I'm not too worried about the talent level so far. It seems that with AI, just like with football, most of the talent seems to come from the south.

there's a reason it took 6 seasons to hold auditions in minnesota

Hey!!!! I get to watch it, it's currently on. Not really big on the Columbian girl, granted she had a nice little body but the face isn't really much in my opinion.

Good lord, what is with Paula. I think she is having trouble just saying the words yes or no.

Jewel..... drool...... don't know what it is but she does it for me.

Never has the phrase "looking California but feeling Minnesota" been so appropriate.

Thinking back to last night's show, I think I laughed hardest at Randy saying "That song don't even go like that." I can't even remember who he said it to, but it was somebody he really hated. And remember the girl whose boss flew with her to Minnesota? I was really hoping that Simon and Randy would ask the boss to sing. Another favorite was the girl near the beginning who forgot the words to "You Don't Have to Be Rich", and the panel just let her struggle for several minutes while she tried to squeeze the song out. I nearly fell off my chair over that one.

Even though a lot of people were told about their bad singing, I really only felt bad for the guy who was a vocal teacher. Randy completely ripped into him, and I didn't think the guy deserved all that. I don't know why I felt bad about that guy and not any of the others, but I did.

I can't wait for Seattle tonight. This "ex-strange-aganza" will probably be as awesome as a dancing William Shatner.

The vocal teacher guy was terrible and thought he deserved to make it. That's the worst combination of traits when you are a judge.

The problem with the vocal teacher was that he oversang, did a C- version of a musical number, and was terrible, even though he had a decent voice. I think he got ripped because he's supposed to know the difference between how he sang and what was appropriate for this type of show, not be one of the bad ones.

The one I thought they shouldn't have let through was the chick who started really good, then fell completely off a cliff. Anyone who misses that many notes by that much - no matter how well they sang for the first 10 seconds - just doesn't have what it takes. I was surprised they let her through.

that show was really well put together last night. whoever edited it hit a homerun when they showed the juggling guy come out swearing and then they pan to the goth girl staring into the camera with a terrified look as she was next. brilliant, it was.

Simon: "You've sang 3 songs"

contestant: "laaaa"

Simon: "4"


And that Columbian girl has to be about 4'10" because Seacrest is like 5'5"..

Actually, I thought they did a poorer job than usual putting together the clips toward the end that showed the night's jokes singing that Prince song. None of those are actually in front of the judges - after their auditions, they ask those people to perform again and they just splice clips of the people singing horribly with completely separate shots of the judges looking confused/stunned as if they are in the same room. I thought that last night, it was obvious that was a splice job.

But yeah, the shot of the frightened goth chick was great. I wish someone had pressed her about her vocal lessons or degree or whatever it was she claimed she had, but I think she scared them and they just wanted her gone.

And she called him short to which he took great offense...classic!

I am always amazed at how people think they are good, like the first girl/ Don't they have family and friends who tell them they suck? I take a sick pleasure in laughing at the people who suck and don't know it. Then they insist they were born to sing and the judges are clueless and should be fired

I can't tell you how many times I've seen people that have never been told they are horrible. It is often a combination of people around them having no idea what actual good singing sounds like and/or hearing what they want to hear. It is so sad to see someone who has gone a long way only to have that facade ripped away so harshly.

I have a niece whose early life was affected this way. My sister kept calling me when her daughter was in elementary school telling me that Star Search was beating down her door to get my niece on the show. I was told she can sing like I wouldn't believe. Well, there is kind of a hit and miss musical talent thing in my family so I thought ok, I need to hear this. I was invited to hear her at a local talent contest/audition type of program. Needless to say, yikes. Nobody had ever told her she couldn't sing, so there she was on stage, and the audience was clutching their armrests until it was over.

I have no problem believing that these people have been convinced by others around them they are good.

You figure out of 10,000 people at each location you are bound to find a handful of interesting and delusional people.

I thought a very minor, but nice, touch was the locked left door on the way out. I also thought the single funniest moment on the show was when the gravelly-voiced 'rocker' did ABBA and Manilow the same way he did his first song.

i loved the locked door...i thought it was the best running gag i have seen in a while as all the people stormed off the stage and into the locked door, just to hear simon say, "other door" over and over again.

Who walks out of the left side of a door? That's what I asked my wife over and over. Where was this audition - Minneapolis, Great Britain? Always assume the road rules of the country you are in apply to the sidewalks, hallways, and doors. It infuriates me to no end when people walk the wrong way in a mall. That's a sign of low intelligence, IMO.

Maybe because they came in through the door now on their right so they figure they MUST have to go out through the other one?

A couple times you could also tell the people going in tried to use the locked door as well. It was much funnier on the way out though. I started saying "other door" before they even showed them trying a door.

I love to hear my wife sing and I think she does a great job at it. Of course, she's the one with musical training (she's a former Cellist) and she tells me that no, she's bad. So I can imagine lots of folks out there with friends and family with no musical training/education rooting them on and telling them to give it a shot...

