Reality TV American Talent?

Reality TV American Talent.

I am not a fan of reality TV. I watched the great race or whatever it was for few episodes, and have glanced at Fear Factor, Survivors, etc. only long enough to be sure that I was not interested. I have watched some of the talent things. I watched a season, and even a few episodes since of the American Idol, I enjoyed the ABC dance contest for the first season and even tried an episode of So You Think You Can Dance, but I never built up the passion that I saw on some blogs for favorites on the American Idol, or for that matter much passion about any of it.

I belong to a puppetry list, and after the first broadcast of America’s Got Talent (or whatever) a number of folks wrote to the list recommending a vote for Kevin Johnson, a ventriloquist who uses a couple of nice bird puppets in his act. Since I had never seen his act, I didn’t vote, but when they re-broadcast the West Coast auditions, I tuned in to get a look. He was truly exceptional, (and I own a copy of one of his puppets) and though I don’t think he has a chance in hell to win the thing, the publicity he will receive will keep him in bookings for a long time. Some of the other acts were very good, especially the eleven year old who can belt a song like the best of the modern divas, and who will support her proud daddy in the style to which he would like to become accustomed for a long time.

I did get really irritated at the three judges. A singing trio who called themselves “Velvet”, came out, posed, and made one chord, to which all three judges pushed the X button and chased them off the stage. They didn’t allow them to sing one word, or one bar of their music. These are the same judges who watched patiently while an overweight factory worker balanced an apartment sized gas range on his chin, and another singer sang in three different keys. They even passed on to the next round of competition a nine foot tall, cross dressing juggler, in an angel costume of sorts, who came out and wept for another chance. (Actually, he could make a good living doing his show in a couple of bars in Savannah that I could identify—from hearsay of course.) For the entire length of the show I got more and more irritated at the no talent or minor talent folks that they did listen to, without giving the singing group more than a chord. ((I think that some of the trio might have been a “little older” and the style of music they were about to present was not “to the moment”, but I still think they should have been given at least five or six bars to sing. The one chord savaging was uncalled for.) Well, if you had said that I would post about a reality show, I would have laughed, but I “went and done it”.

By the way, and off topic, do any of you computer masters have any idea why my blog ID has slipped down to the bottom of the page? It is a bit of a pain.