11253 replies to this topic

[ColdGreg]

The World Idol results show ratings are in. It finished 4th with a 4.7/8.

Edited by ColdGreg, Jan 2, 2004 @ 11:53 AM.

[lilyflower]

I like Clay, he just didn't win the competition, why is he everywhere?

If the tables were turned, we wouldn't see nearly this much of Rueben.

Well, there's a few reasons for this. First off, Clay's always had a rather devoted, large and okay, fanatical fan base. Sure, there's promotions that labels do, but a lot of public appearances and stuff that leads to "being everywhere" is all about supply and demand. Shows want ratings, magazines want sales, and what helps in that is giving the product the customer wants. Sure, Rolling Stone could put say... Pauly Shore on the cover, but few people would rush out to buy it. However, putting Clay on the cover leads to increased sales from his fans who collect everything and anything Clay. Similar deal with tv, if ratings go up when Clay's on, then shows are going to want him on.

Now while Ruben has fans - and probably a good size fanbase - he's never had the utter craziness that's surrounded Clay.

It's been discussed several times on the grassy knoll thread but Ruben winning gave him what was probably a boost (or crutch have you). If Clay had won, there's a good chance that Ruben could have faced a lot of the problems that Justin has recently. Ruben getting the title and Clay's overwhelming fan base assured that 19E really has two idols for one this year.

And as said above, expect to see more of Ruben now that his album is out.

[Vermicious Knid]

Oy. Get ready for the marketing blitz. You thought the first two were sponsorship whores?

The new American version will have even more markting tie-ins for its sponsors. Vanilla Coke, Ford, Subway and AT&T Wireless are all signed on, and a network spokesperson told Television Week that "We are going to see a lot more retail and in-store marketing from partners. We are gong to see more online and consumer marketing, including viewing parties. There'll be sweepstakes and print advertising..."

[lawyergirl]

WHAT??!! More frickin' sponsorship??? *groan* I'm so going to have to tape this and watch it later. The Pimpmercials and product placements were too much the first time around, but this "a lot more retail and in-store marketing" scares the shit out of me!

Fuck, this is going to suck...

[burping frog]

The hilarious thing about that marketing quote is that I can totally picture the oily smooth-talking yuppie network spokesperson talking like that. "We're gonna see.....". I bet he's the type who flashes his Blackberry around and says "let's touch base on that next week" and "let's monitor that going forward".

But yeah, all those products shoved down our throats is going to be really tough.

[Bruin4Ever]

This sucks all kinds of cheese. So what are we going to see, something like the montage things we saw last year, only now we'll find the least athletic of the Idulls [Jerry Maguire]holding a Coke, wearing their own shoe, playing a Sega game *featuring them*, while singing their own song in a new commercial, *starring them*, broadcast during the Superbowl, in a game that they are attending?[/JM]

Crappy stupid contrived product placement.

[Rachel RSL]

Oh lord, we're going to have to suffer through endless Subway commercials? Don't they know that pretty much everyone on the planet wants Jared to DIE!?!?!

[Bini]

Maybe they want to a Subway thing with Jared and Ruben.

[jcpdiesel21]

Lord, and I thought the sponsorship last season was ridiculous enough.

[Bruin4Ever]

I need to revise what I said earlier, you're going to see the hillbilliest of the hillbillies holding a Vanilla Coke, driving their Ford (F-150), talking on their AT&T Wireless phone, eating a Subway sandwich, while singing their own song.

Also, Subway is now pushing their new "Atkins Friendly" product over the Jared thing. So we'll see which of the AI folks they think needs to be on a diet? Or maybe 19 is going to push Ruben into doing that one, because they are convinced he needs to lose weight. What. Ever!

[BadLilSister]

The Sacramento Bee reports on a rumoured Kelly Clarkson/Clay Aiken tour to begin sometime early this year.

[queasy]

Boy, any concert-goers had better be in the mood for an evening of trill-tastic ballads.

[RabbitEars]

I want to hear their live performance of "Lady Marmalade." In full Moulin Rouge costume.

[wghedges]

Kromm - I found it endlessly amusing that, on the Amazon page you linked to for Jackson's "book," this tome is listed under "Customers who shopped for this item also shopped for these items":

When Clay Sings by Byrd Baylor, Tom Bahti (Illustrator) (It's a book about pottery of the American Southwest.)

Hee! Can you imagine the disappointment of the Clay fans once they click on that book and then realize it's not about Ol' Glory-Note Aiken?

[SusieCue]

Hee! Does "shopped for" mean they actually bought the book before figuring out it was about pottery?

[scoobyld]

Norwegian newspaper reports that 19 Management wants to sign Kurt. Run, Kurt! Run far away!

