No More American Idol Secrets

By now the cat’s out of the bag:
I got rejected!!!
I made it all the way to the Executive Producers, only to be turned down. After eating, sleeping, and breathing American Idol for so many months, one might ask, “Was it all for nothing?” I think not. In short, this was not so much an effort to become an Idol contestant as it was a performative exploration of the norms bound up with the show. I also thought of it as quite political—I wanted to get young people thinking about the practice of voting in the lead-up to the 2004 Presidential elections, which ran parallel to the lead-up to my audition. This, I think, worked. (How fun that my audition aired on the night of the State of the Union!) Over 6,000 of you wrote me to vote on what I should wear and sing and since then, another 10,000+ of you expressed your solidarity. This, to me, has been profound and I do thank you, sincerely. I’ll admit that this whole process affected me deeply, and as I progressed through the auditions, I found that I had to put many of my own stereotypes and assumptions in check.

The one thing that remains is that I love to sing and I always will. When I sang for Nigel Lythgoe, one of the two Executive Producers, he told me that I had “about as much chance of becoming the next American Idol as [he did] of becoming the next Picasso,” I was shocked. First of all, I was elated that he’d use an art reference to diss me, since this was an art project about the relationship between fame & talent. But, I’ll confess that it shook me. It took me a few days to have the confidence to sing in the shower, again. But I’ve been performing and playing with friends, since then, and I continue to love it. I may not have a body like Christina Aguilera, a voice like Mariah Carey, or a wardrobe like Beyonce Knowles, but I’m comfortable with myself. I hope that any aspiring Idol reading this will be equally as comfortable with themselves (so many of you wrote me about your insecurities), and know that while the show is great at packaging talent, it is not the only road to success. My training took the form of attempting to stand out, yet often resulted in bruises, rashes, and heartache (see above, and below). In the end I stand out anyway, and I love it here in my little corner. Thanks for stopping by.

P.S. I wanted to post some kind of update right away, but if you want to read a longer explanation of my reasons for going into training, keeping this blog, and auditioning, come back shortly for a behind the scenes diary, a statement on “why I did it” and notes on the aftermath of my American Idol audition experience. (Remember that I'm on the West Coast, so I'm posting this ten minutes before the San Francisco auditions even air, here. OOPS. UPDATE: I just saw the auditions and mine didn't even air--despite the fact that a cameraman followed me around quite a bit...) For those who are local, send me your contact info and I’ll add you to the invite list for my upcoming exhibit at 667 Shotwell, which will dig more deeply into the whole process. Go Mo!

Comments

[Danielle Meyer]

Hey all!

Just wanted to let ya know that I think Marisa's web page is so fabulous, I've decided to carry on her tradition by keeping a diary of my own training process to become the next American Idol. If anyone wants to check it out, the address is http://hometown.aol.com/socalblondie83/index.html Please check it out! Thanks a lot!

PS- Marisa, Sorry ya didn't make it babe, but I think you are awesome.

Danielle

[ocean]

i want to try out for the next american idol! where can i find the info for it? by the way, i'm sorry you didn't make it! thank you
ocean

[donna]

please informy about amercan idol season 5

[Jonathan]

i found some hilarious rubberfaces.com site where you can MANGLE simon's face!

[Ester]

Hello, I am just a person who religiously watches American Idol. (ever since i came out). But i have to admit that the best and funniest parts of American idol happens before the season starts- the audition. I just happened to come across your blog while i was searching the web. First of all I think you were very brave to actually go through the elimination process as well as accepting constuctive criticism. You are probably an awesome singer and now that it is in the past, grow from the experience andbecome a better singer and better person. Ever since I began watching american idol, i fell in love with it more and more... The show gives a chance of succss to normal undiscovered people gifted with amazing voices. You should be proud of yourself for actually auditioning and trying to succede.

[kathy]

well, ill tell you, the reason why you shouldnt have done it is because you can't sing =/.

[Marisa S. Olson]

Hi, there, TV fans. Every day I get several e-mails from readers of this blog who are wondering when and where they can audition for American Idol, for the next year/season. I try to respond to everyone, but sometimes it's tough to keep up. (One girl I replied to, today, said she didn't have time to check the internet every day, so she wanted me to e-mail her as soon as I find out about next year's auditions...)

SO, if you want to audition for American Idol, here's what you do: Visit http://www.idolonfox.com They will post the info toward the end of the season and they keep it up for months. This year they decided the cities & dates before they even chose the specific audition locations. Remember, they count on you being one of many to show up & audition, so there's no way you'll miss the info, if you check the website. Once it's up, it will be very visible. Also, toward the end of the current season of American Idol, Ryan Seacrest will probably make an on-air announcement (or several) about how, when, and where to audition for the next season of American Idol.

So that's how it's done. Good luck to you! And keep your head up high if you don't make it... Anyone who's been to an American Idol audition will tell you that some very, very good singers get cut, while some less-good singers move through the ranks for different (usually entertainment-related) reasons... Thanks for reading! ~marisa

[koolio]

dont worry marisa - we still think you are the bomb!