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Every week, msnbc.com entertainment producers Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, Denise Hazlick, Paige Newman, Kurt Schlosser and Anna Chan weigh in on topics ranging from TV commercials to movie hype to the latest celebrity blunder. We're not ashamed to admit our love for bad TV or reveal what's on our iPods, and invite you to join the conversation via your comments.



'Idol' auditioners: Fakes or delusional?

Posted: Monday, February 02, 2009 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

"American Idol," you've been scamming us long enough. The jig is up, Simon and crew. There is just no way that the bright-eyed auditioners we've been watching for the last three weeks on Fox's "American Idol" are for real. NO WAY.


Fox
Physics major George, a Jacksonville auditioner, had to have been putting us on.

Look, once you're 16 or so, you know what you're good at in life. To steal a line from "MST3K's" brilliant Mary Jo Pehl, I myself am quite proficient at listening to music. Reading, eating, watching TV, chewing gum, petting dogs -- these are all skills that I am quite sure I possess.

If you have a talent, especially singing, you know about it early. Your voice soars out over the other snotty-nosed kids in Glee Club. You're asked to perform solos at church, or you get the starring role in school musicals, or you start a band in your garage. I can still name the girls who were asked to do solos at my high school, and even on my most delusional day, I would not have put myself in their league.

So why, then, do these "Idol" auditioners show up brimming with overconfidence, then open their mouths and sound like alley cats with bronchitis? And they're universally stunned --- stunned! -- when Simon and the rest laugh at them. Their family and friends have always told them how great they are, they say. Music is their life, they cannot imagine doing anything else.

On what planet do these people live? Do parents and friends really lie like that? Were they born with a selective ear problem that cannot translate their own vocalizations? If their hearing is this poor, do The Beatles and The Shaggs sound exactly the same to them? I guess this would explain why Celine Dion is popular, but somehow I'm not buying it.

People want to be on TV. That's the only explanation. These folks know that if they show up, sing horribly, and claim they think they are great, they will get camera time. And they're right, they do. What amazes me is that none of them ever drop the facade, at least not that we're shown. Maybe there's a bunch of cutting-room-floor footage where someone yells "PUNKED!" in Ryan Seacrest's face and starts laughing about obviously he can't sing a lick, but hey, now his Internet girlfriend whom he's never met can see him on TV, and thanks for the free national broadcast network exposure.

Right? Or do you think people are really this much in denial about their own voices? Have you ever known one of these delusional auditioners, and were they for real? Share your thoughts.

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Comments

These deluded fools do think they can sing, either because they have been told they can by mummy and daddy, or by friends who don't want to hurt their feelings.  Some want the 15 seconds of fame, sure, but what astounds is, these tools are sincere!  At least the ones who go into meltdown after exposure do.  The ones who act like it's no big deal are probably the fakers.

Richard Stewart, Kent, WA (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 9:47 AM)

oh...I think they are real.  I have met MANY people who are not self aware.  For many of them, if they ARE faking, they missed their calling and should take up acting because I think many are pretty convincing.
Many of these people grew up with parents who didn't want to prepare their children for real life but parents who never wanted their children to be unhappy and told them they can do ANYTHING they want to do.  Again leading to those who are not self-aware.

Paula, Cambridge, WI (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 9:50 AM)

I do think that some of them are joking and just trying to get their 15 minutes of fame by showing up on TV.  But in the sad case the former contestant/Paula Abdul's stalker who recently committed suicide, some of them are genuinely that delusional.  Now I feel bad at laughing at how bad some of them are, because I don't know if they are mentally ill.  

Jen, TX (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 9:52 AM)

We are "punked" every time we watch Idol, but for a very good reason! Can you imagine if all the singers were brilliant? How dull would that be? OK, maybe not that dull, but more like watching one of those musical specials on PBS. When people watch the Olympics, Dancing with the Stars, NASCAR or Idol, we all get excited over the accidents. That's what makes life so interesting and exciting!

Brian, Livingston, NJ (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:04 AM)

I'm sure there is plenty of producer intervention on what freakazoid actually gets in front of the judges.  However, there are probably plenty of these folks to choose from because I believe most of these people actually think they are the next America Idol.  Frankly, their friends and family standing outside the door should be smacked for feeding their horrible talent onto national television.  But then again, it's partly the freak show that keeps me coming back.

Scotty, Houston, TX (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:06 AM)

They believe they are good...tone deaf for sure which must be an inherited trait.

