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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > May > 03 > Entry
5/5: Idol cliches
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I saw a headline on mjsbigblog about 11 major “Idol” cliches culled from seven seasons.
I decided not to read their cliches and see if I can come up with 11 myself. Feel free to add your own. These are off the top of my head and not in any order:
1-Ryan’s dramatic cold open, with the camera panning each contestant and him saying, “THIS…is… American Idol!”
2-Splitting the final seven into two groups and forcing the seventh to make a decision which one is the eliminated group. They’ve done it at least four years in a row.
3-Simon’s tight black shirts & his fake “sorry” apology when he’s saying something negative and the crowd is booing.
4-Cameras closing in on any surviving contestant crying after someone is eliminated. And if the contestant is crying, the others come on stage to join the person and console him or her (usually her.)
5-Paula’s halting, grammatically challenged, “Up With People” commentary.
6-Dawg, these cliches are hot! They’re da bomb!
7-Starting a ballad by sitting on the steps and gazing into the camera in close up, before pulling back, standing up and doing the “big” note standing up.
8-During auditions, those painfully stupid montages in which they have everybody sing the same song and do it badly.
9-The opening of the audition door and the contestant flashing the yellow piece of paper as relatives and friends leap and jump as if they’ve won the lottery, often with Ryan as collateral damage.
10-The endless archetypes during audition rounds—the country rube, the arrogant woman who talks back to the judges, the dork, the comatose dude, the military person, the gal whose relative just died, the man whose wife is about to have a baby, the little person with the big voice, the ebullient big dude.
11-The mentor enters a room with the contestants and they do a group sing of one of his/her famous songs. Then the mentors hugs the contestants, who express awe.
Comments
By Harmony
May 4, 2008 10:20 PM | Link to this
First, sorry Flats
By Deirdre
May 4, 2008 10:21 PM | Link to this
The ‘is he gay’ jokes between Ryan and Simon.
At least one contestant in the top 24 who has a ‘sob story’.
Paula standing and ‘dancing’ while a contestant sings.(I think she just likes people looking at her)
By Harmony
May 4, 2008 10:29 PM | Link to this
Linny, you could have watched every episode of LOST from the beginning and you still would be lost.
Deirdre, i still trying to think of some cliches.
By War Eagle
May 4, 2008 10:32 PM | Link to this
Harm, way to go girl.
flats will be proud.
THIRD!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO
By Harmony
May 4, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this
Randy’s neverending praise for the youngest contestant.
Thanks War, never thought I would be first. I watched the painful Hawks loss.
By War Eagle
May 4, 2008 10:45 PM | Link to this
Harm, the Hawks got their butts handed to them today but still took Boston to seven games. Something for this young team to build on for next season.
By Harmony
May 4, 2008 10:57 PM | Link to this
Maybe next season.
If David Cook wins idol ,I’ll be happy.
By War Eagle
May 4, 2008 11:02 PM | Link to this
Harm, like D. has said, we grown folks are going to have to step up and vote for D. Cook in order form him to slip past wonder boy. I’m willing to do my part.
By Harmony
May 4, 2008 11:05 PM | Link to this
He is the only one I vote for.
By War Eagle
May 4, 2008 11:09 PM | Link to this
Me too at this point.
By Harmony
May 4, 2008 11:35 PM | Link to this
Guess I’ll talk to all of you later, I’m babysitting four needy dogs right now and they are wearing me out!
By flats
May 5, 2008 8:32 AM | Link to this
Good morning mushdawgs!!!!
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this
Morning mushblogians!
I’m sure there are at least a dozen more American Idol cliches. I’ll have to think some more.
In the meantime, looking for spoilers will be difficult tomorrow. With such a wide range of songs to choose from, I’m sure there will be a lot of false lists out there.
By Lara
May 5, 2008 8:39 AM | Link to this
The long ride in the elevator with the upper camera shot and the long walk to the single chair in the room to see if they made the top 24.
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this
LOL…that long walk is ridiculous!
By DawnH
May 5, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this
Announcing the contestant to be sent home, or the winner of AI, “after the break.”
