No, not the rain forest or world peace or anything of cosmic importance — I speak of the future of the sixth season of American Idol. As the Palm Beach Post's professional Idol watcher, I've got a standing Tuesday and Wednesday night date with Paula, Simon, Randy and the ever-annoying Ryan Seacrest for the next five months, even on weeks that this prospect gives me the shakes and the spooky dreams.
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Sadly, neither you or I can stop Simon from being cruel just to crack himself up, Randy from giving shout-outs to the freshest slang 1995 has to offer, or stop Paula from starring in her weekly one-woman show Help! I'm Blathering On Like a Ninny And I Can't Shut Up!
But you, Young Singerlings, can exercise your one power — to never, ever sing the following 10 songs.
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They're not necessarily bad songs (with the exception of that sweet, stirring tribute to being a mistress), just ones that have outlived their usefulness as American Idol selections.
Beatles-themed performance possible this season on 'American Idol'
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Do you want to know a secret? "American Idol'' is likely to put on its first Beatles-themed performance week this season.
Producers are keeping the singing contest's winning format intact going into the sixth season, which begins Tuesday night on Fox, but they hope a few twists will maintain and add interest.
They include:
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1. The possible Beatles-themed week.
For the first time, "Idol" has permission to use parts of the famed songbook of The Beatles, executive producer Ken Warwick says. "We've got the permission'' from Sony, which owns the publishing rights, Warwick says. Certain songs still are off limits, but "they said, 'Tell us what songs you want and we will do our best.' ''
A couple of Beatles songs have been performed on "Idol,'' he says, but the show has never had access to enough for a themed week.
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There are "enough songs certainly to get a decent show out of it, and maybe it will be the first show of the top 12'' finalists, says Warwick.
Ideally, the week's mentor would be Paul McCartney or Beatles producer
George Martin, Warwick says, but no such plans are in place yet.
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2. An online competition to write the first song for the next Idol.
"It's in the very final stages of being put in place,'' says Martha Brass, executive vice president of 19 Entertainment, a producer of the show.
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Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of "Idol'' producer FremantleMedia North America, says she thinks the contest will happen, but details still need to be worked out. Brass is more assertive: "There's no question about it happening.''
The contest, the idea of Idol creator Simon Fuller, would call for a contestant to write and produce a song and then upload it to a Web site.
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A group of experts, including Fuller, would choose a small number of the offerings, perhaps 100 at most, that fans could listen to and vote for online, Brass says.
During the season, "Idol'' would like to hold a special in which former "Idol'' singers would perform 10 or so of the fan favorites, with viewers then voting to pick songs for the two "Idol'' finalists, she says.
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American Idol: The 800-lb. gorilla
It won't come as a surprise to any of you expert Idol scholars that American Idol is a media monster, but sometimes it's interesting to take stock of exactly how dominant it is in the real world. (If you can call TV and the music business "the real world," that is.)
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A big story by Bill Keveney and Edna Gundersen -- cleverly timed to appear in the paper the day the new season starts -- does just that, detailing how other TV shows stay out of Idol's way and how Idols are selling records in a variety of genres. Check it out.
American Idol 6 Will Be Bigger Than Ever
Tonight at 8PM Eastern Time, the Fox network will drop their equivalent of a nuclear bomb on all the other networks. American Idol is an irresistible force and no other network has yet even come close to developing an immovable object to counterattack it. The Grammy Awards, Lost, the Olympics all proved to be not even bumps in the road to the American Idol machine.
Other networks are left with the choice of either scheduling their biggest shows and specials to avoid the American Idol perfect storm or watching them get clobbered in the ratings. Without even an Olympics to encourage some occasional channel flipping, with Lost hiding out at 10 o’clock, and with Dancing with the Stars sidestepping Idol, American Idol 6 is facing what appears to be its weakest competition ever.
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On top of it all, American Idol is not even falling into the trap of resting on its laurels. The only vulnerability American Idol showed last season was a ratings dip in the middle of its season, and the biggest criticism was the god awful original songs that the two finalists had to sing. American Idol 6 is taking measures to overcome these two weaknesses by creating a mid-season event show and a song writing contest.
