When I first heard that there was yet going to be ANOTHER singing talent show on NBC called The Voice, I cringed.
We already have American Idol, America’s Got Talent (technically not a singing show, but there are way too many singers on that show), and coming this fall, the much anticipated X-Factor. So why would we need another singing talent show to find America’s next big star?
I began watching The Voice to figure out what makes it different from all the other shows, and surprisingly, there were a lot of differences. For one, the auditions are “blind”, and by that the coaches (the only judges for this show are American votes) are sitting with their backs towards the stage, only listening to the voice they hear. After the blind audition, there are the battle rounds where the coaches pick two or three of their contestants to battle each other for a spot on the voting rounds, which is when American gets to vote.
Shocking enough, I am impressed with this show. Yes, the producers took a singing contest show but twisted it around enough so it would still sell to audiences (political economy anyone?), but they did it so it would stand out from the other shows.
Singing contest shows sells. We are currently in the era where we would rather watch talent be born on TV than sitcoms. Who knows what the next era on television will be.
I agree that although this show seems like a re-run of many other singing shows, the producers cleverly put a twist on the same story. By using blind auditions, the producers entice audiences by making the show seem as if it does not care about appearances or body image, creating a stark contrast from American Idol's focus on appearances, especially through Simon Cowell's negative comments to singers' images. In addition to putting a twist on the show, the producers are also able to maintain the basic, inexpensive elements of reality television. By using "common" people as the characters in the show, talent as well as talent agents do not need to be hired, thus saving a large amount of money in the budget. The money that is saved is most likely used to pay the celebrity judges, who most likely create the largest draw for the audiences. If the judges were not famous, then the show would not be nearly as interesting. However, with the genius combination of a twisted "plot" and more money for celebrity judges, this new show may very well surpass its predecessors in the television economy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the main reason this show is successful is because of the fact that Christina Aguilera is on it. She joined the show during a time in her life that was but difficult, having just been in the middle of a divorce and having been publicly perceived an a "mess" as of lately. Her film "Burlesque" had not done well in the box office, and in hand was also criticized. She was also recently arrested or public intoxication, and this show is a way to put herself back out there for what she best known for, which is her powerhouse voice. By redeeming herself this way, this may help with the public's perception of her through the use of mass media through reality television, which not only will score good ratings if successful but will also work to her advantage during this time.
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