Who am I kidding, I really, REALLY didn't want her to take up that seat, but as she's confirmed it, I'll try looking at the bright side of her choice below.
There are a number of good things that could come out of her place on the panel: the biggest being the massive promotion she will receive just by sitting at that table. But more important than the promotional side- because I think her next album would have been a hit without the aid of Idol- is the chance that Mariah Carey has to rework her joke of a public image.
Currently most people see Mariah Carey as the bad definition of a Diva: someone self-obsessed, vain, demanding, and a nightmare to work with and be around. All characteristics that seem to be propagated by the tabloids- see Mariah called out for her Diva behaviour here, and then the same person having to apologise for the (inaccurate) remarks here].
Now gifted with this very public platform Mariah Carey has an incredible opportunity to change a lot of folk's opinions of her- and very hastily- by her actions on the show. But it all depends on the Mariah Carey that turns up to the studio on the day.
...in person she (Mariah) is far more considered, intelligent and warm than her image would have you believe.Source:Guardian
If Mariah manages to not be a parody of herself- truth be told, it's something she enjoys doing- and actually successfully demonstrates her musical aptitude, her incredible drive, her pretty funny humour, all while managing to offer feedback that isn't lazy and/or riddled with clichés- I'm looking at you Randy Jackson- then this may just turn out to be a smart move for the star. But can she pull all that off?
I'm just hoping Mariah Carey is getting paid BIG BUCKS for this gamble.
What do you guys think? Good move or not?
Possible Things to Consider:
Mariah Carey as a mentor on American Idol and saying "she doesn't like judging people". Bad sign?
Funny Mariah:
Mariah demonstrating her great ear, pulling up an out of tune backing singer @ 2.30:
LOL She's hilarious in that interview. I had no idea about Mariah as a person but that interview now set a very positive image in my mind.
ReplyDeleteSo positive in fact, I am willing to forgive her working on AI. ;)
I'm not sure. As far as her being on American idol it will be great for the show...but not too sure for her. Even though she's known to be one to put a lot on her plate, what about her new album? What about promotion? Touring, videos, etc. ? I mean i suppose she could do what J-Lo and other judges/popstars do and promote mainly on the show but that limits her audience and American idol isn't as popular as it used to be. As far as her role as a judge im sure she would be much more constructive than Aretha as for the self confidence of the Auditioners, but I fear she might be too soft. I don't know.
ReplyDeleteIm concerned towards the fact that the Divas are all taking over Reality Singing competitions. Christina on the voice, jessie J on the UK segement of the voice, Britney and Demi for the X factor and now Mariah for American idol. Its like...the Diva wars have finally begun.
ReplyDeleteLOL Brian, are you worried? What do you think will happen? Only one diva will remain? Like it's Highlander. "There can be only one"
ReplyDelete"reality singing competitions"?
I'd say that term about sums up all that is wrong with such shows...in a round-a-bout way.
I mean "reality" as opposed to what singing competition? It's about as much "reality" indeed as any "reality" show....a horrible distortion.
A singing "competition"? Shows like this used to be called talent shows and the point was..does someone have talent. Not to square talented singers up against each other.
And why do these actually professional singers have time for this nonsense? Because they are popstars rather than artists is my guess. They don't spent their time on creating music or making music or ya know...looking for good material. They just go into a studio occasionally to record a couple of tunes picked or "written" by their record company/producer and then spent some time promoting and ...well, I guess then they have lots of spare time on their hands to waste on helping to produce and promote more bubblegum for the masses until the company says pr says it's time for their next album.
Give me guys like these anytime....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeVSnp_9YFI
And people like Alison Krauss who sang on over 300 other people's albums or Jerry Douglas who played on over 1600 other people's albums. THAT is how imo a real musician spends his time...making music.
OMG DIVA I AM FREAKING OUT I HAVE LOVED MARIAH SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID
ReplyDeleteFOR ME SHE WOULD MAKE A PERFECT JUDGE BECAUSE SHE IS KNOWN BY THE WORLD AS A TALENTED VOCALIST
i have no doubt she will be able to be objective in judging the contestants
ooooh this makes me so happy
i hope she can actually be tough as a judge because the past two seasons
JLO, steven, and randy have been waaay too nice to the contestants
good luck to MIMI and this gives me an excuse to watch american idol once again
Absolutely agree with you, Opie.