There might come a day and a time when American Idol does actually suffer a dip in the ratings. Maybe one day one of the other networks will succeed in creating a groundbreaking original show that captures America’s fancy in a stronger way than American Idol. However, with most networks taking a run and hide strategy that day likely won’t come during American Idol 6.
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'American Idol's serial auditioners won't take no for an answer
That's the motto of American Idol's serial auditioners, who despite being rejected countless times, continue to make their lack of talent known at annual tryouts held across the country for Fox's smash-hit reality competition series. Several of the show's "repeat offenders" talked about their often foolish determination in the January 22 issue of Newsweek.
"If I had the money, I'd go to every single audition," 22-year-old Tya Moore told Newsweek. This past August, Moore was rejected for the fifth time at the Pasadena Rose Bowl audition. "Every year I get better."
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If you think Moore's five failed auditions are a bit excessive, consider 22-year-old Troy Sawyer, who first auditioned for Idol in 2002 when he drove from his home in Kansas City, MO to Detroit where he performed "Tonight I Want to Be Your Man." Finding no luck, he tried singing "Rockin' Robin" in Houston in 2003. He was rejected again, but this time he noticed some wannabes that were using gimmicks seemed to make it further, so that's what he did in 2004 when he donned Pillsbury Doughboy pajamas and sang "Soul Man" in St. Louis.
"I was told I had a really good voice, but I should take it more seriously and not dress up," Sawyer told Newsweek.
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Taking the advice, Sawyer dropped the gimmick, and over the next two years he auditioned in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, Austin, Denver, Las Vegas (again), Chicago and Memphis. "I don't have the Justin Timberlake or Christina Aguilera voice," Sawyer told Newsweek. "But I do have the personality that will charm America."
Sawyer seems to be channeling the spirit of William Hung, Idol's most famous reject who won the heart of Americans by singing Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" during his 2003 audition. Hung eventually landed a record deal.
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"We laugh more at the deluded than we celebrate the talented," Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told Newsweek, explaining why the show "looks for the very best and very worst in each city." Added judge Paula Abdul, "Anybody can be famous now. It's like a disease."
Mimicking the outbreak of a highly infectious disease, the number of those considered to be an Idol serial auditioner grows with every season, and they take refuge in places like "Idol Reject," an online community founded by 30-year-old Larissa Jaye who auditioned twice in 2004.
"I've since started my own record label that will release my first album this spring," Jaye told Newsweek. "My whole philosophy is do-it-yourself. I'm not going to be held back."
While repeat offenders constantly stink-up Idol try-outs coast to coast, there is always the exception, because each failed audition may bring an aspiring singer closing to realize their dream. After a failed audition in 2002, Jessica Gordon lost 30 pounds and made it to Hollywood last year where she finished in the fifth season's Top 60.
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"The judges told me, 'You should come back,'" Gordon told Newsweek. "I was thinking about going to business school, but I realized it's not too late for me to be a singer."
'American Idol' returns, bigger than ever
Last year, Prince. This year, Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey?
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As "American Idol" starts singing again tonight, those connected with the Fox blockbuster acknowledge few limits when it comes to guest stars or ratings or product spinoffs.
Or even rampant enthusiasm.
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"This is the greatest music talent show ever," judge Randy Jackson gushed in a recent news conference.
Fellow jurist Paula Abdul calls the show a "cultural phenomenon": "I get a kick out of the fact that there's not a day, not an hour, that goes by without someone talking about it, asking about it," she said.
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Cecile Frot-Coutaz, who oversees "American Idol" as chief executive officer of producer FremantleMedia North America, is more measured but no less upbeat about the upcoming season six, and beyond. "I don't see anything that tells me that it's about to fall off the air," she said. "We won't be there for quite some time."
It's a defensible position regarding the No. 1 TV series.
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Against expectations for an established series, "American Idol" has gained in the ratings, up 14 percent from 2005 (26.8 million average viewers) to 2006 (30.6 million). The finale with winner Taylor Hicks drew more than 36 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
That topped the 2005 season-ender, in which Carrie Underwood claimed the title, and made it the third most-watched event of '06 after the Super Bowl and Academy Awards.
