BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Has American Idol jumped the shark?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/has-american-idol-jumped-the-shark/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/has-american-idol-jumped-the-shark/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/13/has-american-idol-jumped-the-shark/#commentsFiled under: ,

When I tune into "American Idol" tonight, I will expect more of the same.

There will be the usual varieties of contestants annoyingly naive (David Archuletta), wannabe rockers (Bo Bice), pretty but talentless (Antonella Barbra), the vacuous (Kellie Pickler), weirdos (Sanjaya Malakar) and the wastes of space (Kevin Covais).

Viewers will hear Simon Cowell be biting, Paula Abdul be spacy and Randy Jackson be cool. The wildcard is new judge Kara DioGuardi who recently told Rolling Stone that the male contestants were the strongest. How seriously, though, can you take someone whose company was responsible for such odious tunes as Nick Lachay's "Best of Me?"

But will the viewers come? Of course the show is still the No. 1 program on TV, but there are signs that the program is fading. Viewership fell during the last season though 32 million people tuned into the anti-climatic season finale that featured an unfunny cameo by Mike Myers as "The Love Guru."

Continue reading Has American Idol jumped the shark?

Has American Idol jumped the shark? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american idolAmericanIdolFFoxkara dioguardiKaraDioguardiNWSPaula AbdulPaulaAbdulRandy JacksonRandyJacksonSimon CowellSimonCowellTVTue, 13 Jan 2009 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[My plan to save 'American Idol']]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/13/my-plan-to-save-american-idol/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/13/my-plan-to-save-american-idol/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/13/my-plan-to-save-american-idol/#commentsFiled under: , ,

About every 10 seconds or so this season, "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest or one of the judges brags about how this group of contestants is the most talented in the show's history. They speak about the huge number of votes being cast and the huge number of song downloads sold on iTunes. Well, as the Associated Press points out, the American people would beg to differ.

"The 21.8 million people who watched last Tuesday's competition was the show's smallest Tuesday audience in more than five years," the AP said. "The show did better the next night, with 22.9 million, but that was the smallest Wednesday audience in three years, according to Nielsen Media Research."

But Idol fans and shareholders of News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) should not get too down since the show can be saved if producers follow my advice:

Continue reading My plan to save 'American Idol'

My plan to save 'American Idol' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 May 2008 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>American IdolAmericanIdolentertainmentFox TVFoxTvNWSPaula AbdulPaulaAbdulRandy JacksonRandyJacksonRyan SeacrestRyanSeacrestTue, 13 May 2008 16:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Is American Idol judging fair and balanced?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/01/is-american-idol-judging-fair-and-balanced/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/01/is-american-idol-judging-fair-and-balanced/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/05/01/is-american-idol-judging-fair-and-balanced/#commentsFiled under: , ,

News Corp.'s (NWS) FOX broadcasts American Idol -- which gets 24 million viewers a show -- but is the judging fair and balanced? The New York Times suggests maybe not so much. That's because a major slip-up by judge Paula Abdul this week revealed that the judges watch rehearsals two hours before the live performances and their comments -- which may influence the public vote on the contestants -- are not spontaneous reactions to the live performances.

This week performers sang two songs but the judges were supposed to withhold their remarks until after the second performance. On Tuesday, Abdul watched one of the contestants, Jason Castro, give one live performance but when asked to offer a comment on it by Ryan Seacrest, she gave her thoughts on two performances -- the second of which she had seen in the rehearsal. When Abdul started talking about that second performance, I thought that she had a few too many before the show.

However, the explanation in the Times makes it clear that she was flustered because Seacrest had initially said that the judges would not comment until the performers had completed both of their songs. However, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe changed things up at the last minute, demanding that Seacrest get the judges to give a quick assessment of the performances after their first song.

Continue reading Is American Idol judging fair and balanced?

Is American Idol judging fair and balanced? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 01 May 2008 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>American IdolAmericanIdolFoxFox TVFoxTvinthenewsJason CastroJasonCastroNWSPaula AbdulPaulaAbdulThu, 01 May 2008 10:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Paula Abdul injured for 'Idol' finale]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/paula-abdul-injured-for-idol-finale/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/paula-abdul-injured-for-idol-finale/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/05/22/paula-abdul-injured-for-idol-finale/#commentsFiled under: ,

Tonight and tomorrow mark the culmination of 40-plus hours of prime-time broadcast, hundreds of performances, and millions of tears as American Idol crowns its sixth champion. The ratings juggernaut for News Corp's (NYSE: NWS) FOX network has three more hours of advertising revenue before it wraps for the season.

For those among us who still care (I tuned out around final-four time), it's the critical moment where America (ostensibly) decides between eccentric beatboxing innovator Blake Lewis and teenaged belter Jordin Sparks.

The Kodak Theatre will be bursting at the seams, Simon Cowell will likely have traded his trademark plain tee-shirt for a suit, and Paula Abdul will have a bandaged face after a mishap with her Chihuahua. According to her publicist, the kindest of Idol's judging trio fell this weekend, breaking her nose and fracturing her toe as she avoided trying to step on her miniature pooch. The spokesman for the former pop star said that "She's a little sore, but is doing fine."

The dog was not hurt.

Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Paula Abdul injured for 'Idol' finale originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 May 2007 14:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>American IdolAmericanIdolBlake LewisBlakeLewisJordin SparksJordinSparksNWSPaula AbdulPaulaAbdulSimon CowellSimonCowellTue, 22 May 2007 14:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Lions Gate targeting kids with latest movies and that's scary for investors]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/10/lions-gate-targeting-kids-with-latest-movies-scary-for-invest/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/10/lions-gate-targeting-kids-with-latest-movies-scary-for-invest/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/01/10/lions-gate-targeting-kids-with-latest-movies-scary-for-invest/#commentsLions Gate Entertainment Corp (NYSE: LGF), which has been a bright light in the otherwise dim movie industry recently, has found success making low budget movies aimed at the 20-30 year-old audience. Here is a list of some of their more notable recent releases, sorted by their estimated budgets. None of the movies has a rating milder than PG-13.
  • Hostel ($4.5M est. budget / $47.3M gross)
  • Diary of a Mad Black Woman ($5.5M est. budget / $50.3M gross)
  • Crash ($6.5M est. budget / $54.5M gross, won Best Picture Oscar)
  • Crank ($12M est. budget / $27.8M gross)
  • Employee of the Month ($12M est. budget / $28.4M gross)
  • Saw III ($12M est. budget / $80.1M gross)
  • Hotel Rwanda ($17.5M est. budget / $23.4M gross, nominated for 3 Oscars)
  • Lord of War ($42M est. budget / $24.1M gross)
(All above figures taken from IMDB.com)

From the above list, you can see Lions Gate's winning formula. All their successes have budgets under $20 million dollars, and most fit into three categories: Movies that push the limits of violence and gore (Hostel, Crank, Saw); low-brow adult-themed comedies (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Employee of the Month); and edgy dramatic works that gain critical appreciation (Crash, Hotel Rwanda).

Now, here is the problem -- neither the movie the just released, Happily N'Ever After, nor the movie that is making noise today with its addition of Paula Abdul to its cast, Bratz, fits this formula.

Continue reading Lions Gate targeting kids with latest movies and that's scary for investors

Lions Gate targeting kids with latest movies and that's scary for investors originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bratzcinemadvdfilmhappily n'ever afterHappilyN'everAfterhostellgflions gateLionsGatemoviepaula abdulPaulaAbdulsawWed, 10 Jan 2007 13:37:00 EST