The American Idol complex

And I am not talking about the big commune of yurts where they keep the past winners. I am talking about what I like to (as of today) refer to as The American Idol complex pertaining as to how sometimes people need to be told the truth and often it is the people closest to them that fail in doing so. The only person who told the truth was that annoying English git in his tight V-neck shirts.

The truth will set you free

No, this is not a sermon from the mount but I often use that phrase. However, I do know that I am also guilty of not always telling the truth to avoid upsetting others but that is not what The American Idol complex is.

Well what is it then?

The American Idol complex (and trust me, I have played a Doctor on stage so I know what I am talking about) is where good meaning but badly executed praise is heaped on someone who should not have praise heaped on. It was amazing in the early episodes of American Idol how many tone deaf, talentless people turned up to auditions and then had their hopes and dreams smashed by the one with the Pommie accent and annoying chest hair. If the family of said talentless people had been honest with them in the first place then they wouldn’t have to come crashing down to earth so hard when they are told the truth. Sure the ratings of the show would have sucked, but that may have also been a good thing. People seemed to watch the auditions more than the competition for the same reason that people watch Nascar at Daytona, they know there is going to be a big one down the back straight.

Honesty is always (well not always, but use your discretion) the best policy. Sure some parents may be tone deaf and talentless also but there has to be at least one person in the circle who knows what music is meant to sound like. Falsely inflating ones ego to a point where they don’t know the truth from a middle C should be a punishable offence – make the parents listen to Kanye talk for 24hrs – that ought to stop them. I know that in my brief time on stage (and no I was not working a pole as such) I much preferred brutal honesty to feigned platitudes. Sure some opinions weren’t worth the paper they were printed on as they were tarnished with the fact that the opinionator didn’t know fuck all, however some people's viewpoints were valid and based on experience or knowledge. Far too many people walk around writing ego checks that their bodies can’t cash. You should never smash someone’s dreams and aspirations, however you can sometimes assist them in modifying them to something a bit more realistic.

A short blonde haired Rhodesian man once told me that sometimes to lead you have to be hypocritical. A leader sometimes has to admonish someone for doing the same thing you used to do, hell you have to be like that as a parent. I guess that is just what life is about, trying to bend the rules until you become the one that enforces the rules. You may not be an expert but if you hear the dogs start howling and it sounds better than the singing then you probably don’t need to drag your kids to the nearest audition.

So where am I going with this?

I know some of you read these blogs (technically you are now if you got this far) and some of you like them and some of you stopped reading a few weeks ago, but if you got this far why not make a comment? I think it is time for some constructive (one can only hope) criticism. You can anonymously post a comment on this blog at the bottom (or you can not be anonymous – whatever floats your boat) and I respectively ask you to do so. I had someone the other day tell me that the blog was weird, fair comment, not too much offense taken J I also had someone comment that they were surprised that I used words like purloined and plaudit and had them in a ‘grammatically accurate sentence’. Both those opinions were from people that I love, respect or both and I therefore deemed both judgments valid.

Too long the silent majority has remained silent. Too long the valid opinions of many have been breezed over by the loud-mouthed overly opinionated few. Too long has Donald Trump been allowed to keep fucking talking.  So here is your chance to freely opine on my blogs. I am here, ready to take your best shot. Feelings may be hurt (well if I had any anymore, they have been packed up for a later day) but sometimes it is just nice to be honest and not have fear of the consequences.  I know that I would love to live a life where my statements have no repercussion but unlike some floppy haired tossrag I know the world doesn’t work that way. So bring it on, the good, the bad, and the aforementioned ugly. It will make you feel better about yourself, a bit like hitting a punching bag when you have had a bad day. If you have something nice to say, say it. And if you have nothing nice to say, well say it also J

It’s like free therapy and some of us desperately need it.

Please remember the opinions posted on this blog are solely mine, the blog is not about you and if you don’t want to read this then don’t read it. I will keep writing it and hopefully one day this will all make sense J

So work hard, play hard and earn your inspiration.

Happy Poets Day