USA Today - Judges Leave Those Kids Alone!

Reviewing articles put out about the contestants on American Idol 5, I was inspired to put an album by 'Pink Floyd' on my turntable. There's a tune on "The Wall" that specifically came to mind, 'Another Brick in the Wall'. The message of this song concerns the manipulation of children in schools and the encouragement to conform to achieve a uniform mindset pushed by the approved realms in society.

Lyrics include, "We don't need no education.We don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher, leave those kids alone. Hey, Teacher, leave those kids alone! All in all it's just another brick in the wall. All in all you're just another brick in the wall. We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control."

The conflicting advice doled out on my favorite talent show of all time, American Idol, by the panel of judges, is like dealing with the PushMePullYou in Dr. Doolittle. Stop emoting, limit the dancing, emote more! Move more! What the contestants need to keep in mind is the fact they were voted into this show and are still in the show primarily due to the first impressions laid on the viewers. Taylor Hicks was voted in for several reasons, he's unique in appearance, due to his prematurely graying hair, his beautiful smile, his politeness and humility, but most importantly of all the reasons to root for this man - his ability to release passion, intensity, and his demonstrating he has cahones big enough to lay it all out. Over the past two shows we have seen a drop in that energy and lightening force electricity. In fact, during Country theme week, when I thought Hicks would shine through, he seemed almost neutered. Granted, the contestants are supposedly 'living in a bubble' and not able to access outside information, (what are they under lock and key?) but my hopes are that family and friends who have contact are expressing the public's desire to see Taylor Hicks be Taylor Hicks and not some sort of processed pop-tart baloney that the American Idol and 19E machine THINK the audience needs and wants to see. I want my big Mack Daddy of Soul back; Taylor pull out those big ones tonight, and to the judges, 'leave those kids alone'!

Groove on Soulman,..... and happy TuesTay!