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
Either Paula or Simon getting up and walking out of the auditions.
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 9:01 AM | Link to this
Personal conflicts during Hollywood Week.
By Bulldog
May 5, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this
How about Paula telling the contestants they’re all winners already.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
May 5, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this
Speaking of cliches — did anyone else notice that SYTYCD auditions show that creepy “sex” guy shows up yet AGAIN? he should be banned!
Harm - i know, i HAVE watched since season 1 — all in the last 4-5 months, LOL!!! D and her conversations about it finally pierced my “NO I WON’T WATCH IT” armour, and i paid for the box sets of 1,2 and 3!!! and now, even tho’ i’m watching it via online streaming, i’ll buy season 4 sometime after the season is over. i figure if i ever go somewhere i don’t have cable, or i lose my cable account, i can at least watch it from the beginning again, LOL!!! and probably see a gazillion things i missed first time around, too!
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
A brief interruption of the cliches for this comment from Taylor Hicks…I about fell off my chair laughing:
” Ex-“Idol” champ Taylor Hicks says that David Archuleta reminds him of a young Wayne Newton. As in “Danke Schoen” Wayne Newton.”
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
That Carly Smithson/Michael Johns duet I mentioned on the previous blog will be on Tuesday’s Ellen .
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
May 5, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this
lol!!!! YES!!!
By harrietth
May 5, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
So, Taylor Hicks has spoken? Wow! Wayne Newton? Give me a break! Is this supposed to be a compliment? Astute judge of talent, huh?
linny, I can’t wait for you to catch up to where we are on Lost.
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
harrietth…I think Taylor was absolutely accurate…after Archie gets done with being a child singer…where’s he gonna go, what’s he gonna do? Pleasing his fans with a daily show in Vegas seems like a pretty good bet to me.
And if y’all remember(some of you are too young)Wayne Newton started out about the same age as Archie…he was a child singer, too.
By harrietth
May 5, 2008 10:44 AM | Link to this
Dierdre, you are right, but I don’t think Taylor Hicks meant that at all. I think he thinks he is giving David a compliment. I Googled the article and that is what it sounded like to me. I do remember Wayne Newton as a kid, but I never, ever thought he was cute or any kind of star at all. In fact, he was as peculiar looking then as he is now—without the plastic surgery, of course. I think David A will do better than that. I still think he will be a part of Foster’s plans. IMO.
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this
I agree that Taylor was complimenting Archie….but I kept thinking that’s not exactly what Archie or his dad had in mind. However he SHOULD be flattered. I’ve NEVER been a Wayne Newton fan but IMO, back in the day, he had a MUCH better voice than Archie has and if Archie gets even HALF the career or longevity that Wayne Newton has had…he should count himself lucky
By JTesla
May 5, 2008 10:59 AM | Link to this
Who is this Taylor Hicks person?
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this
LOL, JT!
By harrietth
May 5, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this
I just think Wayne Newton is pretty much a joke, and he has been very lucky that he landed in Vegas. He would never have had a career otherwise. Live performances made him rich. I just never thought that much of his voice. I mean, it is better than average, but never great. I have a bit higher opinion of Archie’s voice, D. I think with help, he can definitely fill a niche. Just not as the AI.
And, JT, yes, LOL.
By Lara
May 5, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this
David “Wayne Newton” Archelleta!!!! PURRFECT!
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this
I agree, harrietth…like I said, not a fan of Wayne Newton. But he wasn’t a joke back when he was a kid and a young man…he was very popular with the older set…much like Archie is today. Once the tweens get over their crushes on Archie and move on to the ‘next big thing’, he will pretty much be singing to older ladies who find him sweet and want to mother him.
Other than Vegas or Branson…I don’t see anywhere that Archie will fit in with today’s music.
He could try to go the Buble route or the Groban route but his voice isn’t even nearly as good as theirs.
By Negativo
May 5, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this
Deirdre, that Wayne Newton comparison to Arch by Hicks was totally hilarious! Spot on, and you analyzed perfectly how he’ll appeal mainly to geriatrics in his post-idol career.
