Rockstar Supernova

[Threadkiller]

Nice job on this week's column DK After only half-watching the first episode of this season's Rockstar I found myself curiously drawn to it and haven't missed an episode yet. This is the case even though I'm fairly sure that regardless of who wins the contest Supernova will probably suck it hard. It's not even that they aren't all amateurs but mostly seasoned performers, it definitely has to do with this,

each contestant, during the post performance judging orals, endeavors to come across as arrogant, confident, strutting, and narcississtic. They all assume that they will be the singer for Supernova.

Something about seeing these cocky rock star types set themselves up to fail or succeed is appealing. I know only one of them can win but watching them lose is fun. They act like, 'hey, I'm cool, your band sucks anyway, I'm 'a go be a rock star somewhere else.' Plus it's nice to see the "judges" totally rip on people that suck. Anyway, my favorites are Lukas (looks like a leprechaun to me) and the dude who looks like Christian Slater and the Aussie dude and the chick with the accent even though she sang a horrible rendition of 'Ring of Fire'.

[Razorback]

The show is like watching a trainwreck... because that is what Supernova will become. So, I will of course catch every episode!

[Corey3rd]

the question is what will they rename the band now that Supernova is suing the show. Would it hurt for someone on the show go to amazon and see that you can buy records by a band named Supernova?

[Razorback]

They will settle out of court and the current Supernova will change its name to something like... music that will not blow you away because it is very slow and boring.

[dkholm]

OK, it's three weeks into the show and A), I only just discovered this forum (stupid, I know), and B) I've changed my thinking on aspects of <i>Rock Star </i>under upon exposure to the cast.

<LI>After watching week two (which is where I started), I thought that Ryan Star was probably the auditioner whose sensibility most reflected my views on rock and roll. But it turns out that 1), he is more a coffee house singer than a rocker, and 2), he is something of a jerk, pulling <i>Survivor</i> or <i>Big Brother</i> style psychological games and taking himself very seriously.

<LI>Did I say this already in the column? <i>Rock Star</i> is better than <i>Idol</i> because the auditioners are not amateurs, they are for the most part seasoned professionals who know what they are doing. The only issue is, which one is right for the band, not who is the theoretical best.

<li>Yet there is remarkably little filler in this show, compared to, say <i>Idol</i>, or <i>Survivor</i>. These reality, or — really — game, shows are only 45 minutes to begin with, but with all the teasers, replays, and drawn out suspense moments, they are really about 30 minutes (though I haven't timed this). I'm grateful for <i>Rock Star</i> being so action packed.

<li>Here's my theory as to why Magni is the Vegas frontrunner. He moves well. He owns the space, rules the stage, like a good rock singer, actor, stand up comic. And he is relaxed doing it. If anyone is going to beat him they have to wrest that stage away from him.

<li>I've also noticed that the SuperNovices are better students of each other than they are of what the band tells them. They mimic each other. If one performer interacts with a member of the House Band, and then is praised for it by SupreNova, the next show, several more of them make pallid attempts at getting down with the band. A two minute song isn't a lot of time to establish stage relationships (though Magni manages).

<li>Where's Butch, the producer? He was a good presence on the panel of judges in the episodes (or maybe it was only the first show). My spies tell me that he is also hilarious, but that when the producers come to fashion a 45 minute show out of two-plus hours of footage, his witticisms are deleted.

<li>Most of all, I am still in love with <b>Storm</b>. I've become quite obsessive. I watch the Monday morning web "reality" broadasts. I've tracked down on extant pix and MP3s on the web, have bookmarked all her sites, and even read her 'blog entries at the <i>Rock Star</i> site. Were she selected in the end, Storm would end up leading SuperNova, as if they were the Balls. Storm will render them SuperNobodies.

But curiously, Storm has become something of a non presence on the show. This is probably due to two things: one, she hasn't done anything stupid at the mansion, and anyway, the editing prefers to emphasize (false?) drama, and two, since she is so openly one of the really talented performers, they are "saving" her for later "drama." I say false drama because it turns out that the fight between Patrice and one of the other singers last week over the song "Helter Skelter" was in fact all a big misunderstanding, shortly thereafter reconciled in the mansion. Apparently this was explained at the taping, but it got cut out.

Ultimately Storm probably doesn't care if she wins. She knows that she's not right for the band, but is using the series to promote herself so that she can return to the Balls and lead it to even greater heights.

[dkholm]

I guess you don't use HTML coding in the forum.

[Razorback]

Magni has grown from the first week. We will see how it all goes down, but he is the only true hard rock vocalist in the competition.

