Thursday, February 26, 2009

PSA: American Idol -- worth watching for five minutes last night.

At friends', where I had no jurisdiction over TV station or show, last night, I saw almost an entire episode of American Idol. And about five minutes of the show -- and five minutes in a row, no less -- were brilliant.

Nick Mitchell, aka "Norman Gentle," came on in a discoball shiny shirt singing "And I'm Telling You (You're Gonna Love Me)" to the audience.

He sat on the stairs at first, mocking all melodrama by being just a bit more melodramatic than non-ironic singers, and as he came down off them, he held out the fake poindexter glasses he'd been wearing, probably to look "more sensitive" and said "hold these, okay?" and immediately dropped them onto the stage well out of reach of the crowd.

Hi. Larious.

He sang the song with the full force of irony that a man in a discoball shiny shirt can bring to bear on such a situation. All the judges, even Sarcophagus-Paula (who looked so dead inside I thought she might give Dick Clark a run for his money on cadaverousness [could it be that Ryan Seacrest sucks the life out of people surrounding him, somehow?]) and Simon, who later gave Nick a terrible review, laughed their fool heads off.

Simon did say that he hoped Nick got voted off, and that he thought Nick was terrible.

In my favorite moment of the night, Nick replied "well, it takes one to know one, sassypants," and followed up with several fake karate punches and a high kick in Simon's direction.

And he just went on, ironizing all of America with his Idol-mockery.

If American Idol continues in this vein, first it would have to be relocated to Comedy Central.

Secondly, I would totally watch it.

Vote Nick now, and vote often.

1 comment:

Paul said...

Alas, I was informed that he was voted off the island. Upon hearing this I expressed my dismay and was immediately berated with jeers "He was a hack!" "He was a waste of space for talent." etc.
I was really tempted to call her out on it; Was he making a mockery of the American Idol stage? Was he spitting in the face of true art?
He entertained me like no other performer that night, and that takes talent.
If you think "American Idol" is the pinnacle of the arts, or music, or even singing, then you need to broaden your horizons. It's time to stop taking America's favorite karaoke contest so seriously.