TV Review: American Idol

I’m not going to break down my reactions to the performers last night. Lots of other blogs do it and I can’t compete with them. (I’ll just say that of the 11, Stewart and I decided Jordin was the total package last night.) Instead, I’d like to offer

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE STAGE DIRECTOR OF AMERICAN IDOL:

Dear Sir or Madam:

What’s with the nutty camera angles and all of the quick cutting? And the oh-so-many swooping jib shots? Are you trying to hide something? This is not a Baz Luhrman movie. This is a “singing competition” and many print reviewers have recently noted that the experience of watching AI from the actual audience is so much more powerful than watching it on TV. Can’t you relax a little bit with the cutting and try to replicate that experience for the millions who do not fit into your stage at CBS? It was impossible to concentrate on the sound of the performances while I was concentrating on keeping my eyeballs steady. Plus, I’d really like to see what I’m looking at, but you just kept cutting away.

And honestly, did you HAVE to keep cutting to the sobbing 12-year-old in the audience? Please. What if she had a “condition” or something? That was sensationalistic. Even for you.

Sincerely,

KTP