Wednesday, September 15, 2010

My Plea for Fighting Gravity

So... I don't know who I'm pleaing to considering that the voting is already closed... but still.  I beg.  I plead.  PLEASE NBC... Fighting Gravity has GOT win America's Got Talent. 

I posted a while back at the beginning of this season about how much I disliked America's Got Talent (but I couldn't stop watching).  Well... I continued to watch every week... and now we are at the finale.  My argument at the beginning of the season is the same as it is now, when we are less than 24 hours away from seeing who gets the million dollars.

With only four acts remaining, THREE of them are singing acts.  Seriously???  Aren't there enough singing competitions out there?  I mean, for real.  Sure, I know that the three singers left don't fit into American Idol demographics (Jackie: too young... Michael, too old... Poppycock, well... too odd?), but still, pop culture has been innundated with singing competitions for quite a while now. 

What makes (or SHOULD make) America's Got Talent different is that they let in variety acts that you can't see on any other program.  These acts NEED this show for the exposure... and stand no chance of becoming famous without it.   If it was up to me... the final four would have been Fighting Gravity, Prince Poppycock. Michael Grasso (magician) and Michael Lipari & Ashleigh Dejon (the aerialists).  Now THAT would have been a good finale filled with variety. 

Fighting Gravity are a group of college guys who probably stumbled upon this popularity and fame.  Are they blessed with "god-given talent" to do what they do?  No.  But they are innovative, exciting, and they make me want to spend $50 on a ticket to see them in Vegas.  Do I want to see an hour of Michael Grimm?  No.  An hour of Jackie singing opera that I don't understand the words to?  No.  Or even an hour of Poppycock?  I'm more likely to buy a ticket for him... but can you imagine the 5 minutes between songs we'll have to wait for his costume changes?  No thanks. 

Each week, Fighting Gravity brought something new.  They stepped up their game.  Their bi-level finale performance was pretty mesmerizing!  Sure... one of the guys in black clothing stepped too far to one side and you could see him.  I agree that that spoils a little bit of the magic.  But still.... is it worth them losing the finale over it?  I certainly don't think so.  Not sure which guy it was... but I'm sure he feels HORRIBLE for making that mistake and feels tons of guilt.  Unfortunately... America is filled with a bunch of sheep who will do whatever the shepherd says... and so when Peirs slammed them for that mistake, they will lose votes.  I hate that.  Still... Fighting Gravity is a group that I would definitely pay $50 to see in Vegas... and I certainly hope they get a show there no matter whether they win or not, because I want to go see it. 

If yet ANOTHER boring singer wins AGT, the show might as well go into obscurity.  After all, the only previous winner to become any sort of popular was ventriloquist Terry Fador.  They should know by now that America appreciates novelty/variety acts. 

Anyway, I'll stop ranting... but I just had to get that out.  Fighting Gravity should win... and I certainly hope they do.  Here's a clip of their performance so you can see what I'm talking about:

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