Idol sarcasm
“Like Anne Robinson of ’The Weakest Link’ before him, [Simon] Cowell has benefited from the weird TV conceit that, perhaps out of some sense of our own cultural inferiority, Americans should enjoy seeing other Americans derided by sarcastic Brits. And yet, an indispensable part of the ’American Idol’ experience is watching the imperious Simon flounder in his own show.
“In the competition’s early rounds, the bizarre comedy of the flamboyantly ’bad’ singers sails far over his head. He’s like a figure-skating judge … scribbling down low scores without looking up to realize he’s at Wrestlemania. But more interesting are the later rounds, in which Simon tries to impose his own rigid ideal of Idolness — a dull combination of capable singing and synthetic sexiness — on the voting audience. And the audience, animated by its own far-from-elevated biases, rejects it.
“One vivid sign of Cowell’s floundering: His famous putdowns, which — despite the stagy malice of the intent behind them — are toothless, indeed witless, in their execution. They are, in fact, more consistently cringe-worthy than the singing that provokes them.”
— Matt Feeney, writing on “’American Idol’ Chatter,” March 30 in Slate at www.slate.com
The cowboy way
“One thing I never understand is why calling President Bush a Texas cowboy is supposed to be a compelling argument against him. You hear this all the time: from Europeans, from sophisticates on both coasts, and especially from the anti-Bush crowd here in Hollywood. But while I’ve never met a cowboy (or indeed anyone from Texas) I didn’t like, I can’t say the same about Hollywood types — especially those who think they’ve come up with such a devastating insult. …
“Those who complain about Bush’s cowboy tactics argue that belligerent foreign warlords should be brought to justice rather than resisted by armies, forgetting that warlords are by definition committing acts of war. …
“The uncowboy way, which many people wish Bush would adopt instead of what he’s doing now, is to appease and negotiate with aggressors. Maybe what distinguishes cowboys is that because they spend their days dealing with animals that are large, dangerous and rarely entirely rational, they understand that not everyone is open to reason. They know that arguing a point has its limits, whether on the ranch or at war.”
— Catherine Seipp, writing on “Cowboy Pragmatism,” April 7 in National Review Online at www.nationalreview.com
Forget ’The Alamo’
” ’Remember the Alamo,’ was an American battle cry for generations.
“Now Disney is trying to get Americans to forget the real history of heroic fight. …
“How likely would it be that 21st-century filmmakers would do justice to these all-American heroes? How likely would it be they could shake the grip of political correctness and play it straight? How likely would it be they could resist the temptations of deconstruction and revisionism?
“[E]ven with my strong background in covering Hollywood’s moral and political abuses for years, I never expected ’The Alamo’ would go this far. I never expected Disney would lie. I never expected the filmmakers would just make it up as they went along. …
“It’s a shame.
“This film needs to die a quick and unmerciful death at the box office. Don’t go see this movie. Don’t let your kids see it. Don’t rent it. Don’t buy the DVD or the video.”
— Joseph Farah, writing on “Remember the real Alamo,” April 8 in WorldNetDaily at www.worldnetdaily.com
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