The last two days have been busy but wonderful, and tonight seemed like the perfect time to wind down a little bit and play catch-up with the DVR. I didn’t have any particular show in mind – I just thought I’d see what looked good and run with it. Because I’m wild and crazy like that.
So I turned on the TV, pulled up our list of shows – and y’all, I nearly gasped when I saw what was close to the top of the list.
American Idol – “Auditions #1: New York and New Jersey”
I had NO IDEA that it was that time again, people. NO IDEA.
And honestly, by the end of last season I was sort of done. Couldn’t say whether I’d stick around for this season or not. I’ve always been a big fan of the show, but last season it felt a little bit like it was running out of steam. Not to mention that I don’t have to hear an AI contestant sing a cover of “Alone” or “Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” EVER AGAIN IN MY WHOLE LIFE EVER I’M NOT KIDDING ONE BIT WHEN I SAY THAT.
I was also a little bummed by the changes with the judges. I mean, even though I thought Simon could be a little harsh at times, he was never wishy-washy, and he was dead-on with his assessments more often than not. It’s just a little hard to imagine that Jenny from the Block and Steven Tyler are going to bring that same authority to the table.
So. To watch or not to watch – that is the question. I just don’t know if I want to jump in this season or not (much less blog about it). What are y’all thinking? Are you watching? And if you are, what are your thoughts / reactions? Will you watch again next week? Or is the AI viewing experience RURNT forevermore?
I’m all ears.
Or eyes.
Or whatever you say when you can’t wait to read the interweb’s take on pressing TV-related issues.
The end.
Not watching. I’m very over it. The world is full of people who think they can sing but really can’t, and it’s just lost its entertainment value. Also, I almost never agree with who wins anyway, so it’s just better for my stress level if I abstain. But you just enjoy it if you decide to keep watching!
I was bummed about the new judges, too. But I love them! They’re awesome. JLo is nice, Steven Tyler is funny, and Randy (my fave) is still there! I’m pleasantly surprised.
Well, I thought I was over it, but my son just loves it. He was all fired up, because he wanted to see how “George Lopez’s wife” was going to do. [bless his time, I don’t know where he got that idea ] We turned it on when we got in from church tonight, and I have to tell you, the new judges are doing a great job. I have never been a fan of Aerosmith, but I am liking Steven more than I ever thought I would. I also like counting how many times J-Lo plays with her hair.
Give it a try – you will be pleasantly surprised.
I am on the fence. I’m not sure if i’m ready to invest the many hours into this one. Budgets……we’re on the budgets.
I too have been pleasantly surprised!
There’s no way it will be the same without Simon. I will miss him desperately. I’m not throwing in the towel, yet, though, because I’m about 27 kinds of curious how Jennifer Lopez is going to do in this role. Something tells me it might be a pleasant surprise…
I didn’t know what to expect, but I really liked the judging panel tonight. I guess it will take a while to see where it goes. I’m willing to give it another try. This from a girl who has watched every season except the first. STill kicking myself for that.
IT SO MAKES ME LAUGH
I LOVE ME SOME JENNY FROM THE BLOCK!!
STEVEN TYLER IS A QUIRKY WHACKADOO…
THE END:)
We’re not watching this year. It makes me tired just thinking about it. (but don’t you just want to watch it at least once?)
We were having this conversation on fb. . .
It was good, however Steven Tyler lost whatever cool rockstar points he had left.
And, it seems he only had work done on part of his face. . .very distracting. .. .but I’ll probably watch some more. JLo was better than I thought!
I do have it set to record, but I am not getting my hopes up. AI is kind of on probation for me.
well due to lack of any new Ghost Hunter episode I tuned in for a bit. Randy was subdued, JLo was channeling Paula somehow and Steven Tyler seemed to be a bit lusty. All in all I do not think I’ll be watching this season. And that new dance show of Paula’s? I take by my recommendation its boring, its too much sweet (Paula) with no spice or salt (Simon). SO I’m waiting on Survivor now. xoxo melzie
take *back* my recommendation :)
Have never been a fan, so don’t think I’ll try to watch it this season either. I’ve always felt a little left out when all the AI talk begins, but among my friends it seems a lot will not continue watching.
