America's Got Talent (Season 10)

[bookworm]

Discussion thread for the new season of AGT.
It premieres on May 26th.



Other seasons: 6, 7, 8, 9

[~JCGJ~]

I think I'll actually be able to watch this entire season, now that I actually have time...

[bookworm]

I had stopped posting about last season because the drive I had my writeups on failed and I lost them. I had a lot of thoughts I wanted to share on things that happened so I’m pretty disappointed. Hopefully I will be able to recover the files sometime, if so I will go back and start posting again. I will at least get to my highlight act compilation posts sometime as I use those for reference across seasons. But for now, on to what is current.

[snubs]

Hm.. totally forgot about AGT. I only watched a couple episodes of the last season due to lack of interest. I find AGT boring now. But I may watch it... some of it. Maybe.

[~JCGJ~]

I wasn't able to finish last season because I just got too busy to set aside the same two nights every week for a TV show...
I was, however, planning to go back and watch the rest of the season when I finally had some time, but someone ruined it for me by spoiling the winner, so I pretty much just lost any motivation to continue...

This season, since I'm graduating next Saturday, I should [key word] be able to stay fairly well caught up.

[bookworm]

Reportedly the golden buzzer is even more powerful this year. Rather than simply saving an act that would be voted out for one round like before, now acts that are gold buzzed will be put straight through to the live shows.

I can not express how completely I am opposed to this notion. It is a terrible idea.
I came around on the original use last season; there is definite merit in giving acts that divided the judges one more chance. But they absolutely should not earn an automatic advance all the way to the live round.
If you recall, just as we saw a perfect example of the positive use a golden buzzer can have last season, we saw an equally perfect example of the negative use. Howie's golden buzzer act was given a second chance in the Boot Camp round and completely bombed, disappointing even him, the one who saved them! Imagine if that had happened under this new format - a live show spot would have been completely wasted on an undeserving act!

If an act needs to be golden buzzed it is already on questionable ground, because it means the judges couldn't reach a consensus to advance it. It needs to stop over at Boot Camp to allow the second evaluation and either bring the dissenting judges around, or show that there in fact was nothing there and be sent home. There is no rational explanation for giving it a free pass all the way through the assessment rounds. These acts, more than any other, need to earn advancement.

[snubs]

Reportedly the golden buzzer is even more powerful this year. Rather than simply saving an act that would be voted out for one round like before, now acts that are gold buzzed will be put straight through to the live shows.

That is a horrible mistake. >_> That's really dumb. Because it is fairly easy to woo everyone the first time around... but the second? That's when you see if they really have something or not. Maybe.. hopefully.. they'll limit this 'golden buzzer' to only 1-3 acts. IF AT ALL.

BUT WHAT DO I CARE. AGT is so predictable and boring now (as I said).

[~JCGJ~]

Reportedly the golden buzzer is even more powerful this year. Rather than simply saving an act that would be voted out for one round like before, now acts that are gold buzzed will be put straight through to the live shows.
0
I can not express how completely I am opposed to this notion. It is a terrible idea.
I came around on the original use last season; there is definite merit in giving acts that divided the judges one more chance. But they absolutely should not earn an automatic advance all the way to the live round.
If you recall, just as we saw a perfect example of the positive use a golden buzzer can have last season, we saw an equally perfect example of the negative use. Howie's golden buzzer act was given a second chance in the Boot Camp round and completely bombed, disappointing even him, the one who saved them! Imagine if that had happened under this new format - a live show spot would have been completely wasted on an undeserving act!

If an act needs to be golden buzzed it is already on questionable ground, because it means the judges couldn't reach a consensus to advance it. It needs to stop over at Boot Camp to allow the second evaluation and either bring the dissenting judges around, or show that there in fact was nothing there and be sent home. There is no rational explanation for giving it a free pass all the way through the assessment rounds. These acts, more than any other, need to earn advancement.

See, I think this idea came about because of how Britain's Got Talent used the button, and they just assumed it would work in the US as well...
On Britain's Got Talent, each of the judges that used the Golden Buzzer used it because they thought an act was so phenomenal, that it shouldn't even be voted on, and all the other judges agreed (which means they would have voted yes, which therefor means that the judge wasted his/her one use of the Golden Buzzer...)

However, in the US, the Golden Buzzer worked as it was intended, presumably because they explained it better to the judges after Britain's judges failed to grasp the concept...
However, it seems to me that someone else attempted to "fix" the issue this year by assuming the US judges would use it like they did in Britain, so it essentially brings the Golden Buzzer back to "square one" in terms of usefulness...

I will more logically explain myself later, if needed, because it is almost 1 AM and I am tired...

[bookworm]

That's really dumb. Because it is fairly easy to woo everyone the first time around... but the second? That's when you see if they really have something or not.

