The Susan Boyle backlash begins ...
Thomas Heald, Esquire
As someone who knows about the inner workings of TV, can I just say how
phony the whole thing came off? In fact, the only shock in the whole
thing for me is that people are taking it at face value!
First off, Boyle--if that's even really her name--was obviously drabbed
down for effect, so you'd think she was some crazy woman off the street.
The dialogue before her song came off completely calculated too, with
her even stumbling for a second to cement the idea that she's a bit daft
and totally amateur. And the judges all assumed this "Give me a break"
stance--with seemingly rehearsed audience reaction shots thrown in--all
to stack the deck against saucy Susan.
And then she sang her Les Miz dirge and the judges, every bit as
rehearsed as before, lit up with predictable shock and glee, as I
started to suspect this woman is a pro with a lot of theater
credentials, probably sent down by Central Casting.
Bob in Jersey
Tell me again what TV shows he appears on regularly?
And what he's an advisor to?
--
BOB
____________________________________________________________
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Steve Timko
I'm happy to see her succeed and I want her to be able to show her
talent in the best places. But I'm already sick of hearing about her.
Too much media too soon.
Thomas Heald, Esquire
>
> Tell me again what TV shows Michael Musto appears on regularly?
"Countdown with Keith Olbermann," "I Love the (Insert Decade Here) and
"Best Week Ever" on VH1, "the 100 Must Numbered Examples of Celebrity
Existence" shows, the True Hollywood Story" on E!, and Bravo Profiles.
Kevin M.
So someone who regularly appears on shows that glorify the
fly-by-night tendencies and banality of pop culture is being critical
of the most recent pop culture sensation?
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
Thomas Heald, Esquire
>> "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," "I Love the (Insert Decade Here) and
>> "Best Week Ever" on VH1, "the 100 Must Numbered Examples of Celebrity
>> Existence" shows, the True Hollywood Story" on E!, and Bravo Profiles.
>
> So someone who regularly appears on shows that glorify the
> fly-by-night tendencies and banality of pop culture is being critical
> of the most recent pop culture sensation?
The Tonight Show wasn't hiring.
Kevin M.
I hear that.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)
PGage
<tom...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/archives/2009/04/the_susan_boyle.php
This article gave me some much needed context for this story, but I am
in need of a little more. I had a vague awareness of this from a
mention on the list earlier in the week - then I had to go to Los
Angeles on some business. When I got home last night I noticed that my
Facebook was filled with references and links to this video as some
kind of profound life changing event, but I am not quite getting it.
First of all - I take it this is from the British version of American
Idol (did that spinoff from the US version, I infer from a comment one
of the judges makes about this being the most surprising performance
in three seasons)? This is a little confusing, because I know I saw
Simon on AI this week, in Hollywood, and it seems this show was being
done in England last week also. Does he really fly back and forth
doing the same show on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time?
Second - what is the real impact here of this video? She sang well,
but not so well as to make it this noteworthy. Is it because she is
48? Is it because she looks frumpy, or acted kind of goofy? Is it that
the British version of AI is at the stage where they usually have
really bad singers on, and they assumed she would be one of those, and
then tricked them into being pretty good? But, as the Village Voice
guy notes (and what seems would be obvious) don't we know that at
least the producers (and probably the judges) already know who she
sang, so the whole thing was part of the pre-arranged narrative of the
show. I am not trying to be dismissive - but it seems generally on par
with the "blind guy sings pretty good" storyline line AI had going for
most of this season - did that get this much play in Great Britain? I
have friends and relatives on FB telling me they have watched the
video 10 and 20 times and cry more each time. I mean, I admit to
crying when Mrs. Landingham went to take a whirl in her new car, but
this kind of histrionic emotional reaction to what must be a contrived
storyline seems unusually excessive. I have resisted responding to the
many comments on my FB until I understand this a little more to try
and avoid being too harsh or unfeeling. What am I missing here?
Thomas Heald, Esquire
> Idol (did that spinoff from the US version, I infer from a comment one
> of the judges makes about this being the most surprising performance
> in three seasons)?
