But there are two exceptions: American Idol and Dancing With The Stars. I love these shows because they are about each contestant building up themselves to something better that what we saw last week, improving their skills, and enlarging their confidence, not defeating someone else.
At the start of American Idol this season, I really wasn't enthused about any one contestant, but I really don't really get into the show until it's down to the final 12 anyway. Sure, there were some that showed some talent, and some I knew would never make it into the final 10 let alone the final eight.
Now that it is down to the final eight, almost all of them could be groomed, dressed, trained, electronically vocalized, and put out on the concert circuit and would do very, very well. I'm not sure which one will win, but I'm pretty sure the final decision will be between these two:
Danny Gokey has a personality and honesty that comes through in his singing. Danny's wife died just a few weeks before this year's auditions. In the clips of him during auditions and the first few cuts, you could tell how raw his pain was. When Danny sings, it's as plain as the nose on your face that he's singing to his wife.
But he's going to have to work very hard and very long to beat Adam Lambert.
He could sing the phone book and win over the audience. He doesn't need to be polished and trained and engineered. He could record a CD today and hit the road on tour tomorrow. Adam has a rare combination of talent, stage presence, and confidence which is seldom seen. Mix those with his Elvis Presley good looks and Michael Jackson showmanship and he's unbeatable. It think we'll be listening to and watching Adam in 10, 20, 30 years from now. And I think he'll still be surprising us with every performance.
And in my other favorite, Dancing With The Stars, I think it will come down to these two:
Melissa definitely has talent. She was on The Bachelor and got dumped in front of America, and got brought on to Dancing With The Stars as a last minute replacement. But she's a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, so she's had some dance training which put her way ahead of the curve.
Gilles was the "sexy, naked neighbor" in Sex and the City. I'd welcome Gilles to my neighborhood any day. As long as he dances with his shirt off!
Who will win Dancing With The Stars? Who knows. I'm just glad Steve Wozniak got voted off!
Isn't Adam Lambert terrific? I've never paid for iTunes downloads of Idol songs until him. I've bought two so far (the Smokey Robinson tune and this one) and I know I'll be spending money on his recordings for quite some time -- whether he wins this competition or not. He's an amazing artist.
ReplyDeleteI don't get ABC on the TV right now (damn Dish Network/Fisher Communications tiff!), so I watch on the Internet. I haven't had time to watch this week, though. I agree with your two picks.
On both these shows, though, it's the voters who end up counting and they don't always get it right. Like Chris Daughtrey on Idol. He got eliminated way too early, but he's done better with his career than some of the winners, so it's all good.
Missed you at knit night tonight! Hope you feel better. :)
Oh Gilles! My little heart just flutters. He is SO hot! And you're right - ever since the first, Dancing with the Stars has been about good sportsmanship and civilized behavior. Even when the producers try to promote trash talk, the contestants make a joke of it. I've gotta start voting.
ReplyDeleteMuch as I love Ty, he hasn't really let 'er buck on the dance floor, and I don't think he's gonna be able to.