Wednesday, May 24, 2006


American Dildo
It's almost over. Well, for another 6 months anyway. Tonight is the big finale of American Idol and I truely cannot wait for this latest abortion of a television show to be over.
Now, I'm not one of those guys who hates the show and has never watched it. While my ex and I were together, I slogged through three seasons. Time I will never get back. Kinda like the relationship itself. I hate it because I HAVE watched it, and I've seen the process, and I've listened to the legion of little fans who cling to the excruciating avalanche of mediocrity that makes up the lion's share of the talent.
But it's not the contestants that make the show so revolting. Nor is it the panel of judges. Mostly Paula, Simon, and Randy speak the truth about what they feel.
I hate it because it is equal parts karaoke and Prom King and Queen contest. The truth is, most anyone could be swooped up by the Corporate Music Machine and groomed to become a "star". That we, as the public, buy into that process and support it makes me sick to my stomach.
There is more talent, workin their butts off night after night in grimey little dives and singing their asses off in greasy spoons and holes in the walls all over this country, that will never get a break because they are "too old" or "too hard to market". People who can not only sing, but play an instrument, and write personal music from their hearts. These people are paying their dues right now, and will be better musicians and performers because of it. I hate that we would rather sit and be force-fed an image and be used as a force of our own to apply pressure to make someone become homogenized enough to be neatly fit into a label or a niche.
But, most of all, I hate it bacause the winner is determined by the frothing audience itself. People who can't be bothered to vote in their local school board elections, or for State Representative are sure as hell gonna text message for their favorite Idol.
Green Day said it, "Don't wanna be an American Idiot!"
American Dildo: Fuck it!

3 comments:

dirk.mancuso said...

Caught just a few seconds of it and Paula was on one of those patented "WTF is she saying" tangents. "I am in awe of the God given talent you are possessed with, that you are posssive of..." and then I lost any idea of what she thought she was communicating.

Taylor Hicks, American Idol. Um, not so much.

i said...

word! plus... yer ex fucked ya right? what'd american idol do for you? eh?

that's right.

Anonymous said...

All I can say is THANK YOU!!! Some one gets it. What a waste of time on this junk food for the brain. Sorry that you had to go through that if you never liked it.

I have to confess, I do like - some - reality shows, but I would never force someone to watch them. That's what DVR is for right...? Here are the ones I like.
Survivor: 39 days of hell with people you don't know all while trying to find food and water to survive. I don't really care about the contestants. It's the fact that you have this small microcosm of people that are literally pitted in the classic battles of man vs man, man vs society, and man vs nature all in one. It's the mechanics of these things that keep me watching.
Just one word for this one: "Darwinism".
Amazing Race: Before you say it.. There are very very few contestants that I've like on this one. I'm actually drawn to the spectacular places that they go and the sometimes bizarre events/contests that they have to do. I know with out a show like this, I probably would never get to experience those places and things.
This one is good for inspiration from the places they go and things they do.
Big Brother: Again, not the contestants, but the mechanics. Three months with people you don't know. You don't have to worry about survival and your stuck in a house together. So it's all mental, with a few challenges thrown in.
Just one word for this on too: "Machiavelli".