We’re watching – one of the few programs hubby and I agree on – I just can’t get him to watch “The Bachelor”..lol. I like me some J Lo but Steven Tyler? Well I was surprised that I actually kinda liked him in this role! So all’s good and we’ll keep watching.
I watched tonight and actually enjoyed most of it. the intro and leading up to it all was a bit over the top with the producers obviously wanting everyone to have a group hug about the new judges. But, I was pleasantly surprised. Steven and jennifer both were pretty nice and entertaining and there were some pretty laugh out loud moments, in my humble opinion! :)
Really trying to cut back on T.V. viewing time this year for all members of the family, so my vote would be “No” do not get sucked into watching theis season and reclaim an hour or 2 of your life each week to do something “non-TV or computer related” with your family members.
(It’s honestly amazing to sit down and estimate how much of one’s time is spent in front of the TV…..sad, actually.)
I actually found Jennifer likable and Steven funny. It was much better than I thought it would be, AND they focused more on the good singers and less on the bad, which is my preference.
Certainly, they had a lot riding on this first show, but it seemed completely fresh to me. I really thought ST would get on my nerves, but he was really funny! I’m with the others…very pleasantly surprised.
Rurnt.
I really dislike the whole audition thing and would rather they just do one program with some highlights instead of several weeks of nothing..it is mostly lights and logos and just very little actual content. I watched a bit but fell asleep. I confess that I do love Steven Tyler and think he will bring the crazy this year. I read that they are going to allow the contestants to sing their own kind of music instead of forcing everyone to sing something like Barry Manilow or Aerosmith or Elvis when that’s not their end goal. I like that idea a lot. J Lo is beautiful. I think it has the potential to be good again…the ‘Simon’ character is an actual record guy and I’m hoping it is more about the music this year. I will give it a shot-after the audition period.
I thought they did great!
I do miss Simon’s input — his honesty was part of what made it AI all these years, but I’m happy to say I love the new judges. Steven Tyler has the potential to have a touch of that Simonistic (new word alert!) honesty (ie his question to one contestant “Did you eat a lot of paint chips as a child?”) but he’s hysterical with it. His expressions were great as he watched them sing. And J.Lo — LOVE her. She was great. She’ll be a less chatty/more focused/notappearingintoxicated version of Paula. Almost as great as Jennifer Lopez was watching the various contestants get emotional just being in the room with her.
And she has great hair. I’m going to have hair envy all season. There, I said it.
I haven’t watched AI in a few years, it competed with other shows I wanted to watch more, namely Top Chef and Biggest Loser, so no AI for me. Judging by my fb friends last night though, they really enjoyed Steven Tyler. As a huge Aerosmith fan, I may tune in one night just to see him in action. But its Top Chef all-stars this season, so my loyalties are completely with Bravo right now.
My girls are serious AI watchers, so I knew that no matter who the judges were or how sick of the show I was – we would be watching. I have to say that I really like the new judges and the they seem to fit well with Randy. However – I really hate all the ridiculous auditions, fit throwing and drama for the camera, etc. Once we get past all that crazy, I bet it will be a great season. I am also going to say that there is just a little part of me that misses Paula’s incoherent rambling.
I was skeptical at first but after watching last night I think the new judges were refreshing!
I thought it was probably going to be a hot mess, but I too was pleasantly surprised. I thought Steven Tyler might be a complete whackadoo, but he actually seemed engaged, interested, honest and funny. JLo was sweet and obviously wanted to be nice to everyone but not ridiculous like Paula. I also liked that they seemed to focus more on the good singers for at least the first episode. It won’t win over my Thurs night NBC line-up, but definitely worth a look.
