Paula rested her head on Randy's shoulder and sobbed openly. Tears of shock rolled down her cheeks taking mascara along for the ride and leaving black trails back to her saddened eyes. She clutched at his arm as he shook his head in disbelief. He covered one of her hands with his in a consoling gesture, but she would not be consoled.
High drama? Melodramatic fodder from a second rate South American soap opera? Reaction at a John Kerry rally? No, no, and maybe.
Actually what I have described are the reactions of past pop diva Paula Abdul and record industry hipster Randy Jackson during the closing moments of last night's American Idol elimination show. The two celebrity judges were reacting to the news that La Toya London, the hands-down favorite to win this season's pop star search, had been voted off the show by the American public. This after weeks of glowing reviews from the three celebrity judges comprising Abdul, Jackson, and the often acidic-tongued Simon Cowell.
Paula, speaking in a reactionary manner after the vote off said, "America got this one wrong this week."
Jackson called it, "A travesty."
OK, so Idol isn't really earth-shaking news. It is a silly piece of pop pastry that has captivated the television viewing public. People tune in to see what insult Simon will thrust at the glorified karaoke singers on stage. They tune in to see which of the starry-eyed hopefuls will hit a sour note and crush their own destiny. They tune in to see what awful outfit Diana DeGarmo will wear and to hear what goofy, southern accented drivel she utters through a 50,000 megawatt smile that seems more Miss Peach Pit than superstar.
It's indicative of what's wrong with our country. It's the epitome of jumping from obscurity to fame without the inconvenience of hard work, suffering for your art, or coming up through the ranks. The old fashioned idea of earning your way to the top has fallen by the wayside. No one wants to actually work for a living. That would be too much like, well, work.
Sure, it's good entertainment. In a day when has-been pop divas bare there breasts on International television, networks present programs that encourage ugly women to have obscene amounts of plastic surgery, and every other commercial is hawking pills to improve men's penile staying power, it is a wholesome piece of fluff.
But, is it realistic? Does it teach America's youth that they should work hard, study hard, practice hard? Nope. It tells kids that if they get lucky they could make it on to national television. Or, at least local television on one of the many copycat shows that have sprung up on the coat tails of Idols unprecedented success.
So, will the nation weep for poor La Toya, probably not. Sure there will be outrage as evidenced by the boos of the audience on last night's show. But, in the end things will work out for La Toya, she'll still get a record deal as will many of the finalists.
The three remaining finalists will be the center of a hype machine for the next two weeks. The culmination of the contest, the final showdown will be the center of the universe for a week. And then, like Ruban Stoddard, last year's winner, it will slip slowly into obscurity until finally it will be all but forgotten. That is, until next season, when the drama begins all over again.
In the immortal words of William Hung, "She bangs..." Yes, William, she does...
High drama? Melodramatic fodder from a second rate South American soap opera? Reaction at a John Kerry rally? No, no, and maybe.
Actually what I have described are the reactions of past pop diva Paula Abdul and record industry hipster Randy Jackson during the closing moments of last night's American Idol elimination show. The two celebrity judges were reacting to the news that La Toya London, the hands-down favorite to win this season's pop star search, had been voted off the show by the American public. This after weeks of glowing reviews from the three celebrity judges comprising Abdul, Jackson, and the often acidic-tongued Simon Cowell.
Paula, speaking in a reactionary manner after the vote off said, "America got this one wrong this week."
Jackson called it, "A travesty."
OK, so Idol isn't really earth-shaking news. It is a silly piece of pop pastry that has captivated the television viewing public. People tune in to see what insult Simon will thrust at the glorified karaoke singers on stage. They tune in to see which of the starry-eyed hopefuls will hit a sour note and crush their own destiny. They tune in to see what awful outfit Diana DeGarmo will wear and to hear what goofy, southern accented drivel she utters through a 50,000 megawatt smile that seems more Miss Peach Pit than superstar.
It's indicative of what's wrong with our country. It's the epitome of jumping from obscurity to fame without the inconvenience of hard work, suffering for your art, or coming up through the ranks. The old fashioned idea of earning your way to the top has fallen by the wayside. No one wants to actually work for a living. That would be too much like, well, work.
Sure, it's good entertainment. In a day when has-been pop divas bare there breasts on International television, networks present programs that encourage ugly women to have obscene amounts of plastic surgery, and every other commercial is hawking pills to improve men's penile staying power, it is a wholesome piece of fluff.
But, is it realistic? Does it teach America's youth that they should work hard, study hard, practice hard? Nope. It tells kids that if they get lucky they could make it on to national television. Or, at least local television on one of the many copycat shows that have sprung up on the coat tails of Idols unprecedented success.
So, will the nation weep for poor La Toya, probably not. Sure there will be outrage as evidenced by the boos of the audience on last night's show. But, in the end things will work out for La Toya, she'll still get a record deal as will many of the finalists.
The three remaining finalists will be the center of a hype machine for the next two weeks. The culmination of the contest, the final showdown will be the center of the universe for a week. And then, like Ruban Stoddard, last year's winner, it will slip slowly into obscurity until finally it will be all but forgotten. That is, until next season, when the drama begins all over again.
In the immortal words of William Hung, "She bangs..." Yes, William, she does...
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