America's got the X Factor (American Idol)

Member Name: MarcoG

Product:	American Idol
Date:	06/10/08 (177 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Big budget show

Disadvantages: Pointless skits

So, another series of American Idol is over (ok, ok, bear with me, I wrote this review about a couple of months ago). The new Idol has been crowned, surprisingly, yet refreshingly as David Cook, the 'rock' outsider.

American Idol is a singing talent show. This year, in it's 7th season, auditions have become more popular than ever. Host, Ryan Seacrest oversees the American Idol judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and the infamous Simon Cowell, as they travel around America looking for talent. Only the good ones will get given the sacred yellow piece of paper: the ticket to Hollywood. This is where the competition hots up and the judges start to sort the wheat from the chaff. It's here the judges reduce the singing wannabes down to 12 boys and 12 girls.

From then on, every week, we watch them sing and choose 4 contestants (2 boys and 2 girls) to be booted out. We have one show for the boys and one show for the girls. This keeps going, until we are down to 6 of each. The last 12 contestants go through to 'bigger studio' rounds where they sing their hearts and get voted off, one by one, until two are left for the grand finale, where the American Idol is crowned. I see 'we' vote them off, but you can only do it if you are in America.

In the final stages, there is usually a celebrity mentor that helps out each week, on the condition that all the songs are by that artist. For example, there was a Mariah Carey week, Dolly Parton week...even Andrew Lloyd Webber week! Great if the artist in question needs some sort of promotion...not that I'm cynical!

The grand finale saw such celebrity appearances and songs sung by Donna Summer, Bryan Adams, ZZ Top and George Michael...this show is huge and has become a beast in it's own right! With each series, this show just gets bigger and bigger. Last year was the first year they tried an 'Idol Gives Back' special show, jammed packed with celebrities, with the proceeds go to charity (Idol gives back, get it?). This special show is rather like our version of Children In Need, or Comic Relief...except it has more singing!

The one thing I don't like about the show, is that it seems to have no regard for the style and genre that the contestants fit into as they have to do pointless group songs. For example, David Cook, who won, had to do ridiculous and rather humiliating dance routines and sing along cliché songs such as 'Ain't no stopping us now', for fun, as this had no impact on their individual song. It really is like once they sign up, they have to sell their souls, and it's understandable why people hate these type of shows. The idols, usually have to do some sort of embarrassing film for sponsors (usually Ford and Coke) that involves some sort of costume and general humilation. Makes you question the integrity of the musical intentions of the producers, doesn't it?

In the series that was on earlier this year, the favourite all along was the very young (and incredibly bland) David Archuleta. I had resigned myself to not caring about the show, as surely America would vote for this new 'sweetheart'. My faith was restored when rocker (who has performed superb performances of 'Eleanor Rigby', 'The first time ever I saw your face' and 'Billy Jean') took the crown, by a massive 12,000,000 votes!

The success and fame of these young performers is phenomenal, even the last 3 contestants had their home towns declare dedicated days and holidays in their honour...crazy!

The thing I really like about this show, is that all 7 idols, to date, are all different. The idols so far are:
Kelly Clarkson - pop
Rubin Studdart - soul
Fantasia Burrino - crazy
Carrie Underwood - country
A grey guy, what's his name again...!!
Jordin Sparks - pop
David Cook - rock

In America the show is on Fox, but over here in the UK, we can watch it on ITV2, an occasionally on ITV1 on Sundays. No matter what anyone says, I will always have a soft spot for this show. And the scary thing is, they are filming it right now. One of my friends auditioned, but surprise surprise he didn't get through, he didn't even meet the judges!

Thanks for reading :)


© MarcoG 2008
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Summary: Finding America's next biggest popstar?