Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Last night I watched Fame, which is NBC's answer to American Idol. Debbie Allen auditioned people all over the country, and they had to be what they called a "triple threat:" they had to be a singer, a dancer and have personality. Personally, I think that's actually a double threat. A triple threat would be if you acted or something. But we'll let that slide.

There must have been a stipulation that none of the contestants could already have professional careers and training. It seemed like many of the people who competed last night had a common story, in that while they felt comfortable dancing, they didn't have professional training in it.

But Debbie Allen had a workshop with them to prepare them for the show and to teach them the dances they were going to do. When I saw them perform, I could definitely see the raw talent, with some of them being more confident than others.

It seemed last night, though, that the term "personality" was synonymous with "looks." When contestants got their evaluation from the judges, the judges would say "you're very attractive" and that would be the only comment they'd make about their personality. If they're judging personality and they're only talking about looks, I have to believe that's how they're judging personality. That's a strange thing for Carnie Wilson to be doing. Carnie Wilson is one of the judges. As you might remember, she was in the Wilson sisters and has lost more than 100 pounds through gastric bypass surgery. You would expect her to know that personality is about more than looks.

For those who were expecting American Idol, there is one crucial element missing. That would be Simon. The judges here are far more wishy-washy. Everybody is the sweetheart judge; everybody has mostly positive things to say. But regardless of what they say, Debbie Allen then follows it up by gushing over the performer and giving him or her a hug.

Since the judges don't make public any sort of a scoring system, it makes it impossible to know how they judged the winners. I will say, though, that the first round selections were clear. The three who didn't go on missed the mark, whether it was singing slightly off-key or just not putting their heart into it. Those who advanced all clearly deserved to do so, giving powerful performances and impressive dance moves during the group dances. They all had star power, and it's going to be very difficult to select a winner, I'm sure.

This series reminds me, as it's meant to, of the TV series and movie of the same name. I used to love the series Fame. At the time I was taking ballet lessons, and even though I never had any aspirations to be in one myself, the idea of a performing arts school fascinated me. I enjoyed watching the performances as well as the soap opera-like story.

Part of the appeal about Fame, both the show and the movie, was that it was an ensemble. It wasn't about one person being the best, it was about everybody working together. There were several episodes about what happened, such as bad feelings or jealousy, when one person at the school started to stand out. For that reason, it seems odd to use that as the name of a competition for only one winner, when only that winner will get the chance to have a single produced and a year of dance training with Debbie Allen's studio.

It also strikes me as funny that they offer the contestants dance lessons and not voice lessons (although perhaps that's part of Debbie Allen's training). Some of the contestants last night had excellent voices but simply had problems with their delivery. It's not terribly surprising in this society, which had determined that dance lessons are necessary for fame, while voice lessons are not.

I just have to insert right here that one of my favorite pieces to play on the piano in younger years was Fame. I especially loved singing along and can still remember most of the lyrics.

The closest I ever got to trying for a school of the arts was the Pennsylvania Governor's School. Every year they offer summer workshops in a variety of categories, including dance, music, art, government, and writing. I tried for writing, in specific, poetry. The first part is a written application which is mailed in. I guess you could say I made callbacks in that I was asked to come in and tryout for the next level.

I don't remember anything about this day except for being placed in a classroom and told to write a poem incorporating several words that had been written on the board. It seemed a strange way to judge us, but I suppose they had to come up with some way of testing us. While I wasn't chosen, I made for it by later earning a master's degree in poetry.

Thinking about the Governor's School gives me an idea for a new competition show in the arts. It would be a combination of a poetry slam, a musical contest and a spontaneous art competition. The contestants would have to have skills in all three areas. They would deliver a poem, perform on a musical instrument and do a spontaneous painting. It's a little nontraditional, but I bet it could work. In fact, I think it would be a terrific way to bring the arts alive for a huge American audience, who are hungry for art but just don't know it. I think it should be the next big reality competition show.

And I'm not just saying that because I'd audition for it.

More thoughts on "Fame":

June 19, 2003 - Go Harlemm!

June 26, 2003 - Planet Harlemm

July 5, 2003 - The Music of Love

July 10, 2002 - Magical Harlemm

July 17, 2003 - Final Four

July 24, 2003 - And the Winner Is...!

August 1, 2003 - Long, Strange Day

Copyright 2003 by Alyce Wilson

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