What's Running Through My Head...

Am I the only Who down in Whoville who doesn't give a rat's ass about this season on American Idol ? I didn't think so. I mean, this is the most talented class in "Idol" history, without question. But for all that singing ability, not a pin point's worth of charisma. Even this year's "reject" shows didn't have much of a kick. Maybe it's time, as it has been in other countries that have put on singing contest shows, to give it all a rest. Let's miss Randy, Paula and Simon for a year. Then we can look forward to their return.

Regular observers of the merry antics here [oh yeah, right] know that there's a widget in the right-hand column of this very page [just another reason to stay for a few minutes after dropping your EntreCard, by the bye] which shows where said visitors are coming from. As usual, the highest readership of this R-rated blog [could it have been for saying "rat's ass" in the opening today? Fuck, no...] is from North America, with nice turnouts in Oceania, Europe, and Asia. Antarctica is singularly unrepresented, and there is only one reader in all of South America [to that reader, living in isolation in Uruguay, I can only say, "Senior, Senora, or Senorita, your taste in blogs is unequaled on your entire continent!"

Have you heard anything about this? Set for May 10th, Pangea Day is a four-hour film festival, to be presented at uncountable locations world-wide, as well as on the Internet. The festival features short films from around the world, as well as speeches by notables, and musical performances. I like the concept [created by filmmaker Jehane Noujaim, and brought into being as part of an award she earned two years ago], but I'm not sure how well all these films will "translate" into other cultures. Still, 10 out of 10 for truly trying something new (Visit www.pangeaday.com for further information).

{There are other things running through my head, of course. Some of them too primal [you REALLY don't want to know], others too specific to my history [twenty lines of "The Sabres suck!" would not be enlightening to anyone]; I guess we'll just have to leave it at that}

-Mike Riley

Idol Attraction [no, I don't know of a song by that name. They can't all be song titles or lyrics. Well, they could be. But this one isn't...]

I sometimes ask myself why I spend so much time following "American Idol". In a way, it makes some sense, of course. "Idol" is the most-watched show on American television during its annual run. Each season has its own dynamic, its own little dramas. But sometimes I feel the same as spectators at a slow-motion train wreck must feel. I know what horrors will surely follow, and yet I cannot bear to turn my head.

This same Internet that you and I are communing on was rocked last week by reports that a series of photos had surfaced, revealing [for that is the seemingly-correct word] "Idol" contestant Antonella Barba in a variety of poses. In none of them can she be said to be displaying the kind of discretion that the shows producers or the FOX Network would like. In at least two of them she is performing an act that most of us [the opinions of one former President of the United States notwithstanding] would call a sex act. The show and FOX are withholding comment, at least of this writing. Several of Barba's friends are saying the photos aren't of her and, given the odds that someone out there must look like Barba [pretty good, given the world's population], it's possible that the whole thing is a hoax.

Still, pretending for the moment that the snaps are of her, the matter does raise a question or two. Discuss:

1. / Having been burned in a similar case once before [see Frenchie Davis. All she did was take off her shirt, albeit at an adult web site, and she was forced off the series], doesn't someone check on the chance of photos like these in some contestant's closet? Was Ms. Barba not forthcoming about the existence [or possible existence] of such material? Indeed, considering the state of camera technology today, was she even aware that such photos had been taken?

2. / If the photos were taken for non-commercial reasons, even if Barba was aware of it, shouldn't she have had the right to assume that they would remain private? Given the sad state of the world today, how could she have assumed that? Should she be punished for someone else's gross betrayal of privacy, not to mention trust [see next question]?

3. / Again assuming the photos are genuine [as of this writing, still not proven or admitted to by anyone, please remember], what happens next? Does Barba lose her seat on "Idol" [given the Davis case, a distinct possibility]? Do the producers, claiming the photos were not intended for financial gain, ignore the whole thing [given "Idol"'s appeal to pre-teens, not a likely result]? If she is excused, does Davis have grounds for a lawsuit [given our litigious society, probably]?

You see? Not even a month into the final rounds, and already a compelling storyline!
And you wonder why we watch? How could we not? (Please send suggestions for that last question as "Comments". I need to quit, but I'd settle for cutting down...)

Idol With The Golden Head

As I write this entry, warm as toast on the 12Th floor of a downtown Buffalo skyscraper, I note, almost with a sense of relief, that Winter has finally come to Western New York. Of course, it's never really that simple when it comes to weather here.

In October [October 13Th, to be exact], we were hit with a snowstorm. Not a big one, by this area's standards [Until you drop a foot of snow on us, you just annoy us], but big enough. Further complicating matters, most of the trees still had their leaves. When the snow coated them, the over-burdened branches of many trees gave way, bringing down power lines in the process. As a result, many communities in the area were effectively shut down, with power and telephone restoration taking as long as a week, even in Buffalo proper.

As if to make up for that pre-season fiasco, the weather since then had been positively tranquil, with temperatures no lower that 40, virtually no snow, and that lasting only a few hours. Trees were blossoming, thinking Winter had been cancelled, and moving onto the next season. Squirrels were frequently lax in storing food for the cold times. We marked one of the few "non-White" Christmases in recent memory.

This past weekend, though, we were reminded vividly exactly WHERE we were living. A bout of freezing rain and strong winds, topped off like a sundae with snow, took care of that. As noted above, though, the reaction of many, along with the occasional nasty words when they fell on the ice, was a sigh of relief. This is the weather we signed up for in January, the thinking seems to have gone. We take the snow and cold in Winter, in exchange for almost never seeing a hurricane [or even a tornado], except on TV. As a bonus, we get fairly pleasant, sunny Summers. We may grumble about the arrangements sometimes, but, given the choice between this and, say, triple-digit temperatures and winds that spread fires [like California seems to have a lot of], we usually decide to honor our part of the bargain.

Another sign of Winter, and one that usually doesn't involve gloves, is the annual return of American Idol. (For the unaware: Idol is an incredibly popular national amateur singing contest. It airs twice a week through the Winter and Spring. The winner, selected by telephone vote after weeks of televised competitions, wins a recording contract, a new car, and gets an incredible boost to start his or her singing career.)

While many people enjoy the weekly sing-offs, others [including The Woman I Love and myself] are fans of the "audition" shows. In the spirit of "discovering the next music superstar" [or something like that], almost ANYONE [within the right age group] can enter! Tens of thousands of people line up outside the venues where auditions are held, hoping for a chance to perform before the show's three judges; enthusiastic Randy Jackson, sympathetic Paula Abdul, and acerbic Simon Cowell. The "audition" shows are well-edited highlights of the various stops. Show host Ryan Secrist narrates the segments, frequently telling inspiring, funny, or doofy stories about the various contestants. And then they sing.

Or then they move their lips and emit sounds from their throats that they THINK is singing. Which is rather the point, I guess. Every year, TWIL and I watch the "auditions", and every year she makes the same observation: "Don't these people have friends?" I know exactly what she means. The loners out there, who don't have a chance to bounce their "talent" off someone else, are understandable. But shouldn't someone with a friend or two have one of them, confronted with a "performance" that might make Donald Duck sound like the next Pavarotti, gently pull that potential superstar aside and say, "Honey, look, I love you, but..."
I mean, it's not like Simon [usually] or Randy [more so lately] is going to show any mercy. What's worse, the worst of the "auditions" frequently make up the bulk of the early shows. Embarrassment in front of three or four people is one thing. Why would you risk embarrassing yourself before a TV audience estimated in the tens of millions ?

Then again, I'm now hosting two blogs...

-Mike Riley