AI=meh. I watched a bit of it last night – I usually skip the first few episodes each year – I can’t stand that they make fun of all those people who have been told somewhere along the line that they can sing. They tend to make fun of mentally handicapped people, as well. I’ll probably watch after the first two weeks are over.
The judges are interesting; I find Steven Tyler’s face rather riveting. It’s so what? Dried apple face doll?
I haven’t watch for several seasons. I can’t even remember how long. I was done a long time ago.
AND THEN, LAST NIGHT! I didn’t know who the judges were until last night. I watched with hubby and I LOVED IT! Yes, I see that there is a lack of Simon-esque voting. And, I, too, like you, felt that it would be hard to continue without Simon. I agree that he was often harsh but that he also was often accurate. And lovable. Yet I haven’t watch in seasons.
UNTIL NOW! I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! I’m in! I think. Perhaps I should be a little more cautious in saying that since it just started but I LOVED it and felt the addition of Steven Tyler and J Lo, refreshing.
And how bout that clip before the commercial break of the girl tripping, flopping and, um, scooting? HILARIOUS!
I actually found the changes refreshingly unpredictable.
I like that JLo has a hard time crushing dreams, but I also think Steven Tyler’s face is mesmerizing.
I just can’t look away. I really kind of like his personality, too. Which is a surprise!
I think Randy will take on the harsher critic role for this year, but I am “ALL IN”.
Maybe I am just sick or reruns? I did wait and watch it after The Middle and Modern Family because– FAVORITES!!!
Jump in, BooMama. Jump in! It is great and I was really doubting that it would be as well. Steven Tyler and J-Lo are a breath of fresh air. :)
We are luvin it – DH even said – we might watch it this season – sure wish they’d change the dadgum name though – not keen on Idols of any kind (yeah I’m one of those people) but new judges – whole new vibe and level of comment – Randy is great and totally enjoying Steven Tyler and JLo – amazed – see – TV can improve on something! Already hooked us with a coupla good tearjerks and one little hot mess cutie from the south!
I haven’t watched it for several seasons but decided to give it a try last night. I really liked J-Lo and there is a lot of great talent already this season. You should give it a try!
I’ve been a fan for years, but was sad to see Simon go. His honesty is so hilarious..and true…lol! So I wondered how I could like it with such dramatic changes in the judging panel.
But I also get a kick out of the people on there who actually think they can sing! HILARIOUS!!!
So I gave it a try last night…if nothing else but for laughs. I thought the new judges were great! They def have the knowledge needed to know if someone has the talent for such. And they fit nicely with the DOG :)
I’ll keep watching.
Yeah, I’m not watching again. Nothing against the show, just kinda over it all…at least for now. But who knows..I may get back into it later on in the season.
I was REALLY impressed with the judges and pleasantly surprised!! You should give it a shot!!! :)
I liked it. Different, yes, but suprisingly entertaining. Steven Tyler is funny, and JLo is sweet. When they all crack up laughing, you can’t help but laugh too. I don’t miss Simon’s over-dramatic meanness at all. Hmmm…. Who would have thought??
I was SO SO SO done after last season, too. I was worn out evern thinking about watching again. BUT, I had the DVR set and it just recorded. THEN, I started seeing all these great tweets about it and how much people were enjoying the changes. So, I stayed up late watching it last night…and I was pleasently surprised. I like the judging changes…I will always miss Simon, but the others are a nice refresher. They showed more good than bad singers this time…last year they showed so many bad ones that we didnt know any of the good ones until they got to Holleywood. So, I say watch. I’m going to watch at least until they go live…then, I will reassess. Hope you like, too!
I really like the new judges. I think you will enjoy watching this season. I think the problem with the past few was that there was TOO much emphasis on Simon and not the singers. They’ve gone back to the basics this time.
