Sunday, March 05, 2006
I love Paris - Frank Sinatra
Me sis was asking me the other day if I was following American Idol 5 here. I was like - "Hello??? Me got not TV here!!!". She forgot!
But since that e-mail communication, it rekindled my interest in AI. Back home, I used to love watching all these reality shows! Survivor was interesting - until it was proven that the most evil, selfish and untrustworthy people have the better chances of winning!!!! There was Fear Factor - who doesn't like watching Americans eat crockroaches??? The highlight of each episode is always when the loud-mouthed big-talker loses badly (wonder if it is all a show - like wrestling... some of me mates are certain it is!). Then, there was The Apprentice. I did not watch it initially cuz I din like the Trump fella. It was during my backpacking trip to East M'sia when I was sitting in the common room of the Backpackers' Hostel reading - when I watched it for the first time - and got hooked on it since!
I guess my favourites have been The Amazing Race and AI.
For AI, I have come to the conclusion that the main reason why I enjoy it so much is Simon Cowell! I like him because he dares say the kind of things that we dun even if we were thinking about it! He is critical, brutally honest and is not afraid of taking the unpopular stand. I may not agree wif him all the time - altho i must say i do for most of the time - but to me, he is wat makes AI special.
Me and Simon! Along wif Loius and Sharon, the other 2 judges of X-Factor.
Pic taken by a Canon Digicam (can't remember which model - not mine!)
Take for example, the M'sian Idol. I just lost interest so easily - and that is becuz of the judges. They are so pathetic - IMHO! There was one who was interviewed and he said that he spends time before each episode trying to think of sarcastic ways to criticise the performances! What the...? And there's the other male judge who is prolly trying to be Simon Cowell-like but he ends up just being rude. There were occasions when me mates told me that they were so unhappy wif that particular judge - criticise the singing if you must but dun make personal remarks and attack!
Still, having said that, i find that Simon seems to have mellowed a lil? But then again, i've only like seen a few of his comments. I hope i'm wrong!
One area of criticism on shows like AI is that it is dependant more on who is popular rather than who is talented. Some say (I din follow so can't give an opinion) that this was wat happenned in the last M'sian Idol - where all the "aunty votes" went to the cute boy!
I'm undecided about this. On the one hand, i would like those who are talented to win. But you have to admit that if it was a pure talent show - and no voting at all - it would not be wat it is now - and in my view, it'd be less interesting. You have to give some benefit of doubt to the voters tho, that they are not that dumb... are they? Well, Fantasia won 2 seasons ago. Obviously, she was the best! Jaclyn won the first M'sian Idol, beating the "underdog" younger and less experienced (but a Malay girl!) finalist. Having said that, Carrie Underwood??????? As one of me mates said, he wants her to win cuz "she's a babe"!!!! Mind you - this came from a talented stage actor and musician!! C'mon, Bo Bice was the best last season, both in singing and in performing!
So all these memories got me searching the WWWW (Wonderful World Wide Web!). I managed to watch the result show where the first 4 of the top 24 were voted off. From that episode, I could only watch like 2 seconds clips of each performance - as well as the "farewell performances" of those voted off. My views - Becky was rightly voted off. I felt sori for Stevie, tho. She's soooooo sweet. *ahem* But more than that, i thought she had the potential (since then, i actually managed to watch her actual performance and have to say it was bad). Still, she's young and i wonder if she would be allowed to join again... can she?
I can't say much about Bobby but i was really surprised that Patrick - the Sean Penn lookalike - got the boot! He obviously is an acomplished singer and performer - IMHO, based on watever little i saw.
I was surprised oso at how the result show effected me! I mean, when i followed it for the past two seasons, it always get emotional when we had to say goodbye to some of the finalists - and that affects me as i've been following the contestants thruout right from the beginning. But even as i watched the result show, i felt emotional at the end too! I must give it to the producers of AI for how they make it that way - the montages and "tribute-clips" to the losers. Brilliant!
I've oso managed to watched clips of the performances of Elliot, Ace and Paris. Elliot is pretty good. His Stevie Wonder prformance - Moody's Mood for Love - was brilliant. Ace? Not impressed. He reminds me of Constantine from last season - may be a good performer wif looks etc. but no much of a voice (when measured using the high standards of AI).
Finally, there's Paris. Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!! I watched her a capella audition and it just blew me away!!!!!! On top of that, she is so sweet and has such a cute speaking voice - i liked it when Paula asked her if she was gonna be the next American Idol, she replied "Yes, ma'am"! :-)
Unfortunately, due to her age, methinks she wont have the experience and mental stamina to last. But i really hope that she goes far - if possible, all the way! As Simon said about her, she has that "likeablity" factor in her.
