Singapore Idol or Idiot?

The latest talk in town, besides the hand-over of post of PM from Goh Chok Tong to Lee Hsien Loong, seems to be the search for a local talent to be the first IDOL in Singapore. Copying the style of the original series of American Idol, the new show attempts to weed out idol-wanabes and find a talented youth with a zeal to sing. After watching 2 episodes, I am beginning to doubt the "watchability" of the show. Goosebumps appear on my skin whenever someone sings off-key or does something stupid, like saying lame excuses that they are sick or have a sorethroat. Either the producers have decided to not show the talented sing or there wasn't any to start with. The whole thing looks more like a comedy than a reality series, at least to me. I laughed so hard that I nearly got stomach cramps at the end. The "best" part of the show was the "Lemon Tree" guy singing. I agree with Ken Lim, one of the judges, that he sounds better than William Hung but he could have tried harder.

Contestants aside, the judges really looked like they were trying to emulate the original judges in American Idol. Ken Lim and Dick Lee seems to be a Simon-wanabe, with their ultra-sarcastic remarks and bochup altitude. Florence really gave me a feeling similar to Paula Abdul and Douglas was as cool as Randy Jackson. Maybe it was all a matter of perspective. By the way, I caught a glimpse of a friend in the show. He was one of the poor guys dragged to support one of the contestants who had to find 5 people who thought she was good before she could be selected to go on. All in all, I feel that this "reality" show still has much to improve on to increase the degree of "watchability" standard. Call me a critic but do take a look at yourself first in a mirror before you intend to participate in the next round of Singapore Idol the next time. And, don't ever try to hide your face in a mask.