Taylor Hicks, Jason Castro and the Instrument Issue: Will it, Does it, Would it Make a Difference?

Taylor Hicks, if he'd been allowed to play his harmonica or guitar during Season 5 would have conclusively made the other contestants the definition of "moot points". It is also very possible that his caliber of post-Idol Cd would have been much improved as well with the altered mass public perception of his talents. The "woulda, shoulda coulda" game - I could go on. Certainly there would exist a different view of Taylor Hicks, but then we would have had less entertaining and colorful commentary by Simon Cowell, such as, "Drunk Dad at a wedding".

Taylor Hicks video,"Here Comes the Sun" by Sunnydey1


Spoilers out today indicate Jason Castro will be performing an Eagle's tune. It is reported he will be playing his guitar again this week and the judges criticize his playing it twice in a row. Again, this is just spoilers and not confirmed truth since family and close associates are bound by the diabolical 19E to stay mum and are abiding by the rules, so far...

Since the rules have changed and now, instruments allowed, the contestants who can play and feel comfortable playing, shouldn't consider 'changing it up'to mean play one week and not the other. Too much of this thought process makes them seem more Organ Grinder Monkey than artist. If the contestant plans in the future, in their career, to play that guitar or keyboard, or whatever instrument they gravitate toward, now is the time to feature that side of them. It provides further identity development in the mass public eye.

The criticism regarding, changing it up, simply manipulative jargon to fool the mass public. Let's look at the flipside. Contestants that every week stand up and just sing, how about they work to change it up? My words, "So you stood there and sang again, you need to change it up". Really, so what if they can't play any instruments, so what if they just want to sing, no interest in strumming the guitar or learning piano? In the spirit of 19E, and this bloody reality show, I'd add, "Grab a tamborine or for heaven's sake beat a cowbell, something, just change it up".

Let's tell Ben Harper, Eddie Veddar to change it up shall we?

I think not.