[dkholm]

Oddly, I don't have much of a sense of Magni as a personality. On stage he is dynamic but traditional. In the mansion he is a non-presence, like Storm so far. Still, of the male contestents he feels like the one most likely to be in front of a group like Supernova.

[Razorback]

Oddly, I don't have much of a sense of Magni as a personality. On stage he is dynamic but traditional. In the mansion he is a non-presence, like Storm so far.

That is all editing. Clearly, he is well liked by the rest of the group (the ladies in the house seem to love him), so he must have some kind of personality in there. Just watch the reaction of the group when he was selected for the encore... they seemed genuinely happy for him.

[Threadkiller]

The one weakness that this show has that Idol doesn't is that many of the performers are trying to change themselves and their style to try and meet the demands of a few over-the-hill rockers hoping for a comeback. I wonder how many of them get dressed for the show and fell dirty because the style is so contrary to their own. It's really painful to watch that pop princess try to act all grungy. I wish they could just be who they are and get voted off rather than prostitute themselves by pretending they are something they aren't.

Magni can't win, nobody from Iceland ever amounted to anything. ;)

[dkholm]

1) Yes, absolutely, the show is heavily edited. Magni's "lack" of personality on the show, as it were, is probably due to the fact that in the Mansion he's not doing anything weird or selfish yet, like when the two girls fought over "Helter Skelter." And he's not the only one who has been under the radar.

2) Yes, it is cringe-worthy to see what are essentially pop star types like Dana trying to harden their affect. Why does she want to front Supernova anyway? Can SHE not see that she isn't right for the band?! She's like Gregory Peck trying to be a villain in DUEL IN THE SUN. It's painful. Although Storm is a possible likely candidate for Supernova frontery, the odds are against her, and I am guessing that she doesn't care, that she is just in it for the exposure, and, as she said in an interview, getting some money to pay the musicians in her band The Balls.

[Razorback]

Magni can't win, nobody from Iceland ever amounted to anything. ;)

Yep.... it is not as if Icelanders have ever made it in music before.

[dkholm]

If you watch today's on line video episode (which took me forever to download, by the way), both Magni and Storm come forth as forces. Magni apprears to really, really know what he's doing.

[dkholm]

Here is a question. Why is the performance show on Tuesday at 9 PM, and the elimination show at 8 PM? Does CBS fear that the rockers will be grotty during the performance? If so, they may be right, given what Storm does with a mike stand. Or is it just a peculiarity of scheduling and shouldn't suggest an evaluatative or censorious positioning?

[Razorback]

Here is a question. Why is the performance show on Tuesday at 9 PM, and the elimination show at 8 PM? Does CBS fear that the rockers will be grotty during the performance? If so, they may be right, given what Storm does with a mike stand. Or is it just a peculiarity of scheduling and shouldn't suggest an evaluatative or censorious positioning?

Big Brother pulls in more ratings at 8PM, and the 9-11PM slot is taken on the following night.

[Threadkiller]

I spent a few bucks downloading my favorite performances from the official site the other day. Probably money well spent despite the performances being way to short and not enough good ones yet. The favorites have definitely set themselves apart from the pack by now. I think Magni, Lukas, Storm and Delanna are pretty strong and could front bands better than Supernova under the right circumstances.

[dkholm]

Thanks for the info on programing ... I always forget those details. Just as I always forget that RS isn't really "real," because Mark Burnett is a master of manipulating the edit and coaching Supernova's comments.

Anyway, all of Storm's songs are downloadable from a site dedicated to her life and works. It's at <a href="http://www.adambot.com/m/storm.html"> Storm Large Fan Boy Pages</a>.

[Abby Normal]

Maybe its just me but I see a strong resemblance...
Ryan Star
http://entimg.msn.com/i/Rockstar_Supernova/ryan/head_ryan.jpg
David Blaine
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/SHOWBIZ/08/30/cnna.david.blaine/story.blaine.jpg

Anyway, I havent gotten to see much of it but I enjoyed listening to both Magni and Lukas.

[Threadkiller]

I thought the Supernova performance with Delanna was totally underwhelming. The song sounded like it was written about 10 years ago and is nowhere near the cutting edge stuff they'd need to impress anyone. I'm not the least bit surprised though.

Of the stuff they showed from the various contestants in the studio I thought only Magni or Lukas actually made the stuff sound half decent.

[Eva L'Angel]

I love this show. It started while I was still taking my guitar lessons and I was all rock star enthused. I watch it and sing along and watch them jump around the stage like monkeys on crack..... DAMN I wish I could do that and get paid for it.

[By-tor]

DAMN I wish I could do that and get paid for it.
It's righteous. I've always had a day job, but getting on a stage and playin', for money, or not, is truely the shit!! :)