Arch reminds me of Fred “Wo0nder Years” Savage in many ways. They look very much alike, of course, and I also see that same child star personna as a performer. Like Savage, I can’t see Arch having any appeal as a grown up. He’ll be stuck with the “little boy” typecast forever, never making the leap to manhood career-wise.
Taylor Hickes reminds me of the guy voted “most popular” in high school who procedes to flunk out of college, move back in with his parents, and become the local “towny” loser, spending the rest of his life pathetically retelling his old high school glory stories and mooching money off of his friends and family.
By Deirdre
May 5, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this
LOL! Neg!!!
I think Taylor’s doing just fine in the small venues he was used to before Idol. Plus he has the AI advantage now which means he probably gets paid a little more than he used to.
I suppose it’s possible that Disney could hire Archie and he could become the male version of Hannah Montana. His sweet innocent demeanor seems to be encouraging something like that.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
May 5, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this
Until Annie Liebowitz gets ahold of him…
By harrietth
May 5, 2008 2:16 PM | Link to this
LOL, linny! Indeed! I can see Archie being groomed for the tweens, a la the “old” New Kids, or boy bands of any ilk. I agreee, D, that he won’t last. Tweens grow up, and the next group will find someone else to scream over. Of course, he can wait until those tweens are 30 years old and come back as a nostalgia act, a la the “new” New Kids.
By JTesla
May 5, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this
Archie will be a big hit on the county fair circuit, which is after he makes the big bucks selling ice cream.
For those of you keeping track: in my opinion the ice cream slam still hasn’t gotten old.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
May 5, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this
LOL, JT…i’ve noticed! You can almost add Zaxby’s … oh wait… do you have Zaxby’s out there yet??? or is that just a southern thing? (seein’ as how they started in Athens GA, home office is here)
By JTesla
May 5, 2008 3:38 PM | Link to this
No Zaxby’s, but when the ice cream peddlers come here it is for Dryer’s. Maybe it is owned by the same people.
By flats
May 5, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this
JT…I heard archies a big hit with gays and straights.The boy might win the whole thang!!!
By JTesla
May 5, 2008 3:45 PM | Link to this
Flats, I think you’re getting Archie and Jason mixed up. Archie is the annoying singer that all the girls scream for, Jason is the annoying singer with the dreadlocks.
By harrietth
May 5, 2008 4:06 PM | Link to this
The following quote by Clay Aiken tells the story of what is wrong with David A’s song interpretations. He hasn’t “lived” yet:
“When I (did) the first album, I ain’t been through nothin’, you know? … But now I’ve gone through some crap, and I’ve gone through some good things, and I’ve started thinking, `Oh, wow, I know what that song’s saying, I’ve done that, I’ve experienced that, that’s happened to me,’” he mused in his Southern drawl.
By harrietth
May 5, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this
Hope everyone has a good evening/night. Tuesday! D, I hope you can find us some spoilers!
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
May 5, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this
JT - Dryers huh? Edies here — wonder if “Edies” comes from initials, like “E.D.” maybe? a regional thing i’m sure!
By Songluvr
May 6, 2008 1:38 AM | Link to this
Hey Linny - I’m sure you probably know this already, but Arby’s is another example. It came from R.B., which stands for roast beef.
By JTesla
May 6, 2008 1:51 AM | Link to this
Technically Arby’s came from using the initials for Raffel Brothers, the founders.
By Songluvr
May 6, 2008 1:57 AM | Link to this
Oh? Okay. I’m just going by what Paul Harvey said. and that’s the rest of the story…
By Deirdre
May 6, 2008 7:46 AM | Link to this
Morning mushblogians!
Perhaps the Raffel Bros thought, hmmmm, our initials are RB and roast beef’s initials are RB….maybe we should name the place Arby’s. Therefore both theories would be correct! :-)
Today is a busy day. 4 contestants with 2 songs each and a huge list of songs to choose from. We should be getting a lot of interesting song choices.
By tanning lotion
May 6, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this
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