Hello,
The 12 minute preview of "The Voice" has been floating around the internet. Here it is:
I like the premise of "The Voice" more than the premise of "American Idol". I like that these "The Voice" coaches are actually current, although Blake Shelton does stick out a bit. "The Voice" has 4 current musicians as opposed to one current musician, a has been and a never will be on "AI". I know it's hard to tell from just a 12 minute preview, but it seems this bunch actually has chemistry. I like how the 4 singers are actually coaches and not judges. That puts them in a collaborative relationship with their singers. On "AI" it seems like the judges are in a more adversarial relationship with the singers. On "The Voice" the coaches success is tied into the success of their singers. Having a vested interest will make the coaches care more which will make us care more.
With all these singing competitions , obviously only one or two will survive. "American Idol's" time is done. Unless "AI" has an all-star competition, I don't think there will be a Season 12. Due to greed it will hold on as long as possible. Fox acts like who cares if the show jumped the shark 3 years ago? 20 million people still watch it so Fox will continue to drive it into the ground.
"The Voice" should start out strong, but how long will it hold on to that? It seems to have a solid foundation. This fall "The X Factor" premieres. I expect it to have huge initial ratings with Simon Cowell making his return to television. It will be good to have him back. But will "The X Factor" be dissimilar enough to not feel like Season 11 of "American Idol"? I'm seriously doubting that.
I'll definitely watch "The Voice" at least a time or two. I'm hoping a few things will happen on "The Voice" that will set it apart from "AI". One, I hope that once their Season One drops down to the final 16 performers that there will be no judges. Do we really need people to tell us what we should think, especially when that person is Randy Jackson? Or when the judging panel is made up of 4 people. Please no judging! Maybe after their singers performances we can see the coaches working with them. Two, that they don't show any train wreck auditions or intentionally bad auditions. These people seem to be desperate, mentally diminished or completely talentless. Why exacerbate what plagues them? They need help not fame. Three, hopefully they'll have more black singers reach the final round. I don't know what it is about "AI", but they aren't going to be finding the next Michael Jackson, Prince or Bruno Mars. Yes, and they are out there somewhere. Maybe "The Voice" can find those people. Although the black guy talking in the preview reminds me too much of Jacob Lusk. Four: That reminds me, please no divas.
I'd also like to personally thank Bud Selig for having MLB take over the L.A. Dodgers. It seems the final straw was idiot owner Frank McCourt getting a $30 million loan from Fox to make payroll. The Dodgers just haven't been the same since the O'Malley family sold them. I grew up with Steve Garvey, Davy Lopes, Ron Cey and Bill Russell. The Dodgers just aren't the same as when those 4 roamed the Dodger infield. Yes I know that Lopes is back and thank goodness for that. Also It's good to still have the great Tommy Lasorda around.
The McCourt family has been a disaster from the beginning. Once Frank and Jamie McCourt started divorce proceedings the team has even been in even more rapid decline. It seemed to me several hundred miles away that the Dodgers were more about the McCourt divorce than the team itself. I've come to hate the word "leveraging" especially when it comes to someone wanting to buy a team that they can't afford. We've seen the results of that the last 7 years.
The shell shocked face on Tommy Lasorda when he met the "Idols" seems to be an appropriate metaphor for the falling apart of the Dodgers. I have several harsh thoughts about the McCourt family but I'll let someone else write those. ESPN has comments on it's stories, it's most recent story about the Dodgers has several cathartic comments from fans. I'm irritated by the McCourts, but no where as bad as some of these commenters. Of course, if I loved in California these last 7 years I might have even more harsh things to say.
Whoever is named to be in charge of the Dodgers has a nightmare ahead of them. I feel sorry for the poor person who has to look through their books. They can see where the money went that necessitated that $30 million loan. That's not going to be flattering to the Dodgers either. There were already enough sordid details that came out in the divorce. For instance, how much money was spent on making the McCourts look good and how the McCourts paid their kids extravagant salaries although they didn't do anything for the team. I don't even want to know how much money the McCourts spent on their several divorce attorneys.
That misused money then can be used on players. The Dodgers need of a big bat in the middle of their lineup is so obvious. But the McCourts have been spending that money on themselves rather than the team. Other bad legacies of the McCourts include the team's declining attendance and the Dodgers lack of a proper response to the Brian Stow beating. Why haven't the Dodgers stepped forward and offered to pay all medical expenses for Stow? Is it because they have no money? Why was there such poor security? Again is it because the Dodgers didn't have the money? I think the McCourt's greed will be their lasting legacy. What other conclusion besides making the McCourts sell the team can MLB reasonably come to?
Thanks again Bud for likely putting this 7 year stretch of hell to an end. After 7 years of famine, it's time to have 7 years of feast.
theirritatedmusicaddict
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