[ShamanO]

http://www.spinner.c...-american-idol/

Quote

Simon Cowell may have a new unlikely contender for the vacant 'X Factor' judge position: Billy Corgan.

Speaking to Spinner minutes after rallying against the artistic business model that 'American Idol' and 'X Factor' have created, the Smashing Pumpkins singer admits he would be up for a judges position, if it were offered.

"I'd love it," Corgan tells Spinner.

In tune with his earlier diatribe during his SXSW panel discussion, the rocker explains that it is not 'Idol' that's the problem, but society's inability to culturally offset the effect of those shows on the music industry.

"I don't have a problem with 'Idol' or 'X Factor,' I have a problem with when those things are not given the proper contextual hue," he explains. "If there's an 'American Idol' there should be a proper alternative counterbalance -- if there was hair metal, there was grunge, know what I mean?"

As such, Corgan says he can respect shows like 'American Idol' for being transparent in their aim, unlike most modern rock music, which he refers to as Laptop Rock due to its ability to blend into the background while one works.

"Laptop Rock is not the adequate response for 'American Idol' -- and everybody knows it."

[frosty]

this would be fucking awesome. i've been flooding the board with clips from some of the shows. please get rid of most of the country asses who try to contend. i hate country.

this one's funny. randy cracks me up.

[LostSoul]

I want to think Billy being a judge would actually make the show better (I hate it). Yet, at the same time, I feel as if Billy is just trying way too hard to get noticed...

This post has been edited by LostSoul: 15 March 2012 - 12:34 PM

[ShamanO]

I think Billy needs his own show...he can make the rules then...screw AI's rules

[the_farewell_party]

There should be an alt rock/indie Idol. Instead of doing Tina Turner, Garth Brooks and Stevie Wonder covers over and over (not that there's anything wrong with these guys, but people cover their songs to death), people would have to write their own songs and perform demos. The winner would get an album produced or something.

But nobody would watch it because karaoke to Mariah Carey songs is more interesting.

[MoonPI]

the_farewell_party, on 15 March 2012 - 01:33 PM, said:

There should be an alt rock/indie Idol. Instead of doing Tina Turner, Garth Brooks and Stevie Wonder covers over and over (not that there's anything wrong with these guys, but people cover their songs to death), people would have to write their own songs and perform demos. The winner would get an album produced or something.

Now that would be great, and would show some REAL talent!

[Raoul]

what a tosser

If he did this that would be the last drop of his credibility and the Pumpkins as well

The fact he has even mentioned he would like it may have been the last straw

[glassjon]

LostSoul, on 15 March 2012 - 12:34 PM, said:

I want to think Billy being a judge would actually make the show better (I hate it). Yet, at the same time, I feel as if Billy is just trying way too hard to get noticed...

Exactly!

Clutching at straws?

[RottingApples]

I'm sorry, but in the name of "alternative" that Billy has gone on about for the last 2 decades - the concepts of "selling out", "integrity", and "originality", why would an "Alternative American Idol" be a good thing? It's no different than when the GAP cashed in on grunge and sold $200 flannel in the 90s. I'm not even touching the hypocritical elements of Corgan himself being involved in such a concept, after everything he's said (and part of me is hoping he wasn't being serious when he mentioned the idea) but come on people. You're just making it sad now. Why would Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert singing Soundgarden and Curve songs make it any better? Because that's exactly what it would be. They would just be wearing Hot Topic clothes instead of cowboy boots.

This post has been edited by RottingApples: 15 March 2012 - 02:29 PM

[ThatOneGirl]

i find the term "Laptop Rock" to be endlessly entertaining.

[Arachnea]

http://images.businessweek.com/cms/2012-03-15/etc_opener12__01__630x420.jpg

Will these guys be joining Billy as his fellow judges on the new American Idol?

[nasalscarecrow]

I cannot stand talent shows. I'd hate to have to watch one if he was on it.

[LostSoul]

Arachnea, on 15 March 2012 - 03:19 PM, said:

http://images.businessweek.com/cms/2012-03-15/etc_opener12__01__630x420.jpg

Will these guys be joining Billy as his fellow judges on the new American Idol?

