American (Idle?)

So I happened to catch an episode of American Idol a few weeks back while visiting my mom. Apparently Randy Jackson has made an album and he debuted the video for his song with co-Idol host Paula Abdul on American Idol. They prefaced the clip with all sorts of Randy Jackson hype. “This track is hot, dog,” and other accolades like that expressed in the same manner. The stage was set to knock the socks off of America.

Now, before I continue about the clip, there are a few things that need to be said. The three judges of this show are supposed to represent the higher music industry standard in which the contestants are aiming to achieve. Week after week they provide feedback to aspiring stars in regards to what it takes to meet this high standard held by the industry they represent. Having Randy Jackson put together an album and video that is being promoted through the show should imply that THIS IS the gold standard that we are holding you to, THIS IS what you should be aiming to achieve. And then they showed the video.

The best word that I could come up with for it was sad. It was sad, not because of it’s lyrical content or tone. Not because it was so incredibly bad or off the mark. It was sad, because it was none of these things. It wasn’t great, nor was it terrible. However, it wasn’t even just good or bad. It was there. Lifeless, lack luster, and generic. Had this been a contestant’s video, it would have been fine. You could watch and listen and think things like, “Well, they are developing. There is some potential if they work at it.” But it wasn’t a new artist who is finding his/her way. It is two music veterans that should be so much more. Randy Jackson is known for his studio magic. Paula Abdul is known for her dancing and voice. Putting these two together should have used those strengths, but didn’t. Instead they created a song that is pleasant, yet forgettable. The tune, the vocals, and the lyrics had no resonance. Then there was the video. Paula, known for her dancing, put on a performance that matched the energy of Brittany Spears’ Music Awards performance, lethargic at best. I could have danced just as well. On top of it was Randy with his bass, just rocking out to what appeared to be another song. What he was doing on the bass certainly did not match what was going on in the song. The whole thing looked like they took two people that know nothing about music and had Glamour Shots make a video. THIS IS the gold standard? It’s no wonder that the industry is tanking.

I actually felt uncomfortable watching the video, because I found myself feeling embarrassed for the two of them. The point that really made me feel that what I was watching was sad, was when my mom made the comment of, “there he is,” when Randy appeared in the video. The words are words that are used when your neighbor’s kid walks on stage in a high school play, not when your watching, “a hot new video.”

Don’t get me wrong. I think that Randy, Paula, and Simon are fantastic TV personalities. They have used their chemistry to create a TV show that truly rises above all of its reality TV peers. However, watching them try to do what they judge made it painfully obvious that their place in time for making music best be left in the past.