I'm surprised how many people are surprised that I'm not still blogging about American Idol. Like all endurance projects, this one had an end in mind, and like this season of the show, this project has come to an end. Of course, now that the season's over, some of my contractual obligations have loosened, and in three months I'll be eligible to sign a record contract. So, please, keep those offers coming! Like most blogs, this one is organized with the most recent posts at the top. If you want to read the entire three-month diary of my American Idol Audition training, scroll to the bottom and work your way up. If you just want to peruse the greatest hits, check out some of my fondest training memories, like the time I went high heel training, the time I toasted myself at the tanning salon, the time I campaigned in front of Fox HQ, my practice interview with Tabitha Soren, my solid gold weight training, and of course, the behind the scenes pix I took until they stopped me... Meanwhile, this is my absolute final post (sniffle), so I'll bid you a fond farewell and thank you for reading. It amazes me how many people I connected with over this silly site--even if my family thought I was crazy! Big ups to those who came to my show at 667 Shotwell (especially Chris Sollars, who helped me shoot a fictional re-enactment video of my audition)! Be sure to check out this blog and its iPod translation in the Rhizome Artbase 101 show, at New York's New Museum of Contemporary Art, June 23-Sept 10. {Update: Here is the NY Times review of the show.} Hugs and kisses in the key of E, marisa.
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!
Tattle-Tale Tuesday
Well, today is the first official day that American Idol auditions will be aired on TV. They'll continue tomorrow. I'm actually not sure if the San Francisco auditions will be on tonight or tomorrow. I'm feeling a little nervous about what will actually air. A camera crew followed me around, a bit, between auditions, and (unlike most people) all of my auditions were on-camera... By the time I made it to the Executive Producers, I was completely exhausted, my sense of hearing was wrecked by the sensorium of the Cow Palace, and I was pretty sick. I even went in for emergency surgery, the next week... Oh well. We'll see what airs. Afterwards I'll post my final updates about the auditions & I'll try to get a home movie of what airs up on your screen.
TOP SECRET: For those of you who just can't wait, you can check out an interview I gave with Jon Brumit, of NPR (Neighborhood Public Radio). Click here and scroll down to the October 20th episode of Catch & Release. The show was a contribution to The Way We Work, at Southern Exposure, which made it to Pamela Lee's Top Ten of 2004 List, in Artforum. YAY!
Powering Up
Hello, friends. First let me say thank you to those of you who have written, since my American Idol audition, to wish me well & check in on my progress. Between all of my rigorous training exercises and the massive attention drawn to my blog by the New York Times, MSNBC, Yahoo, and Rhizome.org (not to mention other bloggers!), this has been an amazing adventure. It's been exciting to be in touch with all of you in the course of my own transformation and I continue to appreciate your support and advice.
The new season of American Idol begins in January and I must, sadly, wait until then to post my update on the auditions. I will, however, be dropping some strong hints in a performance I'm giving at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive on December 8th. All of the details about my PowerPoint Presentation are here. If I don't see you there I'll see you back here in January.
Quick Update: Here's a Wired article about the performance at the Berkeley Art Museum. The writer calls me funny. Yay!
Stay Tuned...
Whew. I cannot remember the last time that I was this exhausted. I made it through months of training, hours of standing in line, and several auditions songs... I'm not allowed to tell you much, at this point, but I can tell you that my ears are ringing to the tune of a Whitney Houston song. If you've not had a chance to do so, please do visit my moblog page, which includes over forty photos taken over the last few days. And, meanwhile, thanks for your continued support and words of wisdom. Stay tuned to find out how I did...
Mo Goes Moblogging
The producers of American Idol make all would-be auditioners sign contracts that, among other things, limit how much info one is allowed to disseminate about the audition & competition processes. To this end, I have no idea what I'll be allowed to document, from this point out, but I want to continue bringing you info about my personal experience, so I am going to try to moblog from Cow Palace. Unfortunately, I've had a bit of trouble moblogging here, so I'll sadly have to redirect you to another site. Click here to see what, if any, updates I'm allowed to post from the audition line. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for me!
Bright Idea, Bright & Early...
Goodness gracious it's early. I had a great idea, between last night's cat naps. I had been regretting not taking dance lessons before the American Idol Auditions, but then I remembered that, on one of the audition reel episodes, last season, I saw this kid doing some cool dance moves, in line. So I thought to myself, "Hey, self... All of these thousands of other contestants have been in training for months, too, right? Maybe they can teach you how to dance!" This is really exciting. It will give me a good way to pass the time, and it will be constructive. I can't wait!