But since that e-mail communication, it rekindled my interest in AI. Back home, I used to love watching all these reality shows! Survivor was interesting - until it was proven that the most evil, selfish and untrustworthy people have the better chances of winning!!!! There was Fear Factor - who doesn't like watching Americans eat crockroaches??? The highlight of each episode is always when the loud-mouthed big-talker loses badly (wonder if it is all a show - like wrestling... some of me mates are certain it is!). Then, there was The Apprentice. I did not watch it initially cuz I din like the Trump fella. It was during my backpacking trip to East M'sia when I was sitting in the common room of the Backpackers' Hostel reading - when I watched it for the first time - and got hooked on it since!
I guess my favourites have been The Amazing Race and AI.
For AI, I have come to the conclusion that the main reason why I enjoy it so much is Simon Cowell! I like him because he dares say the kind of things that we dun even if we were thinking about it! He is critical, brutally honest and is not afraid of taking the unpopular stand. I may not agree wif him all the time - altho i must say i do for most of the time - but to me, he is wat makes AI special.
Me and Simon! Along wif Loius and Sharon, the other 2 judges of X-Factor.
Pic taken by a Canon Digicam (can't remember which model - not mine!)
Take for example, the M'sian Idol. I just lost interest so easily - and that is becuz of the judges. They are so pathetic - IMHO! There was one who was interviewed and he said that he spends time before each episode trying to think of sarcastic ways to criticise the performances! What the...? And there's the other male judge who is prolly trying to be Simon Cowell-like but he ends up just being rude. There were occasions when me mates told me that they were so unhappy wif that particular judge - criticise the singing if you must but dun make personal remarks and attack!
Still, having said that, i find that Simon seems to have mellowed a lil? But then again, i've only like seen a few of his comments. I hope i'm wrong!
One area of criticism on shows like AI is that it is dependant more on who is popular rather than who is talented. Some say (I din follow so can't give an opinion) that this was wat happenned in the last M'sian Idol - where all the "aunty votes" went to the cute boy!
I'm undecided about this. On the one hand, i would like those who are talented to win. But you have to admit that if it was a pure talent show - and no voting at all - it would not be wat it is now - and in my view, it'd be less interesting. You have to give some benefit of doubt to the voters tho, that they are not that dumb... are they? Well, Fantasia won 2 seasons ago. Obviously, she was the best! Jaclyn won the first M'sian Idol, beating the "underdog" younger and less experienced (but a Malay girl!) finalist. Having said that, Carrie Underwood??????? As one of me mates said, he wants her to win cuz "she's a babe"!!!! Mind you - this came from a talented stage actor and musician!! C'mon, Bo Bice was the best last season, both in singing and in performing!
So all these memories got me searching the WWWW (Wonderful World Wide Web!). I managed to watch the result show where the first 4 of the top 24 were voted off. From that episode, I could only watch like 2 seconds clips of each performance - as well as the "farewell performances" of those voted off. My views - Becky was rightly voted off. I felt sori for Stevie, tho. She's soooooo sweet. *ahem* But more than that, i thought she had the potential (since then, i actually managed to watch her actual performance and have to say it was bad). Still, she's young and i wonder if she would be allowed to join again... can she?
I can't say much about Bobby but i was really surprised that Patrick - the Sean Penn lookalike - got the boot! He obviously is an acomplished singer and performer - IMHO, based on watever little i saw.
I was surprised oso at how the result show effected me! I mean, when i followed it for the past two seasons, it always get emotional when we had to say goodbye to some of the finalists - and that affects me as i've been following the contestants thruout right from the beginning. But even as i watched the result show, i felt emotional at the end too! I must give it to the producers of AI for how they make it that way - the montages and "tribute-clips" to the losers. Brilliant!
I've oso managed to watched clips of the performances of Elliot, Ace and Paris. Elliot is pretty good. His Stevie Wonder prformance - Moody's Mood for Love - was brilliant. Ace? Not impressed. He reminds me of Constantine from last season - may be a good performer wif looks etc. but no much of a voice (when measured using the high standards of AI).
Finally, there's Paris. Oh my goodness!!!!!!!!! I watched her a capella audition and it just blew me away!!!!!! On top of that, she is so sweet and has such a cute speaking voice - i liked it when Paula asked her if she was gonna be the next American Idol, she replied "Yes, ma'am"! :-)
Unfortunately, due to her age, methinks she wont have the experience and mental stamina to last. But i really hope that she goes far - if possible, all the way! As Simon said about her, she has that "likeablity" factor in her.
# posted by imissw : 5:05:00 pm
