Don't Make A Fool Of Me, Woman!

Thanks, Ceelo "Smooth Operator" Green.  Thanks for representing all men in a very universal way. (He speaks these words at the end of the "Satisfaction" video below.)

This is the second season of The Voice, yet I had it in my mind it was a first-year show, especially considering all the publicity it was pushing and getting prior to debut.  I was BEAT! DOWN! by all the commercials for this show, especially during my favorite time of year: Super Bowl. 

I particularly thought Ceelo was being over-marketed, and, while I love Xtina's voice (and oy! That cleavage!), I think she's a little trashy.  I didn't know Blake's music (I do now! Sidebar: I learned he's the singer of "Ol' Red", a *great* song!), but I knew enough to know he's made a name for himself in the Country (*and* Western) music genre.  Then there's Adam.

*swoon*

Oh Adam.

MydeliciousnextgenerationSimonLeBonlickablesoverymetrosexuallydesirableAdam. Come unto me.

Adam is the initial reason I decided to watch the show. That, and my kids wanted me to watch with them. They win. I win. Win-win.

Now, the SHOW is the reason I watch the show!!

I! LOVE! THIS! SHOW!  

If you're a music fan and don't watch or otherwise know about this show, watch THIS weirdness.  In the paraphrased words of the overmarketedCeelo: It's wonderfully strange, bizarre, genius.....

Aside from the Adam Factor, the talent competition being judged purely on the sound of the voice (initially, the judges have their backs to the singer, therefore are at the mercy of only a voice), and not the look, is refreshing. For a society that lives and breathes vanity, it's uplifting to see "regular", "everyday" people get a shot in an industry that's geared toward "the beautiful people" as defined by some giant machine in Hollywood. Yep. I like this format.  I like this a lotlot.

Also I like the idea of the battle rounds. For an older-ish (shh) person like me, and a particularly non-competitive soul, I fancy getting rid of one person per battle instead of the American Idol format.  It's less tense.  I'm impatient, too. This format satiates me instantly.  I might not always agree with the choices, but at least the kill was fast, and we can all just move on accordingly.

I think the judges panel feedback at the end of the battle song is a little cheesy, and this is where I think Adam is weaker than the rest (unless you count Blake's penchant for scantily clad women).  Adam's participating in the process but he seems uneasy or uncertain about what he should say so he speaks with an awkward affect. How many times can a person say "that was weird"? Adam offers at least four, without ever offering another word besides "weird".  Note to Adam: take a page from Ceelo's book, study it and apply generously.

As for the contestant watch, I like the roller coaster ride: the rejection and the adulation, played out all in one segment. Additionally, like any good show, the human element is at play - the story behind the voice.  All body shapes are represented. Various walks of of life are showcased: older, younger, skinny, fat, sultry, plain, grieving, in-recovery, and various socio-economic cross-sections of our society. It makes one realize how exceptionally talented people are, and these people are all around us. Hell, these people ARE us!

Too, endearing are the contestants who are so modest, humble, unsure. It will be interesting to see an evolution.

Related tangent: Remember how I just said the reason I watch the show is the show, and that I decided to give it a whirl during the Super Bowl Beat Down?  Well, an unexpected alternate reason befell me:  Mathai.

I was first introduced to Mathai's music via a co-worker who is very close to Mathai; in fact, she refers to her as her "little sister". I viewed a couple videos of the two of them singing together at their church -- so lovely! So, naturally, when I was told Mathai was going to be on The Voice, my interest grew more.

I would consider Mathai atypical, based purely on her race, as the Middle Eastern culture is not exactly represented in American Pop music. Watching her, it's clear she's "Americanized", and breaking the traditions of her family and culture to a certain degree. She is the daughter of professional parents who are in the medical field; they expected her to pursue medicine. Instead, she's pursuing The Dream. Her voice *is* unique, and I'm certain she'll be making a name for herself past this show (as confirmed by Blake's sugary, Southern-accented claim at 1:38 in the video.)

There ya have it -- my two cents about The Voice.

My only lingering question is: When is the reality show about SMARTS going to be created and aired? We need something that would feature a different set of values along the lines of the next great brain, scientist, and the like. It's about time The Culture Machine starts "glamorizing" some OTHER kinds of creative talent.