ReplyDeleteThe talent shows make illusion that anybody can become star or celebrity. It's just at reach of your hand. Generally it is truth. The thing is they're looking for certain type of person. The winner has to be skilled in singing (obvious), have voice of good quality and the most importantly be flexible as a person. Flexible enough to comply with label policy. They don't need talented person with strong artistic personality and own artistic vision. Can you imagine young Bob Dylan or young Patti Smith singing in front of the talent show judges? What kind of judges' reaction could've been expected?
Whole show works just as Ford factory manufacturing a bunch of talented craftsmen - containers ready to fill with any content. Finally the content is generic and depersonalized. They become medium for label, sort of. The contestants, the winners? It's absolutely irrelevant to me if they even existed. They don't provide me with qualities I'm looking for in music anyway.
Music is not about contest and rivalry - it's not Olympic Games. Music is about sharing feelings common for human beings.
i agree with you about pop stars who dont write their own material
ReplyDeletebut hey atleast its a decent reality show with contestants who actually have talent and not some pointless crap like jersey shore
I've never watched american idol before, but Mariah is the only reason that i will be watching the next series!
ReplyDeleteIt's time to choose a diva, and take up a mic...it has began! Perhaps this is what the Mayan 2012 prophecy was really about!
ReplyDeleteYep, it'll definitely be great for the show. I just think she isn't at a point in her career where she doesn't needs to be on this panel....dare i say, she's better than it....
ReplyDeleteI have helped one person see the light of Carey!! Huzzar!! My work here is done, goodbye Earthlings!
ReplyDeleteReality show which is decent and not pointless? Ehmm... sounds very strange for me. Are you trying to tell me it is valuable and it wouldn't be a waste of time to watch it?
ReplyDeleteSorry, I didn't mean to be mean and ironic. No, actually I meant to sound this way. I just broke my relationship with TV about 2 years ago. We meet sporadically now (documentaries, old movies). Surprisingly I don't miss it and I'm not suffering any detox effects.
I would agree for the most part, except the part about studio work, because Mariah write's and produces all of her own material (aside from covers and even then she reproduces the tracks) along with doing most of the vocal arrangements alone. She doesn't even allow the technician in the room. As for the rest of them...Britney used to write her own stuff-not so much anymore. Also this could be a publicity stunt since Mariah has been gone a few years,
ReplyDeleteI feel like my admiration for the woman is starting to become too large but dammit Mariah is (I believe) the one true artist in pop music. Whilst most people spend some time in studio and use the rest of their time promoting, Mariah works nonstop. Especially in her debut- she would spend days, weeks, even months in studio without stop preparing her work and focused mostly on the music. Album after album instead of taking a month or two off she went right back to the studio. She didnt even really promote it (which is where a lot of her early criticism came from) and was accused of being a studio artist incapable of singing live. Her determination to prove herself as a songwriter more so than a vocalist led to her being hospitalized! Now that's what i call true artistic determination. Her art shined the most in her first few albums. I personally still think her newer material is decent but the sound and lyrics from her first three albums is incomparable to any other pop singer I've heard. If you aren't familiar with Mariah's glory work I would recommend any song from Mariah Carey, Emotions, and Merry Christmas and I would definitely recommend Vanishing.
ReplyDeleteYes, Brian, Mariah was not the first to come to mind during my little "rant". It was more general.:)
ReplyDeleteBut still, I am not familiar enough with her writing to be able to say anything on it's quality or progress or unique style developed.
I will check out some of the songs she has written to see if those are really Written or more the generic stuff supposedly "written" by all these divas.
I will get back to you on that in a bit. :)
LOL Right on T!
ReplyDeleteThough I wouldn't go as far as to break up with my tv. There are some good comedies and drama etc on.
And I am in the lucky position of being a European with the ability to receive BBC channels. And in particular 4. A channel with a lot of great music programming.
Oh I was convinced of her talents from the very first time she appeared on tv. I think it was the Arsenio Hall show? Least, that's where I saw her first. Not sure it was her very first tv appearance but for sure one of her very first.
ReplyDeleteAnd I stated right there and then...this girl is better than Whitney ( the emotive factor ;D).
Even bought her first album I vaguely recall.
But as with most modern divas...the material couldn't hold my interest.
However, never watched interviews and don't follow pop "news"i.e. gossip and therefor had not a clue on her personality. But I liked it.
And I think it is a real statement regarding this kind of show if many think she might be "too nice".
Anyway...please don't leave us earthlings yet! :)
Totally and exactly my point T. Must say I am surprised though.
ReplyDeleteThat little "rant" was intended to inspire debate but it seems in fact many agree.