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The most impressive number has a dollar sign in front of it — "American Idol" reportedly brings in $500 million a year in TV ad dollars.
Even impartial observers see blue skies directly ahead. "There seems to be the same degree of fascination going into this season as there was last season," said analyst Bill Carroll of ad-buyer Katz Television. "It's sort of become the event of the year for viewers."
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The series begins with a pair of two-hour episodes airing from 8-10 p.m. today and Wednesday, featuring auditions in Minneapolis and Seattle.
"American Idol" returns with a richer gloss than ever. Last year's finale included a surprise appearance by Prince, among the highest-profile guest stars and far removed from such golden oldie visitors as Rod Stewart.
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"Prince blew the doors off. He is one of the quintessential ones of our time," Jackson said. Frot-Coutaz's take: "The fact we can get Prince is a real tribute to the show. ... (now) who knows who we can get?"
McCartney, an iconic figure who's an impressive "get" for any venture, is being courted and is rumored to be part of the new season. Carey may also end up on the guest list.
"Nothing's locked," Frot-Coutaz said of the ex-Beatle. "We've had discussions with him over the years. It's always a matter of making it work."
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In Carey's case, record producer-cum-judge Jackson may be the key: He and the singer are friends and have a long professional association. Jackson said they have "tossed it around a bit" but have yet to set her appearance.
More evidence of the power of "American Idol" is the stunning "Dreamgirls" film debut of Jennifer Hudson, a 2004 also-ran (to winner Fantasia Barrino) who's up for a Golden Globe and considered a potential Oscar nominee.
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That's alongside the best-selling CDs and singles churned out by past winners including Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, and the awards they've collected from Grammys to Country Music Association trophies.
All this from a show that the producers went into "quietly and cautiously optimistic" despite the format's success in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, Frot-Coutaz said.
"Music hadn't worked on American TV for a while, so I think we filled a gap," she said.
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Frot-Coutaz cites a number of other factors in the show's popularity, including the chemistry of judges Jackson, Abdul and the acerbic Simon Cowell and the once-yearly run that keeps the program eagerly awaited.
Then there's the mission.
"You're really impacting somebody's life," said the executive. "The show's genuinely looking for superstar contestants who really want to be pop stars. It's not a fake-ish competition just for TV. The show delivers entertainment, but there is a very serious aim to it."
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The "Idol" franchise, which originated with Britain's "Pop Idol," represents more than a hit TV series seen worldwide and reproduced in more than 30 international versions. It's also part of a merchandising empire that may be poised for a leap.
According to Advertising Age magazine, FremantleMedia has deals set or is in negotiations for new products including a theme-park attraction and cell-phone downloads of show performances. Items already sold include clothing, books, toys and an "Idol"-themed Barbie doll, with a Monopoly game coming this season.
The magazine report is a "bit premature" in what it outlined, "but there's a lot of things in the works," said Frot-Coutaz. "Some happen, some don't; it just depends."
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As the sixth season begins, she said, "we're feeling more confident about our ability to go out and really turn this into a bigger brand than just a TV show. It takes a few years before you can get to" that point.
"American Idol" a cash cow for media giants
"American Idol" has developed into a formidable cash machine during the last five years, but sorting out who gets what when it comes to cash and control remains a tangled thicket of deals between 19 Entertainment and its various business partners.
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THE BRAND
As much as two-thirds of the "Idol" brand is owned by 19, started by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, but bought in 2005 by CKX Inc., the public company owned by billionaire media investor Robert F.X. Sillerman. Another third belongs to FremantleMedia, a TV production company owned by German media giant Bertelsmann's European broadcasting unit RTL Group. The two companies control "Idol" merchandizing rights around the world.
ARTISTS
The top 24 contestants sign a deal that gives 19 the option on recording, management and merchandising rights. Finalists are also contractually obligated to participate in the American Idols tour that follows the show. The contestants jointly retain a single attorney, selected by the show, to represent all of them and negotiate their deal with 19. Artists who are ultimately optioned by 19 sign a three-album deal (terms not known). FremantleMedia also participates in a minority share of the winner's recorded music revenue. As for the management option, Fuller says that, when it's exercised, it's a three-year deal. "Idol" vets Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry and Fantasia are currently managed by Fuller. Other acts have opted to go elsewhere for representation after the option expired.