Wow. No more SP tonight. I'm a little frightened. Gonna go listen to somethingggg elseeee.....

[lucciola]

This should be hard to be believe, but it's not. Well, at least he's showing his true colors now. I suppose there's something to be said for that. No sense pretending to be something you're not.

[RottingApples]

Arachnea, on 15 March 2012 - 03:19 PM, said:

http://images.businessweek.com/cms/2012-03-15/etc_opener12__01__630x420.jpg

:rofl:/> :rofl:/> :rofl:/> :rofl:/> :rofl:/> ..... :cry:/> :cry:/> :cry:/> :cry:/> :cry:/>

[Bulletproofmask]

I liked it when Billy was "The guy from the Smashing Pumpkins" instead of "The guy who used to be in Smashing Pumpkins and now writes poetry/makes commercials/builds tea houses/does something with wrestling/wants to be on American Idol."

[frosty]

the_farewell_party, on 15 March 2012 - 01:33 PM, said:

There should be an alt rock/indie Idol. Instead of doing Tina Turner, Garth Brooks and Stevie Wonder covers over and over (not that there's anything wrong with these guys, but people cover their songs to death), people would have to write their own songs and perform demos. The winner would get an album produced or something.

But nobody would watch it because karaoke to Mariah Carey songs is more interesting.

x factor has allowed them to do a little bit of that for their early auditions.

also, this season's Idol has some really stand-out performers.

[_________]

I'm not inherently against these kinds of shows. Conceivably you could have some good artists filter up through it, if it focused on songwriting and music composition. They instead usually only focus on the singing alone. If he was judging something like that, that would be ridiculous. Billy is not a very good singer, let's be honest. I mean that just in a technical sense. I listen to some punk too, so I'm not putting Billy's voice down by saying that. The only thing is though, these shows exist basically to exploit the singers and have them sing specially crafted songs. It's a corporate machine for building up best selling artists. Quite frankly, I just don't see Billy as a very good fit for the X-Factor or Idol because of all that. I don't even see why they would want him.

[pastup]

I hate the idea. The whole point of alternative is that you didn't need approval from some panel of judges. Having an "alternative" talent show is a contradiction on so many levels. I hate American Idol btw so I'm definitely biased. There's no saving the American Idol culture by balancing it out with alternative acts. The alternative thing to do is turn off shows like American Idol because they are hopeless and meaningless and serve only one purpose which is to make money. If people stop watching they'll stop making the show. You can do your part just by tuning out. Not by trying to fix it because it's hopeless.

also phrases like "contextual hue" are not very rock n roll. If rock and alternative is about "fuck you" then how would you ever bring it to the mainstream? Both of those ideas can't exist together.

[ShamanO]

well there is way to big of an audience for tuning out to really make an impact on removing American Idol. I'm not a fan of the show and I am pretty sure Billy even said he stopped watching that show, I personally would not want to see him on that show, but like I said elsewhere have his own with his rules :lol:/> although his rules could be tricky :shrug:/>
But he could help mentor young artists, which could be a good thing for them and expose people to other things besides country, pop, r&b and the constant same songs year after year being done on AI. I dont know, it's his decisions of what he wants to do in his life not ours to make for him.

he could be a gust judge on the show, but associating to AI is just not ideally the thing to do imo.


where the hell is this Oceania experience? that's more important than American Idol talk

Arachnea, on 15 March 2012 - 03:19 PM, said:

http://images.businessweek.com/cms/2012-03-15/etc_opener12__01__630x420.jpg

Will these guys be joining Billy as his fellow judges on the new American Idol?

where did this pic pop up from all of the sudden? I like it :lol:/>

[RottingApples]

pastup, on 15 March 2012 - 10:04 PM, said:

I hate the idea. The whole point of alternative is that you didn't need approval from some panel of judges. Having an "alternative" talent show is a contradiction on so many levels. I hate American Idol btw so I'm definitely biased. There's no saving the American Idol culture by balancing it out with alternative acts. The alternative thing to do is turn off shows like American Idol because they are hopeless and meaningless and serve only one purpose which is to make money. If people stop watching they'll stop making the show. You can do your part just by tuning out. Not by trying to fix it because it's hopeless.

also phrases like "contextual hue" are not very rock n roll. If rock and alternative is about "fuck you" then how would you ever bring it to the mainstream? Both of those ideas can't exist together.