Barb, Fort Myers FL (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:09 AM)

For the most part, I think a lot of them were encouraged by the guy who got famous singing the really bad verion of She Bangs (William Hung) This guy really should never be let near a camera and mike but turned what should have been an extremely embarrassing moment into his 15 minutes of fame. By televising the auditions the producers are actually the ones responsible for bringing in the talentless hacks.

John, New York City, NY (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:11 AM)

I once called America's Most Wanted about a possible unsolved murder.  I don't think the case was ever portrayed on the show, but the information that I had was very specific and would have been welcomed by any law enforcement agency trying to solve it.  Basically, AMW told me that AMW was a TV show, not a conduit for information about crimes, and basically I should get lost.

Idol is a TV show.  They want ratings, nothing more.  They'll do whatever they have to to get the ratings.  "Delusional" contestants make good TV.  Idol has a strong incentive to fake a few "auditions" in order to make the show interesting.  Sheesh -- it would be cheap, too.  Quite a few folks would take a couple hundred dollars for a few moments of their time to make some good TV.

Doug Smith (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:11 AM)

The fact that people watch Idol should answer your question. Anybody that believes these idiots are entertaining feeds the psyche of these delusional people. The intelligence of America takes a significant hit with shows like this. We wonder why the nation faces so many problems when Americans flock by the millions to watch this nonsense and others such as Survivor, the Great Race and countless others. And to continue disillusioning yourselves, they are referred to as “reality television”. Are you kidding me? Greed, corporate corruption, foreclosures, job losses, senseless wars are reality. Some bimbo screeching at the top of her lungs in a hope to chase her dream of stardom is fantasy, not reality.

Bob - Madison, WI (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:29 AM)

I was in a bar the other night with live music and encountered one of these dilusinal people. A 20-something  year old girl got on stage and started singing and her friends and family cheered and applauded while all my friends and I wanted to do was cover our ears.

Later we found out that her father owned the bar.

Amanda H, Windsor, CT (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:31 AM)

By the time singers get in front of the judges, they have already been through multiple rounds of cuts.  The producers select the best of the best and the worst of the worst to make the show entertaining.  I trained in opera for years and I constantly ran into singers with an incredibly distorted view of their own talents.  But then again, many of the biggest pop stars today can't sing very well but look good on stage.  The studio technology can make a frog sound like a great singer so who cares about actual ability if they look good in a skimpy outfit??

Kelly Ann (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:32 AM)

First, I can speak from experience (having been a musician myself for 30+ years)that there are people out there who sound horrible, but are so self-deluded that they believe they are actually talented, AND they typically believe that they are ENTITLED to everyone's respect! Watch those those awful auditioners who get dismissed, and they'll all say that they DESERVED a shot, that THEY ARE the next American Idol. Serious emotional denial here!!
Second, I think that it's also a clever bit of psychology on AI's part that they allow these goofballs in to audition. They are drawing clear lines in their audience's mind about who should & should not go. It's not just a cheap laugh at some talentless sucker's expense. Think about it.

John Cox, Leander, TX (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:34 AM)

Speaking from personal experience, I believe some, if not all of these weirdos, are genuine. I've been through three cycles of a collegiate a cappella auditions, where auditionees have no camera time to gain from being ridiculous. However, people still show up who sound like fran drescher and take themselves 100% seriously. One girl earned the nickname "orgasm girl" from her warmup exercises. so yeah, these people are definitely out there.

Jane Doe, Palo Alto, CA (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:39 AM)

The only ones we should blame are ourselves. The horrible singers are only given airtime because us idiot Americans keep on watching it and giving Idol the highest ratings. If we didn't watch, what would happen?

Fred, Windham, Maine (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:41 AM)

Once upon a time, I used to go pretty regularly to karaoke night in my hometown.  I can attest to the fact that there are many people out there that think they have an amazing singing voice when they really don't.  True, you could say that overindulgence of alcohol might have been part of the reason for that deluded outlook in a karaoke bar, but I have seen,( and heard), some pretty bad vocal acrobatics come out of persons who just came for the sole purpose of singing at karaoke, and didn't drink anything but soda or water.  They always thought they were awesome, and amazingly, the crowd was always nice enough to not boo them or heckle them despite the abundance of liquid bravery in their systems. Sometimes a person or two would even tell the people with the nails on chalkboard voices that they did a great job.

Amber, Detroit, MI (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:41 AM)

There are tens of thousands of auditioners, and I imagine only a very small percentage of those make it to see the judges we see on TV. So they have to be really good or really bad. We don't get to see the soft middle where most singers probably exist. If the terrible singers are frauds, they also have to convince at least a few experts before making it into the room.

