American Idol is a "guilty pleasure" of mine. The show began its 12th season a few weeks ago. We watched last night's episode and something I've been noticing more and more during the last two seasons was especially prominent: a definite increase in the mention of God, praying, being "blessed" etc. by contestants. Last night even longtime judge Randy Jackson was heard to utter, "Everyone should pray more - prayer works!" I think I'll start a campaign for - SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND AMERICAN IDOL !
Look, religion is personal, we, the TV audience, do not want to know if a contestant "prayed on which song to choose" or "prayed for guidance", or "feels blessed to be here" etc.etc. Are they pandering to the bible-belt audience? Are they trying a bit of one-upmanship, each trying to be more God-fearing than the previous contestant?
Last night's show was all female, tonight's will be all male - I shall count the references to prayer and God and being blessed. Perhaps the guys will be less likely to parade their religious practices on air. I hope so.
Look, religion is personal, we, the TV audience, do not want to know if a contestant "prayed on which song to choose" or "prayed for guidance", or "feels blessed to be here" etc.etc. Are they pandering to the bible-belt audience? Are they trying a bit of one-upmanship, each trying to be more God-fearing than the previous contestant?
Last night's show was all female, tonight's will be all male - I shall count the references to prayer and God and being blessed. Perhaps the guys will be less likely to parade their religious practices on air. I hope so.
10 comments:
I agree.. that show and many others seem to be going in that direction.
I chalk it up to the strange time we are in...the warp. Or as you say, Twilight, something strange about Earth's position in the solar system.
I find Christianity to be fascinating, as it has too many ironies and dichotomies to fathom. My fav is that Christianity hijacked the Pagan holidays (or astrological events) to call their own...try telling that to a Christian...a good example of your previous commentary regarding revisionist history.
I am obviously not a Christian! My beliefs are more in line with Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, or some-such. I have a disdain for organized anything, particularly religion and politics. Religion has been responsible for more hatred and death on this planet than anything else.
I'm surrounded by religious neighbors, each with their speculative tales of how their prayers were finally answered (or their realization that the prayers weren't answered because god wanted them to see that they didn't need this). Forbid that a Christian perform some non-Christian act...each Christian has their unique explanation for that deviation.
I would agree that if the Christians' Ten Commandments were followed faithfully, the world would be a better place!
Sonny ~~ We don't watch much, other than movies on TV (commercial breaks and the ads are too annoying)but as it happens last evening after Idol I switched to "Restaurant Impossible", which I occasionally like to see due to the English chef who does his stuff, and gives me the odd chuckle.
Well I never! Not far into the show the hapless owner of the failing restaurant in Tennessee said he'd "prayed on it" (can't recall what "it" was.)
Guffaws from husband and I followed ("Didn't do much good, did it?) :-)
mike ~~ I often feel that I'm living in a warp! ;-)
Line of a song from Cool Hand Luke - Paul Newman keeps springing to mind :
I don't care if it rains or freezes
Long as I've got my Plastic Jesus
Sittin' in the dashboard of my car.
You can get him pink and pleasant,
Glows in the dark, He's phosphorescent,
Take him with you when you're travelling far.
You can have a sweet Madonna
Dressed in rhinestones, sitting on a
Pedestal of abalone shell.
Doin' ninety, I'm not scary
Long as I've got the Virgin Mary
Guaranteeing I won't go to hell.
LOL - Someone should sing that on American Idol!
I don't have any religious beliefs, except that organised religion blocks critical thinking. I agree that, as you say, religions have been at the core of so many wrongs and injustices on this planet. Therefore to my mind it cannot logically be A Good Thing.
Ten Commandments? - A bit long-winded - JC's "Love one another" covers it all really.
J. Lennon got it:
.... And no religion, too / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace"
Sonny PS - I added your very attractive website to my Assorted Links in the sidebar.
Can't "Follow" your blog at present due to a SNAFU with my e-mail address and password brought about by Blogger/Google and my internet supplier.
I will as soon as I can though. :-)
WOW!!...great minds think alike i suppose lol. I was going to mention that EXACT song (Plastic Jesus) because it's what popped into my mind after reading your post. I even went to youtube and listened to Paul sing it...Too funny. In other words....no further comment needed! ;)
Chomp ~~ There's a whole lot of ridiculous in the USA these days, chomp! :-)
DC ~~ LOL~! Yes, I went to YouTube too - it's such a catchy song; though Paul on YouTube is singing it sadly (I think his mother had just died in that clip) there's another instance of it in the movie when she is sitting in her car outside the prison if I recall correctly. (Love the film, seen it lots of times!)
Cecil McCartney speeds it up a bit
http://youtu.be/g6wXNmMyAPk
Husband tells me the melody is the same as that of the old song "Oklahoma Hills"
I think I've made my views on religion clear over the years we've been blogging, Twilight. It's a choice: think for yourself, or be brainwashed. Sad, so many choose the latter. Only in America would they inject it into a talent show - presumably in the hope it'll bring them a few more votes?
RJ Adams ~~ Yes. I don't know whether contestants are encouraged to come up with such remarks, but I'd not be a bit surprised to learn they are coached.
I wonder if someone of influence noticed it, as I did last week, and suggested it should be toned down, because tonight there was just a single "I'm blessed" from the gals, that's all ;-)
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