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RECORDING RIGHTS
19 finds a home for the winner and any signed finalists within the Sony BMG system in the United States, and licenses marketing, manufacturing and distribution rights to a Cowell production company called Simco.
American Idol Advice
Anothe round of American Idol hopefuls will face the judges Tuesday night. Former Idol contestant Kellie Pickler is giving her insight and advice on what it takes to succeed.
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The Return of American Idol: Season Six Begins
Ah, January. The first month of the year. A winter month. A month where millions of families in America gather in the living room to spend quality time with each other, playing board games while eating cookies.
Oh, who am I kidding? Families gather in the living room in mid-January because of one thing: the world's most popular, overblown karaoke contest.
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Yes my friends, American Idol 6 is debuting this Tuesday at 8 PM.
Once again we'll see our gaggle of hopefuls as they try to sing their way to super-stardom. And of course, there's the peanut gallery: host Ryan "My Highlights are Sooo Pretty" Seacrest; and judges Randy "I Used to be in Journey, Dawg" Jackson, Paula "I Swear- the Coke Isn't Spiked" Abdul, and of course, Simon "I Make More Money Than God Because I'm a Jackass" Cowell.
Like past seasons, the first couple of weeks will feature the humiliation episodes. There'll be lots and lots of people who should never speak again, let alone sing- and Simon will naturally be there to rip their dreams to shreds and piss all over them.
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We will see cute, tone deaf teens from the midwest who'll get their hearts broken because this will be the first time someone has told them that they suck. There'll be really weird people who think that they can pass a singing audition by doing everything but sing (juggle, dress in costume, rap, dance, display their inventions). We'll have to sit through all the Whitney/Mariah/Celine wannabes, and groan at the lame Stevie Wonder impersonators. Some idiot is going to flirt with/sing to Paula and will pass to the next round. Simon will call someone fat, and Randy will contribute nothing whatsoever. Good times are ahead of us my friends — good times.
Then the elimination game begins. People are sent packing, picking up the pieces of their shattered dreams. This process continues until the group is eventually whittled down to the sacred Top 12. These contestants become celebrities overnight. Fan sites are created, forums discuss every single detail of each contestant's looks, attitude, personality — and of course, performance. The Top 12 enjoys this newfound fame until they get booted off the show. Each week a contestant is systematically eliminated until there's one person left standing — the winner.
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To be perfectly honest, I never watched the first season of American Idol. It didn't interest me. I'd see my parents watching this show that seemed like a televised karaoke contest and think, "Didn't they cancel Star Search years ago?"
I just thought it was odd, watching a bunch of nobodies perform old songs. Then again, I was never really a fan of reality TV. I just didn't get the point about getting excited over a bunch of people who, before entering some TV contest and agreeing to expose their lives to millions, were just like me and you.
But one fateful night my boyfriend was at my house and noticed that my parents were watching the season finale. He'd never seen the show either and wanted to at least catch the last show of the season. Since I had nothing better to do, I reluctantly plopped down on the couch next to him. That night, I was introduced to the contestants' energy and devotion to their craft, Simon's nasty remarks, and the audience's excitement. I then witnessed a Texas cocktail waitress named Kelly Clarkson totally OWN some curly-haired dork named Justin Guarini. After seeing all that, I was hooked.
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By season two, I was sitting right next to my parents on the couch. I watched it right from the beginning, and I became involved with these nobodies' lives. I took sides when contestants would bicker. I booed Simon whenever he insulted someone. I rolled my eyes at Paula's nonsensical statements.
I also witnessed what quite possibly was the easiest Idol prediction in history. It was plainly obvious during the first week of the Top 12 that in the end, two men would emerge as the winner and the runner-up... only I didn't quite know which person would fill which role.