Dan, Washington, D.C. (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:41 AM)

can anyone tell me why so many people watch this crap?

B. Boise, Maryland (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:49 AM)

MANY people have no idea how their voice sounds, or they don't understand that being alright in one area of singing doesn't translate into others. Some people kick butt at karaoke, but don't realize it's more a matter of showmanship or that the audience is drunk than that they are good singers.  And many people (myself included) are tone deaf.  We have pleasant enough voices, and we are very good at hearing OTHER people sing and being able to tell whether or not they are on key, but we can't hear it in our own performances unless you record it and play it back to us.  I have the feeling some of these people who are so indignant abut how great they are wind up in shock when they see the broadcast and find out what they actually sound like.  I was incredulous the first time I heard a recording of me singing--it didn't sound anything like what I heard when I was doing it.  

Carlton Fisher, Watertown, NY (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 10:49 AM)

First of all, I'm sick and tired of MSNBC and all of their false "Idol Conspiracies". MSNBC is always attacking the show, and they are always giving away information on what happens during an episode before most of the nation has even seen it yet. It's pretty pathetic. I guess that's what happens when you're jealous of another station. Second, yes these people are real. Get over it.

Sara Johnson, Corona del Mar, California (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:16 AM)

ITS TELEVISION! If everyone that shows up could sing like Mariah Carey the show would not have been so funny/popular. And don't blame those poor souls for being in such a denial, after all before they go in front of the judges, they already passed by one audition with the producers....so yeah they think they are good enough.

G. Silver, Oklahoma City, OK (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:18 AM)

The point of the first few weeks of Idol has been completely missed.  This is entertainment.  Whether we're being punked or not is irrelevant.  People enjoy watching others embarrass themselves.  Why do you think "Worlds Funniest Videos" type of TV shows are popular?  Not only do we want to see their embarrassments and failures, we want a violent reaction from them when they're told how bad they are.  Simon's response is calculated to bring out the worst these contestants have and we revel in it.

Ernie Z, Warwick, RI (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:19 AM)

Karaoke definitely plays a part in it. All your drunk friends are lying to you.

Neil, Philly PA (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:24 AM)

Apparently you have never attended a karaoke session. Most people who get up there think they sound great, and are told so by their friend and other singers.
I'm firmly convinced 90% of the population is tone-deaf.

Rick E. (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:24 AM)

Trust me...I managed a band in Houston for a number of years, and we held numerous auditions. People are delusional. It was usually a parade of clowns, and occasionally, we'd be lucky and find a true talent. But mostly, it was the precursor to Idol. However, it's obvious the producers of Idol seek these no talent idiots...but when they fail to show the ones who made it through instead, the show loses cred. Showing a trailer at the end with the winners coming out with their golden tickets is not sufficient.

David, Kfar Saba, Israel (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:41 AM)

When I was taking guitar lessons I had one guitar teacher who would tell me everything I played sounded good, no matter how bad it was.  Sometimes I'd just look at him and say "Hey, I can hear too, that was terrible."  He'd tell me I was too self-critical.

L C (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:45 AM)

I think there's an obvious mix.  Without a doubt, there are those that are talented; those that truly think they're talented - who are obviously not (I do KNOW people like this…); and those who are only after their 15 minutes, don't care how they sound or look, and will even TRY to be terrible/freaky to make it.  Idol is a TV show and they do need to keep people's attention in the beginning - and I will admit that the freaks are entertaining, even if it's in a "They're so bad I can't watch" sort of way.  I know many people who won’t watch the audition weeks, but won’t miss the rest of the season.  The bottom line, though, is that Idol has indisputably produced some incredible talent into the national music scene.  Kelly, Carrie, Clay, Jordan, Daughtry, Cook – and what about Jennifer’s rendition of the National Anthem yesterday?!?  Even the not so popular – Stoddard, Fantasia and Hicks, and many other top 10 finishers have gone on to do well!  Idol is a talent producing machine, and we will have to continue to endure the “TV show” part of it to see these new stars rise to the top!

Ddub, Pullman, WA (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:47 AM)

Plain and simple...it's fun to watch people make fools of themselves. But we also get a vicarious thrill from seeing some everyday person who has obvious talent. We want them to give a good performance and it's fun to see your personal favorite go on from week to week. If nothing else it is wonderfully entertaining. I wouldn't miss it!

John Miess (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 11:59 AM)

Plain and simple...it's fun to watch people make fools of themselves. But we also get a vicarious thrill from seeing some everyday person who has obvious talent. We want them to give a good performance and it's fun to see your personal favorite go on from week to week. If nothing else it is wonderfully entertaining. I wouldn't miss it!

