Another quartet of contestants saw their dreams squashed Thursday night. John Park, Michelle Delamore, Jermaine Sellers and non-stop smiling Haeley Vaughn were cut loose, making way for 16 semifinalists to vie for the top spot in this strange ninth season of American Idol.
They were all sweet — especially John Park — but we’re not especially sad to see them go. The same could be said for each and every one of this year’s contestant pool. In a word, the lot can be described as meh; as a devoted and diehard fan of this show, I feel obligated to watch and feel personally invested in the talent. But this year, I can’t seem to get on board with anyone — watching feels more like a chore than a pleasure, and I know something is off when I’d rather catch a rerun of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
This season is meh for several reasons:
A) Paula Abdul is not on the show, creating a void of spontaneity and humor that is lacking from the judges’ panel. Who knew that Ellen Degeneres could be so boring? She’s Ellen! She hosted the Oscars, has her own talk show, is a comedian; unlike Paula, however, she lacks that wackadoo unintentional humor that can’t be rehearsed. Paula has that, which is why she’s perfect for reality TV. Ellen is way too earnest, and she seems to have one phrase in her Idol handbook: “I really like you.”
B) There’s no Adam Lambert, David Cook, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood or Jennifer Hudson; compared with these previous standouts, the contestants this season lack that X factor that takes my breath away and makes me root for them. Hell, even those one-name wonders Sanjaya and Chikeze had more charisma. The guys are a lost cause; as Simon Cowell observed, there’s a great chance a woman might win. In that case, the saving grace might be Ally Sheedy doppelganger Siobhan Magnus or soul-rocker Crystal Bowersox, who I swear saw singing Janis on the L platform in Chicago circa 2004.
C) Simon doesn’t want to be there. Oh, he would rather be anywhere but there. Clearly. How can I be excited about a show when its star — and evil genius — phones in his two cents, winks at his fiancee off stage and talks to Paula imposter Kara Dioguardi during performances. If he could yawn, he would.
Speaking of Kara, I will use a Kara-ism to describe my apathy toward this super-boring lineup of meh: STEP IT UP, IDOL. I love you. I don’t want to give up just yet. So give me something to care about — or I’m switching permanently to the E!: The Kardashian Channel.
Enough about me. Let’s throw it back to you: What do you think about this season? Does it give you the blahs? Who do you love — and who makes you go meh?
Post from: Crushable