Loved it! I didn’t think it would be the same without Simon. I didn’t even miss him. Great, great, great.
It’s on already? ? ? I am going to give it a try because that is the way I am and NY Housewives hasn’t started and there is no Project Runway in sight! ! So why not? I’ll give it a go but I’ll have to catch up ! ! ! ! THANK YOU for letting me know it is on!
I love it when you use words like “rurnt”. :-) I live very far away from a lovely Southern accent and your ability to weave such gems into your posts makes me happy, happy. Thanks for writing BooMama. I am blessed to read your funny (and serious) posts!
I have a group of girlfriends and for the past five or six years, we have gotten together and watched AI on Tuesday nights. Never miss a week. To sum it up – we are not watching this year and are in fact looking for another show to watch on a weekly basis. I was disappointed with the selection of Tyler and JLo and really loved Simon. Truth be told we were all a little upset when Paula left because she provided us so much entertainment. At any rate, we are all done with AI. I think it’s run its course.
I’m in! I’ve watched from the beginning, but didn’t watch it at all last season. I decided to give it a try this year. I actually found myself enjoying it! There were some great stories, Steven Tyler is not my cup of tea, but he is funny to watch and JLo is very knowledgeable. I felt like the Steven and JLo bring a ton of expertise to the table and hopefully can flesh out some good talent this year. They have got to have a decent winner this year!!! So, I’m going to give it a try! It seems like the contestants are younger (did they lower the age or do I just not remember) and some of them are seriously talented. Could turn out to be a great season!
I watched. At first I was excited because Steven Tyler was surprisingly fun. But after 10 minutes I decided I’m done and am not watching the rest of the season. J-Lo, as talented as she is, bugged me to death and couldn’t tell anyone no. And they let through contestants who I thought sounded awful. There was even a girl who cried a bunch so J-Lo and Steven let her through. Wusses. Randy cow-towed to them instead of acting like the leader. So I’m done. Monica. Out.
I haven’t watched AI in several years (thank you, grad school!), so I was very unhappy about the changes to the judges since I would finally get to watch this season. I have been VERY pleasantly surprised! I think J Lo seems to have a sweet spirit and is very nice to the contestants; however, she also does not hesitate to tell someone no. Stephen Tyler is a little annoying…but kind of funny too. I think I’m going to keep watching!
I swore last season that I was never going to watch again. However, I got sucked in because I wanted to see the New Orleans auditions (being from LA and all). So, I watched last night to see the backstory of the choosing of the new judges, etc. I was also pleasantly surprised! You should SO watch!
I wasn’t going to, but I did. I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked the panel… Please watch with us!
Definitely – I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. One of my verses from the first SSMT.
I recommend it, I think they were ready for these changes. The show has been funny and real and I am really enjoying it so far!
Hey Miss Sophie ! Love your blog & first time to comment from McQueeney Texas ! Please Please give AI a try this season. I was not expecting to stay tuned but LOVE LOVE LOVE J-Lo & Steven Tyler ! So sweet ….. So crazy …. So GOOD ! Their expressions put a whole new “fun to watch” spin on the show.
We like AI in our house. :) We’ve watched every season. Although Simon was pretty ugly sometimes, I did like him overall. I thought the show would go downhill without him. There have only been 2 episodes, but so far I like the new judges. I am curious to see how they do on the live shows.
I’ve never been a fan of American Idol. In general I watch very little tv. I always liked watching the AI auditions, though, and I watched them on Wednesday. For the most part the auditions seemed the same to me…it wasn’t until the show was over that I noticed I really missed Simon’s mean but funny comments. The new judges didn’t bother me at all and the contestants are as delusional as ever (my favorite part). I don’t go out of my way to watch the show (or any show for that matter). So, if I happen to catch the auditions this year I’ll watch through Hollywood week, otherwise, no biggie.
On a different note I thought that last night’s epi of The Office was the funniest I’ve seen in a long time!