I'm glad somebody gets it.

[Sophie]

pastup, on 15 March 2012 - 10:04 PM, said:

The whole point of alternative is that you didn't need approval from some panel of judges. Having an "alternative" talent show is a contradiction on so many levels.

This.

Concerning the whole idea I'm mostly afraid that they are not suggesting Billy's name for the good reason (I mean talent vs ability to act up in public...)

[Arachnea]

ShamanO, on 15 March 2012 - 10:38 PM, said:

where did this pic pop up from all of the sudden? I like it :lol:/>

http://www.businessw...-smashing-heads

[marquisinspades]

I think he is having a mid-life crisis.

Billy on AI? I havn't felt this sick since I saw the Zwan artwork for the first time.

[Parksey]

:nope:/>

[ShamanO]

marquisinspades, on 16 March 2012 - 04:15 AM, said:

I think he is having a mid-life crisis.

Billy on AI? I havn't felt this sick since I saw the Zwan artwork for the first time.

if that's the case...people have been saying this for years about him, so how long does a midlife crisis last then?

[Arachnea]

ShamanO, on 16 March 2012 - 08:29 AM, said:

if that's the case...people have been saying this for years about him, so how long does a midlife crisis last then?

A mid-life crisis can last a surprisingly long time, years, even a decade. It largely depends on if the existential crisis is being dealt with or not. Generally speaking, one cannot move forward without dealing with the core of the crisis or coming to a place of peace with it.

[ShamanO]

Billy says he's at peace in his life...who are we to judge and say he's not?

[RottingApples]

ShamanO, on 16 March 2012 - 09:01 AM, said:

Billy says he's at peace in his life...who are we to judge and say he's not?

Because he's constantly driving it home that he is, when his demeanor clearly says otherwise. It's like the ex who goes on and on about how "over him/her" they are and how much happier they are now without them, when they can't seem to shut up about it....

[Arachnea]

ShamanO, on 16 March 2012 - 09:01 AM, said:

Billy says he's at peace in his life...who are we to judge and say he's not?

People going through a current mid-life crisis do not know they are going through one. People going through a crisis generally claim that they are at peace, better and happier than ever. That is why it is imperative that the behavior and speech of a person is examined. A lot more can be revealed by what someones body language says than what comes out of their mouth. My sister-in-law is a clinical psychologist and she has had several clients who went through these shared stages and exhibited similar signs and claims while they went through them. It was only after they came out of these stages that they were able to see the situation more clearly.

[ShamanO]

so you are saying it's false happiness until they come out of it that they actually have real happiness?

oh man this should be in the health a well being section.

I'd say it would be difficult to get a real perspective of who Billy is since what we see is the public shit and not his private life. SO what do we know besides what is played out in public by him. :shrug:/>

[Arachnea]

ShamanO, on 16 March 2012 - 09:55 AM, said:

so you are saying it's false happiness until they come out of it that they actually have real happiness?

oh man this should be in the health a well being section.

That is what I understood from my conversation with my sister-in-law and some of her colleagues. I only have an undergraduate from the field of psychology, but it sounds about right.

ShamanO, on 16 March 2012 - 09:55 AM, said:

I'd say it would be difficult to get a real perspective of who Billy is since what we see is the public shit and not his private life. SO what do we know besides what is played out in public by him. :shrug:/>

True. However, if I remember correctly, Billy did state in a recent interview that Pink Floyd is the soundtrack to his current existential crisis. Generally, people are not aware of their own crisis, but Billy is a smart guy. Maybe Billy is aware that he is going through one but powerless to do anything about it or how to deal with it. I have not reached mid-life but I have been through my own crisis (I guess you can call it a quarter-life-crisis) and I can tell you that it is not pleasant. I exhibited a lot of confusion, manic behavior, and powerlessness. Yet, at the same, I put on a front that I was fine, that everything was great, and that I was in control. It is a very strange thing to go through. I am not saying that our experiences are the same, as I believe that Billy has far more severe traumas and problems to deal with than I had, but what I am trying to say is that I do not judge him for it.

