Re: [Harp-L] American Idol / One Working Musician's View

[BETTY WELCH <bwelch10@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

My, my, my.....the judges are merely a part of the entertainment......it is the PUBLIC who determines the winner.  
  My philosophy is ......if you see the email is about AI and you hate it......delete it. 
  Life is too short to waste your time. 
  BW 

Hurricane Ramón <party_man1@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  

Hurricane sez :

I am pissed off let me start out on this subject fully defined .

I do not watch this show and I do live in the USA . 


My take on amateur hour :


In the 50's and into the 60's Ted Mack's original :

" Ted Mack's Amateur Hour "

Had a format that worked , one such wonder produced was Karen Carpenter of " The Carpenters " with her brother Richard who were an international explosion soon afterwards , so I.m cool with these types of show case venues .

< http://web.singnet.com.sg/~tonytay/carp/duo2.jpg >

What turns me off with AI and other shows with similar approaches to being more of a show with snide , snobbish and really out of touch judges . A format with " Put Down " prioritys to see and real talent somewhere tossed in with this garbage . 

Shows who willingly put on individuals with no talents seem to be as importent to the show venue instead of talent ? I don't get it . One of the best examples was the Chinese fellow who could not hold a true note as he sang even if his life depended on it . I don't like watching or listening to drunk karaoke singers iether but the sales of those machines is big time stuff ---- I don't get it if your into real professional entertainers , cheap bars , everyone has one in them it seems .

Give me " Live At the Apollo " in New York anytime ! ! ! No dumbass judges there , it's all the audience that makes the call , give me " Steve Harvey " ! ! ! He had some real harmonica talent there !

I don't know of this person being talked of lately ( Taylor Hicks ) , more power to him if he's legit . In my opinion a show like AI would do little or nothing for the promotion of harmonicas any better than what players we have here in Smojo , Iron Mike Curtis , Richard Hunter , Randy Singer , Robert Bonfiglio and a whole plethora of bad boys in this forum , and the other wreal guys out there plugging away it the " HARD WAY " that are not in any email forum or have a website . 

Maybe I way off base but it seems many people tune in to see the side show freaks who are absolutely a waste of time to watch . The trend of seeing people ridiculed seems to be the theme and not really talent - sick - plainly sicko for those who dig on seeing other non talented ( but try as hard as they can ) contestants whith high hopes have their egos totally shattered for the sake of TV ratings points to sell more stuff ( Oh and I hate their commercials too ! ).

I'm a serious musician and those who watch these shows have a right and I don't criticize those who choose to watch these sub standard venues - hey this ain't Iran it's a free country !

Kelly Clarksdale was a refreshing performer , but far from a true amateur ( and I do like her she's a talent to be reconnded with ) but it's obvious that the talent is " stacked " and as predictably negotiated and channeled for a pre determined winner as obvious as a so called " professional wrestling bout .

I was raised in a " theatrical " professional environment and talent was a sought out priority with my families history of dancers , singers , circus entertainers and the like . When you live a life like mine and see shows like AI you just wanna barf ( ¡ come on you others out there who know full well what I'm talking bout chime in ! ) when I land on them as I surf the TV stations for relative content . 

Pop idol culture with it's fanatasism is as shallow as a mud puddle and just as dirty . 

My favorite quote of indiffidence towards this type of media hype dogma was from a man far removed from my generation but boy do I like his style ....... 

When asked if his musical styles ( some new stuff he recorded and threw out to the public that was just off center of mainstream swing thinking ) by a media group of reporters , it was posed to him about this new twist in his sound and if he thought the lack of mass public acceptance was worrying him . They further asked if he was oblivious towards the vast masses not responding to his latest stuff and that only a select " core " of his fan base was the only group paying attention to his new works . 

Stan Kenton's quote went along something like :

" The Masses Are Asses "

True enough he said it and it was published and Stan could not have cared less .

Personally my view is : 

When you know what "Chicken Salad " tastes like well ......

I come from the school of real life , where real talent is where it's at and not a Pop fanatical shallow point of view like that pannel of nobodies at AI . 

So sue me , TV mentality is just like what the legendary Stan Kenton was referring to " mass mentality . I'm not there , to me it's like the " Soilent Green " everyone was eating in that old 60's motion picture with Charleton Heston and Edward G. Robinson

I for one don't eat that $&!# . 


My conclusion :


My fellow Americans ............

If your really interested in finding real talent ....

..... get off you couch potato butts and turn off that thing that regurgitates all kinds of stuff into your living room each and every day ....

Clean up , dress up and dig some live entertainment for a change and not let the likes of those snob judges and the hype and production of TV do it for you , it's eating your brain cells , let your own mind do some judging for a change.

Sincerely :

Hurricane Ramón

Aka :

Party_Man1

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