Being coherent really helps.

That's not true. You CAN learn to be a better singer - it is not a you have it or don't type of thing. There are people who might have better pitch or better intonation then others, but you are not going to wake up one day and sound like Kelly Clarkson with out any lessons. Simon Cowell wants people to believe that there is absolutely no hope for people when they audition, but that is just to make them feel bad. If you are willing to work hard, put money and time into lessons and PRACTICE for hours a week, you can develop a passible singing voice.

I believe if you are on the show, you should be getting help, whether or not you're a chosen one or cannon fodder. They should not be giving the Clays on the show a lot of help and ignore the Carmens - no matter if you hate her voice or not.

I don't think it is sour grapes. Anyone would be upset if they saw the chosen ones getting all the help they needed and you are almost ignored. You know you have a great opportunity to be on the show and want to do well, but there is nothing you can do - the judges won't ever give you good comments because you aren't "chosen" and you aren't given any fashion help or help vocally. That being said, from what I have heard, things are more fair in this department.

They can make a passable singer seem awesome and good singers seem bad because taste in singing and music are so subjective. Was Ruban that much better of a singer than Clay, Kim or Josh? No. He got respect from the judges and that is why he did well. Was Fantasia that much better than Diana, LaToya or Jennifer? Absolutely not. But she was treated like she was god's gift to music so people got on board with her.

I am soooo glad someone in the world has the common sence to know this show is rigged!! Those American Idol morons are NOT looking for the "Best Unknown Talent", They are looking for the best possible money makers. I have a bandmate who has an absolutely INCREDIBLE singing voice, and when Idol was in Houston a few years ago, he was invited to come try out and was givin a promise to make it to Hollywood. Something else, about the vote not counting, that is COMPLETELY not true. EVERY vote those dickheads get nets them .99 cents. If they average 20 million voters, that is quite a hunk of change, so to say the votes don't count is absurd. Simon and Nigel count on them. They know who will win every season, only a fool would think otherwise...

I would love to understand what you're saying, but your grammar is terrible! If you want to have your say here, you need to type something that people can read!

..So you're saying that you think that AI is fair? Is that where you're getting at? Just curious.

Exactly.

Look - if the record producers of the world were GOOD at predicting who would be a hit and who wouldn't, then you wouldn't have so many flops (like Carly Hennessy's cd).

The fact is, they all THINK they can "call it", because they DO sometimes get it right and pick winners. Chances are that in the earlier years of Idol, the producers started with 12 "unknowns" who all had the tools to be good, Watched how the public responded to them then picked the 2-3 they thought would sell the most pop records and "Groomed" those contestants, Then eventually picked the "One" they thought was most marketable - and cast the others aside. (That would explain Clay getting an early push, only to see Ruben become the focus of the producers' attention in the final weeks)

Two years ago, the guy who captivated the audience was in fact a competent singer, but was NOT one of the selected few and was NOT particularly marketable - but he WAS by far the most entertaining. I actually bought a ticket for a Taylor Hicks concert recently. It WAS "entertaining" - but the only "Good" parts of the show were his covers of others hits - so (like most other people) I have ZERO interest in buying a Taylor Hicks CD. THUS - the entire purpose of Idol (to sell records) was defeated.

Last year, to avoid another "Taylor Hicks" they included only a couple contestants who actually could sing, and several "bit players" who they expected to get voted off quickly. BUT (as we all know) the guy who captivated the audience was NOT one of the few competent singers but instead was one of the "bit players". So when Sanjaya eventually HAD to be voted off due to obvious limitations in his ability - the rest of the show was a lifeless dud.

This year, to avoid another Sanjaya - rather than go back to the original design of picking 12 decent but "undiscovered" singers, they decided to "stack the deck" with several "known quantities" - i.e. singers with decent chops who had cut albums, but didn't have commercial success. Basically every contestant in the final 8-9 has already released one or more albums, or appeared on (or even won) another TV talent show. The only exception being Jason (but he has previously worked as an actor on an MTV reality show). So basically EVERYONE left on the show this year has some level of a professional career (and the insider industry contacts that come with it) before Idol's season even started.

If you look at the show so far, its pretty clear what contestants were cast in what roles, and who the producers identifed as the prefered winners.

Amanda - the Rocker girl

Kristy - the country girl

David H - the good looking guy (which backfired when he was outed as a gay stripper)

Chikeze - the black guy

Syesha - the black girl (notice that since there were so many black contestants at the late stages last year, they stacked the deck with only two blacks to make sure it didn't happen again! pretty sad!!!)

Ramielle - the ethnic girl

Jason - the goofy stoner guy

David C. - the rocker guy (i.e. daughtry clone)

Michael - Targeted "final 4" contestant - long time professional with past recording experience - backfired when America got sick of him.

Brooke - Targeted "final 4" contestant - long time professional with past recording experience - still in the hunt

Carly - Targeted "final 4" contestant - long time professional with past recording experience - still in the hunt

David A. - Targeted "final 4" contestant - long time professional with past experience (winning Star Search) - still in the hunt.

No offense, but (A) how do you know any of this?

And

(B) - sounds to me like the unequal treatment by the producers is STILL in full force.

Why would ANYONE need their own voice coach unless they weren't getting the help they felt needed from the show?

And just as an aside - your comment about Jason is EXACTLY WHY we should be voting for him! He's as entertaining as ANYONE on the show (and more than most) But the producers can't possibly want that kid to win!

Brooke, on the other hand, is just another cookie-cutter "Cute blond folksy singer" - like any of a dozen or so current or recent pop "stars". Just my opinion, of course!

I mostly agree. The only exception is that people do have varying ability to distinguish musical pitches. The producers have put crackpots through to Paula, Randy and Simon who had no clue that they changed keys in the middle of the song. For them, it really is hopeless. I agree, though, that that isn't true of all of them.

Jazz and classical singers are taught mountains of technique, and if pop singers could be taught just a bit of that, they would avoid a world of hurt. Even a little thing like telling them not to sing full out during rehearsals would help ...

BW