Why I Hate American Idol - An Essay

Why I Hate American Idol - An Essay

Current mood:cynical

Why I Hate American Idol - An Essay by Harryoke

I am not a snob. I can appreciate the crappier things in life. Sometimes crappy things can be good...often a hamburger is better than a steak, you can enjoy a cheap beer now and again. Sometimes the simple things can bring you the greatest pleasure. Sometimes riding a moped can be more fun than riding a Harley.

What I don't appreciate, is someone trying to sell me moped and calling it a Harley. Don't present your crap beer as premium, when it really is crap.

America is being sold a bundle of crap called American Idol, and the American public are flocking like lemmings, innocently falling over the edge. Some are aware, some don't care, some enjoy it for the crap that it is, and I can respect THAT. What I cant respect, and detest, are the myriad viewers who think that it is real, who think that nothing is planned, that their vote really counts and that the average TALENTED person on the street has a chance of making it on that show.

American Idol is nothing more than a cash cow for Mr. Simon Cowell. Simon has his fingers in each slice of the pie that is American Idol. It is in his interest to milk as much cash out of the machine as is possible. Can you blame him? Absolutely not, it is free enterprise. Who I can blame are the blinded members of society who think that AI is actually a talent contest, and who buy into it, just as Simon predicts they will. Simon wants into the pocket book of the everyman...Joe and Jane six-pack in the double wide. The type of people who thing wrestling is real...the type of people you see at Wal-Mart, or at McDonalds feeding their 2.3 snotty nosed kids, LOL! The average working class citizen.

Who is Simon to be a judge...what are his credentials?

He was born into a stable family, and took a job in the mailroom of EMI records. At 17 he pestered for a better position, and started an in-house vanity label called Fanfare. In 1988 using his credentials as a bonafide producer, seduced a disco dancer named Sinitta and to sleep with her signed her to the vanity label. Fortunately this was a good move as her single (So Macho) sold millions and he reaped about a 1.5 million reward. Not bad, but he lost it all to a financial error...including his house and car. He went back to live with his parents.

He then took a job with Arista records as an A&R man. Keep in mind, Simon is not about finding the talent, he is about making the money, so he took Arista from the noble task of signing talented acts, to being a vehicle for the sale of crap acts to the general public...novelty acts or fad acts that would appeal to a broad audience of middle America and households with children. Some of his coups were signing The Teletubbies, Power Rangers and WWF Wrestlers. For his efforts, the US press dubbed him "The Antichrist Of The Music Business". He made a move to RCA records. His reigning success was the promotion of the cheesy Irish boyband Westlife.

Britain had already had its own Idol show, and they had another show called Popstars. Simon came up with the idea to one-up it by adding the element of the public vote. He teamed up with Simon Fuller and created Pop Idol in 2001.

Now Simon Cowell was a star in Britain...for his acerbic tongue. He came to America in 2002 to sell his idea to US TV, and sold it to Fox because Rupert Murdoch's daughter was big Pop Idol fan. The rest is American (Idol) history.

Every contestant on the show sells their soul to Simon in exchange for contracts. Any piece of tripe sold after the fact Simon has a piece of. There is a format to who they will and will not let on Idol...those who think it is open to the public are sadly mistaken. Any one of you who have tried out for Idol know what I am talking about. Even the BAD acts on the show are calculated. The voting is open for rigging...the net is rife with info on how to multiple vote. The last winner received more votes than the last president did. That may mean more people voted, or it may mean fewer people know how to vote more often. Like the votes would matter anyway...and no matter who wins, Simon gets the money and the back end.

I will not take anything away from those who have won and gone onto greatness. I just cant buy into the hype machine that takes you to that point.

I cannot take anything from Simon. He deserves credit for being an astute salesman and knowing how to get the money. As a package though, I am resentful at the large number of viewers who think that it is real...those who come to my shows and say that my better singers should go to American Idol. I would not wish that on my friends, LOL! Many of my friends have tried out and been rebuffed for not falling into the profile of who they think an Idol should be. Because, remember, the Idol has to be sold. American Idol is a soap opera. The more the public can relate to the winner, and empathize with the winner, the more records will be sold...and that means more money in the machine. And of course Chris wasn't going to win...he was apparently a star in his own right, and the contracts were already pouring in, so exit Chris...who Simon already owns a piece of...and allow Taylor aboard. Now that is more cash cows! Ca-ching! It is all business baby. And it is all about getting into the melons of the lemmings, keeping the water cooler talk going, promoting and selling those records. But it is not real.

So if you view it, view it for the crap it really is, and understand that there is no basis of reality. More power to you if YOU find it entertaining. Don't believe the hype.

