Why aren't shows like, "Pop stars/Making the band"

[Guest NoCalMike]

Ok when you watch these shows, the ONE and ONLY thing people should come away thinking and knowing is how LAME the music industry is right now. The evidence is RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES, on how they get these so-called "musicians" It is all a rooze, and the people are duped. I could see before when no one knew, but how could you go BUY and O-town cd, or a Teen Idol poster, knowing that they are nothing more than a corporate SHAM? Why don't more people react like this, instead of watching the show, eat it up, and spend money on these frauds!?!

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Because they like it?

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest Kinetic]

Because repetition sells records and a band that's as in with major music corporations as possible is going to get near-saturation levels of airplay. Most people just don't know any better, basically, and will like whatever they think they're supposed to like.

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

MERE EXPOSURE EFFECT, BAYBEE~!

 

Psych 101 ruled.

 

Fo sheez,

Kotzenjunge

[Guest Ozymandias]

Probably because real music fans aren't the ones that these shows are designed for.

[Guest El Psycho Diablo]

That's an odd statement, though.

 

Does the fact that somebody may like a pop artist make them any less of a music fan that one who likes metal? Not really.

 

Different people, different tastes.

[Guest red_file]

Actually Cletus was kinda on the right track. The show's were designed for the reality t.v./game show audience; the fact that the "game" happens to involve music is incidental.

 

What's more interesting to me is how strongly people react to art that is viewed as product; that somehow the intrusion of a corporation into the creative process makes the actual art/product inherently less worthy and that all such intrusions should be met with cynicism and derision. The conceit is that anyone who possessed any talent would not need (and certainly would not desire) the intrusion of a corporation and their art would therefore not be product: thus, anyone who allows a corporation to intude on their art, or, even worse, is the creation of a corporation, cannot have any talent and anyone that knows anything surely couldn't view the product produced from such a union as art.

 

But then we live in a culture addicted to irony, so it's all pretty meaningless anyway.

[Guest Nevermortal]

The only one of these shows I liked was "Bands on the Run", that aired on VH1 a year or two ago. Even though the least likeable band one (I disliked Flickerstick a lot), at least it was a showcase of decent to good music, especially the Harlow band.

[Guest The Metal Maniac]

Does the fact that somebody may like a pop artist make them any less of a music fan that one who likes metal? Not really.

 

Actually, I think it might, in at least some cases...

 

There are people out there who can't remember the name of the bands that they like. They just hear the music, they think, "Oh, that's neat" and don't bother to memorize who plays it.

 

They don't know ANYTHING about some of these artists. Do you know how many people I had to convince that "Americana" WASN'T the Offspring's first CD? I've heard people have conversations which showed that they knew NOTHING about the music they claimed to like.

 

Whereas I, and people like me, can name every song certain bands have done, who was in the band when they played it, birthdays, ages, trivial facts, all the lyrics, and can ID all of their songs when they hear the first 4 seconds of it.

 

There are people who are passionate about the music that they listen to. They care about the music, and about the people who play it. They enjoy the music completely, allowing themselves to get totally lost within it.

 

And there are those who just use it as background noise.

 

Now, call me crazy, but from what I've seen, much of the latter group are pop music fans.

 

So no, I wouldn't say they care about music as much as I do.

 

Anyway, these shows bother ME because it puts them ahead of actual, TALENTED musicians, who have more then a half-decent voice and a pretty face, and who have worked for YEARS to try and crawl their way up to the top. I mean, they're out there playing in shithole bars because they love music that much.

 

These pretty-boys (and girls) are going on TV because it's good money.

 

That disturbs me greatly.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Why is Kelly who plays the piano any less talented than the guitar player for GodSmack or any hard rock group. All Guitar playing today is basically quarter and half notes.

[Guest Ripper]

SOme of the people on that American Idol show, Kelly and Tamyra in particular, are just as much muscisians as anyone else. They are using the available paths to get in the music industry and I think that people see it as that, not as insulting a person.

 

The thing that will be interesting though, is that what type of music will they do. Will they do what music they feel in their heart or will the have to do what the label wants them to do. Artist like Pink and Christina Agularia were forced into doing their first album the way the label wanted them to do, not writing any of the songs, or liking the style at all and it showed. These reality shows have offered insight into what type of music the performers actually like and people will have expectations into what type of album they should come out with. If it is too studio cookie cutter, it could actually backfire big...like it did with Popstars.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Why is Kelly who plays the piano any less talented than the guitar player for GodSmack or any hard rock group. All Guitar playing today is basically quarter and half notes.

godsmack sucks, bad example. I've got MUCH more respect for a classically trained musician than some nu metal gimp chopping out drop-d power chords. and most guitar you hear on the radio or tv or whatever anymore is wretched. Most newer rock has sacrificed technicality for more expensive distortion pedals and trying not to interfere with the vague meaningless vocals.

[Guest redbaron51]

at least most of those people on American Idol have at least some vocal talent (not Ryan Starr though) and actually CAN sing, unlike Britney Spears and all of the other pop princess/sluts

[Guest NoCalMike]

My problem is, there are so many people out there that can sing a tune. record labels should look for people that can sing, write and COMPOSE their OWN music. Why not raise the bar on what goes out there?

[Metal Ed 0]

These people need to rock harder, man. I watched ten minutes of that American Idol a few weeks ago and I didn't know what was going on. This English guy was being all mean and Paula Abdul was dancin around and stuff. I thought I was maybe having one of those weird episodes I get every once in a while. Then I realized that the show just sucked, so I put some Foreigner in the Rock Box and turned that shit off.

 

ROCK AND ROLL FOREVA, BABY!

[Guest razazteca]

is this any different than Maven or Nadia as the winners of Tough Enough?

 

I am a fan of some pop music but not of the tv variety

[Guest Ripper]

No, its nowhere near the same.

 

Maven and Nidias first attempt to get into the wrestling business was the TE contest. The American Idol kids are a bunch of people that have been trying to get into the music business and had the talent to do so.

[Guest ant_7000]

My problem is, there are so many people out there that can sing a tune. record labels should look for people that can sing, write and COMPOSE their OWN music. Why not raise the bar on what goes out there?

But the thing is that some record labels don't let their artists have their creative freedom to express themselves. As for American Idol I can't lie from what I saw I liked they focus on the singing and let viewers pick, so it was entertaining and interactive than those other pop reality shows. I felt Kelly was the right choice but I wish Tamyra and that girl who went to the hospital should've been the final 3. The male singers didn't really stand out to me. I wonder now will Kelly do pop music eventhough I don't think its her, and eventhough Tamyra didn't win will she end up being bigger than Kelly?

[Guest Hitman Jebus]

To sum it up,

 

The Hitman Je(e)bus thinks that as long as a talented and deserving person wins, it's cool!

That's why I enjoyed American Idol, not only was the winner an excellent~! singer (and hot, too...I love you Kelly!!!!!) but the final four were all great and deserving of record contract...I'd definitely listen to them!

 

Don't worry, with some more time in the business, they'll get the experience needed and they'll start getting more involved (writing, composing, etc.)

 

Another plus of these shows (not all of them) is that, as an aspiring actor / musician myself, I'd KILL to have this opportunity. There's a lot of talent out there just waiting for that opportunity to be discovered. These shows are just TELEVISED (for ratings and shit, because of the reality show BOOM) auditions and talent searches

 

If you don't have to pay your dues like others, I say "Good for you!" but don't take it for granted and work really really hard on your craft.

 

 

The Hitman Je(e)bus - Justi...uh...I mean Kelly Clarkson's first stalker...yeah, that's it!