“We’re constantly trying to make sure that everybody that is in our finals is seen by the end of the audition process or the “Green Mile” process so that the ones that are put before America, America has seen somewhere.”
— Nigel Lythgoe in a Feb. 7 conference call with the media —
You know how different organizations fact check presidential debates?
Well, if those organization fact checked the above statement from American Idol Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe, red lights would be flashing and pants-on-fire sirens would be screaming.
As in, “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
OK, technically, Nigel might be right. I suppose we fans of American Idol have seen Chelsea Sorrell, Hollie Cavanagh and Chase Likens at some point during Season 11.
I’m probably to blame for reading too much into the above statement.
You see, I got hopeful and thought that for the first time in 11 years, Idol might make a serious effort to even out the screen time between semifinalists. That the show might stop playing favorites.
That by “see,” Nigel didn’t just mean we’d be able to spot Chelsea and Chase and Hollie if we looked really hard, but that at some point before the final Vegas show, they’d be center stage, their mouths would open and notes would come forth. In a solo setting.
I should have known it would be the same old routine. That for every Adam Brock, there would be a barely-heard-from DeAndre Brackensick. That for every Skylar Laine there would be an almost invisible Haley Johnsen.
Folks, it should not be that hard. American Idol had seven audition episodes, two Hollywood episodes and two Vegas episodes to get this right. And producers still couldn’t find time to give us an adequate introduction to many of the semifinalists.
It might have helped if the show hadn’t wasted an hour showing us Alisha Bernhardt searching for a group in Hollywood. Note that she’s no longer around.
Or showing Amy Brumfield getting sick in Hollywood. Note that she’s no longer around.
Or showing the Betties arguing in Hollywood. Note that nary a one of the five is still around.
It might help if Nigel and company watched a couple audition episodes of The Voice.
Somehow, the NBC show manages to introduce us to each of the singers we might be voting for in future episodes and manages to make it entertaining, without segments about Christina Aguilera losing her pantyhose or the judges dealing with the noise from planes soaring by.
Oh, The Voice occasionally goes into montage mode, where we’re introduced to three or four singers very quickly and hear only a short snippet of their audition.
But check the website the next day and, there it is, the full-length clip of the audition, so you can judge that performer right along with everyone else.
Idol?
If anything, the show has taken a step backward in Season 11.
Last year, the full-length final performances from Vegas were posted on americanidol.com.
This year? I’ve been watching the site since Thursday. They’re still not posted. I’m assuming they won’t be.
Want to learn about the final 24? You can watch their Road to Hollywood interviews. You can watch their top 24 interviews.
You can even find a song list for the final day in Vegas. Amazingly, though, the folks at Idol apparently don’t know who sang all the songs because the list is littered with n/a’s.
Ah, but this is a show about singing, isn’t it?
Well, the group performances from Vegas are posted. Which doesn’t tell us much because each singer only gets a couple of solo lines.
And that’s it.
Now, wouldn’t it make sense to post the initial audition for each of the top 24? Their Hollywood group performance? Their Hollywood solo performance? Both of the songs they sang before the judges on that final day in Vegas?
The judges clearly took all of those performances into consideration when they decided whom to put into the semifinals.
Wouldn’t it make sense for us to be able to take all of those performances into consideration when voting for contestants for the first time this week?
Nah, that would come too close to playing fair.
At a time when Idol once again seems intent on playing favorites.
Meaning not one thing has changed in Season 11.
P.S.: I’ll be live blogging each of the three Idol shows this week, grading each performance as it happens. Check back an hour after the show and you’ll also find a separate recap.
Oh, and Nigel, if you have all those singing clips and don’t know what to do with them, just send them my way. I’ll make sure they get posted. Meanwhile, readers can find profiles on all of the top 24 here.
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