America’s Got Talent: The Unkindest Cuts

Okay, it’s the weekend. Time for something lighter.

I’ve been watching America’s Got Talent on Hulu, and it was a fun five weeks of auditions. This week marked the Vegas Verdict, where the judges watched the audition tapes and narrowed down more than 160 acts to 40. Now, as they only had three acts re-perform, and one act change from a group to a solo singer, this could have been done by telephone or with a simple montage video, but they decided to drag it out over two hours.

The first thing they did is immediately told seven acts they were eliminated without even taking them to the Hotel. This seems incredibly rude, but I’ll withhold judgment slightly (more on that at the end.)

The judges picked their top 40.  Wednesday’s episode ends with the Executive Producer Simon Cowell (beter known as the mean judge on American Idol), getting around his contractual obligation not to appear on America’s Got Talent by appearing over a cell phone to tell the three judges that he’d seen their top 40, and “guys, we have a problem.”

And looking over at NBC’s website, it appears that many people would agree with Simon. As is the case with cuts on any show, fans get attached to acts. America’s Got Talent is a tough case because everyone who is upset about a cut is upset about a musician that didn’t make it. The problem is that this is a variety show. And they managed to cobble together a broad spectrum of acts, which means many musicians didn’t make it.

A couple of my favorites didn’t make it. I loved the Spiritual Harmonizers, a very good intergenerational acapella group with singers ranging in age from 21-76. I also liked  Kari Callin, a singer with a terrific voice whose looks had held her back. Callin could have been America’s Susan Boyle, if only Susan Boyle hadn’t done it first. Though without Boyle, who knows if Callin would have ever tried out.

From the little bit I saw of him, the choice to send Pianist Jeffery Ou through over Harpist Rashida Jolley. Though, if I’m allowed to listen to more than twenty seconds of Ou playing (which I didn’t get to do during the auditions) then maybe I’ll change my mind.

The one cut I really cannot understand is that of Ciana Pelakai, an eight year old singer from Hawaii whose voice sounds practically grown up. The quality of her voice was unbelievable. She was left standing on the tarmac in Vegas.  Of course, a case could be made that an eight year old doesn’t belong in this competition. I’d be open to that argument if the judges hadn’t sent through eight year old singer Eleisha Miller.

This invariably leads to comparisons between the two. With some of the commenters at NBC getting a little nasty about how Ciana would “beat that curly top.” In this type of argument, it seems particularly easy to forget that we’re talking about eight year old girls, so we ought to be nice.

Eleisha had two edges: she played an instrument and she was very good at charming the judges. However, precociousness isn’t a talent last I checked, so the judges’ decision is under extreme scrutiny by many fans.  And I have to tell you, there’s only one way I can make any sense of it.

When I look at the list of acts eliminated at the airport, what’s shocking about the list is there’s not anyone on there that I’d consider marginal. You’ve got a couple good magicians on that list, as well as a 9 year-old guitar player. 

My grand theory is this: that the acts were “eliminated” in name only. That at least four of these “left on the tarmac” acts will return in another triumph of Mr. Cowell’s amazing showmanship. 

Whatever it is, the phone call on the airplane is a definite hook for AGT’s next episode.

photo credit: cliff1066

As an aside, I’m struck by the idea that many of the people on the show exude: the only way to do what you love is to make it through a TV talent show. Simply not true. Many people you’ve never heard of make a living playing music in bands you’ve never heard of, with moderate record sales. It’s not a bad life if you can cut it and many acts could, if they were willing to.