And I can't smile, 'cause I forgot the words to this part

[vovat]

So, the big surprise on this week of American Idol is that Brooke DIDN'T leave, despite forgetting the words and starting over. They certainly called enough attention to this, though. I don't know. I've been to enough concerts where the performers forgot the words, often to songs they wrote themselves, that I've become more or less desensitized to it. John Flansburgh, for instance, is notorious for that kind of thing, yet he clearly has more talent than any of the contestants on the show. [1] I actually like Brooke, though, probably mostly because she seems refreshingly normal. She lost some points with me for saying she'd want to work with John Mayer. I guess I could hold out hope that she wants to sing with someone crappy so she sounds better by comparison, but that's a stretch. [2] I like Carly as well, though, even if I don't care for her tattoos. It's a shame that she doesn't show any hints of her accent when she sings, though. I'm sure it's just an annoyingly typical American trait for me to have a thing for British accents (and yes, I'm counting Irish as British), but it's still the case. I could do without that Archuleta kid, but I think the odds are that he'll win.

And on the subject of the show, I always think it's weird when the contestants mention their roommates. What, Fox can't spring for single rooms? That seems awfully cheap considering how much money it's making. Then again, some people LIKE having roommates, which is something I've never been able to understand. What I also don't get is why the married people aren't staying with their spouses, who are obviously in the area since they show up in the audience every week (unless they keep flying there and back, I guess). Do the producers subscribe to the superstition that having sex is bad for your performance? Oh, well. I suppose any attempt to make sense of that show is like trying to catch a Bandersnatch.

[1] I love it when people say that someone has more talent in their little finger than another person does in his or her whole body. What, exactly, does one do with a talented little finger? I guess they should be glad it's not a talented MIDDLE finger, as that kind of thing could get a guy in trouble.
[2] Speaking of bad singers, it sounds like Neil Diamond will be coaching the contestants next week.

Comments

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Speaking of bad singers, it sounds like Neil Diamond will be coaching the contestants next week.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one with that opinion!

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I don't even think he's that great of a writer. There's a pretty well-known Dave Barry column where he mocks the line, "And no one heard at all, not even the chair" from "I Am, I Said."

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, have I discussed this before? I do actually like his songwriting, but I never paid much attention to the words, just the catchy melodies. Though I do recall some particularly bad --lyrics. I almost said "bad words," but that has a completely different connotation, one not normally associated with Neil Diamond. Anyway, yeah, can't stand his voice: when other people cover his songs, suddenly songs I used to hate sound really cool and I can't figure out why until I realize IT'S BECAUSE NEIL DIAMOND ISN'T SINGING THEM.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

that was me, by the way. That's what happens when you use library computers.

[vovat.livejournal.com]

While I don't think that way about Neil Diamond, there certainly are singer-songwriters whose songs I like better when someone else is singing them. Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits come to mind.

[rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com]

Bruce Springsteen. That occurred to me when I was listening to the radio yesterday. His songs are decent, even cool (and lyricwise better than Neil Diamond, though not usually as catchy musically) but there's only so much of his droning voice you can listen to for very long.