John Miess (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:03 PM)

These people become part of the show for one reason only...The pure entertainment value of seeing someone make a complete fool out of themselves. It is not much different than watching America's funniest home videos in that we obtain pleasure out of the extraordinarily dumb acts of fellow human beings. The executive producers of American Idol understand this and filter in a few of these dunderheads for entertainment value and coffee pot fodder. Think of it this way...would you really watch the entire show if all they offered were hundreds of "pretty good" singers that had already made it past the 3 rounds it takes to get to the main judges. I think not, there are plenty of people available with "unique" voices and appearances that will fill the entertainment void.

Sam, Hanahan, SC (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:06 PM)

Originally, maybe 10,000 show up for the cattle call auditions in a city. These are whittled down by producers through a series of 2nd & 3rd callbacks to maybe 100 that actually go before the judges, - of which maybe half are chosen because they are really bad. Between the 1st and the final auditions they are never told that they are being set up as a joke but instead the producers lie to them, build up their confidence, tell them they are really great singers, they have beaten out 9,900 other contestants and convince them they have a real shot at winning the whole contest. In the interview booths they ask them all kinds of leading questions, then edit out the interviewers questions so it appears they are bragging about how everyone says they should sing professionally and they are the next American Idol. They convince them to do nerdy dance moves and shoot them at weird camera angles and before they go in Ryan talks to them serious like he doesn't know they are being set-up. So when they go before the judges and Simon says it was excruciating, it really is like a bucket of cold water on their face.

Jim , Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:08 PM)

I think you're giving the general public WAY too much credit.  I'd be willing to bet that at least half of the unlikeliest Idol wannabes truly believe they are exceptionally talented singers and genuinely believed they would get through to Hollywood.  Honest self-examination and recognition that you are not good at something you really want to be good at is a level of enlightenment that a good portion of the American public simply has not achieved.

The other half of them just want to be on TV.

Chris, NYC (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:10 PM)

Well, there will always be those attention-whores who want to be in the spotlight at every opportunity (Nancy Pelosi...cough, cough). However, a few years ago an aquaintance gave me a music CD that was professionally produced for one of her friends and I almost fell off my chair at how TRULY awful her singing "talent" was despite the high-quality of the production work. HORRIBLE! Seriously, I just wanted to slap her parents, friends, fellow artists and anyone else who ever ONCE told her that she had any talent in the area of singing. In her case, this was CLEARLY a person who was over-supported and mis-encouraged. And don't under estimate the power of pushy moms who want to live their dreams through the lives of their daughters (Dina Lohan...cough, cough)

Nick (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:19 PM)

I'll say that some can sing but Simon tell them that they are not quite good enough. But I think most of them have to do it as a joke because no way in hell did anyone told them that they were great singers.

e jones (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:25 PM)

Every year during the auditions I call my mom and thank her for never misleading me into believing I could sing. I think the parents that are encouraging their kids are doing them a great disservice. And unfortunately the kids just don't know any better. When you've spent your most impressionable years listening to your family tell you what a great singer you are, you really don't know any difference.

shea andover, ma (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:27 PM)

I was in an a cappella group in college and people would come to audition who literally could not carry a tune. Why do you think we would let you in to an a singing group if you can't sing.  And obviously, they aren't getting any tv time for auditioning.

Some people are just seriously dilusional about their singing ability...I personally don't understand, but it's true so I can see how a lot of people would go in there really thinking they have a legitimate chance.

Marcie, Portland, Oregon (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:30 PM)

I thought I could sing great for years.  I mean, it sounds perfect to me in the car, driving along with the stereo blasting!  One day, my wife pulled me aside and said, "Honey, you are honestly the worst singer I've ever heard.".  My immediate reaction was that she must be tone deaf!  

Rick Gilbert, Trinity, FL (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 12:44 PM)

I think it's about 50/50.  I also think that if that Hung guy from Season 1 didn't get so much attention, we wouldn't be subject to these horrors every year.

Deb, Largo (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 1:04 PM)

I think most of these people have never even been filmed with a home video camera.  I believe that if they really watched themselves on the TV and then played back any of the performances of the top 10 right after it, they might eventually get a clue that they look and sound terrible in comparison.  But they never challenge their dreams before going before the judges.  My stepson was like that. He never performs in public, so he never risks rejection or gets any independent feedback. One viewing of a video of himself was all it took for him to realize he had a lot more work to do.

Anne M., San Diego, CA (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 1:06 PM)

I agree with Paula from WI - that there sometimes is something in the way people are raised that makes them unaware of themselves as others see them.

