At the risk of being crucified for insulting the most popular TV show,like, EVER, I feel it must be pointed out that American Idol clearlyjumped the shark in season 6. There are four reasons I say this:
1. Sanjaya (pictured): Some pretty-boy with funny hairbecomes the most buzz-worthy (and, some would say, most entertaining)thing about this season despite struggling to carry a tune andremember lyrics.
2. Mindy Doo’s ouster: Although she arguably has thestrongest voice of any Idol contestant ever, Melinda Doolittle didn’teven make it to the final round. So much for Simon Cowell’s insistencethat, when all is said and done, "This is a singing competition."
3. Blake: This guy somehow got to the final round with alame, white-boy beatbox gimmick that he’d played out by the third timewe saw it. We know Justin Timberlake, Blake, and you’re no JustinTimberlake.
4. "Idol Gives Back": Who can criticize a show for leveragingits unprecedented popularity for charity? Nevertheless, it stilldoesn’t change the fact that the whole, schmaltzy ordeal was a textbook example of JumpTheShark.com’s "A Very Special…" category.
What do you think, PopWatchers? Did Idol jump the shark this year? Ifso, what other shark-jumping events did I leave off? Or maybe you thinkthe show jumped in an earlier season?
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Ewww since when is Sanjaya a pretty boy?!
I ain’t into that vindaloo, if you get what I’m saying.
Right on the money. Glad someone finally said it. Don’t forget their now well-known manipulative and cruel audition format and their uninspired Top 24 selections. And not to mention the lame theme weeks. Gibb? Bon Jovi?
Idol jumped the shark last year when Taylor and Katherine landed in the final two over Elliott and Chris. After that, why bother? It’s over. The only thing to look forward to is Simon’s post-season assessment, which is bound to be extra snarky!
Like DHW, Idol needs a shakeup. Rotate the judges? I would like to see Patti Labelle or Lulu sit where Paula sits, she has become irrelevant. Less of the silly cruel auditions. If you can’t sing, you can’t sing. Put that portion of the show near the end. If people want to sit around for 2 hours till the end of the show and watch those stupid insulting auditions, they will. The power of Idol is making stars. If the show & producers stop making stars out of nobodys then it too becomes irrelevant. One reason people tune in is because they have invested in making a “star.” If the Kelly C’s, Carris U’s, and Jennifer H’s stop being made, then yeh, people won’t care. And so far this year, we haven’t heard much from the last two – Taylor and Katharine.
BTW, Sanjaya has his own reality show in the works produced by Idol producers. Did you know that?
Sally -
While I agree that AI has become stale, I disagree that last season failed to produce any stars. Daughtry is having huge success. You included Jennifer Hudson who didn’t make it to the finals as a successful AI competitor, you should have included Chris Daughtry.
What is DHW?
They chose contestants who would make good tv and this strategy bit back their asses. Plue the producers’ decisions to make tele-novellas around some less deserving contestants. By the time the top 24 rolled in, no one knew who half of the singers but everyone knew who Sanjaya was. Duhhhh!!
MORON. Blake did NOT beatbox his way through the top 12. You people (aka. the media) are such lemmings. If you want to know why this season sucks so much, go ask the AI producers. They insisted that we all would rather watch freaking JLo than get to know the contestants. Get your facts straight.
Dear Sanjaya, tell, nay shout (or whisper if you prefer) to EW that you are not a prettyBOY!! You are a fairy like me and would like to spready the fairy force to all of America who stupidly voted for that gigantic girl over you. At least Blake is cute, even Ryan has a crush on him! Love, Michael.
“Sally -
While I agree that AI has become stale, I disagree that last season failed to produce any stars. Daughtry is having huge success. You included Jennifer Hudson who didn’t make it to the finals as a successful AI competitor, you should have included Chris Daughtry.”
You misinterpreted what I wrote, I stated the top 2 winners (Taylor and Kat) haven’t been heard from. The top 2 are supposed to be the MOST successful, well, they fell short last season.
While voting for my cover choices for the AI winner (Jordin v. Blake), I was very surprised when I saw the Jordin covers side by side. Maybe EW should take a look, it couldn’t be that obvious, could it?
AI is still of value for introducing us to great talent, like Daughtry, Elliott and Melinda. But the final has become a joke, just like it was last year. The youngest viewers pick the winner and by the time that person’s CD comes out, they have moved to the next flavor of the month. Other viewers find talented people to appreciate–the success of Daughtry is an example and I hope that Melinda and Kiki will be the same. Just forget the final, cut the guest coaches and let us enjoy the talent.
Sanjaya’s a pretty boy? you must be joking, right?
Has not jumped the shark but clearly changes need to take place. The public can not be in charge of choosing the best singer. I think this is what had to happen on the Pop Idol. It should be the judges decision each week who goes home. The public has shown, in more than one season, that the best singers are not chosen.
I agree 100%…. and yet people still watch this show (including myself). They need to make it like Dancing with the Stars… so at least the judges have SOME say in who goes on. Then again, they DID put Sanjaya in the top 24.
Sanjaya is cute but far from being a pretty boy. He certainly reaks of the flip side of the coin.
Melinda Dolittle has been honored with a street sign named after her. What did she do to deserve such an honor? She did not find a cure for an incurable disease, make the country greater, nor did she give an astronomical amount of money to a worthy charity. The powers that be in her hometown have lost their neuron powers. I recommend a complete physical.
As far as Taylor or Kat not being heard from, I’ve heard Kat’s recent single “Over it” on the radio fairly often and have seen the video on VH1 even more often. So she’s having some level of success, even if it’s not to the level of Chris.
