Once upon a time, I really liked American Idol. Aside from the fact that few of the winners were standouts compared to popular music in the general sense, there was no question that many of them were genuinely talented, huge stars.
Somewhere along the line, the talent dried up. If that weren't bad enough, "America voted" and showed it has no taste. The judges became a sideshow and a distraction. And Ryan Seacrest still begs to be punched in the fucking nuts.
When they began to advertise The Voice on NBC, I thought, really? Christina, you're so much better than this. But I watched the start of it anyway, and was surprised at how relatively cultivated the contestants were. These weren't schmucks who hung out in a football stadium all day for the chance to dance in front of some washup who called them "dawg," these were people who had a little more dignity (and talent).
The format complimented the talent. Instead of judges being adversarial douche bags, they had coaches there to help them. Even more importantly, they didn't have tasteless America deciding who was best until it was down to eight, and even then, they only half had a say. We'll see how they do in the end.
Overall, it has been an entertaining show, and I've been incredibly impressed with most everyone on there. That said, it's the Dia Frampton show. Not just because she's so adorable and genuine, but she stands out in a world of sameness. Pop music keeps churning out the same old shit, and she's not more of the same. Her song was already #14 on iTunes without the benefit of the west coast hearing it, so I have high hopes that she'll win. Even if she doesn't, her career is a sure thing.
The show also reminds me how much I enjoy live music. I need to see more of it.
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