Idol Chatter 1-22-08: Idol's Future May Be Its Past
 | Collins: Hello, fans. Your favorite FOX43 Idol Expert, here, with a quick comment on some American Idol News. Our youngest and most recent Idol champion, Jordin Sparks, appeared on FOX's Talkshow with Spike Feresten, this weekend. They had a friendly chat, and Miss Sparks performed her hit single, "Tattoo." Well, I have it on good authority that we'll be seeing more of our past winners on actual Idol broadcasts, this season. |
Jordin Sparks, 17, chats with former "Seinfeld" and "David Letterman"
writer Spike Feresten on FOX's Talkshow
| Collins: Personally, I think they SHOULD rely more heavily on the winners from previous seasons. While the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have returned to the show, why wouldn't Idol spotlight more of its own success stories? (Sore loser malcontents like Chris Daughtry need not apply. I wish him and his spot-on Nickelback impression all the best...hope that works out for him, there. Cough.) These young men and women have been through this competition before. They know what to expect, and can offer wonderful advice to the young hopefuls. No offense (though I don't much care if they TAKE it), but what do Gwen Stefani or what's left of Queen care if these kids make it in the music business? Sure, it can be argued that Clay Aiken (runner-up, by the way), Fantasia or any of the others don't really have to care what happens to the current batch of contestants, either...but, you have to admit, they bring the music industry star power along with their stories and experiences as Idol contestants. With a decreased focus on Amazing Guest Musicians (TM) for Season 7, it just makes sense that the producers would take a look back, perhaps to remind America and the contestants, that this show STILL, after all the hype, all the criticism, all the media attention, will absolutely change someone's life, if not the lives of several of the hopefuls, forever. Look back at the show's rich tapestry of winners, losers and runners-up, and you've got plenty of familiar, homegrown faces. Idol fans will be happy to see favorites return, and contestants can benefit from their advice and post-Idol experiences, rather than simply helping Barry Manilow sell more standards albums or whatever garbage the producers wish to foist upon the unsuspecting viewing public that week. This season, already, has a lot of potential. The talent we've seen is some of the best yet, and I have the feeling we're about to see a bit of a rebirth of what American Idol means to contestants and viewers. The only way we can move forward (and keep the show fresh and relevant) is to take a look back at what (and WHO) worked before, and learn from past mistakes. American Idol, despite what all the media nay-sayers have written about "low ratings" and the show being "finished," is still a very highly-rated smash hit. It's still managed to place the FOX Network at the top of the ratings, and, believe me, the best is yet to come. It can only get better from here, as we get into the drama of the actual competition. As fun as the first two auditions episodes were, this part of the season is just the calm before the storm. I predict Hurricane Cowell will strike hard...and that he and the rest of the AI crew will pull out all the stops to make sure our favorite show remains America's best and most enjoyable singing competition. See you tomorrow, for the San Diego post-show analysis. |
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The opinions expressed by the three "FOX43 Idol Experts" do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FOX43, Tribune Broadcasting or FOX.
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