One of the many reasons I hate American Idol.

[Midlodemocrat]

A 30yo woman was who committed suicide outside Paula Abdul's LA home was an obsessed fan who had been humiliated by the judges in 2005.

Simon Cowell mocked her braces and Paula Abdul said she was speechless, not a good thing.

Let's face it, this woman didn't have a whole lot of talent, but she didn't deserve to be humiliated that way. Sometimes people have hope that they will be more than the sum of their parts.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20239837,00.html


Flame Suit on.

[Parche]

1. American Idull

Its ridickyouluss how people focus on voting for this ignorant thing, of being an
American Idull, and most have never voted in the erection?

That is how our Country has fallen intelligence wise, in the last few years.....

:hi: :hug:


I despise that fukin show by the way :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

2. That's just sad.

[Oceansaway]

3. it's a Fox show, the only thing i watch on

Fox is Football & Nascar....nothing else....

[taterguy]

4. At least no one's ever been killed at a NASCAR race

[jmowreader]

18. Well, at least not in the stands

It almost happened...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt5XCCgwulA

In this video, Bobby Allison almost put a car THROUGH the catch fence.

[Johonny]

19. I remember sports illustrated showing photo's of the aftermath

of car parts flying into the stands. The next few months they had lots of readers complaining that the photo's showed the "sport" in bad light. Cause you know informing people they might get decapitated at an auto race is a bad thing.

[alphafemale]

38. I remember that. pretty brutal. nt

[wtmusic]

5. All of those shows are magnets for the mentally ill

Too bad Fox couldn't get video, might have helped their plummeting ratings

:sarcasm:

[Swamp Rat]

6. Never watched the show, and never will. n/t

[valerief]

7. They jumped the shark for me a couple years ago when they had

an "Inspiration" theme and it was one Jesusified song after another. Blech!

[Orrex]

8. I hate it for that reason and for countless others

Among the other reasons, my former coworkers could name all of the semi-finalists since the show's inception, but none of them could name their two Senators.

Also, I hate how "news" shows on every network run 10-minute commercials of the previous night's Idol, so that they don't have to risk trying to cover any actual news or anything.

[spoony]

9. Reminds me of the saying

"It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye." I've been guilty of laughing at some of those really bad auditions. If I'm ever tempted to again I'll think of this case. Sometimes we're just a really mean society :(

[qwlauren35]

21. There's a word for me...

I always thought that the real meanness came from Simon Cowell, who isn't (based on my ear), an American.

I figured it demonstrated that there are other cultures that are more vicious than we are. But then, we did have him on an American TV show.

I tended to cringe at the lengths he would go to be mean.

Now, quite comparable is Hell's Kitchen. Again, a non-American.

Then again, I really, really hate how the cameras follow the people who leave a show after an elimination process. I think it's heartless... and represents a hunger in Americans to see other people's pain. These gimmicks of meanspiritedness work because they get ratings. If the day ever came when enough Americans cried foul and said that we needed to let people keep their dignity intact and that we would not watch shows that highlighted humiliation... then the shows would change.

I wish we cared enough.

[Midlodemocrat]

34. Here's what I think. YMMV.

My daughter, who is pretty talented vocally. (I'm PM you a you tube link if you wish) had a friend who was AMAZING. He tried out for AI and didn't make it past the first round. In other words, he never saw Paula, or Simon or Randy.

Why? Because he was probably just one of many kids who was 'better than average', but he certainly wasn't 'laugh worthy'.

That distresses me.

If it were me, I'd be fine with it because I'm older and I'm not one to base my self image on something like that.

An 18yo? Not so sre.

[Horse with no Name]

50. I know someone like that

She took off of work, spent money she didn't have to follow her dream.
She spent a weekend in San Antonio and granted that doesn't cost that much money, but to an 18-year old kid who works a crappy minimum wage job--it was a goodly chunk of money.
Anyway...this girl is amazing. Sends chills down your spine.
Apparently by the time they got to the San Antonio search, all they were looking for was sheer entertainment (read horrible) contestants.
You know...if that is part of their schtick, they should really be up front about it so that people like Gaby wouldn't spend the majority of her month's salary chasing something that doesn't exist in the first place.

[Lex]

10. I hate it because it sucks

out loud

[AlCzervik]

11. yup.

