Here are some things to think about before tonight's chair episode. I could be wrong, but I have a gut feeling about how this will play out.
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Tonight, 54 hopefuls will be shown finding out if they will be able to be voted on by America. 36 will leave happy. 18 will leave sad.
So, you might wonder why I am crying conspiracy theories so soon. I actually think it's less conspiracy and more business. American Idol is a business, and the producers want to do everything in their power to get the best possible results they can.
Yes, part of this formula is good ratings, but it's more than that. They need to make sure that the winner of AI is relevant to today's music. The more successful AI singers are outside of the show, the more credibility the show gets, the more seasons AI can go on. Everyone involved in the show wants this train to keep on going.
Makes basic sense, so you're probably wondering what this has to do with conspiracies.
Well, to me it's quite simple: they don't take the best people. Looking through the years this must be obvious by now. I am not trying to put down anyone who has been in the top 36 or 24 or 12 of seasons past, but c'mon, you can't tell me that Bobby "Copacabana" Bennett was one of the best 24 out of EVERYONE that auditioned.
So why would they take sub-par talent and pass it off as above-par talent? Easy. The producers probably have a short list of who they WANT to win. Then, once they know who they want to win, they can then surround the "winners" with people who serve two purposes: are interesting and can provide drama/character and make the "winners" look even better. This way, yes, the people have the vote, but the choice is much more clear when you are pitting filet mignon against Spaghetti-O's.
These things have almost backfired on AI before. Sanjaya, I believe, wasn't supposed to hang on as long as he did. Taylor, though I love him, was not what AI wanted as a winner that season. Daughtry's early ouster must have caused some serious nightmares amongst AI top brass that evening. (I'm sure they sleep well now as Chris has proven to be quite successful.)
So, that brings us to this season. I think that we have already seen the behind-the-scenes workings.
Leneshe Young--Likable singer with personality and a back story. It's obvious that the show might favor someone else more than her. If Leneshe were on, it might prove too stiff of competition for some of the "winners." Why wouldn't AI want her to win? Dunno. But I don't know if she was rejected based on her talent.
David Osmond--He comes in with name recognition and a compelling back story. That puts him ahead of the pack. His disease, however, makes his future music career unpredictable. I don't think AI likes unpredictable.
Michael Castro--He has a built-in fan base thanks to his brother and could easily had a following based on his personality alone. Too scary for AI.
There are probably other examples that I am forgetting right now.
This brings us to tonight.
Remember these thoughts as you see tonight's choices. Some will be head-scratching I'm sure.
First, we will see some people we have never heard of before or seen make it to the top. How is it possible that someone is good enough to be in the top 36 but not good enough to be shown for 30 seconds during hours of coverage? Simple. These people will go home immediately on the vote shows. We don't know them, and the judges will probably rake them over the coals anyway. These won't stand a chance. One and done. Not fair, but that's part of how these things work.
Next, we'll see a few people that we know, but don't like, make it through. This is why Tatiana and Norman Gentle have a chance to go forward.
It's not that we don't like Norman, but as talented as he is, this is not the right venue for his talent. Now, will AI trust America to make that choice, or are they scared that we will Sanjaya him up higher than he should be. If he makes it through, he will be put in the weekly show with heavy hitters and won't have a chance.
Tatiana seems like a slam dunk to me. If they put her on the show, they get drama--to hate her is to talk about her. Plus, they know that she won't get votes. Votes that are not for Tatiana are votes for the "winners."
Yes, it is all very manipulative. I truly believe this is how it works.
In real time, a month passes between the room episode and the chair episode. Why so much time? Yes, I am sure background checks are run and all that, but I also believe that producers go through different scenarios, trying to come up with the right one that will ensure "their" plan to happen.
Does this "conspiracy garbage" ruin the show for me? Not at all. It is what it is. The ones they have picked as winners are often very good. I usually don't have a problem with the really good ones that they have predestined for greatness.
But also, every now and then, someone slips through the cracks to become better and bigger than what the producers expect. I like to find that underdog you can root for, too. I believe that Elliott Yamin was that underdog that slipped through the cracks.
So tonight when they announce the ones that you know are making it through, I will also be looking for that selection that is being placed there just to be executed quickly to root for.
To be better than expected.
To be that underdog.
To slip through the cracks.
To make me root again.
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