Let’s just go ahead and say the obvious: Alyssa Raghu should NOT have auditioned the way she did. I know the temptation must’ve been strong but it’s as simple as saying, “No thanks, this is my friend’s moment.” I can’t see how Alyssa and Julia’s friendship stays in tact and as one person on YouTube restated… with friends like this, who needs enemies?
When You’re Here, You’re Family. The Olive Garden slogan apparently doesn’t apply even though the judges say time and time again that Idol is a family. What Alyssa did to Julia is worse than anything my wrestler brother did to me in high school. And yes, the cross-face cradle still keeps me up at night. The Raghu sauce is bitter and now that she’s on her first second third attempt on American Idol, combined with the dirty treatment of Julia, Alyssa’s future is as good as doomed.
The Good. Episode 4 had some bright spots, though. I’m thinking of the auditions from Quintavious Johnson, Dave Fio, and Reagan Mills. If I had to pick a favorite from this episode it would be Quintavious for his take on “Alabaster Box.” Another highlight was Katy Perry’s moo. Heaven’s to Betsy, I was NOT expecting that! Very impressive.
Adam’s Apple. Another peculiar contestant is Amari. I couldn’t find the adam’s apple but something about this contestant had me suspicious. Three things confirmed that Amari is a trans woman…
1. Her (his) voice.
2. Katy Perry fawning over her (him).
3. Amari eventually said she (he) is trans.
Well, guess who’s getting a ticket to Hollywood now? What’s it called when you’re afraid of being labeled transphobic? That’s what most people in the media suffer from, not transphobia but transphobiaphobia. The judges on American Idol are really no different. There might be backlash if someone in a fringe group of people don’t get everything they want exactly how they want it… so unfortunately for Amari, sexual preferences got in the way of showcasing a good voice.
The unwritten rule is that if you’re trans, gay, or have a tragic backstory, you’re assured a spot in Hollywood. Another case from this episode: Michael from England. He has a good voice and seems to be a good entertainer, but he didn’t even need to sing. After hearing the story of his dad’s early death and how Michael has so many feelings about that relationship, just send him to Hollywood already, right?
Sus. One suspicious audition was Athena Jett and her younger sister, who was there with her for support. The quiet, shy, polite sibling stood by while Athena performed “Somebody New” by Sophia James. Judges were sort of indifferent about it until younger sister boldly interrupted the them WHILE THEY WERE SPEAKING to lobby for her sister. I call BS. Feels like a set up. It’s one thing for an outgoing adult to disrupt a conversation between A-List entertainers but for (who seems to be an) introverted child to do this, I smell a ratings stunt. On top of that, Athena’s next performance, as requested by her sister-with-newfound-courage, was “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman soundtrack. Maybe producers thought this would be a home run because most viewers would remember it fondly from the movie. The only problem? Athena sounded worse in this song than her first. Orchestrated stunt to draw out empathy (and ratings?) or a genuine moment… we might not ever know.
Overall, it was a good episode in spite of some tactics that may or may not have been planned ahead of time. Still, there haven’t been auditions nearing the talent in the first episode or two and yes I’m referring to the original song by Jennifer Jeffries, who might be my pick to win it all.
-Out of the Wilderness
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Out of the Wilderness 