From what I could tell, the lone dude (I think he was the only one, the 16 year old kid) they let through ran to the left door but the cut away right when he hit it and then they showed him bursting out of the right hand side from the waiting room camera. I guess they don't wanna embarass the talent, eh?

Edit: It may have been the sailor...all I really remember is that it was a guy.

I distinctly remember one person leaving who got the right door. I just don't remember which one it was. It may have been the rock singer who left and came back to sing ABBA, or maybe it was the other guy who abruptly left and then came back on his own.

C'mon.. downloading ring tones doesn't count as musical training.... ;)

bah... If someone is THAT bad it is impossible not to know it.

Unfortunately, that is not true at all.

Jennifer Hudson just won a Golden Globe for her performance in Dreamgirls. She was a contestant (last year?) and my wife said that she liked her for the win but got voted off to the surprise/chagrin of many people.

However, I too am a little amazed that AI has been as popular for as long as it has been, although the pitiful singers who think that have a chance are really funny (in a sad kind of way).

For people like me, the entertainment is in the show itself, and really has nothing to do with the winners. In fact, as the show goes on, the show is less entertaining, to the point where the finale is not even worth watching (although this year they're at least throwing a curve by having a song-writing contest for the winning single). It's the journey from faceless thousands of unknowns to the chosen few and watching them develop and change over the 4 or 5 months the show is on.

I simply find the process of it all very entertaining as a TV show. But that has nothing to do with the legitimacy of the contestants, since I have never seen an AI contestant who I think is talented enough (or who plays to my musical tastes) that I would consider buying their CD.

Jennifer Hudson was 2 years ago. The year Fantasia won, I think she got knocked out as the #5 contestant.

It's a brilliant idea though to base the winner on audience votes. You get yourself a built in audience in the short term for the winner.

As far as the show, it's way too long which ruins the later rounds for me. There's only so many times I can get pumped and jacked to hear the same people sing.

It works so what do I know but after a couple weeks into the final 10 or so I've seen enough and will casually follow who is left but rarely watch the actual show.

Yeah, there was an article the other day about how AI was ahead of the internet participation curve in having the audience vote for the winners, which came with the added benefit of building an audience for their product.

And on the flipside...here's a site dedicated to further humiliating the idiots from the show by linking to their myspace.com sites, along with some of the legit candidate's sites (including the hot curly-haired brunette).

hxxp://deathbycamera.com/?p=30

EDIT: Due to a bikini shot of the Cuban chick, I'm labeling that site NSFW!

Oh crap...Glamour Shots chick that was Jewel's biggest fan and couldn't sing. She lists the following:

Notable Music Interest: She likes some band called “the Google Dolls”

LOL! And they're from Minneapolis, aren't they? I guess they were ahead of their time in naming their band.

And the Amish guy's got a myspace site, but he doesn't own a TV, yet knew enough to appear at the AI auditions.

...and even after seeing the pic, she still does nothing for me. Maybe I'm broken.

Maybe it's because she looks like a petite, Latino version of Jessie Spano? I don't know.

LOL @ this brash girl telling Simon he doesn't know anything about music.

Same for Jewel for me and her cardboard personality. Any chick who looks like she got hit in the mouth with a baseball bat just isn't that hot.

Was that John Madden's son?

I've never seen a basketball attempt to sing before.

One of the Seattle girls that was selected and was pretty good. She was from Arizona.She said she was related to an NFL player. Did anybody catch who she said it was?

Philippi Sparks...former CB for the Giants.

Is anyone else noticing a disturbing tendency in the types of people being exploited this year? I'm all for making fun of people who willingly put themselves on national TV to compete on a show for which they have no traceable talent, but I also see a difference between exploiting someone who is clueless AND obviously not a well-adjusted individual in our society, and making an embarrassing example out of someone who is clueless AND out of touch with reality about their talent only (but otherwise appears to be able to function in society without getting stares). Last night was a prime example of a Maury Povich-llike tendency to harp on the freaks - Fatty and Monkey Boy, the President of the Future Serial Killers of America, Big Red, the ugliest mom/daughter combo in America, etc. All of these were societal fringe types for whom I almost began to feel sorry (especially the fat kid).

It just seems like this year, they have been too willing to go after the Spawn of Marty Feldman and Future Serial Killers of America types instead of the tone deaf assholes willing to throw down like they're on Jerry Springer about how talented they are. I'd much prefer to laugh at the latter.

They intentially took it easy on the fat kid since he obviously was "slow" or at least not all there. Monkey Boy deserved what he got I thought. And he didn't call him a monkey. Bush baby I think was the term.

I found myself wondering how fat kid got there. Tell me he doesn't drive and if not who is dropping him off? Did he take the bus? Walk? Fascinating.

Mom and daughter deserved it too. Give me a break.


