American Idol: too mean?

**sweetness** · January 19th, 2007, 11:12 AM

There's no doubt that plenty of people audition fulling knowing that they can't sing and they're not gonna make it-- they just want all their friends to see them on T.V.

As for the impaired people, I do think it's sad, but if they are that bad off it seems that they would have guardians to prevent them from going on the show. And I think these folks are pretty damned brave, and they obviously have very thick skins since they've probably been teased their whole lives.

Simon's the one who makes an ass out of himself IMO.

**cheray** · January 19th, 2007, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Mel1973

ie William Hung... He sucked, didn't seem completely right, but he LOVED it!

Even today we still say "I have had no proffessional training" to just about everything. Like while driving a car,,,,at karaoke.........etc., He was so serious when he said that, you'd think he was meaning I am so good and yet I have had no proffessional training. Poor guy, But he did go on to make a name for himself for a short while. Fame at any cost.

**NickiRocks** · January 19th, 2007, 09:20 PM

ahhhh! hahahahaha...I love American Idol. I love how mean they are, its so funny! Some people need a reality check.

**o0Amber0o** · January 19th, 2007, 09:24 PM

For as many people that there has been bitching about this situation, I would suspect a huge drop in ratings for next week.

But, of course that won't happen because then people wouldn't have something to bitch about next Wednesday.

**Lobelia** · January 19th, 2007, 11:55 PM

The bush baby & his chubby friend are on Jimmy Kimmel live right now. They're saying "SIMON IS THE BUSH BABY!!!"

Ok, the bush baby thought that Paula genuinely liked his singing & dancing, until he saw the show & saw Paula laughing at what Simon said. I guess he felt stabbed in the back. I can understand that. I suppose that in the heat of the moment, he misinterpreted her remarks (that she liked him).

Jimmy is taking these two to a celebrity golf tournament tomorrow to interview celebrities.

**sprynkles** · January 20th, 2007, 12:05 AM

oh goodie, it's just coming on now here! Thanks!

**vhfan** · January 20th, 2007, 05:27 AM

I think it's funny.

**Blackberry** · January 26th, 2007, 01:50 PM

Jessica Rhode's audition was heartbreaking, the way she cried after everyone said she's not the singer type, how she just cried after the audition... Man, they are cruel. Honestly, I think she sang preety well considering the fact she's on national TV and infront of her idol. They could've just sent her to Hollywood week, come on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXsxjv3UG7k

**Icepik** · January 26th, 2007, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by Blackberry

Jessica Rhode's audition was heartbreaking, the way she cried after everyone said she's not the singer type, how she just cried after the audition... Man, they are cruel. Honestly, I think she sang preety well considering the fact she's on national TV and infront of her idol. They could've just sent her to Hollywood week, come on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXsxjv3UG7k

I didn't think that was cruel at all. She couldn't sing. They were actually very nice to her considering how mean they are capable of being.

It's like Randy said, they are looking for the best - he wasn't saying that to be mean, he was saying that because that IS the premise of the show; to find natural, great talent. She was a sweet girl, but she couldn't sing.

**Mira** · January 26th, 2007, 05:07 PM

I think she has something to work with, but not at the AI or celeb level.

**Eli** · January 27th, 2007, 03:16 AM

I know Simon's a bit mean, but really he's only telling people they are bad when they really are. I think it couldn't hurt for him to say "sorry" at the end, but hey the execs probably tell him not to. I doubt he's as big a prick in real life.
But half of the things he says are really hilarious. But you should hear the Australian Idol judge Dicko, I think in his first year in 2003 he said something along the lines of: "That was dreadful mate. Purely dreadful. It was like watching Pippi Long Stockings in reverse, with a thousand knives flying past me. I thought I was going to die."

**Lobelia** · January 27th, 2007, 08:30 PM

I now know that you can say anything you want to people, as long as you preface or end it by saying "not being rude!"

**vhfan** · January 27th, 2007, 09:24 PM

Its all for entertainment.

**flecjill** · January 28th, 2007, 09:52 AM

Here's a very interesting article about a girl who tried out for AI and didn't even make it to the meet the judges round. Apparently her and two other girls were good singers but were turned away. I must be naive because I didn't know this was going on...I thought the point of the show was that ANYONE had a chance to try out for the show. So instead, they turn away people with talent to bring on retards who can barely speak much less sing? This pisses me off...to think they might have turned away someone as good as chris, or kelly, or taylor. dumbasses.
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=249220&mpc=1

**RangerFan** · January 28th, 2007, 01:37 PM

There has definitely been a change in AI in the last season or so. When it first started, the judges (even Simon) would hold their personal opinions in until the person finished singing, or until someone (usually Simon) cut the auditioner off. This season the three judges are laughing outright and making comments during the auditions, which is incredibly rude under any circumstances. The other change I've noticed is that they used to cut the non-talented singers off pretty quickly to save them the embarrassment. Now they let the really bad ones keep going in order to up the humiliation factor and increase ratings.

I've been singing my entire life. I've auditioned for commercials, soaps and a few Broadway productions, and I've never, ever seen anyone get treated as poorly as the contestants on Idol. I think the difference is the professionalism of the people involved. Usually casting directors don't have the time to sit through auditions of people who don't fit the image they're looking for, so they tend to cut the audition off quickly, with a simple, "Thank you." There's no critique, no helpful hints, and definintely no commenting on personal appearance. For the most part, the kids who are auditioning for AI usually have no prior experience with the entertainment industry, and it's much easier to exploit their innocence. If anyone had ever treated me with such disrespect, I would have walked out of the audition, told my manager what had happened, and she would have taken care of it. I think AI has crossed the line, and as much as I don't always agree with Rosie, I'm with her 100% on this one.