Everyone’s a critic, especially when it comes to judging talent. From American Idol to The X Factor to Dancing With the Stars, reality competition shows appeal to our desire to both watch people shoot for their dreams and determine who gets to fulfill them.
At the heart of these competitions is the idea that America or other countries get to choose the winner. But should that be the message? There are talented dancers/singers who get voted out in favor of less talented but very popular contestants, or those paired with popular pros or those thatviewers feel sorry for due to injury or hardships overcome.
You can make the argument that yes, the popularity of shows like Idol is fueled by this enticing promise. If you diligently watch every episode and vote like a good fan should, then you get to participate in the making of these would-be stars. And, of course, each of these shows has a set of judges marketed to us as experts in the fields of music or dance. While their knowledge and savvy are nothing to sneeze at, leaving the decision solely up to professionals would extinguish the core reason for tuning in to these shows in the first place.
So what’s the solution? There may not be a right answer , but here some suggestions for improvement.
Define The Show
Is the show supposed to be a popularity contest or a talent show? If it truly wants the most talented to have a chance to win, then tell viewers that. Instead of encouraging the audience to vote for their "Favorites", implying whoever they like the most, encourage them to vote for the performance that they thought was the best. Or how about voting for whoever has improved the most from week to week? Clearly defining what the show is all about might help more talented but lesser known celebs get more deserved votes.
Return to the Show's Roots
Dancing With the Stars was originally conceived as a ballroom show like its predecessor, Strictly Come Dancing. But, the show has introduced more contemporary and jazz and is allowing less pure Paso Dobles and Viennese Waltzes. Let the main competition be ballroom and save other styles for a freestyle routine or guest dancers.
Music that Matches the Dance
Surely it can't be that difficult to have a waltz that matches a waltz routine, can it? As for using older music, shows are wrong in thinking that younger people don't like the style. They do. Plus, pretty music enhances a performer. Who wouldn't enjoy a Waltz performed to Engllebert Humperdinck's "Last Waltz"?
Dancing With the Stars was originally conceived as a ballroom show like its predecessor, Strictly Come Dancing. But, the show has introduced more contemporary and jazz and is allowing less pure Paso Dobles and Viennese Waltzes. Let the main competition be ballroom and save other styles for a freestyle routine or guest dancers.
Music that Matches the Dance
Surely it can't be that difficult to have a waltz that matches a waltz routine, can it? As for using older music, shows are wrong in thinking that younger people don't like the style. They do. Plus, pretty music enhances a performer. Who wouldn't enjoy a Waltz performed to Engllebert Humperdinck's "Last Waltz"?
Make Voting Visible
A nagging factor in all of these shows is that viewers never get to see the percentage of votes each contestant gets. Tens of millions of votes are cast each week, yet we’re left only with the basic information of who’s grouped into the top and who’s left at the bottom. Revealing actual percentages — even the number of votes — could very well heighten the competition between contestants and boost overall viewership.
A nagging factor in all of these shows is that viewers never get to see the percentage of votes each contestant gets. Tens of millions of votes are cast each week, yet we’re left only with the basic information of who’s grouped into the top and who’s left at the bottom. Revealing actual percentages — even the number of votes — could very well heighten the competition between contestants and boost overall viewership.
Add Math to Viewers Votes as Well as Judges
While some people are still miffed by the numerical grading system on Dancing With the Stars, it’s actually the most concrete way to chart each contestant’s growth on the show over time. Why not allow the audience to be able to give a 6.5 for instance, or a 10? Viewers love to see their favorite contestants improve over the course of the competition, and implementing a scoring system that can be combined with audience scores would create more tangible results.
Fix the Voting System
This is easier said than done, but finding a way to weed out automated programs or voting bots would legitimize the system as as whole. Limit the number of phone votes and use Captcha words to determine real voters.
This is easier said than done, but finding a way to weed out automated programs or voting bots would legitimize the system as as whole. Limit the number of phone votes and use Captcha words to determine real voters.
Public Votes Until the Final
This would allow viewers to participate, but also allow the judges to determine the final winner out of the 2 or 3 finalists.
No Extra Voting by Judges
Here, I am addressing a problem with Dancing With the Stars. Currently, 3 finalists perform and the public votes. Their votes count for half of the total score. That would be ok except that the judges get to ad more points to their 50% by having the final 2 dance again. Why do this? It's unfair to the viewers and to the contestants.
Here, I am addressing a problem with Dancing With the Stars. Currently, 3 finalists perform and the public votes. Their votes count for half of the total score. That would be ok except that the judges get to ad more points to their 50% by having the final 2 dance again. Why do this? It's unfair to the viewers and to the contestants.
Same Dance/Music/Theme
Have contestants all perform a set dance such as a Viennese Waltz or Rumba, or singers sing the same song. Boring? Well, maybe, maybe not. It would definitely give both judges and viewers a chance to compare the contestants on a level playing field.
Have contestants all perform a set dance such as a Viennese Waltz or Rumba, or singers sing the same song. Boring? Well, maybe, maybe not. It would definitely give both judges and viewers a chance to compare the contestants on a level playing field.
Have Only 2 Finalists: Why have 3 people in a final, forcing one of them to have to exit? That must feel uncomfortable to the 3rd place contestant. Why not narrow it down to just 2? American Idol is great in this respect.
No Sympathy or Unfavorable Vids - It;s one thing to show training vids. It's another to use a contestant's injury or disability to be shown over and over again. Equally unfair is to catch a contestant in a bad mood and use to show him/her in a negative light. I'm sure that the contestants who go on these shows want to either win or lose fairly, based on their performances. In fact, many outright say so.
No Sympathy or Unfavorable Vids - It;s one thing to show training vids. It's another to use a contestant's injury or disability to be shown over and over again. Equally unfair is to catch a contestant in a bad mood and use to show him/her in a negative light. I'm sure that the contestants who go on these shows want to either win or lose fairly, based on their performances. In fact, many outright say so.
Do you think talent show judging needs some changes? What ideas do you have?