I will say though that last night was not as funny as the first night. I think the type of auditions they show have a short shelf life and while initial they get big yucks long term you'd grow weary of a steady parade of freaks. I'd guess you'll start seeing some different auditions in the coming weeks.

The monkey boy thing was too much - that's the first time I ever felt that like watching this show. And after I realized that, ya, I agree with you that the whole show became a little uncomfortable.

I know what you mean Ksyrup. I enjoy the crappy auditions, but they seem to be just killing the "clueless AND obviously not a well-adjusted individual in our society."

If these two cities were so bad talent-wise, you'd think they can find some more "clueless AND out of touch with reality about their talent only (but otherwise appears to be able to function in society without getting stares)."

Even though I made a comment about the John Madden guy, I felt sorry for both of them there. Making fun of physical appearance isn't cool.

The willingness to go back to the well once too often is what is kiilling the show this year. Featuring the "I Shot the Sheriff" cop again as much as they did was not necessary, and the Taylor Hicks wannabe was just like the freaky Clay Aiken wannabe from last season that they brought back for the finale. And Fatty and Monkey Boy as new best friends was the same shtick they've used for other bizarro combinations they've found in previous years.

Seriously, it appears the show is going with the "go with what has worked" mantra a little to much right now.

I can't see feeling sorry for any of them. 6 years in and presumably the majority who show up have a clue as to what the show is yet still show up.

The judges could say or do anything short of physically injuring folks and 15,000 will still show up next year.

It's like feeling sorry for someone who weighs 400 lbs, with no athletic talent who shows up for an open NFL tryout. Because they are shocked they don't rate doesn't mean they aren't utterly ridiculous.

But some of these people appear not to understand what the hell is going on, or are so anti-social and bizarre that they can't possibly see that they're the joke. That Zitsman guy said his co-workers encouraged him to come, and the first thing I thought was, "I'm sure they did, so you'd unwittingly make an ass out of yourself and they could crucify you like 5th graders for years to come. Before you chop them all to pieces, boil their intestines, and drink their blood." Either that guy was a great actor and played his part so he could be on TV knowing full-well that he was making an ass of himself, or he was so clueless that it bordered on cruel to keep it going. Just in his interactions with Ryan you could see how socially inept and uncomfortable he was. It started to get painful to watch.

That's different than the deluded but otherwise well-adjusted person who thinks too highly of themselves or has unrealistic expectations. That's the person you're describing. They have really toned down those types for the freaks this year.

So what. I think when you make the decision, in whatever form you make it, that you are auditioning for the show AMERICAN IDOL that you open yourself up for ridicule. Same with any other endeavor so ill suited to the individual. You think if he went to a club on the urging of his coworkers and cut the rug the result would be differnet?

It's not the job of the judges or producers to psycoanalyze people. He'd be laughed out of a non filmed broadway audition as well.

Now you can question the wisdom of airing the footage but I'd submit that the popularity of Idol has been built on this concept of making fun of people and without that element it's not the hit it is. People love watching train wrecks, right or wrong. Face it, without Simon the show would be a bore for many people.

I guess. I just know that I feel uncomfortable watching it at times. I'd much rather see Jerry Springer than Maury Povich/Jenny Jones is the bottom line. I'd prefer confrontation from an asshole who refuses to accept reality than making fun of oblivious freaks, even if both types of people are there of their own volition.

And I think the whole issue is that some of these people are oblivious to the ridicule thing. And when it appears they are as intellectually and socially inept as some of these people are, it changes the equation somewhat.

I think you feeling uncomfortable at times is a desired effect and been a consistent theme throughout the Idol run. I've heard Simon talk about this from time to time and I believe it's what they want.

Can't argue with the numbers but I will agree that you need balance in the show between the dyfunctional, delusional, and talented. We'll see what they do with the other auditions to bring a little more balance.

I totally agree with the comment about making fun of people. Have all the segments you want showing people singing horribly. Point out their ignorance when they can't believe that they aren't very good. But making fun of physical appearance is really over the top. I commented to my wife that I actually felt uncomfortable when they made fun of 'Monkey Boy'. She agreed. He had it coming as far as the comments about his talent, but no need for the appearance comments.

They should have handled his tryout like they handled it when his friend came in immediately after that. It was obvious that both of them were not socially well-adjusted. That doesn't mean they aren't good people or that they deserve being chastise for their appearance. My guess is that they aren't well-adjusted to some degree because people in the past had made fun of them and their appearance.

Yeah, I was surprised Simon's first comment about why Monkey Boy's audition was bad was his appearance. Or specifically, that he didn't just say "Your appearance" or Your look" and leave it at that. Pointing out his physical shortcoming was wrong. The judges and the audience understood why the guy never had a chance the minute he walked in. No need to spell it out.

I just think they are trying to make clear the thing the fact that in order to be the "American Idol" to Simon you need to be good looking. The 'Idol' is about singing and being attractive. They'll sell more records that way.