:thumbsup:

[NeedleCast]

12. Meh, I like it

I think most of the singing is average at best but not usually my kind of music. Keep in mind that this is a produced show and at some level the terrible singers have to know that they're going to get wrecked in the live auditions before Simon, Paula and Randy. Like every other "reality" tv show, this show has producers.

Anyone who goes on AI at this point should know what they're risking. Hard for me to blame the show for causing mental distress any more than it is for shows like House and ER that get hypochondriacs all spun up.

[aquart]

13. I never watch Humiliation for Fun and Profit.

No ancient Roman in me at all.

Well, except for wanting to put BushCo in the stocks and throw garbage at them. There's that.

[fascisthunter]

14. personally I don't care for corporate cookie cutter music

so I don't watch that show.

[madmom]

15. Never watched it, never will, I can say with pride! : )

[Deja Q]

43. Pride is a sin, however I must say I don't blame you either.

:D

[madmom]

48. If that's my only sin then I'm doing damn good!

[Rex_Goodheart]

16. The woman was clearly untalented...

Even though I don't care for the show you can't blame it for her suicide.

[Midlodemocrat]

25. The show makes 'sport' of those who are beyond talent free.

It's disgusting. It's simply to garner ratings. Why not showcase the sagas of those who make the first cut, second cut, etc., instead of humiliating people?

[ACTION BASTARD]

17. The best part is the humiliation and the freaks that think they have talent.

If you want happy rainbow positive reinforcement then go watch the Disney channel. Everyone is a special snowflake and as long as you try your a WINNER!

Oh please. Simon is not just the best part of the show, he IS the show. Viva Simon!

[Midlodemocrat]

23. Why am I not surprised at your post?

:eyes:

[Deja Q]

42. Interesting point, but see #41 for more...

[jpgray]

20. No flames here, that's tragic

Harsh criticism taken generally is mostly blameless in my view, at least without vicious intent or foreknowledge of mental instability on the part of the criticized party. That said, engaging in a gleeful stomp on someone's misguided dreams is a shitty thing to do, especially for reasons of fun or profit.

On the other side of things, there are "vocal coaches" out there who rob people blind over a period of years by lending false hope to misguided dreams. That's hardly much better.

[alphafemale]

22. I don't blame "American Idol"

I don't even blame all the people in her life who never told her she couldn't sing. I don't blame her "friends" who maybe should have tried to stop her before she ran the risk of humiliating herself on national TV.

Mentally healthy people don't kill themselves over one disappointment or humiliation.

Oh...and btw I hate American Idol.

But to blame this tragic end to her life on this one incident...or that the object of her stalking rejected her?

Please.

Blame a lack of comprehensive mental health care in this country but not a silly TV show. If she hadn't obsessed on American Idol and Paula Abdul it would have been something else.

[Midlodemocrat]

24. Yeah, okay.

:eyes:


Zoom -------> point going over your head at breakneck speed.

[alphafemale]

36. I got your point. I just don't agree with the premise.

There is no way it is Simon's or Paula's or "American Idols" fault that this girl killed herself.

And...again...I hated "American Idol" way before it was cool to do so. :p

[Midlodemocrat]

39. I've always hated it. This particular article pushed me over the edge.

And, I *do* think that the way American Idol handles these 'less than talented kids' is their fault. It's almost as though they makesport of it. (Admittedly, I watched one season of the pre-Idol performances, after which I couldn't stomach it)

Isn't there a way to tell people that they aren't what the group is looking for without destroying them? Some of the comments I saw made my stomach turn. Unnecessary.

[alphafemale]

47. I hate them more for "Jesus, Take the Wheel" than this.

And they are not directly responsible for that either.

American Idol reminds me quite a bit of the "Gong Show."

People go on knowing humiliation may be part of the bargain.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

26. Seems to me these people humiliate themselves on purpose.

So they can get on TV.

They're attention seekers.

Some people say the same thing about suicide.

[jpgray]

28. Sure, but a little sympathy for the naive, insecure and desperate never hurts

I guess I always have more bad feeling for the secure people who engage in exploitation, rather than the insecure people who allow themselves to be exploited.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

30. Am I supposed to be mad at the freakshow?

or the people who attend the freak show?

