AlwaysWoW! For a Great Great WoW in Life

Thoughts from me about things that are cool, that are WoW, that blow me away. Observations about businesses and people from a wide variety of life. Daily encounters - and thoughts outside the box, inside the box and without any box. New thinking, and challenging old thinking. Passionate about life, about respect, and about integrity.

Saturday, July 03, 2004

American Idols, Malaysian Idols, Singaporean Idols

I watched the Malaysian Idol yesterday at 10.00 PM on Channel 8. More by accident, since my wife started to watch it. Before, I had the chance to see how American Idol developed - watched it two or three times, and saw the hiphop following the nomination of the winner in the US.

There are three judges in any of the Idol sessions - and as it happened in the US, there was this one bad guy in the Malaysian Idol session, a female and another male. In the US, the bad guy was called Simon - very direct, partially offensive and insulting. Similar in Malaysia - there was this one white guy who denigrated participants.

What I like at the Idol sessions is that they involve the audience, or whoever wants to participate. Callers can call in and vote for their favourite. Okay, in the US, there were people saying that manipulation is possible, and sure, this is always the case But it is not that this is just another TV session where one is sitting in front of the TV, eats nuts, and laughs at stupid jokes - no involvement. The Idol sessions are successful because they involve the audience, let them participate. In addition, they give "the small guy on the road a chance to reach for fame". This is the new "Experience Economy" as it right now develops in the US where everybody is an actor, and the shops are some kind of a theater - I digress.

What I don't like at the Malaysian session, and I am sure it is similar in Singapore or elsewhere is that the concept is straight transplanted from the US.

It is the same concept is played here. There is one bad guy who denigrates participants, makes them feel small and two others, who are partly more sensitive to the feelings of participants.

My feeling is that there is something wrong - I don't think that the direct communication style works in Asia as well as it works in the US (although even there, people don't like to be called stupid).

But the white guy (don't ask me for his name :)) really puts people down. As it is anywhere else in the world, these aspiring participants dream of a career, they think they are great singers (some were awful, some were awesome). There should be a better way to tell them that they are not that good - yet!

Just my thoughts!

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