The Snark Chose Him...
Evidently Paula, the most seemingly dense of the three judges, "got it."
As the majority know, Constantine Maroulis performed "I think I love You" by David Cassidy last week. This song was a surprising choice for him for several reasons:
1. It's a cheesy, shallow pop song.
2. It's a David Cassidy song, for crying out loud!
3. It contradicts his "rocker" image, and is far from a typical "rock song" the audience has grown to expect from him.
4. Constantine's critics and bashers had actually compared him to David Cassidy in the past several weeks, and it hasn't been in a positive light.
So... the question remains... why would he choose such a song? Is he as dense as the judges? Did he simply pull this song out of thin air, randomly? Or, is there more to his decision than what first meets the eye?
Regarding the first two questions... no, he is not dense. His resume is chalked full of experience in everything from garage bands to rock opera to Shakespearian theater. At 29, he is one of the older contestants on AI. His extensive experience and age suggest that this was more than a coincidence or a silly mistake. No, I don't think he chose the song randomly or accidentaly. All the comparisons of him and David Cassidy suggest that this was not a mere coincidence.
"Snarky" is the perfect word to describe this song choice. Last week's performance is indeed drenched in snarkiness, symbolism and humor, for those who are able to "get it." In the past several weeks, critics have mockingly suggested that Maroulis is the new David Cassidy, primarily because of his extensive and obsessive female fan base. Like Cassidy in his day, Maroulis exudes charisma and energy, and his "smoldering" sex appeal hasn't hurt him, either. Just as Baby Boomers posted pictures of Cassidy on their bedroom walls, Maroulis' fans have traded pictures of him online; downloaded, listened to and analyzed each performance; wall-papered their desktop backgrounds with his lovely face; and written extensively about him (yes, I'm referring to the GGG!).
Last week's performance must be taken tongue-in-cheek. It's as if Maroulis is saying to his critics, "You want to compare me to David Cassidy? Ok. Not only will I sing one of his songs, but I will rock to one of his songs, and nail it. I'll show you what I have, and what I can do." And, indeed, he did rock last week, once again showing his versatility to mold into practically any music genre. He somehow managed to turn one of the cheesiest pop songs not only into something decent, but something that will sell.
David Cassidy is arguably the first "American Idol", or teen idol, if you will. Maroulis' decision to sing one of his songs is symbollic and humorous in this sense. Whether he wins the title of American Idol or not is irrelevant at this point. Maroulis has received the publicity he needs, and has enough talent and versatility to carry his career on his own. He doesn't need contracts from Simon Fuller. The Cassidy song proves just that.
Maroulis has also received much criticism for wearing a Justin Guarani t-shirt during one of the elimination shows. This is another classic example of Maroulis wit; the irony is tangible. Guarini, one of the top contestants in a previous AI season, was also known for his charisma, eccentricity and deep gazes into the camera. Although he didn't win AI, he produced a CD nonetheless.
When Maroulis was later interviewed about the shirt, he simply looked down at it, and said something along the lines of having dressed in the dark. In another interview, he said he wore it because I thought he was going to be eliminated. Either way, it's clever; Maroulis definitely has a sense of humour. It would be like me wearing an Ashlee Simpson shirt; or Hillary Clinton wearing a George W. shirt.
The bottom line is this: For some people, Constantine's ironic humor is "hard to handle." But for many of his fans, it's yet another attraction to the mysteriously fascinating force known as Constantine Maroulis.
As the majority know, Constantine Maroulis performed "I think I love You" by David Cassidy last week. This song was a surprising choice for him for several reasons:
1. It's a cheesy, shallow pop song.
2. It's a David Cassidy song, for crying out loud!
3. It contradicts his "rocker" image, and is far from a typical "rock song" the audience has grown to expect from him.
4. Constantine's critics and bashers had actually compared him to David Cassidy in the past several weeks, and it hasn't been in a positive light.
So... the question remains... why would he choose such a song? Is he as dense as the judges? Did he simply pull this song out of thin air, randomly? Or, is there more to his decision than what first meets the eye?
Regarding the first two questions... no, he is not dense. His resume is chalked full of experience in everything from garage bands to rock opera to Shakespearian theater. At 29, he is one of the older contestants on AI. His extensive experience and age suggest that this was more than a coincidence or a silly mistake. No, I don't think he chose the song randomly or accidentaly. All the comparisons of him and David Cassidy suggest that this was not a mere coincidence.
"Snarky" is the perfect word to describe this song choice. Last week's performance is indeed drenched in snarkiness, symbolism and humor, for those who are able to "get it." In the past several weeks, critics have mockingly suggested that Maroulis is the new David Cassidy, primarily because of his extensive and obsessive female fan base. Like Cassidy in his day, Maroulis exudes charisma and energy, and his "smoldering" sex appeal hasn't hurt him, either. Just as Baby Boomers posted pictures of Cassidy on their bedroom walls, Maroulis' fans have traded pictures of him online; downloaded, listened to and analyzed each performance; wall-papered their desktop backgrounds with his lovely face; and written extensively about him (yes, I'm referring to the GGG!).
Last week's performance must be taken tongue-in-cheek. It's as if Maroulis is saying to his critics, "You want to compare me to David Cassidy? Ok. Not only will I sing one of his songs, but I will rock to one of his songs, and nail it. I'll show you what I have, and what I can do." And, indeed, he did rock last week, once again showing his versatility to mold into practically any music genre. He somehow managed to turn one of the cheesiest pop songs not only into something decent, but something that will sell.
David Cassidy is arguably the first "American Idol", or teen idol, if you will. Maroulis' decision to sing one of his songs is symbollic and humorous in this sense. Whether he wins the title of American Idol or not is irrelevant at this point. Maroulis has received the publicity he needs, and has enough talent and versatility to carry his career on his own. He doesn't need contracts from Simon Fuller. The Cassidy song proves just that.
Maroulis has also received much criticism for wearing a Justin Guarani t-shirt during one of the elimination shows. This is another classic example of Maroulis wit; the irony is tangible. Guarini, one of the top contestants in a previous AI season, was also known for his charisma, eccentricity and deep gazes into the camera. Although he didn't win AI, he produced a CD nonetheless.
When Maroulis was later interviewed about the shirt, he simply looked down at it, and said something along the lines of having dressed in the dark. In another interview, he said he wore it because I thought he was going to be eliminated. Either way, it's clever; Maroulis definitely has a sense of humour. It would be like me wearing an Ashlee Simpson shirt; or Hillary Clinton wearing a George W. shirt.
The bottom line is this: For some people, Constantine's ironic humor is "hard to handle." But for many of his fans, it's yet another attraction to the mysteriously fascinating force known as Constantine Maroulis.
posted by Mary Elizabeth at
11:07 PM
|
0 comments