Wow, there are other fans out there who feel the same way I do! That’s great! AI did jump the shark, and it can be traced back to the 24 finalists. Far superior singers were cut during the Hollywood segment. It would’ve been a different show if some of the early favorites made it. The judges need to be replaced, particularly Randy and Paula. Nothing relevant comes out of their mouths. And while you’re at it, replace Seacrest. He’s full of crap and himself. Love him or hate him, Blake did earn a place in the final 2. Jordin’s a nice kid but her immaturity has shown through more and more in the last few weeks. Before next season starts, I hope the producers look at what worked and didn’t work this seaon and try to fix it. Will they? Probably not.
I’m so sick hearing about Melinda Doolittle. Sure she could sing, but she has no neck and is matronly. Who wants an AI who seems like she could be someone’s old maid aunt? Plus, her “gee you guys like little old me” routine got old fast.
AI has ‘jumped the shark, but it has nothing to do with Melinda getting voted off; she was voted off because she was boring. The bottom line is that the show has been on for 6 years, and EVERY show that has been on that long declines at this point. Just look at 24, or Seinfeld for that matter.
Am I the only one who has never heard the phrase “jump the shark before”? As far as the 4 comments, THANK YOU! I agree with all of them except maybe the Blake comment. The bottom line is the talent as a whole was really lacking this year. I don’t think any of the contestants will enjoy success. Melinda has the voice, but not the image. Blake, the image, but not the voice. Jordin is somewhere in between, and they were the 3 best this year (in results and reality). Idol just needs to search for contestants better and get a better talent pool.
Well, I know they won’t take my suggestions, but here are a few: 1)Get rid of Paula or Randy. 2) Enough with the ‘you’re gay, you’re gay’ banter between Simon and Ryan. 3) Get some celebrity judges who are STILL HAVING HITS! Instead of Barry Gibb and the dude from Herman’s Hermits, how about Mariah Carey, Usher, and/or Alicia Keys? They’ll all have CDs to plug by next season; what better way to promote them than by going on AI??? 4) Finally, cut back the length/volume of shows.
EC, ‘jumped the shark’ refers to an episode of ‘Happy Days’(in the 70’s) when the main character, Fonzie, water skis and jumps over a shark in an episode. It was such a lame moment that fans of the show(including me) siad it went downhill after that. Ever since then, when people want to say a show has passed its prime, they use the expression ‘jump the shark.’ I’m here to help, fellow Pop Watcher geeks!
What a boring season….the judges were bored week after week, which made me bored…by the time simon started showing up drunk and harrassing paula, it was too late to get excited. Cancel the finals and show us more freaks “audition”—truly the funniest part of this whole thing and all it has left going for it. RIP AI
Idol has totally jumped the shark and Arthur Fonzarelli is now laughing maniacally. The irrelevant middle-aged judges obviously find themselves and their hijinks far more interesting than the show and its contestants. Simon is the only one worth his paycheck. Cut the other two and find younger, hipper talent. Seacrest is good at his job- not great- and needs to stop buying into the judge’s drama. The show needs to focus on the kids. What happened to contestant back stories? Family interviews? Too much worry about selling soda and cars. That’s how to ruin a phenomenon. Congratulations Nigel- you’ve let your golden egg fester into a turd.
At first, I did consider this a “serious competition”, but have grown to learn that it really is cast like any reality show. The best singers in America are definitely not represented, a scattered few are thrown in, but at the end of the day it’s just another reality show! I wanted to take this show seriously, but you just can’t!!! They should definitely – if at all – just show a 1 hour audition special. A months worth of audition footage is way too much, for crying out loud. Show more of Hollywood week and put a kabosh on all of the contrived “audition” crap.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that AI has “jumped the shark” just because it’s a reality show. I usually associate that term with sitcom/drama shows. I would say, however, that this season of AI has sucked…badly. I don’t even know where to freakin’ begin.
But honestly, it all boils back to the judges and the producers picking the most unspiring (and fairly talent-less) Top 24 ever. It was them that picked Sundace and Sanjaya and Haley and more in that group. It is almost like they knew that they can never grasp the magic that was Season 5 so they just gave up? Season 6 better be all that and a bag of chips, or else…
Oh and no more Bee Gees and Bon Jovi type of nights? I mean, seriously, Bee Gees? Wow. Never again, I beg.
Let’s just say this will be the first year that I don’t watch the finale. I was going to vote for Blake just because I think Jordin is phoney but now I don’t care at all. I’ll just skip the show and calling in. I probably won’t watch next year either. I’ll just watch the beginning for laughs. The past 2 finales have been so wrong.
Let’s face it, AI was always an over-hyped talent show that was rigged from the start. The producers really don’t care about signing the best singers. They care about ratings and this year they are getting them in spades.
If people are truly outraged by the show, don’t watch. You can see it on Youtube 10 minutes later. The second the ratings drop there will be changes, but until then the producers won’t care.
I’m just glad I never got sucked into this mess in the first place.
Jumping the Shark is easier seen in retrospect, but this was a lousy season. It’s hard to believe that Jordin and Blake are competing in the finals of a *national* talent competition. *YAWN* I agree with many of the previous posts:
(1) enough with the has-been mentors
(2)Ryan’s and Simon’s “who’s gayer” banter is tiresome (3) The hour long result show with 5 minutes of content is gruesome [I only tune in for the last few minutes now].
I think they should require voters to register (as many web sites do) and –choose better contestants next year!