Actually it's the British version of "Britain's Got Talent," the
American version of which has Hasslehoff, Brandy/Sharon Osbourne, Piers
Morgan and host Regis Philbin/Jerry Springer/Nick Cannon.
> This is a little confusing, because I know I saw
> Simon on AI this week, in Hollywood, and it seems this show was being
> done in England last week also. Does he really fly back and forth
> doing the same show on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time?
The live shows aren't for six more weeks noted Paul Potts on The Today
Show, so apparently what we've seen is pretaped audition weeks which as
a local Season 4 American Idol also ran notes can be a six month period
of time from audition to being let go in "Hollywood Week." Boyle's
audition was taped in January, before American Idol did its live shows.
But Simon is likely pushing for more $. Still, he does do Pop Idol over
there as well as "Brit's Got Talent" (Saturdays in April and May during
American Idol) and "X Factor" (a September - Dec series which would seem
to affect his availability at times during the American Idol audition
rounds.)
And he's exec prodding America's Got Talent during the summer on NBC. As
well as things in the US like "American Inventor," and "Celebrity Duets"
the british flop "Grease is the Word," and "Rock Rivals" ... it's
probably the executive producing on all the various TV shows in addition
to working with Il Divo or his other duties at Sony BMG and SyCo Records.
And he's no longer dating whomever it was on the pre-Mario Lopez Extra.
Perhaps it was his work schedule.
The threat to quit after 10 years of American Idol has been around since
August 21, 2007 when Cowell said "There has to come a point when I will
step down from being on camera and remain behind the scenes because you
can't keep doing this forever...I think by [the end of my contract] that
the public will be sick to death of me anyway and it will be time to go."
> Second - what is the real impact here of this video? She sang well,
> but not so well as to make it this noteworthy. Is it because she is
> 48? Is it because she looks frumpy, or acted kind of goofy? Is it that
> the British version of AI is at the stage where they usually have
> really bad singers on, and they assumed she would be one of those, and
> then tricked them into being pretty good?
It's apparently a more impressive reaction than was given to Paul Potts.
Season 2 was (per wiki) a young teen dancer named George Sampson.
> But, as the Village Voice
> guy notes (and what seems would be obvious) don't we know that at
> least the producers (and probably the judges) already know who she
> sang, so the whole thing was part of the pre-arranged narrative of the
> show.
And she'd already been through at least one set of untelevised auditions.
> I am not trying to be dismissive - but it seems generally on par
> with the "blind guy sings pretty good" storyline line AI had going for
> most of this season - did that get this much play in Great Britain? I
> have friends and relatives on FB telling me they have watched the
> video 10 and 20 times and cry more each time.
Which makes it more a cumulative amount of views than a total of
viewers. Wiki places the current total views of all the now multiple
reseeds of the clip around 41 million.
I mean, I admit to
> crying when Mrs. Landingham went to take a whirl in her new car, but
> this kind of histrionic emotional reaction to what must be a contrived
> storyline seems unusually excessive. I have resisted responding to the
> many comments on my FB until I understand this a little more to try
> and avoid being too harsh or unfeeling. What am I missing here?
You're probably missing Simon trying to get other international outlets
to pay to run "Britain's Got Talent." NBC could probably make a killing
even with paying music rights to repackage a run on Saturday Nights
simply for the Susan Boyle story.
Kevin M.
<tom...@gmail.com> wrote:
> But Simon is likely pushing for more $. Still, he does do Pop Idol over
> there as well as "Brit's Got Talent" (Saturdays in April and May during
> American Idol) and "X Factor" (a September - Dec series which would seem
> to affect his availability at times during the American Idol audition
> rounds.)
>
> And he's exec prodding America's Got Talent during the summer on NBC. As
> well as things in the US like "American Inventor," and "Celebrity Duets"
> the british flop "Grease is the Word," and "Rock Rivals" ... it's
> probably the executive producing on all the various TV shows in addition
> to working with Il Divo or his other duties at Sony BMG and SyCo Records.
Simon is also the driver with the best lap time in the "reasonably
priced car" on "Top Gear," much to everyone's dismay.
--
Kevin M. (RPCV)