...About Talent

I have never cared much for American Idol. It is a bit too ridiculous for my taste. I'm not into the "hollering'" singing that seems to be the preferred type of talent on that show. I'm far more impressed by controlled, effective singing.
Some older folks will remember the movie "My Fair Lady." Rex Harrison, the boorish guy performing the transformation, is one of the great actors of all time. He couldn't sing a note -- couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. How could he star in a musical? He was so good at acting, he was able to train to "yell at certain pitches at a specific time." Now that impresses me. That American Idol hollerin' singin' doesn't do it for me.   But.... I digress!

I do like the show The Voice. It is a good show. I like the concept that the people are judged sight-unseen first and foremost. That's pretty cool.

What does impress me is the amount of varied talent on America's Got Talent. I am all about that show. I will say that I'm glad Piers Morgan is gone and I'm liking Howard Stern as a judge (hate him any other time). The show is absolutely great!  If not for this show, so many, many, many talented people would never have a shot at being seen.
The other night, one act was 10 bicycle daredevils racing across the stage, ramping, spinning, whirling, and flipping at the same time! Wow! Age range - 20-44 years old. A 16 year old girl doing an acrobatic dance; a middle-aged nursing home worker who sings opera for his residents; a young, misunderstood, confused Goth guy who sings like a canary - all falsetto!  These people have talent. And there are tons of them.
Remember Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr from last year?  40-something years old, scraping by working at a car wash - comes out and sings Frank Sinatra tunes like.... like.... like Frank Sinatra! He was outstanding. (Even I phoned in and voted for him!)
Some of them are, as you'd expect, pitiful. I suppose when there are several thousand wanting a chance at every venue they visit, a couple hundred of them will be less-than-stellar. It is also unfortunate that there are probably many more who are great that we never get to see.
But what a great show. No ridiculously over-stupid drama. No foolish sit-com. A little bit of cheese once in a while, but for the most part - talent.
It is very warming to my heart to feel that this country, trying as hard as it can to fall apart, still has talent. Good, real, generally humble, God-given talent.

I just have to believe that if we had more shows like this - ones that showcase the good things over the bad - this world might be a little bit better place. It won't solve all the problems, but it just might make us all feel a little better, and I think that's a good place to start.

Keep it going, America's Got Talent!!!!



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