Right, the idea is if one of the judges is so sure an act has merit and it's just not connecting with the others the first time around for some reason they get another evaluation and hopefully change their minds. So the whole premise necessitates a second performance before the live shows!

As I said, if an act needs the golden buzzer in the first place it more likely than not isn't advancement material (since they couldn't get the majority to grant them a second look even in the audition round, where it's a benefit of the doubt mentality, advancing anyone you think has any potential because you get to weed them out later). It's one thing to allow a single judge to override a no vote and bring the act to Boot Camp, because they could still be voted out there after further evaluation. That's actually a great setup because maybe they did just have an off audition and really shine later. But to give the power to defy a no vote all the way to putting the questionable act in the live round, too late for any further assessment or weeding out, makes no sense.

Maybe.. hopefully.. they'll limit this 'golden buzzer' to only 1-3 acts.

It will be a maximum of 4, each judge only has one. In the feature's debut last season it was only used twice. That we saw.

[snubs]

As I said, if an act needs the golden buzzer in the first place it more likely than not isn't advancement material (since they couldn't get the majority to grant them a second look even in the audition round, where it's a benefit of the doubt mentality, advancing anyone you think has any potential because you get to weed them out later). It's one thing to allow a single judge to override a no vote and bring the act to Boot Camp, because they could still be voted out there after further evaluation. That's actually a great setup because maybe they did just have an off audition and really shine later. But to give the power to defy a no vote all the way to putting the questionable act in the live round, too late for any further assessment or weeding out, makes no sense.

Unless they all agree that they like the act that much. The buzzer could be used in that way instead..? Because if it is used for questionable acts, yes, that is really dumb and makes no sense. The golden buzzer is still dumb and a horrible idea regardless.. but at least that would make a little more sense (but not much).

Oh... but since it is one per judge, then I'm sure they will let questionable acts (that will potentially be train wrecks) through. >_>

[bookworm]

Unless they all agree that they like the act that much. The buzzer could be used in that way instead..?

It 'could' but it wouldn't be. Remember, if there is consensus an act needs no further assessment they can already be advanced past Boot Camp. They send a small group of their top acts straight to the live shows each season. It would be a waste to use the gold buzzer on that.

No, the intent behind the gold buzzer was explained when it was first added, and it is indeed to save an act that would normally be voted out if one of the judges really thinks they deserve another chance. As I said, that idea I do agree with; but the second chance needs to be at Boot Camp, where they can still be cut if they don't show themselves worthy of that second chance.

[~JCGJ~]

Unfortunately, I've only seen the first episode so far this season, so I definitely need to catch up so I can stay current with y'all.


The most notable act to me (in the first episode) was Piff the Magic Dragon, but that's probably because I remember him from Pen & Teller's "Fool Us" a few years back:
https://vimeo.com/117649802

One thing about him, though, is that while he's funny the first time, he does tend to get old fairly quickly, because he doesn't have much variety (that I've seen), and the patter for pretty much every trick he does is entirely scripted; he rarely improvises or switches things up...
I do wonder if Mr. Piffles will make an appearance on AGT though...

Were you surprised when Howie used his Golden buzzer when he did? I mean, the kid was absolutely hysterical, and I think he definitely would have gone through anyway, had they voted... But I definitely applaud Howie for lifting the kid's spirits like he did... Something like that, especially coming from one of the most well known professional comedians in the nation, must have meant the world to him.

[Lark]

Are you talking about the one with the lisp?

[~JCGJ~]

Are you talking about the one with he lisp?

It was a stutter, but yes indeed, that's who I was talking about.

[bookworm]

Ep1: Auditions



I didn't expect to get behind a singing act so early, if at all given my inherent resistance to them on this show, but I really liked the sound Triple Threat has and am looking forward to their next performance.



I'm unsure how I feel about hypnotism in general, so I was unsure how to react to this act, but it was definitely interesting since it was Howie.





We've gotten pretty spoiled with acts like the KriStef Brothers keeping balance and acrobatic acts fresh and engaging; I wasn't sure how long the interest could be sustained by future acts in that category, but ShowProject was fun to watch here, putting a little spin on it with the trampoline.



I wish they had showed the full version of this, it looked cool.





I liked this character more than I originally thought I was going to.





I enjoyed this a lot.



It reminded me of tellAvision, but as dance 'naturally' interacting with the screens rather than using them as props. (Not that there's anything wrong with using them as tellAvision did, that was a different type of thing.)



I didn't get the cuddling thing at all. I get her, I'd actually heard of 'professional cuddling' before seeing this; but I don't get why she was here. That's not an act.



One golden buzzer used already, and I am very confused.



It appears they did indeed change the idea behind it, along with the effect it has. Clearly the purpose behind this use wasn't to save an act in trouble, I'm sure if he had been put to a vote he would have gone on. So it would seem, as snubs suggested, the idea was indeed to put an act they feel so strongly about all the way through from the outset. But what I said still holds, that the golden buzzer is not needed to do that, that has always been a part of the Vegas or Boot Camp process. So while this was a nice moment, really it was a complete waste of the buzzer. Howie didn't even check what the other judges were going to vote, to see if it needed used, he just went and used it. Very strange.

