Windy Sydney

I get tons of slack for admitting that I am a reality television junkie. It's not as bad as it used to be, believe me. When American Idol started years ago, I planned my social life around it. Survivor was more than important, Big Brother on CBS was saved to my DVR, and America's Next Top Model was usually the highlight of my television week. It seems like a waste, doesn't it? It's just competitions for pretty people aiming for more money that I might never see in my lifetime...

I have really had enough of some of these shows. Survivor and American Idol are perfect examples...

Survivor is nearly exactly the same as it was in the first season. They try their hardest to change things up and make the contestants think on their feet, like the time they made the two tribes think they were merging and then tipped them off they would be returning to their own camps after giving the other tribe all of their secrets. They have tried having three tribes, they have separated tribes by gender, race... you name it.

Thing is, the reward competitions and immunity challenges are almost always relay races. First person goes through the course, the next person in line does the same... the first tribe to complete wins. If I see Jeff Probst throw his fist in the air and say, "Survivors.... GO!" one more time I might just die. Blech. It's been done over and over again. Not very entertaining anymore.

American Idol used to be huge for me. I loved Kelly Clarkson, and I was all excited when she won in the first season. She is one of the few Idols who have continued with their success. Sure, she has had her career ups and downs, but you can't deny that girl can sing. The other day I saw a clip of her singing the National Anthem and I got all teary... and anyone who took voices lessons like I did knows that the Star Spangled Banner is one of the hardest songs to sing. It's tough.

But again, it's the same thing every year.

A talented group of people sing songs once a week, they pre-tape little sponsored messages or insanely cheesy group number for companies or the show has a tie-in for a movie coming out... you can't forget the Coke glasses that are constantly on the Judges table...

Oh, don't get me started on the Judges...

Damn, I got myself started on the judges...

Okay, Let's start with my favorite. Randy. Randy is a good human being. He is never overly harsh, at least in my opinion... he's laid back and cool, and he doesn't go out of his way to make the contestants feel uncomfortable. I like that.

Simon Cowell is the reason the show became a big hit in the first place. This is a man who is not afraid to speak his mind. He wont sugar-coat things because he refuses to lie to people. I do think he goes way too far at times, giving constructive criticism is an art form, and he is not a master. You can explain something to a contestant without killing them on the inside.

Paula. Oh, dear... sweet... Paula. She is just... um... flippy? She makes my rambling sentences seem coherent. Most of the time I am convinced she is drunk, high, or out of her mind. She says a lot without saying anything. It makes me really laugh every time she says something like, "I really like your outfit!" or "You really look like you are having fun out there!" Blech.

I think I am one of the only people out there who says they really like the new girl, Kara. This woman knows what she is talking about, but I hate how she constantly mentions that you have to be a "package artist." You have to have the look, the style, the haircut, the right management team. It's a singing competition! Who cares about that stuff? Have them sing a song and then tell them how they did. Is that so hard? Hmm...

This year Idol had a last chance for some of the contestants who didn't make it during their first singing performance to make it to the top 12. When I watched this episode, I found myself rolling my eyes that they even bothered to have them sing. The episode was an hour long (if I am not mistaken) and after everyone performed they "deliberated" during a commercial break and picked people they had loved from the beginning. Staged much?

I am not sure where this post is going. How is that for random? Hahah... the shows are just really repetitive now. Boring. Come on Programming Executives!!! Get creative! Please!!!

Andee