Sleepy Time = Nerve City
I’m trying to hit the hay a little early because I have to get up way early. People are allowed to line up at 6am, tomorrow, for Tuesday’s auditions, but something tells me that there will be a line to get in line, so I’m going to try to get there around 4am. And I am not a morning person… Meanwhile, my nerves are killing me. Remember when I told you that I was going to meet with two-time SF-Idol-Auditioner Mike Garcia? Well, I left a phone message for him on the day that he was supposed to come meet me at my gallery and he never called me back or showed up. Then, two days ago, he sent me this e-mail:
Hey marisa,
Did not get to meet,but regardless to that I wish the best for you on tuesday.If you heard to not stand out you heard wrong...You are being judged on how diferent you are to the other contestants,you personality, your look and style and song selection.If i were you i would re-think your plan and make a 180 turn.It was advised to me that those who have been picked in the past have been those who picked songs not outside of the mainstream. You have the brains...think marisa, think.I was not a fan of your song choices...You want to stand out,not blend in.
Best of luck!!!!
Mike
Now I’m not sure if he’s messing with my mind or if I’m doing everything wrong, in which case my 3 months of training would have been entirely in vain. Ugh! I think I’m going to pull some of that Benadryl out of my bag so that I can get to sleep…
Too Much Baggage
I’ve started packing my bag for the American Idol Audition line camp. It looks like it’s going to be heavy. Here’s what I’ve got so far: Voter registration cards, pens, note paper, photocopies of my NY Times clip (just in case it helps), makeup & hair items (including old-fashioned pink curlers!), a small mirror, emergency beauty supplies, clothes, pajamas, jewelry, a camera & voice recorder (which I hope are not confiscated), my cellphone & charger (a girl’s gotta moblog!), the American Idol Audition waiver form, snacks & water (which I hear might also get nicked, forcing me to buy concessions at the Cow Palace—I wonder what the vegan options are…), a sleeping bag & pillow, an umbrella (who knows), Benadryl (just in case I can’t sleep), and earplugs (just in case the whole thing turns into a loud, late-night slumber party!). Now I know why J-Lo needs an entourage! And surely I’m forgetting something! This is making me a little crazy...
Hot For Teacher
Ugh. I still feel like there is so much to do. I should be working with a coach all day, but instead I’m rushing to finish grading papers for the film class I’m teaching, at Berkeley, this semester. At least I have something to take my mind off of the audition. Nevertheless, I keep thinking about Tuesday and what it will be like. Part of me doubts that I will make it very far in the audition process and another part of me is worried about what will happen to my students if I’m asked to move to LA to be on the show… I guess I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it.
PS. Props: This pic is actually two stills from my friend Anthony Goicolea’s video "Classroom," which was once in a show I curated called "Schoolin." Somehow my nine lives always find ways to intertwine, even if my American Idol Audition Training has left little time to live the other eight…
Last Call
Ok, one more "election," people. I need your sage advice. What earrings should I wear? I plan to wear a red heart-shaped brooch, no matter what. I inherited a number of brooches from the family member who passed away during my training and I've decided that, should I actually make it on the show, I will wear a different brooch for each appearance... Anyway, you've given me such great advice, thus far. Keep up the good work and I promise to sing my best for you...
Finishing Touches
Without calling myself a "swan" (afterall, that would be a different Fox "reality" tv show...) I will say that my American Idol Auditioning Training has entailed shooting for full-body transformation. Part of this is because I've been insecure about my looks, part of it is because I am not normally a hair & makeup kinda girl, and part is also because I wanted to put myself through (and therefore examine closer) the process of trying to "become" a star... Today I'm doing some last-minute polishing. I got my hair cut & low-lighted (we decided I was too blonde since, afterall, there's only room for one Jessica Simpson in this world), which took forever (where does Paris Hilton find the time?!), fun as it was. Now I'm feeling 'almost famous,' after my hairdresser told me I looked like Nefertiti under all those foils! Speaking of polishing, I wanted to get a manicure, but I had to get to work, so I'll have to do it myself, at home... Talk about DIY adventures!
We Have A Winner!