Anyway, I really like this kid. And it's not because of his story. I mean of course it is, that's part of it, but for me story always comes second, you have to look at the talent first. I judge the act as what it's supposed to be. He wants to be a comedian, I judge his comedy. I thought it was great. His first joke made me laugh so hard. "I don't know why I work there" was a professional level 'twist' or whatever you call that part of a joke. I was very impressed. And he kept me hooked from there all the way through. I definitely want to see what other material he has.

[snubs]

I'm unsure how I feel about hypnotism in general, so I was unsure how to react to this act, but it was definitely interesting since it was Howie.

I am very skeptical of stuff like this on AGT (acts that involve the judges).. I'm always suspicious it is fake... especially when you involve someone like Howie. PLUS... isn't it strange that only ONE person out of the whole audience was effected? They only filmed that ONE person. Also, the trick could have been initiated a little better in my opinion. My brother has done this trick before (only with a knife/sometimes a fork), and he'll smash the cup/or paper bag with his hand in hopes of not hitting the one with the knife... So this trick isn't new to me.

Needless to say, I wasn't very impressed.

[bookworm]

I'm always suspicious it is fake... especially when you involve someone like Howie.

Perhaps for a magic trick, but for this Howie was the one judge that would show it wasn’t fake (thus him being the one asked to assist). He doesn’t shake hands, so he must have been under true hypnosis to do it was the idea.

PLUS... isn't it strange that only ONE person out of the whole audience was effected?

I didn’t think so. No one in the audience should have been affected, that wasn’t part of the act. She just paid attention to the process being done to put Howie under and was affected secondarily.

Also, the trick could have been initiated a little better in my opinion. My brother has done this trick before (only with a knife/sometimes a fork), and he'll smash the cup/or paper bag with his hand in hopes of not hitting the one with the knife... So this trick isn't new to me.

I think you're talking about a different act now?

[snubs]

I'm always suspicious it is fake... especially when you involve someone like Howie.

Perhaps for a magic trick, but for this Howie was the one judge that would show it wasn’t fake (thus him being the one asked to assist). He doesn’t shake hands, so he must have been under true hypnosis to do it was the idea.

I know. But I'm still not buying it. You can't believe anything on TV. And a lot of times Howie (and the other judges) sound like they are acting.

PLUS... isn't it strange that only ONE person out of the whole audience was effected?

I didn’t think so. No one in the audience should have been affected, that wasn’t part of the act. She just paid attention to the process being done to put Howie under and was affected secondarily.

Again, not convinced. It's still mighty peculiar she was the only one.

Also, the trick could have been initiated a little better in my opinion. My brother has done this trick before (only with a knife/sometimes a fork), and he'll smash the cup/or paper bag with his hand in hopes of not hitting the one with the knife... So this trick isn't new to me.

I think you're talking about a different act now?

Oh, yeah. it was a different act.. both of which were boring and unimpressive. I had a feeling I was merging two acts but I didn't want to watch the video to double check. heh.

[bookworm]

I'm still not buying it. You can't believe anything on TV. And a lot of times Howie (and the other judges) sound like they are acting.

But again, that’s why this wasn’t just a nebulous ‘I’m going to read your mind’ trick that could easily be faked. If this wasn’t real, Howie would not have cooperated. Unless you think his entire germaphobia is an act?

It's still mighty peculiar she was the only one.

It’s really not actually. I don’t want to get too into this because as I said I’m not completely convinced of the act myself so I don’t have a desire to defend it or anything, but if we’re assuming it is legitimate it’s not strange at all only one in the audience was affected. As I already said, no one in the audience was supposed to be affected in the first place, he was putting Howie specifically under. For an audience member to be affected secondhand they would have to be paying attention to what he was saying and doing, which most weren’t because they didn’t want to be affected, and it would have to happen that they were in a position or state for his instructions to fully work on them indirectly, which is unlikely because he was focusing exclusively on Howie and giving the instructions directly to him. Personally I would be more skeptical that this one random person was affected than that more weren’t.

Anyway, faked or not it’s clearly interesting and gets people talking, so mission accomplished.

[snubs]

I'm still not buying it. You can't believe anything on TV. And a lot of times Howie (and the other judges) sound like they are acting.

But again, that’s why this wasn’t just a nebulous ‘I’m going to read your mind’ trick that could easily be faked. If this wasn’t real, Howie would not have cooperated. Unless you think his entire germaphobia is an act?

I know that Howie is an actor/prankster and this kind of thing seems like exactly what he likes doing.

Anyway, faked or not it’s clearly interesting and gets people talking, so mission accomplished.

I didn't find it interesting. I found it boring and annoying. =p