[robbiefan51]

A case of advertising gone awry...
There is an article in this weeks Business Week discussing how TIVO is forcing advertising to look for other ways to promote their products besides commercials -

That [personal video recorders] has ad-makers looking to embed products right in TV shows, as PepsiCo did on Fox Entertainment Group Inc.'s American Idol last year.

I think its safe to say the writer has never watched an episode of the show. What happened to the days when journalists checked the facts in their stories? Poor [product-placed cola]. After all the time and effort they spent strategically placing their product throughout the show and their main rival gets the credit for it in a national magazine.

[mercenary13]

According to this article, there actually may be a full band in the semifinals this season. Which would be an improvement over Schroeder's piano. Cover your eyes when you see the photo of Moe, Larry, Curly and Rainbow Sprinkles, because they think they are the reincarnation of a "fab four":

American Idol 3 tidbit

Edited by mercenary13, Jan 10, 2004 @ 1:13 AM.

[MC SammyD]

From the above article (regarding the semifinal round):

So this year, he'll heat it up. An audience will be there possibly surrounding the performers. A small orchestra will be there, too.

Nooo! I actually really liked the fact that there was no audience at this point. The small orchestra I can deal with (although I did think just the piano accompaniment really made the performers step it up because all they had to rely on was a piano and their voice). But I don't like the audience idea AT ALL. There will be nothing to make it any different than the finals, and I liked just having the performers and the judges without having to hear the stupid audience boo everytime a judge says something remotely negative. I really hope Lythgoe changes his mind.

Edited by MC SammyD, Jan 10, 2004 @ 11:24 AM.

[jcpdiesel21]

I don't like the idea of adding an audience to the semifinals of this season. I actually really liked hearing the singers perform only accompanied by a piano. It gives you a chance to see how strong a performer is. These were always my favorite performances to download as well, since you don't hear people "woo"ing or screaming in the background. MC Sammy D is right, if they add an audience, there will be nothing differentiating the semifinals from the finals.

How about investing in an orchestra or band for the finals? Now that would be an improvement.

[MC SammyD]

The TV Guide Channel will be airing a 1 hour AI special this Wednesday, January 14 at 6 PM EST. It's supposed to feature behind-the-scenes stuff on the new season or something. I don't really know. What I do know is that it will be hosted by everyone's favorite Marlboro Barbie! Yay. Only, not. I would like to not watch it, but I'm AI's bitch so I have to.

[representin512]

From the above article:

As usual, the bad auditions will be shown. Staffers "screen out the bland" hopefuls before the judges lend their ears.

All comments about the arrogance of said judges aside, I'm wondering how "professional" these "staffers" are to have let Carmen, Josh, Craggle, Marlboro Barbie, etc. through? Just wonderin'.

Also, I am 100% in agreement the jcpdiesel21 with regard to saving the orchestra for the finals. I'd also like to add that it would be great if the band changed to fit the theme. i.e. fiddles and acoustic guitars for "country night" or a true orchestra for "Big Band night" (Please let there be a Big Band night!!) and so on. But no audience in the semi-finals! Definitely not.

I wonder if they will have the parents on again? That seemed to sort of fizzle out, didn't it?

Edited by representin512, Jan 11, 2004 @ 12:36 PM.

[ObsessMuch]

I don't like the idea of adding an audience to the semifinals of this season. I actually really liked hearing the singers perform only accompanied by a piano. It gives you a chance to see how strong a performer is.

Word, jcp! But being the cynic that I am, I have to wonder if this isn't how they'll get their more "conventional" popstar through a bit easier. A less-than-stellar voice is more easily disguisable with a full band (and audience?) than it is with only a piano ... de-emphasizing the voice and placing more emphasis on the pretty package around that voice.

[Zelda Gilroy]

That really makes a lot of sense. I wondered why those cheapskates would want to spend actual money on their cashcow.

[belsum]

Does TWoP count as "The Media"? If not, I'm not sure where to put this. Anyhow, just wanted to alert you all to Gustave's extended AI analogy in the latest 24 recap.

[cookimonki]

The Village Voice has "reviewed" Measure of a Man. Here's a tidbit (it's a short piece, so I lifted the most incomprehensible part):

...Aiken's true tradition is the "rock" "opera"—not its embrace of concept (though Man does float a gender crisis too finely shaded for prime time), but its cute misapprehension of that trio of rock signifiers: volume, thrust, and melody.

Okay . . . I'm misapprehending my rock signifiers, I think. Can someone help me?

ETA if you missed the VV review of Ruben's "Superstar," you can link to it at the bottom of Clay's review. It's also wonderfully palaverous.

Edited by cookimonki, Jan 13, 2004 @ 5:33 PM.