quick-ish rant

[fractiouslowend]

i was just having lunch at work, and the ellen show was on.
there was some kid playing a lady gaga song on piano and singing.
now i can appreciate music styles i don't like, for the musicianship etc, but the crowd went absolutely nuts for this kid!
he played and sang ok, nothing special, but, it's by no means a difficult or even mediocre song, and he didn't even write it. i don't understand how people can enjoy that sort of thing.

*end rant*

[5StringBlues]

Anytime a young child does a musical performance adults go nuts.Then they grow up and most are just another musician.



Remember when Johnny Lang was the big deal?

[XigXag]

You have to remember the audience we're talking about here. Housewives, for the most part, not really known for their musical acumen.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Kids are considered to be cute. Even when they're not .

When You get paid to be in the audience, get all sorts of gifts etc. You will jump when the director tells You to jump and You go nuts if the director tells You to go nuts.

It's prime-time television. The prime-time television is even less real than internet. .

Regards
Sam

[fractiouslowend]

yeah, i understand the whole kid=cute=novelty thing and that it's tv, (it's not primetime over here though:P ) but seriously, are people that easily impressed? or do they just not care about music?

i'm leaning towards the latter :P

[shadowtippy]

There could have been 3 kids playing drums, bass, and guitar something like this:
Drums playing a tango beat
Bass playing 12 bar blues
Guitar playing random chords
With nothing even close to belonging together, they would have still received a great deal of applause because they were kids and were performing "music."

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by 5StringBlues

Remember when Johnny Lang was the big deal?

Who? He was? When?

[Smokin' Toaster]

It seems every time I subject myself to the Letterman show, with VERY few exceptions the "musical" guests (the young up and coming band that closes the show, not Paul Scheaffer's guests) are not very musical at all. MOst sound like the pre teen garage band who have just learned D-C-G-Am and the "chung-chung chunka-chung" guitar strumming pattern and wrote some politically aware or "oh baby I love you come back" lyrics. Awful. Also, the public television station in Alabama carries a series called "live from Birmingham" Here's a link.
http://www.aptv.org/WHS/index.asp
It's consistently awful. Some are even horribly out of tune. It's not that they are making music that does not appeal to me, they are borderline atonal.

How do they get gigs? Am I too judgemental?

[mpdd]

it was just to promote gaga through ellen's show, not too subtle, i'd be more impressed if the kid did a ray charles or stevie wonder song

[sarcastro83]

People like that kind of thing because it's inoffensive, good, clean, wholesome entertainment that is completely harmless. Welcome to the real world where people like stuff "just because".

[superbassman2000]

As mentioned before, keep in mind the audience. The audience for Ellen is usually overexcited when it comes to most things--probably as directed by the director to keep the feel upbeat and moving. They hope that the high energy can be picked up by the viewers and if the viewers feel good watching the show, they will continue to watch it.

Another example of over-exaggeration to keep the high-energy feel is "America's got Talent" Most of the people on there are average. Singers in particular--the crowd goes nuts if the singer can at least keep in tune, and if they are below average, or they waver or they just don't have the look of a pop-star, then the crowd is practically screaming for blood. Most people wouldn't have such an overstated reaction, but it's all part of keeping viewers viewing

[MonetBass]

As American Idol has shown us, the average listener has absolutely no clue what defines musical talent. And a big +1 to any song by Lady Blahblah not being difficult to sing and/or play.

[varunkapahi]

why do you think the would care if a song is difficult or mediocre? if they know the song they love it!

[sarcastro83]

Originally Posted by MonetBass

As American Idol has shown us, the average listener has absolutely no clue what defines musical talent. And a big +1 to any song by Lady Blahblah not being difficult to sing and/or play.

The average listener and the prodigious musician are nine times out of ten not the same demographic. I find a lot of times, the prodigious musician to be completely out of touch with the idea that some people consume music out of a need to be entertained, and to be perfectly frank, it doesn't take a whole heap to entertain a lot of people. No shame in that, really.

[TheVoiceless]

Originally Posted by fractiouslowend

i was just having lunch at work, and the ellen show was on.
there was some kid playing a lady gaga song on piano and singing.
now i can appreciate music styles i don't like, for the musicianship etc, but the crowd went absolutely nuts for this kid!
he played and sang ok, nothing special, but, it's by no means a difficult or even mediocre song, and he didn't even write it. i don't understand how people can enjoy that sort of thing.

*end rant*

Yeah tell me about it.... but that explains the Beatles

[lipan]

Everybody here makes a valid point,varied, but all valid.
Just t.v man,don't be getting bothered.

[sarcastro83]

Originally Posted by TheVoiceless

Yeah tell me about it.... but that explains the Beatles

What are these Beetles of which you speak?

[Yerf Dog]

So how long have you been watching The Ellen Show?

[Yerf Dog]

http://apexnewsnetwork.com/21193/6th...dy-gaga-video/

[MatticusMania]

Originally Posted by fractiouslowend

yeah, i understand the whole kid=cute=novelty thing and that it's tv, (it's not primetime over here though:P ) but seriously, are people that easily impressed? or do they just not care about music?

i'm leaning towards the latter :P

Its not even that. Its more like 'That sign says to applaud, we better do what it says'