[ShamanO]

actually I think he said Syd Barret. Can't remember where that interview was.
we all for the most part put up a front to say everything is fine with us because we don't care to elaborate on what is really going on inside of us. And if/when we do talk about that.. there are some people who act all fucked up to you and say shit that is completely unnecessary and for those kinds of reasons we tend to shut down and not have someone to help along the crisis. I dunno I know I shutdown now and don't trust people for the most part if they are trying to hear what I got to say because of shit others have said. And we all know shutting down is not always good mentally, but yet like I said when people say crap you rethink um why the fuck am I talking about this if people have to be assholes about it. where is the kindness of others listening and actually caring? And yet we are supposedly on a connecting to one another more and then you have those that slap you with disrespect. :shrug:/> I dont get it. But if those people get into a moment and feel the need to talk I'm sure they wouldn't like it if they got the shitty disrespect and rudeness they gave out.

[Arachnea]

Was it Syd Barrett? That may be even more telling.

Yes, I agree. I have been in similar situations. It must be infinitely more difficult for Billy being a public figure. It would also lead to more fodder for those that already despise him. Furthermore, I do not think he likes the public image of him as a constantly depressed, negative, whiner. I certainly would say everything I can to dispel that image. That image is a burden onto itself. I think, more the most part, you can hear a clearer picture of his true state and struggles through his art, and it is certainly not rainbows and sunshine.

[ShamanO]

I hear ya. There are things I'm not fond of with his public image, but he makes those choices for himself. He puts himself in a position to be scrutinized by all sorts of people and if he doesn't like that then maybe he should think before he does whatever it is that will/might get him scrutinized, but maybe he enjoys it? I honestly do not know. I do hear in his music it's not all rainbows and sunshine in his life, he needs to figure out his life I guess or maybe he has and what he is doing is what he really wants, but if he wanted something different then he can change whatever he wants/needs to change if there is anything at all to change. again that's on him.

[Arachnea]

Yes, but wanting to change and actually being able to do so are two separate things. Change is a very difficult and painful process. Even those who truly want to change find it difficult to accomplish. Furthermore, sometimes we just cannot have the things we really want.

[ShamanO]

that is correct and yet part of me says hell the fuck no, you are wrong. :lol:/>

[Arachnea]

:lol:/>

Understandable. Yet when the things you want involve other people then it becomes uncontrollable, and further leads to trauma (or crisis). I wager that Billy never imagined that Jimmy would leave again and that he would spend two years trying to find himself musically without his anchor. A situation like that is difficult to accept or come to terms with. He appears relatively accepting of it now yet it took him a few years to get there. This is my own personal opinion, but I think that Billy does miss Jimmy and that he would accept him back in a heartbeat. However, as the Stones say, you can't always get what you want.

[ShamanO]

true, but ya know that part of his life has created him to have more to feel and write about, so as shitty of a moment that was and he probably felt like crap, he has also managed to create from it. And he has survived the ordeal, it didn't put him in the ground. So overall he's ok, still alive, and breathing doin his thing. No one has a perfect life of everything falling into place, I'm sure Billy is aware of that happening in life more than once.

[Arachnea]

For sure, and that is the healthier way to look at it. Yet that does not stop people from still hoping for otherwise, for still wanting what they really wanted. You never stop wanting those things, you merely learn to accept the uncontrollable situation and try to move forward and let other things into your life. That does not mean that that want will be replaced or forgotten, and some wounds never truly heal, but the point is to come to a place of peace and acceptance of that which is beyond ones control.

[ShamanO]

maybe if we were all a science experiment it could be controlled? sorry random thinking here :p/>

yeah, you just have to keep on living each day even if you have those depresso moments

[Arachnea]

Exactly. Those moments of depression may come and they may come often, but tomorrow is still another day and you never know what the new dawn will bring.

[ShamanO]

Ha! that is my mentality of each new day :)/> even if I know some of the routine I will endure, you never know what happens along the path of it...

[Rachel]

LostSoul, on 15 March 2012 - 12:34 PM, said:

I want to think Billy being a judge would actually make the show better (I hate it). Yet, at the same time, I feel as if Billy is just trying way too hard to get noticed...

spot on...you saved me from having to type that up myself