This is my third season watching American Idol, and I have a real love/hate relationship with it. I love music, karaoke and cover songs, which is what drew me to the show in the first place. It’s also fun to watch the contestants as they change week after week, seeing who improves and who stalls out.
What I hate about the show is the unnecessary meanness and exploitation, specifically during the audition process. I watch it anyway, not wanting to miss out on a first look at who might become my favorite later on, but I always feel terrible for those auditioners who really think they’ve got what it takes, only to be mocked by the judges, and lately even the camera crew after the audition is over.
When I found out Idol was getting a fourth judge, producer and songwriter Kara DioGuardi, I had hope that maybe she would become the voice of reason on the show. Maybe she would be able to keep her composure during those really awful auditions and turn them down gently instead of completely crushing their spirits like Randy and Simon, and be positive during the good ones without babbling incoherently like Paula.
Well, we’ve now seen four audition shows and I have to say, I’m a little disappointed. I don’t know why, but the auditions have always brought out the worst in the judges, and although I’m withholding complete judgment until I’ve seen a little more, Kara seems to be no exception.
During the very first audition show, we had the infamous “Bikini Girl” audition. I admit, the girl reeked of over-confidence and hidden self-loathing, but was there really a need for Kara to get into a sing-off with her? As bitchy as she was, Bikini Girl could sing, which is supposed to be the important thing, no? It was very easy to see that Kara voted no to her simply because she didn’t like her personality. A little unprofessional, letting it get to her like that. If Bikini Girl got to her that bad, I don’t know how she managed to work with the likes of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears!
Sure, she is slightly more eloquent in her commentary than Paula, and she doesn’t make fun of people’s appearances, but Kara still seems to be confused about what is and isn’t being nice. The other day after a particularly strange audition by a very pretty young girl, Kara thought the girl was joking, citing that the girl was voted “Most Humorous” in her high school yearbook. When she realized the girl wasn’t trying to be funny, she told Paula to hit her because “she’d been mean.”
Yet, she regularly takes part in what I feel is one of the meanest things the judges do: the bad audition sing/dance along. You know what I’m talking about, there’s a few every audition show. The person singing is terrible, but completely into it, and Randy, Paula, and now Kara sing and groove right along with it, which the person takes as a compliment to their style. They finish and stand there with a smile, waiting for the yes’s they’re sure they’re going to hear. After all, why would they dance and sing along like that if it was no good? Then inevitably Randy says something like “Man you know that was wild! But no, dawg.” Everyone else says their form of no, Simon insults the way they look, and the would-be idol leaves with a newly found sense of humiliation sure to last a lifetime.
This is one area where I give Simon credit: as ridiculously snarky and condescending as he is, he doesn’t give anyone false hope. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the judges. They’re human, and they have both good and bad qualities. The only one I will really say that I don’t like much is Randy, who I still contend is meaner than Simon, especially when it gets down to the semi-finals. I was just hoping that Kara would bring sort of a different element than what we’ve been seeing in seasons past, and it doesn’t seem like that’s the case.
So what do you think? Am I all wrong about her, or is she just more of the same?
Clacked by Cate Cropp
on Jan 23, 2009 @ 17:00 EST5EDT
She is the worst… two examples (i havent seen this week’s auditions yet) – during bikini girl’s audition, she starts singing back at her. This is a lame-ass move from an industry vet to someone at an audition. Seemed like the guys saying yes, ostensibly cause she was in a bikini, got Kara’s hackles up and she just went to town on the girl. It was ridiculous.
But the worst was the sixteen year old with the pink cowboy hat, who said she was Kara’s biggest fan and brought her binder with over 100 original songs for Kara to check out. She wasn’t horrible, but definitely not good enough. Throughout, however, she was just gushing over Kara. They shoot her down gently and as she’s leaving the room, but out of earshot, Kara says something to the effect of, “…if those are my fans…”
Can you imagine this 16 year old watching the show that night and then hearing her own Idol say that shit about her? Really really crappy thing to do, and it makes Kara a bitch in my book.
I cannot stand Paula, but at least she’s gracious to her fans. And I’m in total agreement with the singalong thing… the judges really don’t have to be cruel like that.
I’ll never understand why the judges feel the need to be mean. At this point, not even constructive criticism is called for. Yes, I know, it makes the show more interesting to watch for some – but not me.
And I can’t stand when they start singing along then smack the auditioner with a no way. I’m sorry to say, I’m not a fan of Kara’s either. Perhaps when we get to the real talent portion of the competition she’ll be able to offer some decent insight to the contestants.
She is horrible. The worst part is she is catty. I cant believe how insecure and jealous she is. Whenever there is an attractive woman being judged she makes some snarky comment. Bikini girl could sing but was way to hot for her so she tried to humiliate her. What a farce. Get rid of her. I have literally stopped watching the show now because of her.
Kara Dioguardi is the worst thing to happen to the show since Sanjaya. She is jealous, insecure, mean and completely full of herself. I’m hoping the producers see this and drop her from the lineup. I don’t watch the show nearly as much as I used to and she’s a big part of the reason why.
When Kara speaks it’s so dramatized by her expressions that it is almost sickening. Her neck disappears she flails her arms around and hunches down and reaches for the mic with her lips like a giraffe. Her comments are absolutely irrelevant 90% of the time, she is wasted space. I just do not like her, and based on watching her attitude toward people in general, i am replused by her.