I've always hated the "participation" trophies for kids - it gives the kid the impression they are good at something where they might really be awful.

But then again - my sister sings in her church, sometimes solo. I really pity the poor folks in the congregation. (Maybe they just think of it as "suffering for Christ" or something). She's really terrible, and I've never told her and obviously no one else has... so I guess I can see how that happens.

Debbie, Delaware, OH (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 1:21 PM)

It is just a tv show. With everything that is going on in the world right now is this seriously what everyone is concerned about. You have got to be kidding. Get over it.

Aelisha Labat, Vacherie, Louisiana (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 1:31 PM)

First, intelligence and self-awareness are in limited supply.  Just look at all the people making $30k a year and thought they could afford a $500,000 home.  All the welfare bandits having 7 kids and the fathers driving around in $500 cars with $3000 rims (all of which all the taxpayers are supporting).  Our society has become the home to a bunch of do nothing talentless hacks who truely believe they are the next American Idol and then feel victimized if they are told they are not.  The same goes for those who feel they are ENTITLED to everything everyone else has but don't feel they to have to work for it. And just like mamma and daddy telling their child they are so talented, our government keeps telling these ENTITLED people to stay home from work to vote for me, we will pay you to stay home and have lots of babies and by the way....we are going to spread the wealth. What we need to do is tell people they will reap what they sow...do nothing and you will lead a meager exsistance, live beyond your means and you will lose everything.  Work hard, buy what you can afford, save some money for those hard times and don't think you are a victim when things don't go your way.  

Kevin, Lakeville, IN (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 1:40 PM)

I can't speak for all of the auditioners that were laughed at and turned away, but I auditioned for this season's Idol in Kansas and met several of the bad singers featured on the show... and yeah, they were serious.

Holly, Denver, CO (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:01 PM)

In response to one of the comments about how not all the ones that get to Hollywood are shown on the auditions....the reason is the song choices they pick to sing in their auditions IDOL is unable to get cleared.

Phyllis, SLC, UT (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:26 PM)

I know from personal experience that alot of the people we see on the show have been prepped by A.I. to believe they are better than they are. I had a close friend try out and was by their side the whole way through.  They tell alot of bad singers that they are great and even coach them on how to act or perform in front of the judges. My friend luckly made it to Hollywood but it amazed both of us that they let a lot of talent go so they could keep the trash to make a good show.  They took advantage of alot of people by playing games with their head.  Its really sad when you think about it. Public humiliation caused by manipulation all so we can get a good laugh.

CJ, Michigan (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:36 PM)

hay - just remember, clueless people are just that: clueless

el Grande (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:45 PM)

Obviously those that audition don't know themselves very well or like people are saying here, they want to be on t.v. [some of the stupid "reality" type shows is another case in point], most of which shouldn't be on t.v. anyway but I guess some think they are fun to watch.  For me, I like watching American Idol and hearing the bad singers because it is entertaining.  America's Funniest Videos has the same idea but not the same thing, you watch people have accidents on videos but not sing.

Steph Doe Indiana, PA (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:46 PM)

how about the blind guy?  I caught him staring at Bikini Girl as she passed him.
fake?  who knows and who cares.

Lani Pied (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:49 PM)

At the opposite end, I believe there are some decent singers out there, who believe they are not good.  Amada Seyfried had the best singing voice in Mamma Mia, but she is very modest about her vocal abilities.  A very young Susan Sarandon was very apologetic about her singing, even though she did a wonderful job in Rocky Horror Picture Show. I have a friend who sings well, but does not think too much of her own voice.  So I believe, the unrealistic opinion of one's self can go both ways.

Dave O, Chicago, Illinois (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:53 PM)

This show reminds me more this season of a depression era dance marathon(with train wreck appeal) than a talent show. I don't know who to feel more sorry for, the ludicrous clowns who parade their lack of talent on what has become America's broadcast version of a drunken facebook photo shoot, or the poor winner who gets to work with the man who gave us the teletubbies.

Robin Steele (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:54 PM)

No, I honestly think that they really think they can sing, at least some of them.
There's this freak in one of my classes, whom everybody laughs at, and he thinks that he can sing AND dance, when in reality he sucks, and he plans to audition for American Idol this summer. His friends and family and the rest of the school all know that he sucks, but they don't have the heart to tell him. So, yes, there are some people out there like that.

Keep in mind I'm not speaking for everyone, though. Because I know that sadly there are a few who do want camera time. But not all of them.

Stephanie, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Monday, February 02, 2009 2:56 PM)



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