Download mercedes.WAV
The polls have closed and the votes have been tallied... Though it was the song about which I am most insecure, Norah Jones's "Turn Me On" actually came in as the surprise winner. But a number of people wrote-in a great suggestion, which is to begin singing it in the second 1/2 of the clip below (at "my poor heart"), which is a great idea, especially since I will have a limited time to sing anyway and that's my favorite part. Thank you so much for voting! Now there is one caveat, which is that there is an electoral college in this process... The producers. They ask contestants to sing up to five songs, sometimes, and they may ask me to sing a different one, for any number of reasons--the song will not be recognized by many people, the judges (should someone deem me worthy of their audience) don't like it, I sing another one better, or I sing another one worse and they think that will make for good tv... In any case, I've decided that, if my voice totally fails me, I'll sing Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz," which sounds best as a twangy screech, anyway...
Text Your Vote @ American Idol
Good morning, internet users. Did everyone watch the debates last night? Is everyone fired up to vote? The more time I spend thinking about American Idol, the more I think about voting... It strikes me that my generation is the demographic for the show--the group that votes in throngs to elect their favorite--but it's also the generation that does not show up to governmental elections. We will stand in audition lines but not in (much shorter) polling place queues. Since people have until 10/18 to register in time for the Presidential Elections, I've decided to bring voter registration cards with me to the American Idol Auditions. This is a totally non-partisan thing. I just want my peers to know that even if Randy, Paula, and Simon don't hear their voice, someone else will...
Seeing Stars...
Whew. Sorry for the unexpected hiatus... I returned from New York with chicken pox!!! (And, yes, I did have them when I was a kid.) This is not good... It itches, it hurts, and it has put me in a sour mood. If the American Idol auditions were tomorrow, I'm afraid I'd blow it... In any case, I think I'm on the road to recovery. Thanks to all of you who posted comments & sent me e-mails, while I was in bed. For now it looks like I'll be wearing the puffy, polka-dotted shirt and the black pointy flats. Stay tuned for more wardrobe updates. And song-selection voting is on deck!
Twinkle Twinkle Little Toes
Download boots.WAV
I'm keeping the T-Shirt poll open a little later, to accommodate latecomers.... Meanwhile, please also tell me what shoes I should wear. I'll post the results early next week and then we can get busy making decisions about my jewelry... Thanks!
Read All About It...
If you're reading this, then you already know about this blog. What you may not know is that you are not alone... To my delight, a writer at the New York Times took an interest in my training, and wrote a short article about it. (Artist Chris Gash even made this cool illustration for the piece!) The article called this blog "anything but stupid"! Now I'm anything but disappointed, as so many interesting people have contacted me over the last few days with amazing American Idol Audition tips and words of encouragement. (I promise to write you all back, asap...) My thanks to Lisa Napoli, for her interest, and to fellow Times scribe Matt Mirapaul for spreading the word on my endeavors.
What T-Shirt Contest
Download tellmelies.WAV
Ok, my beloved electorate, you tell me... What should I wear to the audition? All the kind folks who have written in with their post-Idol Audition tips have told me the key is striking a balance between being myself & not going over the top, so I've decided I should wear a T-Shirt. I designed the ones you see here, fyi... (Yes, I really am that multi-talented!) You'll have a chance to vote on my shoes & accessories later (and, of course, my song), but for now, I'm counting on you to tell me what to do up top... Post comments or e-mail me to let me know what you think. I'm hoping for a big voter turnout, here. (Afterall, there's no electoral college!) I'll tally the votes and get back to you. Thanks!!!
Talking Heads?
Download INTERVIE.WAV
Download 2MIN_CRI.WAV
Big celebrities are used to being interviewed, but I've noticed that many of the instant-celeb Idolitioners (that's blogese for American Idol Auditioners) look like deer in headlights when they are being interviewed--say, by producers, by the megastar Idol host, Ryan Seacrest, and even in post-show interviews, on Entertainment Tonight, or the red carpets of TV land. As an art critic, I'm more used to interviewing other people, so I pulled in a pro to help me. Tabitha Soren has recently stepped out of the TV spotlights (in which she hosted MTV news, worked at the Today Show, won a Peabody Award, and accomplished many great things) to focus on her work as a photographer. Nonetheless, she's interviewed everyone from Yassir Arafat to Mariah Carey, so she knows what she's doing. Tabitha gave me a practice media Q&A and then critiqued my interview skills. You can download the interview & crit, above.
P.S. Special thanks to Tabitha and to the fabulous Binh Danh for taking these photos.