# The Voice \[Season 2, Spring 2012\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-voice-season-2-spring-2012/611929 "2012-02-06T03:27:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-voice-season-2-spring-2012/611929/301 "2012-05-10T22:25:32Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I’m not sure why folks think it is to discover NEW voice talent. Has that ever been explicitely stated? No, and they are honest (to a degree) about performers’ past experience. But the concept IS muddled. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-voice-season-2-spring-2012/611929/302 "2012-05-10T23:09:20Z")
> [@frequentflyer](#): > > (snip) > > BTW, am I the only one who thought Jermaine’s demeanor was strange throughout and verged on the bizarre? > > (snip) He looked very pumped up and over-adrenalized (if that isn’t a word, it should be). I think he was emotionally overwhelmed. I am still amazed by how mean Christina’s comments to Tony were. Clearly there was some sort of grudge there. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-voice-season-2-spring-2012/611929/303 "2012-05-11T00:21:49Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > He looked very pumped up and over-adrenalized (if that isn’t a word, it should be). I think he was emotionally overwhelmed. Yeah, I never found his personality all that appealing. His overwrought “Nobody but Jesus!” could become a catchphrase, however. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-voice-season-2-spring-2012/611929/304 "2012-05-11T22:02:11Z")
What I forgot to mention about Jermaine - he was wearing a Tux coat and dressed to the nines, he even had on a bow tie, except he wasn’t wearing the bow tie actually tied, it was undone and draped around his neck. WTF? It’s like, “I’m all high-class formal, except I’m a casual end of the night guy.” I thought for a moment when they were doing the Sprint Lounge interview that he was still getting ready, but then he came out on stage that way and did his performance that way. GAH!!! > [@Antigen](#): > > I agree - what exactly _is_ the point of the show? I thought it was to discover new voice talent, but it seems to be giving already-established-but-not-famous artists a shot at the big time. If that’s what the show is, that’s fine… but it’s not clear. Also, why do the ones I like least always win? What does “already established” mean? Someone with a professional career as a street performer? Someone with a career as a backup singer wants a shot at the front of the stage? Someone who has had a couple record deals that fell through or didn’t work out? > [@Aeschines](#): > > Yeah. They allow a fairly wide age range in, too, so why not let the lead singer of the Romantics or some other 80s one-hit-wonder band participate, since he didn’t make it _that big_? Yeah, I suppose it’s fair to ask where to draw the line. Does some former one-hit-wonder deserve a shot? But they do put new talent, too. I actually found out someone I know got called up by The Voice. She is a social worker who worked for a non-profit community center. AFAIK, she didn’t call them back. > [@](#): > > I think these voting-based competitions systematically reward middle-of-the-road performers like Jermaine, since the more unique ones are liked _more_ by those who like them but _less_ by the voting public overall. That’s why someone like Lindsey or RaeLynn wasn’t going to win, since they appeal very strongly to a certain subset of voters but not to the majority. The irony is that the winners will tend not to be very commercially viable because they won’t have all that many passionate fans. It’s not a good system. So the problem is they are generic enough to get the most votes overall, but also generic enough not to keep the attention when they actually produce stuff later, once the novelty from the show experience has worn off? Hopefully the judges (or someone) will recognize the good talent in the process, and find a way to support it. So far, they’ve done more than just the official winner getting a recording contract, so that suggests there’s something. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-voice-season-2-spring-2012/611929/305 "2012-05-12T02:11:07Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > What does “already established” mean? Someone with a professional career as a street performer? Someone with a career as a backup singer wants a shot at the front of the stage? Someone who has had a couple record deals that fell through or didn’t work out? I see it not as being about established/not established. By that criterion, you could always put on The Voice someone who has put out 15 albums, knows everyone in the industry, but still hasn’t “become established.” There are always going to be people in the music industry who have pretty good “voices” but who, for one reason or another, didn’t succeed. I see the important criterion has connected/not connected, insider/outsider. Tonny Lucca and Jermaine Paul are definitely connected insiders. Heck, they were close friends with famous people at the time of the show and had put out albums in some form or another. Jermaine Paul shouldn’t have needed The Voice. He’s right there in the studio with Alicia Keys. He can talk to producers, whoever, and try to impress people. What’s he gonna say? “Yeah, but I need a show like The Voice to _really_ get me noticed.” Hmm… > [@](#): > > Yeah, I suppose it’s fair to ask where to draw the line. Does some former one-hit-wonder deserve a shot? But they do put new talent, too. I think the concept of the show should be giving non-connected outsiders a shot at the bigtime. > [@](#): > > So the problem is they are generic enough to get the most votes overall, but also generic enough not to keep the attention when they actually produce stuff later, once the novelty from the show experience has worn off? Exactly. People were bitching online that Jermaine is Javier 2.0. Some of it made me uncomfortable as it was a bit racist (and some was explicitly racist–hey, it’s the Internet). Actually, the issue doesn’t have to do with race but with the vocal style that goes along with soul/R&B. It lets good singers really show off their pipes: the big mid-tempo ballads with all the runs and dramatic moments (that’s why Juliet could drop a nuke with “Man’s World”). I can’t blame people for hearing “I Can Fly” and thinking, “Wow, that’s great singing.” People compare that to Lindsey Pavao-style chirping, and it’s no contest (BTW, Lindsey finally did blow me away with her “Skinny Love” rendition, which was one of my favorite things this season). The thing is, the R&B world is full of people who can sing like that but who do it with a lot more personality than Jermaine. Personal style and that mysterious quality known as “IT” win out in the end. Just about any “good” singer is a “better” singer than Bob Dylan, but Bob Dylan isn’t a “good” singer–he’s a GREAT singer. By the same token, Chris man was able to show off his pipes with that fake-o opera stuff, which is just a less appealing genre than soul/R&B. But he was able to fool the voters with “good” singing. Maybe he can carve a niche as a Groban wanna-be, but he isn’t going to be big. OTOH, RaeLynn is going to be big. I’m a big country fan, and I just haven’t heard a voice like hers in a long time, but it’s everything a country fan wants. By the way, the really great R&B singer this season was James Massone. Again, not as “good” as a Jermaine, but he has “IT.” I do hope he can go somewhere, as I’d like to hear more. Jamar was another fantastic singer–it was a rip not seeing him in the finals. > [@](#): > > Hopefully the judges (or someone) will recognize the good talent in the process, and find a way to support it. So far, they’ve done more than just the official winner getting a recording contract, so that suggests there’s something. It does seem that they do that. Blake has toured with Dia, and it seems he’s going to help RaeLynn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-voice-season-2-spring-2012/611929.md?page=15)