American Idol - Season 8
Episode 5 (Jacksonville) Recap
In an essay reprinted in
Deeper Into Movies, Pauline Kael wrote about some shameful critical practices:
They were so superior to the subject that they never dealt with it. Now it more frequently takes the form of a wisecracking put-down. And that's the bottom of the trap, because, as all critics know, the worst danger of the profession is that one may sink to the level of what one is reviewing.
One must fight not to sink to the level of condescension displayed on
American Idol when reviewing
American Idol, especially given that there was no audition of note in last night's program. However, I do think, in order to avoid retain my humanity, it is worth relaying two moments of inhumanity that went unacknowledged in the course of the show. And -- most shockingly -- these moments weren't even acted out by the judges:
Naomi Sykes sings "Loving You" to the judges, Ryan, and a friend of hers who crushes on Randy (long story). She's terrible. After the judges mock her throughout and after the performance, she cries. She explains (I paraphrase): "Everybody always tells me I'm great." Her friend stifles a smile: she got to meet Randy and get on TV, riding on the bum high note of her delusional "friend."
Michael Perrelli loses his cool when he finds out that he can't use his guitar during his audition. (Since this is, like, his fourth audition in the process, this must have been a set-up.) He sings "Jumper" in a contemporary rock/punk/emo/greenday style. He breaks down under the constructive advice -- "Start a band" -- since he wanted the easy route to stardom via
America Idol. When he exits sans golden ticket and with tears in his eyes, his mom reaches out to comfort him -- she takes on a familiar role. Hyper-aware of the camera, he snarls: "Don't touch me!" What a recognizable moment of shame, captured for the delectation of millions.
That's show business.