Well.... the freak show has started

They're baaaaaaaack......

Just up the road were the first of the auditions. Over 15,000 people showed up Wednesday in Cleveland. Waiting around in near 90 degree temperatures just to be told "YOU SUCK!"
Well... not yet. This round of eliminations is just the producers pick. They don't get to be told rude things until they face Randy, Paula and Simon in the next few days. All that waiting and only about 750 of those 15,000 will even get to torture the judges. They wittled that massive crowd down to 750?!? No thanks. Cause let's face it people, we're a little more savvy AI viewers now - I mean, we know that 95% of those 750 people chosen were chosen for pure entertainment value alone. They might as well put up billboards at each location saying: Get your big t.v. break here. No talent needed.

But it's all good. We love a good audition show don't we? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a freaky audition. I just can't wait to see what changes we'll see related to the new higher age limit. Simon spent alot of the first 3 seasons telling people who could really sing that they were "too old". But after he was a guest judge on a hugely popular spin off put on by Oprah, I think Simon left Oprah's Pop Star Challenge thinking 2 things: Man I'm losing out on some incredible slightly older talent and the viewers it would bring. And 2nd: If I see one more giggling, bubbling 18 year old getting all the votes I'll slit my wrists.

Ya'll know I loves me some Ruben, Fantasia and Diana. If they can actually sing, I don't care how old they are (or aren't in this case). Just bring on a good performance. That said, I do think there's something to that more mature feeling that those performers brought to Oprah's Pop Star Challenge. I mean, those kids are all so young they're singing disco, Motown and whatnot from a time period they know nothing about. You can't get your full disco groove on when you've never even heard of Donna Summer! They probably don't even know who half those guest judges are! Now that's a valid point and you know it.

Whatever the age of the contestants, it'll be hard to top the overall drama and talent in AI3's season.... but we'll see what happens.

I'm out.

p.s. - I was gonna audition... what with the close proximity of the whole thing and the age limit hiked up. WHAT... I think I can pass for 28! I just didn't go cause I couldn't get the time off work. Plus my hairdresser was all out of bad weave hair. Must have been sold out - the AI3 tour was in town last weekend and now the auditions too?!? Nope, not enough bad hair to go around the city this week.