[jpgray]

35. You can be mad at both. It's not exclusive. And it isn't absolute, either

But in any case being more pissed off at the freaks than those who decide to start up a freakshow for fun and/or profit doesn't make sense to me. Same goes for those who passively engage in exploitation by showing up to watch--absent instigation, it's not likely your average freakshow audience members would randomly coalesce, seek out some freaks and start up a show.

Blame doesn't usually fall on an exclusive, absolute basis when it comes to exploitation. There's enough to go around, and different parties may have differing degrees of culpability. Trying to hand out black hats and white hats while recognizing nothing in between seems unenlightening and not very useful. That's the way I see it, anyway.

[Midlodemocrat]

33. I agree with you.

I think the humiliation of these folks goes too far. Were they egged on by family who were possibly mistaken about their abilities? Possibly.

Do we condemn people because they listened to well meaning family and friends?

jp, you know that I have what I perceive to be a very talented child. She doesn't want to do this because she doesn't want to risk the humiliation if the judges rule differently.

And, FWIW, It's not just me that thinks my own child is talented. Others have said the same. Hell's Bells, the child got into NYU based on her voice as well as her grades. Isn't this someone who would fare well on this show?

[cherokeeprogressive]

46. I think there might be a modicum of shared blame here.

What about all those family members and friends who CONVINCE them that they sing great in the shower?

I've been told that when I'm showering, I sound like Robert Plant sometimes, Jim Morrison others. I wish I sounded like Barry Man-enough though, cuz then I'd surely audition! I've tried to get Paula to come hear me sing in the shower for years. I'd even let her stand OUTSIDE the shower if I absolutely HAD to. Threw that in as well. No response though. Go figure.

[emilyg]

27. It's a dumb show.

[Midlodemocrat]

31. Albeit it an amazingly popular one.

I think it could be something *I* would enjoy if the judges would lay off the insults. Some people are looking for some validation and even if they don't end up as 'The American Idol', the fact that they weren't completely trashed might speak volumes.

That being said, one of my dearest friends, who truly wouldn't hurt a fly, thinks Simon Cowell's trashing of people is what makes the show.

[emilyg]

51. Maybe so. I only watched it one time.

[petronius]

29. No flames from me. I have zero interest in watching that show (actually, negative interest),

but I've channel-surfed past some of the humiliation episodes, and I think they're despicable. It would be merely stupid if the people being ripped were knowingly parading their lack of talent to get their 15 minutes of fame, but I think in reality it's the mockery of seriously deluded individuals who believe they have skills... :puke:

[boozepusher]

32. "American Karaoke"

is painful to watch.

[alarimer]

37. This is right up there with the Lori Drew case.

She drove that poor girl to suicide, knowing she was depressed.

There is a very deep, very cruel streak in this country in general. It happens to everyone who is perceived as different in school. Some people are just not strong enough but that doesn't mean they should die because of it.

As long as I remember that people basically suck, they can never hurt ME.

But Cowell and company are just disgusting exploiting the marginally talented for ratings and not caring about how these people might feel.

[Midlodemocrat]

40. Kind of like the folks that egged the kid in FL to commit

suicide via webcam.

What makes me suspect is that my daughter had a friend who is INCREDIBLY talented, drop dead talented and he wasn't given a chance. Are we at the point where we are more interested in th mediocre?

[Deja Q]

41. In a festive atmosphere where everyone gets ribbed, it's okay. 'American Idol' is quite different.

As mentioned, it's humiliation as sport.

Modern "culture" has forgotten what the fuck FUN is supposed to be about.

Savages.

[Dukkha]

44. AI mirrors the Bush decade of stupidity and bullying

Makes humiliating people a past time activity, contributes to the degeneration of civility and mannerisms, instills the ‘value’ that popularity is more important than anything especially artistic integrity and talent. It’s voting scheme is all a farce as the winner was predetermined long ago (do you really think a major label would invest millions into an unknown TV show contestant?) not to mention having a higher voter turnout than the actual presidential elections. Not even an original idea as it began as a UK show Pop Idol.

[lukasahero]

45. No flaming from me

I can't believe the number of people who find this stuff "entertaining". We have indeed become a vicious society. Bring on the lions next... :(

Edit: oops - missed a word...

[upi402]

49. never watched it

pap for the plebes i bet