America's Got Talent

So I haven't kept up with Americas's Got Talent since season four. Back then, it succeeded in what it sets out to do, for us at least. It was a show I watched with my family, we would discuss the acts and who we hoped would win, we would laugh along when the judges would get into hijinks or whenever Nick Cannon would step on stage to poke fun at the act or judges.

That's a discussion for another time, the way American reality competition shows hardly focus on the acts in preference of sob stories and drama. Even if they did focus on the acts more, it'd be boring. I looked on Wikipedia and half of all of the winners have been singers. I get that singing is a talent and, I mean, it's not their fault that they won. But you have the one competition show that can feature really interesting, niche acts. But instead half of the winners are singers, the same singers who could have performed on any of the other singing shows.

And that's another thing. These other shows have some other hurdle for the singers to overcome. In The Voice, the judges don't see the singers, just listen. In American Idol, you have to sing for your first audition in an awkward, silent room. In America's Got Talent, you can do whatever the fuck you want. Sing your own song, sing karaoke, sing to a backing track, sing by yourself. There's no restriction of any kind to keep it engaging.

I almost wish they would ban dancing as well. There's shows for that too and if you look at the , so many singers and runner-ups are either just singers or dancers. Singers are easy to like, especially if they have a sob story that AGT likes to shove down your throat. I remember one act I saw of this dude who would move sand around and make different artwork on stage. That was really cool, I'd love to see more stuff like that. Pretty sure a singer won that year.

It's just irritating. You have an idea for a show that could be really engaging and show off a lot of unique talents, but they don't give a fuck. Let them sing and people will watch. I happened to see a headline showing the recent winner and watched a video. Yeah he just sat behind a piano and sang. Pretty good, admittedly, but he would have been pretty good on American Idol or The Voice any other shows that only allows singers. Maybe American Idol can start allowing magicians. Then it'd be fair.

I think backstories influences the judges' decision unfairly. Who would you rather choose, a kid who got cancer or an actually talented person but has had a good life. It's called America's Got Talent for a reason. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not some sympathy-less person. I certainly feel bad for them and do hope they have a better life in the future. I just feel like talent shows should be judged on actual talent.

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Update #1: I treasure this conversation. Thanks for all the questions. I'll be taking a break and will return to answer more of your questions tomorrow. Shude! E(:+O<-

Update #2: Wow! I'm back and feeling really blessed by all your good thoughts and support. I'm ready to continue our conversation today.

Update #3: Thanks again for this wonderful discourse. I loved the questions. It was great to get into some really substantive topics. I still have a lot to answer, so I'll be back later. Shude (Tuvan for giddy-up)! E(:+O<-

Update #4: It's been so wonderful interacting with all you guys. It's always good for me to go in and rediscover my motivations. Answering your questions certainly did that for me. For those that I haven't personally replied to yet, check my comment history because it's likely I answered your question there. By the way, if you're serious about learning throat singing, I'm offering Skype lessons. Get ahold of me on Facebook.

I hope my art inspires you to seek your own shining path and to sing at no matter what level you are. I feel truly blessed by all the love and support you've given me. I can't thank you enough. Like the Tuvans say, I wish you a white road. E(:+O<-

Thanks for the gold!