"Pants on the Ground" -- General Larry Platt

I watched American Idol this morning. It is the audition rounds again. This means you get to seem some really good potential and some real shockers. It also means that you get a chance to see the weird and sometimes inspiring.

One of my favourites was General Larry Platt and a song he wrote himself "Pants on the Ground". There is not a lot going on in the song. However, it was interesting to see that Simon Cowell suggested that he had a funny feeling that the song could be a hit. Cowell might be right. The song has already been covered by Jimmy Fallon doing a Neil Young inspired version of it (awesome) and Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings has done a version of it post-game in the Vikings locker room.

Here are all three versions for your easy viewing pleasure.

American Idol, Simon Cowell, and 45 Million Reasons

I wrote some time ago that Simon Cowell was intimating that he might be leaving American Idol to focus on his other interests. However, it would seem that the American Idol franchise has managed to cobble together a contract that includes 45 million reasons why he should stay. This is about 9 million more reasons than his last contract contained.

The fact that Paula Abdul has decided to pull up stumps and pursue opportunities elsewhere is neither here nor there as far as I am concerned. I would still watch American Idol for the train wrecks that think they can sing and for the total slaying that these wanna be singers get at the hands of Cowell. Cowell is always good for a whole range of "you can't say that on tv" put downs that show the power of 15 seconds (or 2 maybe 3 minutes) of fame have.

The fact that more and more people turn up every year for auditions proves the point on the lure of fame, like moths to a flame.

Oh well, looking forward to another year of American Idol mayhem.

Simon Cowell -- Leaving American Idol...

This is just a random post on a topic of little global relevance.

It is being reported that there is talk that Simon Cowell might be leaving American Idol to work on his other projects in his ever-burgeoning empire.

If this turns out to be the case then this may just be the death of American Idol. Despite the perverse enjoyment people like me get in watching the train wrecks that think they are singers auditioning for the show, the show just would not be the same without Mr. Cowell and I am not sure that the train wrecks would be enough to hold my interest.

All things must come to an end, right?

American Idol Season 8

Having lived in Indonesia for a good number of years where just about everybody thinks that they can sing , I really should not be all that surprised at some of the train wrecks that I watched on the American Idol Season 8 opener earlier tonight. I sing in the shower, but that is about the extent of my skills. In fact, my singing is so woeful that I sometimes scare myself.

Nevertheless, I have often wondered why people who so obviously cannot sing seem to think that they can. I am guessing that it is a 15 seconds of TV fame thing. That said there were a couple of people who auditioned who were pretty good, including Emily Wynne-Hughes. Then there are those that cannot sing. Then there are those who mask any deficiencies in their singing talent by auditioning in a bikini.

It makes absolutely no difference to my life who wins but there is something about the ick factor that keeps bringing the viewers back. I will be watching again tomorrow to see who I can sing better than and remembering why I would never seek my 15 seconds of fame in this way.