America’s Got Talent: Narrowing Down the Talent in Vegas
I hate “America’s Got Talent,” but I need to know – am I the only one? They pump people up who probably shouldn’t advance to the next round by telling them they are going to Vegas, then tonight, they inflict a cruel blow. The 160 acts landed in Vegas and were put in a hanger and divided into four groups. Some of the contestants were going home immediately. As it turned out, it was only one of the groups, but that included Kari Callin, the woman with the cleft lip who was turned down by the cruise ship. They pumped her up, telling her how great she was, and then sent her home as soon as she landed. Mean, mean, mean! They also sent home the Lake Houston Performing Arts Center girls – the young dancers with the afro wigs. They brought 27 young girls to Vegas then made them cry by sending them home immediately. This show is supposed to make one dream come true, but after four seasons, it is still crushing the dreams of many, many more.
Each season, I think I am as frustrated with the show as I can get, but no. This year, the dance crews Euphoria, Destined 2 Be, and Breaksk8 were told they would have to learn a routine and have a dance-off. I almost feel bad seeing the people crying because their hopes are dashed by the judges.
Honestly, there were so many audition shows that I couldn’t recognize a lot of the people there. I don’t know who else was sent home with Kari Callin and the show never bothers to tell us.
All I can do is blog about the ones I know are either in the Top 40 or were sent home:
Peter Peterkin (the Obama impersonator/comedian) – Top 40
Keith Johnson (country singer) – going home
Arcadian Broad (13 year old dancer) – Top 40
Acrodunk (acrobats) – Top 40
The Platt Brothers (dancers/comedians) – Top 40
David Johnson (the guy who wrote/sang the song about the Hoff) – Top 40
Thia Megia (14 year old singer) – Top 40
Rickie and Erik (8 year old dancers) – Top 40
Recycled Percussion (drumming act) – Top 40
Texas Tenors (singers) – Top 40
Manuela Horn (yodeling dominatrix) – Top 40
Fab Five (clogging sisters) – Top 40
Anthony Ferrante (older disco dancer) – going home
Drew Johnson (illusionist) – Top 40
Joseph Constantine (illusionist who had been through tough times) – going home
Spiritual Harmonizers (postal workers groups) – going home
A belly dancer (Anna Pipoyan?) – going home
Bang a Rang (?) – going home
Hairo Torres (break dancer) – Top 40
The burlesque girls with the pink boas – going home
Lawrence Beaman (singer) – Top 40
Kevin Skinner (country singer from KY) – Top 40
Also making the Top 40 was some little girls band that reminded me of the GoGos. Sorry I don’t know the name, but I don’t ever remember seeing them! Maybe it was G-Force, I dunno. If they wouldn’t put 160 acts through to Vegas, I might be able to remember more! There is also a singing guy group going through – cannot for the life of me remember their names either (Mosaic maybe?)
Two dance crews were also sent home, but I don’t know who they were. I am afraid one was the Beale Street Flippers and I really liked them!
Read these other great entries
July 30th, 2009 at 12:16 am
It is simply unfair to fly a group of contestants in and tell them to go home at the airport. What would it have hurt to have all the contestants travel to the hotels, enjoy actually getting into Vegas and its special ambiance and then begin the elimination process?
The elimination process did not impress me. After audition rounds that hailed so many as unique, special, spectacular and standing on the edge of brilliant careers, to eliminate based on a viewing of the audition tape provides no new information upon which to base that decision.
It all seemed so arbitary. Surely AGT could develop a method by which the judges could get a second look especially if that second look indicated what else each act cokuld do beyond the performance in the audition.
Lastly, let me mention one elimination that particularly disappointed me. Kari Callin, the young lady vocalist with the cleft lip deserved a chance to compete fully based on the comments made by the judges when she was selected. Sending her home at the airport was particularly cruel. Shame on you.
When I considered some of the novelty acts that were passed on to Hollywood, the decision to discard such a talented vocalist without a second look seemed even less understandable.
All in all a very disappointing effort.
PS I sent this note to NBC and I encourage others to do the same.
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 pm
I agree that the America’s Got Talent is not all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s sad, because it’s a great concept that could be a lot better if it was done right. Trekker 50, where did you find the contact info. for NBC?
August 9th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I liked the show the first couple of seasons, but it’s getting to the point where it’s nothing but a cruel build-up/let-down roller coaster. One of the acts that got sent home was the 9-year-old blues guitarist. THAT IS TALENT. One that made it to Vegas and is in the top 40 is the old woman comedian. THAT IS NOT – in my opinion of course. Sharon and the others keep bringing up the question “can you entertain and audience for an hour?” and “will people pay to see your act?” Yet last season’s winner was an opera singer. Sorry, if I’m in Vegas, I will NOT pay to listen to opera. New York, yes – Vegas, no. So, I’ve stopped watching. Once they sent Kari Callin and Tallan Noble Latz packing but kept the old lady comedian, that was it for me. They were not looking for talent, they were looking for an uproar from the American audience. Unfortunately, they’re probably going to get a tune-out instead; at least from me.