonies in showbusiness. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/11 "2007-04-23T19:20:43Z")
[QUOTE=DudleyGarrett] So, if she was able to stop that, immediately, on command… doesn’t that tell you that it was an act? Personally, I don’t care if she sings great or not – that has absolutely nothing to do with my point (or the show’s – the best singer never wins, anyway). [/QUOTE] Actually, if you watched the show and paid attention, she started working on toning down her reaction several weeks ago when it became a topic of conversation online. Simon was rather late to the party with his mention of it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/12 "2007-04-23T19:22:39Z")
[QUOTE=DudleyGarrett] So, if she was able to stop that, immediately, on command… doesn’t that tell you that it was an act? [/QUOTE] No. But let’s assume that it is. So what? Even if she’s completely full of herself, it’s gracious to act immodest. And she’s far and away the best singer the show’s ever seen. Would you rather have her polar opposite, Antonella? ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/13 "2007-04-23T19:24:46Z")
[QUOTE=IrreverentTone] Actually, if you watched the show and paid attention, she started working on toning down her reaction several weeks ago when it became a topic of conversation online. Simon was rather late to the party with his mention of it. [/QUOTE] I have watched the show and paid attention, especially in regards to Melinda’s mannerisms. Every week. I’ve seen no evidence that what you said is true. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/14 "2007-04-23T19:25:25Z")
I agree that the humility was basically phony, and I also found it VERY annoying. I think she is getting away from it a little, but it was such a part of her personality that I don’t know what to make of it. The wife and I always called her “The Midget”, but we heard that Howard Stern calls her “Shrek”, so we’ve moved on. And, I agree with whoever said she’s the best ever on the show. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/15 "2007-04-23T19:25:27Z")
I will repeat here what I’ve said in the past: Either she is a complete and utter fake, or someone, somewhere, made her that way. Having seen her progression throughout the competition, I’m still leaning toward the latter. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/16 "2007-04-23T19:29:43Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] No. But let’s assume that it is. So what? Even if she’s completely full of herself, it’s gracious to act immodest. And she’s far and away the best singer the show’s ever seen. Would you rather have her polar opposite, Antonella? [/QUOTE] “far and away the best singer the show’s ever seen” – that’s entirely subjective. I thought Kelly Clarkson was better. Hell, even LaToya London was better. But that’s all opinion, and ultimately irrelevant to the thread. Again, I don’t care if she’s a great singer. I don’t care if people think she’s the greatest singer in the history of the world. I am not sure how Antonella fits into any of this, either. In any case, when it comes to today’s pop music, she has it 1000 times over Melinda. She’s got better looks and the studio can make her voice passable rather easily. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/17 "2007-04-23T20:29:32Z")
[QUOTE=IrreverentTone] Actually, if you watched the show and paid attention… [/QUOTE] See, right there is my problem. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/18 "2007-04-23T20:37:41Z")
Since this thread has become a fairly civil discussion of a television show, I’m going to move it to Cafe Society. It can always come back here if things get out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/19 "2007-04-23T20:43:38Z")
I like her and don’t think her humility is a put on. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338/20 "2007-04-23T21:19:53Z")
I started out liking her because I thought she had a nice voice. I’ve come to the point where I hope she gets voted off because she is just so boring! She took the definition of bland and smoothed it out and took it to new levels. She has no creative range, everything she sings sounds exactly the same. Last week was a little better, but not enough to change my mind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-first-pit-ais-melinda-doolittle/401338.md?page=2)