That's the transcript of the funniest thing that's ever happened on this show. Now that I've had a couple of days to think about it, I want to take a moment to examine what really happened and talk a little about what effect, if any, this hilarious flub will have on the show."Oh gosh-we've never had to write these things down, uh, fast enough," she said. "Jason, the first song, I loved hearing your lower register, which we never really hear. Um, the second song, I felt like your usual charm, it was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty. The two songs made me feel like you're not fighting hard enough to get into the top four. So, David Cook..."
Randy tried to save the day: "Oh, they've just done the first song though, just the first one."
Paula: "I thought you-Oh my god, I thought you sang twice!…You know what, THIS IS HARD! You know what, I'm looking at, it's your notes, David [Cook]. You were fantastic."
I set out the background in my regular performance review essay, in which I explained that Ryan set up the debacle first by introducing a different format for the evening, then changing that format at the half-way point. Originally the Kids were to sing all their songs and then the judges would give comments for both performances. This was intended to save time.
Then Ryan asked for quick comments from the judges after the first batch of songs had
been sung.
My theory is Paula doesn't listen. Or can't listen, on account of being so hopped up on painkillers. She'd been relying on Ryan to ask for judges' comments as a means to know it was time to give her "reviews," and when he asked for quick comments, she launched in with comments for both songs. She must have thought she had zoned out (begging the question, so how many times has she zoned out before?) and missed the entire second set of performances. Poor thing was like a blind person whose furniture had been rearranged without warning. What this means is the entire fiasco can be blamed on Ryan. Perhaps he and Paula are feuding again, or he's been biding his time since the last feud, waiting for the opportunity to get her back good & proper. Why else would he change the scenario he'd told us only 30 minutes before was The Plan? If that was his intent, he succeeded. Paula is a huge laughingstock, even more than she was before.
It's pathetic, it's hilarious, but most of all, it begs the question, "How did she even have comments to give?" According to several sources, one of whom being Phil Stacey, the judges either attend rehearsals or watch them on closed circuit TV. They make notes about those performances at that time, which notes they bring with them to the live show. That would be fair enough, I reckon, if the judges would say they're talking about what they heard in rehearsal. Many times over the years they have alluded to the fact that it's difficult for them to hear the live performance. Okay, fair enough. But why the hell hasn't something been done about that???
This is why I think the show is more incompetent than rigged, per se. I do think the judges give their comments based on a variety of factors. Perhaps on occasion they can hear the live performance and the comments relate directly to it. But obviously on other occasions they cannot hear the live performance and rely on notes made for a different performance. How the hell does it help anybody to hear comments about a live performance, which comments were formed in response to the dress rehearsal? Are they just assuming that the Kids' performances will be the same???? It's got to be a completely different atmosphere when the theatre is virtually empty as opposed to when it's full of fans, some of whom are genuinely shrieking for you.
If the judges cannot hear the live performance, what can be done to change that? This is season 7, after all. Shouldn't they have figured out something besides using dress rehearsal notes? Special headphones, or a different place for the judges to sit, perhaps. When it comes to showing the judges on TV, it surely doesn't matter whether they are sitting front & center, or in the middle of the theatre. Cameras can be set up to film them wherever they are. They ought to be sitting where they can hear the performances.
And yet, I can most definitely see why some viewers immediately think that Paula's flub is indicative of rigging. Giving negative comments for a performance that hasn't happened yet is prejudicial. Of course, if you believe in the truth of the results and the integrity of the voting system for this show, then the flub caused voters to show support for Jason such that he didn't get the boot last night. If the intent was to steer voters away from him, that maneuver failed dismally.
How much do people really pay attention to the judges, anyway? If Simon says someone is in trouble, does that always result in more votes for that person? Is that why he makes such remarks, to galvanize fans? We're unlikely to learn the truth on that score. He would probably say he's just giving his opinion based on a multitude of factors blah blah blah.
All of the judges have their favorites, and there's nothing wrong with that. I do find, however, that it's at least a little wrong to give comments for the live show based on dress rehearsals without being upfront that that's what they are doing. I mean, it would be okay to preface a remark by comparing this performance to the dress rehearsal, I suppose, but if they are using dress rehearsal notes because they cannot hear the live show properly, then what's the point of having the judges say anything at all? It's unlikely the show's format will change to one in which we are shown the actual performance the judges saw and heard. At least now we know that the judges are more irrelevant than any of us imagined.
And now I know why Paula usually employs such colorful verbiage to discuss generalities, as well as why she usually comments about how the Idols are dressed. At least that is something real and connected to the live show.
How much damage will this really do? Probably not that much. As we know, it doesn't matter all that much in the long run. Someone who wins the season can disappear from the national scene, while someone who is booted 8th can end up winning an Oscar and being on Broadway. Whether or not a particular contestant does well post-show has more to do with drive, ambition, and making the most of opportunities that come their way. It has very little to do with what Randy, Paula or Simon had to say about them.
What I hope will come out of this mess is that viewers will rely more on their own response to the contestants' performances "as seen on TV" and not be swayed either way by what the judges have to say. After all, the judges have made it crystal clear that they cannot hear the live show and are forced to work with the notes they made watching some other performance.
Thanks for reading.
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