I for one am amazed at the coverage of the latest L'Affaire Paula. The poor, dear, befuddled girl burbles something about seeing Jason Castro's two songs on Tuesday's show, and the Times devotes 5,000 words for an above-the-fold story, as if the war in Iraq and a recession here at home were stories that could wait. Paula! That's the big news. Then, a commentator from "EW" portentously warns the viewers of "GMA" this morning that "if she can't handle the rigors of the show," maybe she should be replaced.
Rigors?! RIGORS!!!?? OMG. I mean, seriously, OMG.
What's the issue here? That judges see the rehearsals? Of course, they do. They've always said they do. The show has said they do. What difference does it make if they do? (I guess that adds to the rigors.) Is there a federal statute that bars this? Or: That their comments are scripted? Anyone who believes that is either foolish or has never seen the show. The judges' greatest "sin" is an occassional rhetorical sameness -- as if something, everything, is "too pitchy," or "too karaoke," or (from Paula), "I love you, I love your spirit, I love your wonderful voice, oh my God ..."
I can see Paula sitting in her dressing room before the show, scribbling those words down, then memorizing them.
But I guess the rigors of the show are so great that the judges have to script their comments, right?
What's the issue? That Paula screwed up or said something silly? Would you like a catalog of all the instances she's screwed up or said something silly? There is neither time enough in the day nor column inches enough in the Times to chronicle them all. Yet there was still enough Web babble yesterday to prompt Ryan to last night even give the poor beleaguered lady a vote of confidence -- that the rumors weren't true and that she would remain "a member of our family."
Fact is, the press treats the show as if it's shocked-shocked that there's gambling going on here. It's a reality show, which of course is a contradiction in terms; there is no reality in reality TV. "Idol's" most significant issue -- "failing" or "sin" seem too strong -- this season was stacking the ranks with pros and semipros, like Carly Smithson. But that's not the subject here. It's Paula being Paula again. Oh brother -- like that's news?
Bottom line: Paula's vital to the success of this show. She's going nowhere.
Comments (12)
You miss the point, if she had made her own notes for both performances, (even if she had watched rehearsals, which she even admits now she saw a bit of Jason's only, she would know how to read her own notes. It is obvious those notes were handed to her scripted by the producers. She was given the notepad, that is a fact. Ask anyone in the audience who was there. Since when do they write during the show, you always see Paula dancing. The phrasing, everything was not her style. Besides which, how can you judge a rehearsal, no wonder they have not commented on how again David A forgot his words last week. Maybe in rehearsals he didn't, then why comment on Brooke's actual performance when she started over. Judge her also on rehearsals where she was supposedly very good.
How could she think that Jason had sung twice, which she said after she made the gaffe, "Oh gosh I thought you had sung twice,", proves if nothing else, she is seriously on drugs or drunk
Paula is human like everyone else. Maybe she was having a bad day before the show. Give the girl a break. We've all made mistakes and said something we never meant to say. PS the show has to be rigged to keep on Brooke White. I can sing better. She has to be a fill in or? Who's she shaggen?
The voters made a bigger gaffe than Paula by keeping Jason "Sanjaya" Castro around for another week.
What a ridiculous piece you wrote. Yes, let's have a show with judges who review rehearsals? Vital to the show? The woman is a liability.
Jason is no Sanjaya...when Sanjaya sang I would cringe. While Jason is certainly not the strongest vocalist, he has an easy going appeal to him and he puts a smile on my face. As for the Paula issue...why can't people just leave her alone? She is a very important part of the show..and she certainly makes it interesting, you never know what is going to happen!!!
First of all, the "format change" was a stupid idea. Second, if you know anything about Paula Abdul, you know that she suffers from chronic back and neck pain. The show needs to come clean about her (most likley) use of pain meds. The people in my life with similar affliction simply cannot live their lives without relief, there is no shame in it and I certainly would not throw stones at someone in her condition for taking prescription pain killers. the biggest problem for poor Paula is that she simple is not fast on her feet. I don't believe that she thought that Jason had sung twice, I think that she got a head of herself and the show while reading her notes and when realized what was happening, dug the hole a little deeper with a remark that she thought would cover. Instead, she comes off looking more like moron. If anyone should be blamed it should be the producers for changing a format that works and Ryan Seacrest (who I love) for springing the pre-commercial critique on our poor unsuspecting Paula. These guys have worked with her for 7 years now you'd think that they would know that she's no good under pressure.
Finally, somebody else who is putting this all into perspective! It's not a conspiracy, just Paula's airheadedness. See also the article about this from yesterday at Foxse On Idol (http://www.foxesonidol.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article2389.art&page=1).
Didn't anyone catch Paula's own reality show! This really IS Paula! This is her! Truth is stranger than fiction and much more hilarious!! Abdul is one strange bird! Half a bubble off plumb! LIghts on & nobody home!
It is understood that people are human and make mistakes. I am talking about the Paula issue of believing that Castro sang two songs instead of one.
It is something beyond Paula bumbling. She is probably as someone said given the script of the critiques in advance and she got it all wrong. Just think about previous shows. Michael and Carly made very surprising exits from the show, and people like Brooke stayed. Quite strange, don't you think?
I feel really bad for Paula. Especially with all of this gossip going around...and some people have said some really mean things. I think that what Ryan Seacrest said about her being part of the family was just a simple way to dissmiss what had happened last night, and to make Paula feel better--she was obviously very nervous. I thought it was kind. And I began to look at Paula in a a totally new way. I felt bad for her...she looked just like a sad and scared little girl who was SO embarrased but hopelessly trying to cover it up. GIVE HER A BREAK!! Just try to put some of yourselves in her shoes to see what it must feel like!!
I agree with you completely.
Thanks for writing about this in a logical, reasonable way. She made a simple, reasonable mistake.
It's completely blown out of proportion and is being used as a distraction when there are real issues going on in this country.