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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2005 > March > 22 > Entry
March 22: Mario who? A blogcritic commentary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mario who? Or, Another Case of Reality TV-Induced- Grandiosity Syndrome Posted by Sticker on March 22, 2005 04:23 PM (See all posts by Sticker) Filed under: Music - Scroll down to read comments on this story and/or add one of your own.
Mario who?
Did you read the one about Mario Vasquez, one-time American Idol 4 Top Twelve-er, who recently ran into Ashlee and Jessica Simpson in a private room at a hip party place?
Apparently, Mario approached the singing sisters and asked that they pose for a photograph with him. They declined. Then declined again. Then called security, who explained whatever part of “declined� Mario did not understand.
The worst part of the story, however, is that Mario is said to have explained to the singing sisters that he, too, knew what it was like to be a “celebrity� and to be hounded for autographs. And so on into infinite embarrassment.
You can almost see the mental telepathy going on at this point between Ash and Jess.
And, really, what does it say about your celebrity hot-o-meter if you’re dissed by Ashlee Simpson?
Ouch.
Anyway. At least this was what was reported by gossip mavens in the New York press. And it wasn’t one of those stories that caused flags of incredulity to fly into the air.
On the contrary, I found myself thinking this item was just the perfect caption on the picture I thought Mario painted of himself throughout AI4: that of an overly impressed, but ultimately naïve young man who thought that television equaled life and that having one’s picture on E! equaled making it to the big-time.
Well, no.
While, thanks to reality television, millions of cable channels clamoring for guests and stories 24/7, and the internet, more and more people are having fame-like experiences, Fame—-rightly understood as an enduring recognition and interest by the general public—-seems harder than ever to achieve (if “achieveâ€? is even the right word for it).
Although speculation swirled on the reasons for Mario’s abrupt departure (past tense, you see, because people are already so over the Mario drama—which is, as we are getting to, my point), the most reasonable explanations centered on contractual hesitations and the pending re-release of a cd that featured Mario’s vocals.
Perhaps the cd—-a Latin-flavored boy-bandesque lollipop—-jeopardized his “amateurâ€? status. Or perhaps Mario, and his inevitable entourage, concluded that Mario was so excellent and so, well, famous, that he could take the free pub and ride his re-released cd into the hot light of superstardom.
I have two words for Mario: Tamyra Gray.
No, let’s make that six words for Mario: Tamyra Gray Diana DeGarmo Justin Guarini. (And I could go on.)
No matter that Mario may think his voice and elegance beats these three singers into a pulp. The fact remains that Gray, DeGarmo and Guarini had the full force and effect of the Idol machine behind them and they … bombed. I’m not commenting here on their music. I’m commenting on their commercial success. Which was nil.
Tamyra in particular was pushed by AI like beer on Super Bowl Sunday.
The AIPTB (American Idol Powers That Be) even arranged for Tamyra to tour with the AI3 show.
Despite massive free pub, touring (twice), the opportunity to sing her first single for one of the largest television audiences going, a dedicated fan base that took her deep into the competition in AI2, a turn (including singing) as an actress on a popular nighttime television drama series, a popular duet with Kelly Clarkson on Clarkson’s multi-platinum “Thankful� disc, and, it must be said, a spectacular voice and beautiful presence, Ms. Gray failed to catch fire.
If Mario thinks his brief stint on AI4 was his tipping point, I believe he’s sadly mistaken—-and suffering from a bad case of reality-tv-induced-grandiosity syndrome.
I don’t believe Mario is distinctive enough to break through without the type of exposure, personal and musical, he could have gotten on AI.
His poor mama.
The show does, indeed, go on—-even without “Mario who?â€?
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