American Idol moved to New Orleans for the second episode of its tenth season, which aired January 20, 2011. The shift in location cured many of the problems that beset the season premiere. The fact that it was a regular one-hour episode instead of a two-hour extravaganza also made a difference, as the focus was entirely on the auditions as opposed to all the grandiose, overdramatic elements that made the premiere feel as though it was trying too hard.
Idol's shift to New Orleans fixed much of what was wrong with the season premiere
In the place of that self-aggrandizement, the episode kicked off with an amusingly bad performance (one that wasn't actually part of the auditions) and a restrained introduction to the city. Where Idol's stop in New Jersey felt like one long effort to exploit the Jersey Shore stereotype, the New Orleans intro underplayed the city's role as a music mecca, focusing instead on Ryan Seacrest's prior problems with pronouncing Creole phrases. It was an odd choice, but at least it lacked the condescension of the New Jersey intro.
It also helped that the first contestant actually knew something about music. The heartwarming human interest stories on Idol rarely work because they enlist the audience's sympathy for the person rather than having anything to do with the music. But Jordan Dorsey is an exception, because his background as a music teacher gives him a motivation for competing that's different from the previous night's contestants: he wants to provide an inspiring example for his students. His vocals weren't perfect, but he was good enough that it was easy to predict he would pass on to the next round.
The judges are settling into their roles now, and it's fun to watch Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson play off each other
The judges have gotten a little tougher since New Jersey, but it's telling that Randy Jackson, the most seasoned of the group, is the first to say "no" when confronted with a really bad performance. Steven Tyler shows his disgust through his facial expressions, but still tries to be tactful when he actually tells the potential contestants they aren't going to move forward. The easygoing rapport he displayed with Jackson on the season premiere continued in this episode, and suggests that Tyler may well turn out to be the greatest asset of the new Idol. It's also amusing to watch Tyler's responses to attractive female contestants- there's sure to be plenty of speculation as to how long it will take him to sleep with one of them.
Jennifer Lopez feels like the odd one out in this panel. It isn't that she doesn't get along with Tyler and Jackson, but it doesn't seem as though she really interacts much with them, and she still hasn't developed the tough-mindedness necessary to be a fully effective judge. At times, her celebrity overshadows the other two, as when Jovani Barreto auditioned and focused all his efforts on gushing about how he's been a fan of Lopez for years and sees her as in inspiration. If he was trying to sway her vote, it was unnecessary, since she never wants to say no to anyone. (Also, Barreto was good enough from an objective standpoint that there was no need to try and persuade the judges anyway.)
The new Idol places more emphasis on the good contestants and less on making fun of the bad ones
The producers still intersperse the good performances with plenty of clips from disastrous auditions, but there's also a lot less of the feeling that the audience is being encouraged to laugh at the misery of others, an atmosphere the show often conveyed in the Simon Cowell era. So while Cowell's forthright cruelty is still missed in the actual judging, the new season of Idol is already feeling more humane. Whether or not this will be a boon for ratings remains to be seen, but on the basis of this episode, it's an approach that works well for the show.
It's also noteworthy that this episode located a better balance between vocal firepower and interpretive ability than the season premiere. Sarah Sellers brought a soulful quality to Bob Dylan's "To Make You Feel My Love" that brought out the song's emotional qualities, while Jacquelyn Dupree's take on The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You" was loud without being overly showy, devoid of the over-the-top melisma that derailed many of the first episode's performances. Perhaps this is a sea change in Idol's contestant choices, and a recognition that people are losing interest in the strictly technical approach to singing that's tended to dominate the show in the past.
The unexpected standout of the show was a 15-year-old boy named J.C., who bore a striking resemblance to a heavier Justin Bieber (comments on Twitter also compared him to Andy Milonakis) but also turned in an excellent vocal performance. There was a great deal of controversy when Idol decided to lower the age limit this year, but the young contestants so far have shown a great deal of poise and maturity, and this kid took the judges completely by surprise with his ability. It looks like lowering the age limit wasn't a bad move after all.
This episode showed that Idol can still entertain and showcase deserving new talent
Even some contestants that didn't make the cut were interesting. We'll likely hear more from Gabriel Franks, whose enthusiastic performance of Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance" went completely off the rails in the chorus but still had plenty of heart and moments of technical competence. At its best, Idol provides a showcase for these sorts of talents, singers who have tremendous potential to grow if they have the proper encouragement. And after its disappointing start, Idol itself has recovered nicely and demonstrated it still has the ability to entertain while providing a national showcase for engaging new talents.
Paul Brown - Paul Ferrell Brown graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1994 with a B.A. in English literature, and completed his M.A. in ...
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