Bye Bye Top 24
American Idol is going to have some changes this year. As usual I will watch the audition rounds and probably nothing else. Nigel Lythgoe told TV Guide that one of the big changes to the show will be the disappearance of the Top 24. He says they were awful singers and he was bored so wants to focus on the Top 12. While I agree that the top 24 were not always the most talented, I still think cutting it would be a mistake. When I was an avid viewer of the show, you watched Hollywood week and got invested in the stories of people. You wanted them to at least have a shot even if they were not the most talented. You wanted them in the top 24 to give them that outside chance of continuing.
My memory is for crap, but didn't Clay Aiken only make it through because of the top 24 format? Please correct me if I am wrong. The age limit on the show has been lowered to 15 so that will probably make for some better stage mom and dad stories for the tabloids, but I don't know how it will affect the show. They are probably hoping they will get a Biebs out of it.
22 comments:
Steven Tyler has criticized his daughter's weight, but he surely suffers from not wanting to grow old and has the most God-awful plastic surgery. I bet he thinks that he looks good.
If they cut that out then the season will be shorter. Hooray!
Ridiculous they lowered it to 15. And did Stephen Tyler not wipe his mouth after having some chocolate pudding? That is the sorriest soul patch I've ever seen.
I say bring back that show that looked for America's worst singer. Can't remember the name of it. I do remember they told the studio audience the contestants were mentally challenged so they would really cheer for them.
I agree, Enty - eliminating the top 24 gives you much less time to get to know the contestants. And we all know that a couple of seasons ago, when we knew less about the contestants, it was a dull, boring drag of a season.
However, I like the idea of some of the other changes. Make them do a music video; make them do an awards show-type performance. Give them a chance to show off their skills at what really matters in the music business today (hey, that's reality, even if it sucks that it'snot just about the ability to sing).
#1 change I'd make if I were the producer - change the voting so you are voting for the worst performance. That will negate the whole Vote for the Worst phenomenon that keeps bad singers around for way too long. #2 change - publish the actual voting totals, to get some credibility back.
Clay Aiken was voted out of the top 24 (or maybe even top 32 back then) and then was brought back as a Wild Card by Paula. Yes, I'm a little embarrassed to know that.
Yes Clay was a wild card outside of the top 12.
I'm so not interested in this show anymore. Last season was a BOMB, this season promises to be worse.
this show is dead,only a few episodes will get ratings to see Jlo and Tyler...after that it will drop off.
Instead of lowering the age, why not raise it? It would be nice to root for Susan Boyle-types, rather than another Bieber.
this is turning into toddlers & tiaras.
Momster, you'll get your chance when X Factor debuts. It is broken down into 4 categories: Girls, Boys, Groups and Over-28s (mixed). Then they all compete against each other.
I'm the oddball here b/c I think Top 24 is too much. I want the crap singers gone as soon as possible. The audition weeks are fun b/c you have a few gems ("Pants on the Ground", for instance) but after they get weeded out I'd prefer to hear people that can actually sing.
I vote to stop doing those stupid commercials & lip synced dance routines.
Cool, Von, I'll have to check that out.
I will only watch this Simonless-trainwreck if JLo lets her bitch flag fly. Like I've said before, I don't mind a See you next Tuesday if she owns it. However, I deeply despise a hypocrit. If Lopez becomes the new Simon and delivers actual critism that the contestants can use, I might give it a chance. Oh, and if Cat Woman, er . . . I mean Steven Tyler, is as batshit crazy as I hope, that will be worth watching, too.
How ironic and timely. I have an AI story. I just finished a nursing project for school and one girl in my group did nothing for the project. Nothing. Things have been stressful and everything is due about now and I, like most people in the program have a job and kids, etc, etc. We met on Tuesday to finalize this project that me and another girl put hours upon hours into and the girl that did nothing was talking about how she might have to drop out of the program and she is so stressed out because...she made it to Hollywood. I can't say that I hope she fails, but we graduate in May and she is giving up a sure thing for a shot. After riding my back for this project worth a lot of points, I do say that I think it is funny that her chance at "stardom" has been narrowed.
Never watched it before, damn sure ain't gonna start now.
And it's time for DWTS to go, too. Sick of all of it. TV sucks right now. Reduced to watching Comedy channel, cartoons and the occasional redneck idiots acting the fool and being arrested on TruTV.
@chihuahuense - That is why I hate having to deal with group projects. You'll have to post on here who she is if she makes it on TV!! haha
@MCH, I know, right? And believe me, I will. I also hate her for the fact that she said J.Lo was "glowing" Ugh! That alone made me want to kick the bitch in her neck.
@chihuahuense - LOL
The thing that has always frustrated me about AI is that it's rarely been about the actual music. And when it has, it's stuck in the stone ages. Why not allow the "talent" to sing contemporary songs that suit them? Why force these stupid antiquated theme nights? I get that it might have to do with what they can get released to be sung on the show, but still...really? I like the idea of challenges -- i.e., what can you do with XYZ types of songs. To me, the best season has been when the true talents could take a well-known song and rearrange it and make it their own. VERY few AI contestants have been able to do that. And why not let them sing for longer than two minutes? I've never understood that. The trainwreck factor might have me tuning in, but I got a "perfect" winner (for me dawg) a few years ago. I'll be happy I got that and move on with my life. Ha!
didn't Clay Aiken only make it through because of the top 24 format?
I don't know altho the commenters say that's true. And if true, it kinda proves Lithgoe's point, doesn't it? Aiken may have made waves on the show but he's turned into a lounge lizard who's added nothing to the body of music of the new century. In 20 years or less people will literally have no idea who he is.
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