One was a large, soft-spoken young man with a silky voice similar to Luther Vandross. The other was a gangly, freckle-faced guy with the most powerful lungs I'd heard since Christina Aguilera. The country was quickly divided into two camps: The Rubenites and the (now infamous) Claymates. When Ruben Studdard defeated Clay Aiken in a very narrow victory on that fateful May evening, the contest between the two didn't end there. Although Studdard was the American Idol, it was Aiken who would eventually emerge as the true victor, in the sense that to this day he remains active in the public eye. Aiken did talk shows, magazine interviews, went on tour, did Christmas specials, and became a UNICEF National ambassador. Meanwhile, the quiet, easygoing Studdard slowly faded from sight.
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Season three was overall very unimpressive, especially the contestants. Half of the Top 12 was composed of underexperienced teenagers who were so nervous that their voices often faltered when they sang. And unlike the previous season, in which I was torn between Aiken and Studdard, I didn't care at all about the eventual Top 2. I didn't like either of them.
Diana DeGarmo was a cute little 16-year-old who was nearly booted from the show several times. Fantasia Barrino, a sassy 19-year-old Macy Gray soundalike, milked her sob story of being a single mother for all it was worth, helping her win the Idol crown.
Actually, the greatest thing about Idol Season 3 had nothing to do with either the winner or runner-up. In one particularly shocking results episode, crowd favorite Jennifer Hudson was booted very early, while the less talented and experienced teenage contestants remained. This departure from the show proved to be one of the greatest things to ever happen for Hudson, for as we all know, she later landed the coveted role of Effie White in a movie called Dreamgirls. Dreamgirls is a blockbuster hit, and Hudson is nominated for a Goldern Globe Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. Not bad for an Idol loser.
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It was a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll during season four. When the contestant age limit was upped to 28, this opened the door for more mature, more talented musicians. The new age limit also inadvertently introduced the rock genre to Idol. Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis were not only the oldest of the Top 12, but they were also referred to as "The Rockers".
While Maroulis' version of rock had more of a mainstream feel to it, Bice was a southern rocker, who had a growly, powerful voice and an amazing stage presence. In a legendary Idol performance, Bice threw caution to the wind and sang without any musical accompaniment.
In the end however, Bice would wind up second place to country singer Carrie Underwood, whose looks and musical talent made up for her lack of personality onstage. Sadly, Bice has yet to really succeed in the music industry. His debut album was a failure, most likely because most of the music was more generic pop rock, a departure from what fans (like me) expected from Bice. Meanwhile, Underwood has gone on to become highly successful in country music, winning a number of awards.
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Last season's American Idol was overall unmemorable. Yes, there was controversy surrounding Paula Abdul's increasingly erratic behavior during the show, and accusations of illicit affairs from past contestant Corey Clark. And yes, contestant Mandisa may have upset some members of the gay community. However, there weren't really any amazing Idol moments, or contestants who really stood out above the rest.
The most memorable moment I think is related to Chris Daughtry, a bald-headed industrial rocker. Daughtry didn't quite have the pipes, but he definitely had the energy, and awesome stage performance. The man OWNED the stage. It was electrifying to see Daughtry perform every week, and he was easily pegged as the winner. Idol fans got the wind knocked out of them when Daughtry lost, coming in at fourth place. I recall screaming at the TV in horror when I watched Ryan Seacrest announce that Daughtry was going home.
The final showdown was between a prematurely gray, 29-year old blues singer named Taylor Hicks, and a lovely, 22-year-old woman named Katharine McPhee. Hicks was very likeable. He looked just happy to be there, singing his little heart out. Every week he'd yell, "SOUL PATROL!" as a shout out to his pre-Idol, longtime fans. His silly ticks and quirky movements onstage were sometimes annoying, but mostly entertaining. McPhee on the other hand, had a beautiful and sultry voice, with a face and body to match. In the end, the odd, jerky man easily defeated the brunette beauty. We have yet to see whether or not either of them will go past their 15 minutes of fame.
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What will American Idol season six be like? Who will we root for to win? Who will we want to go home? Will there be any new controversies surrounding the contestants? Whose sob story will FOX use to manipulate the audience with this year? How many of the Top 12 will disappear into obscurity within six months after the season finale? Will Simon Cowell wear a t-shirt color other than black someday? Will Randy stop saying, "Yo dawg, yo"? Will Paula finally sober the hell up? We can start finding out tommorow night, at 8 PM.
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Monday, January 15, 2007
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