I am also surprised those many like your comment but not mine. LOL
I am not sure that is because of my wording or whether I pissed off so many already. ;D
T already handled what is most "wrong" ,by my definition, with your comment but I'd like to clarify that the kind of team effort in order to produce meaningless generic pop ditties is not what I consider song writing. Hence any diva involved in that kind of writing DOES imo fall in the category I was talking about
ReplyDeleteDefinitely you've already pissed off too many people.
ReplyDeleteI'd say that Opie person (not saying "that Opie individual") has great gift for sticking a stick into beehive. And later he is surprised he's got stung. LOL
Regards
I'm very surprised that you like(d) Mariah! But since you were already a fan, it means my job on this planet isn't done yet!! Darn!
ReplyDeleteWell, come on now...that very first hit of her was quite something and like I said...contrary to Whitney, I felt at that point anyway, she kept her belting to the point as it were and also I felt more truth in her performance.
ReplyDeleteI think you keep being surprised at my tastes because a lot of my dismissal of todays pop divas is not so much connected to their singing abilities as it is to their material and the choices they make musically.
I always appreciate a good singer. But if I start comparing them, those with generic material and those with generic choices will bear the brunt of my criticism. ;D
But indeed! Your work is far from done. I am pretty sure we still have years and years of divas ahead of us. ( unless that Mayan thing finally comes through)
Not surprised really. Just unsure whether it's my opinions or the way I word them. Unlike with real mosquitos...the stings on the internet are not that much of a bother to me.And I actually also make many friends with my opinions. :)
ReplyDeleteBut please..do explain how you mean that differentiation between "Opie person" and "Opie individual"? What you mean to convey with it.
We all know she's onily there for that 17 Million $ check
ReplyDeleteDon't know who those "we" are you are speaking for but I do know I am not part of that "we"
ReplyDeleteSarah is great. I've never heard anything of her before. I like her minimalist approach, emotional though. That's very inspiring combination of jazzy sound with folk style vocal (her distinctive folk-ish "howl"). She's a diamond. I can't call blue grass or country my favourite genre (rather opposite) but in this case I'll definitely look for her other songs (I noticed she's released 2 albums already).
ReplyDeleteAs for "Opie person/individual"... I followed discussion you had couple days ago and you had been called "Opie person". That really made me laugh. So bloody patronizing. I just used that in ironic/sardonic manner. I didn't mean to offend you. "Individual" would sound better as the word describes original and distinctive person who differs significantly from the majority. I think it would sound even more patronizing than "Opie person". LOL
PS.
I'm sorry about mistake concerning your gender.
Yes, I think Sarah is a major young talent and triple ( or rather 6 fold) threat as it were. Girl can really sing and interpret a song, can write good songs and plays 4 instruments on quite a high level. ( she actually got a Grammy nominations for an original instrumental on her very first album at 18 years old)
ReplyDeleteI'd say her base is bluegrass but she draws from all genre. It's real Americana. If you don't like bluegrass/country but you do like Sarah...you should look into that genre "Americana". ;)
If you want to hear some more songs, here's a link to a playlist on my youtube channel...
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL991B28C3E5CEA564
I was not offended. And certainly am not now, after your imo very flattering explanation. ;D
Just was not clear on what the distinction was between the two terms in your mind.
Not offended by that dude trying to patronize me by the use of that "Opie person" either. I think it is amusing how he tries to tangle with me in an area I feel pretty confident I can beat him. I know I am real good at patronizing speak.
The gender confusion is mostly my fault due to the choice of tag name but I always feel it more honest to correct people when it is clear they make the obvious assumption.
Opie,... "Annabelle Lee"... I'm lost for words! I will pop in later to listen more stuff. When darkness falls.
ReplyDeleteThanks a mil!
I do not like the news. Mariah is too good to be on the chair. This is J-los and other amateur divas thing. Not Mariah's. So sad!
ReplyDeleteI love that song as well. So nice to hear it spoke to you too. I hope you will like her other videos as much as I did as well.
ReplyDeletei stopped watching after the second season
ReplyDeleteand yeah i will only tune in to see how mariah does as a judge
TBH i am stoked - in case u didnt know lol
yes she's good but think of it this way - maybe with her being a judge american idol could really find an extraordinary talent
ReplyDeleteI only hope she plays it well and it does her some favours! I doubt it will have much impact here but if it can get her some positive exposure in the States again the I am all for it! I think out of the entire series though she is without a doubt the most qualified to judge fledgling talent (other than Tyler & Kara).
ReplyDelete