Work-stopping TV: The Contender and American Idol

It must have been a conspiracy of sorts.  On Wednesday evening, the final episode of “The Contender” aired live over AXN at 10:00 p.m.  I’ve been following this show on and off after having watched the earlier episodes based on Mark Burnett’s statement on the Tonight Show that this was the best work he’d ever done.  Well, it doesn’t rise to the drama of The Survivor series but what it lacks in emotional conflict, it makes up for in raw violence brought up in weekly matches between at the Contender Arena.  My wife thinks it’s all rigged and to a certain extent I agree with her.  It’s all in the editing anyway since they don’t show the whole fight.  They lead the audience to believe that one fighter is better than the other and then lead that one to lose.  This was certainly the case in the first episode when Alfonso Gomez, the smallest of the bunch, beat world-ranked Peter Manfredo.  By some twist of fate, Peter made it back to the show and onto the final bout with Sergio Mora.  Again, I thought Peter would win and again, I was wrong.  Same was true for the unannounced pre-fight between Alfonso and Jesse. The smaller guy won.  What’s going on here?

So, much for Wednesday evening.  American Idol was waiting at 8:00 a.m.

Truth be told, it was my first American Idol final episode and I didn’t know what to expect.  It wasn’t so bad except that I found myself sitting through this show for something that took less than 5 seconds to announce.  The show itself tries to be unscripted but it’s obvious that just about everything outside the singing competition is scripted.  The producers obviously concocted the controversy and conflict between the judges and in one instance between Simon and Ryan.  And that alleged Paula Abdul-contestant affair?  I guess they’re just giving people more things to say by the water bottle.  Distractions aside, I don’t think the best person won but I think it was a fair outcome.  The reason is that I think Bo will become a star while Carrie’s going to fade out.  The other losing Idol that will make it is Constantine.  The energy these guys bring to the stage is phenomenal and I have little doubt their Idol exposure will bring them very good projects that will make them shine. 

I sometimes wish more Pinoys join American Idol because I think they’ll definitely win.  If Pinoys here can vote then we’d swamp the polls with at least 30 million votes on each episode cast for our kababayan.  You might as well call it Pinoy Idol.  Simon Callow would pass out.  Now, that would be a show I’d watch every week.