Modern Patriotism

Modern Patriotism

Current mood:cynical

Woke up this morning and was flipping thru the channels to see what the world had to offer before getting up and starting my day. I am a pretty big history buff, especially concerning local history, so I was pleased to find a program discussing Volusia and Flagler county life during WW2, spoken from the perspective of people who are still living who were here during that time. It was a great show, very informative, and accompanied by great visuals.

It was kind of neat getting into the gung ho mind set that Americans shared at that time of life...all the great efforts for the war, and the sense of patriotism and can-do spirit that existed.

At the end of the documentary, at probably the last 5 minutes, they had a montage of the people involved with the documentary speak of the patriotism...that no one felt as if it were a burden to contribute to the effort or sacrifice for the effort because that is what you did. They spoke of only knowing one country, the US, and doing anything they could do to help at wartime.

I was transported back to a simpler time, and it gave me cause to reflect to my own personal history and think back to a simpler time when technology did not exist.

These people were so sheltered, so innocent, and not in the least bit cynical. They were taught that the US is the best, and being attacked, we had to do whatever we were told and do it gladly. That begat the mindset.

That could never happen again. I think the closest we have seen lately is on the day of the World Trade Center events. The rallying patriotism afterward was probably the strongest I think we have or will see for a long time, but it of course was short lived.

We are a cynical lot, and immediately, thanks to modern technology, we are better informed and more deeply informed than our ancestors were in the 40s.

It was refreshing to see the patriotism of those who experienced it in the 30s-50s, but after Vietnam in the 60s, coupled with the better coverage of political events, more open public records and the speed of the internet, I believe the day of that type of blind patriotism that existed for WW2 is now extinct.

We as a society also think more globally than our parents or their parents. We have the world at our fingertips thanks to the net, and satellites which were not available even only a few short decades ago.

This is not a criticism of those who are patriotic, nor a call to arms for those who are not. This is just the observation of a middle aging guy who saw something thought provoking and thought about it.

Thought I would share.

Just imagine if CNN could have covered the crucifixion....hmmm.

Got stoned at home today...and had a visitor.

Got stoned at home today...and had a visitor.

Current mood:accomplished

Those who know me well know I have been getting my house in order...got a nice new paint job, and trying to tighten up a few loose ends appearance wise and fix some things left neglected.

Today's project was planting junipers in the flower beds in front of the house and filling them with red lava rock. It took 20 bags of rock and 22 bags of topsoil to complete! Just loading and unloading the materials was enough work, but Lori and I are both sore and tired, and I imagine I will be hurting tomorrow.

There are a lot of stones around the house, some getting grown over, so I took a bunch of them up and created another patio area in front of the driveway. This will help keep dirt off the house when it rains now, a new problem since I trashed the old gutters. I will have to post some piccys soon to show off the work...

While on the way out of the house to get the materials, a kind woman stopped and was looking at the house and said she used to live there. It happened to be the woman I bought the house from. She lives in Vermont, so I never actually met her. I have had occasion to get to know her son, who is a friend of Loris daughter, but we never got to meet.

We invited her in and showed her what we had done to the place and she told us about some of the history of the house...both archetectural and spiritual. As Lori noted, she came in a stranger, and left a friend. I had always wanted to contact her, but never got a round to it. It was a pleasant surprise for her to show up, and I am so thankful she stopped in.

Now, gonna go lick my wounds and drink Canadian beer...til tomorrow beckons.

Humorous Real Life Anecdote

Humorous Real Life Anecdote

Current mood:amused

True story...the setup: I am working a party and take a break to eat before packing up to move on to the next show. I am at an outdoor table with maybe 9 other people present. The principles to the story are the sweet elderly lady sitting about 3 people to my right, and the overtly, flamboyantly gay Hispanic fellow sitting directly across from me.

Gay fellow has huge salad bowl in front of him. I jokingly say, "My that is some salad you have there, you must be a happy fellow!" to which he replies "Yes, I think I am going to have an orgasm!!".

I reply: " I am not a big fan of that dressing myself!"

The sweet elderly woman innocently chimes in "I dont think I have ever had it."

The guffaws ensued.

Playing Catch-up - The World In My Eyes

Playing Catch-up - The World In My Eyes

Current mood:restless

Hola! Been incredibly busy and doing the 7 day a week gig thing again. Getting ready to go do a wedding now, and had a minute of downtime, so I thought I would send out a quick note of what has been happening in my world....

Got a new computer to eventually replace the old home PC. Fantastic deal! Got it home and configured it, put it online and after about 5 minutes, it LITERALLY caught fire! Took the CPU back and exchanged it and the new one works flawlessly. It took forever for the aroma to get out of the house...that is a memorable smell. A friend on a karaoke forum mentioned that all electrical techs know that all wires are filled with smoke, and once the smoke leaks out, the unit is done, LOL! I needed a new one...technology was passing me by on the old one...and all my resources and storage were maxed out to boot.

At all these parties I have been working I have been able to eat some interesting food. One thing that caught my buds was an appetizer made from hollowed out jalapenos, and the filling was half mozzarella, half chunky peanut butter, with italian spices added...pretty tasty. Got to eat some elk as well...well prepared over Zatarains style cajun rice...the elk on its own was good...not gamey at all...just a bit chewier than well done beef...but not tough at all. Also discovered a tequila I like...a lot... Cuervo Clasico. Very clean buzz and no trouble in the morning. Will be trying that again. Tried a new tequila last night...it is a cuervo that has lime in it already...cant remember the name. I tried it straight, not bad. Brett and Jimmy made margaritas with them and thought they were nice.

MY HOUSE IS FINALLY PAINTED!! Every square inch, and all in a different color...the hideous paint I hated so is now gone, and the house looks like new as well. I will have to get some pics posted. There is a very nice transformation as the colors are very earthy and natural and pull together with the surroundings nicely. No more greys, blues...BLECCH!

I went ahead and formally closed the PO Box we had. The clerk has been there a while. I gave him the number, and the keys and he got the card out of the file. He remembered my Dad...said he was a trip. He remembered that we got a lot of mail from my brother overseas ... who was sitting in the car waiting for me, LOL! I am sure some codger had had a box there longer, but that was a long run. But, it is done, and I dont have to think about it any longer.

My buddy Nilsson is the newest KJ in the UK. He replicated my hardware set up, bought a library of discs and did his first show last night. Cant wait to hear his adventures... Now I may have to book that wedding in Bristol since I know I can nick some familiar equipment there in a pinch, LOL!

All for now...I had better be getting ready to get my show on the road. Memorial day weekend is always a fun weekend...I have a standing order party that I do every year on the Sunday before Memorial Day, and it is always a good party, GREAT food and drink, and of course, quality music and karaoke, LOL!

All the best...more later when there is time.

Closing the PO Box...

Another milestone from the past to get by...

Current mood:melancholy

I have a bill on my desk to pay...or not. It is for a post office box.

It seems at some point after our trek to Florida, my father had a problem with someone leaving a popsicle in our mailbox, or something similar to that effect...and my father also had some issues about privacy, so he secured a post office box at the local mail station. This was probably about 1968.

In 1985 or so I got my own post office box in the same building...

Since I had been taking care of my mothers affairs before her death, I have been checking both boxes, and after her death, one thing niggling the back of my brain, the most smallest detail, was that one day I would have to close that mailbox we have used since 1968.

Today I have that bill on my desk to pay, and I have to decide to close it or sentimentally keep it open for another 6mos or a year. I actually thought about keeping it and changing my address, but I love the fact that I have had the same mailing address since being on my own basically...

It is minutae, I know, but the sentimentality of it all has me waxing a bit nostalgic today, and the inevitable lack of payment to the post office resulting in the closure of the po box will also be some closure to the past 37 years or so... I have already redirected most of her mail to my address, with the exception of the bank statements from her checking account...another chore I have to handle soon...closing the bank accounts.

I suppose sometime soon I should really finish clearing her house out. I kind of put that to the side. Nilsson spent the night in there while here and assures me there are no ghosts, LOL!

Carma Carma Carma Chameleon....LOL

Carma Carma Carma Chameleon....LOL

The car drama never ends. Those who know me well will appreciate this, especially if you have been following my past blogs.

While I was up North in Virginia, I spoke to Lori on the phone and she informed me her van was acting up and that she was driving mine in the interim until I got home and could diagnose hers. I got home last night and tried to figure it out, but it was complicated, and figured it could wait until today. Jacky came home in a borrowed car to tell me her truck was broken as well (brakes) but she supposedly has this under control, BUT she has decided to sell her truck. It is too big for her now that she is commuting to work like the rest of us.

Took Lori's van to a friend who does computer automotive diagnosis, and all the way there, the symptoms Lori described were no longer apparant. He thought the battery might be going and suggested I go to our friend at the auto electric place. Nothing is simple...everything has to be complicated, LOL! So off I went, and we figured the battery was done. I asked him how much it would be just to relace it there...and it was about 15 dollars more than I could have done it myself, BUT, remember....I am a fancy man. LOL!

I had flashbacks of the last 2 battery replacements and spent the money. It was cheaper than the money I would have had to spend on alcohol to get over my anger had something broken while I was changing the battery, LOL!

Fancy-man signing out.