I've heard several comments that it was beneath Prince to perform on American Idol? Well, he's appeared on lesser shows in the past, Rosie O'Donnell, Ellen DeGeneneres, Arsenio, The Today Show, Jay Leno. Heck, American Idol has been the highest rated show all season, why wouldn't he appear on it? It's a music show that would allow high exposure because of a huge audience. It's the number 1 rated show in the country,that's what it's all about. Why are people saying it's beneath him to do that show and he's reached a new low. What's the difference between him doing that and Soul Train, which he appeared on a few years ago? I don't understand their logic.

There is no logic. It may have something to do with contempt for the youth, since all other shows are adult-oriented talk shows and AI is veered almost exclusively for youngsters. It's a prime time show. It's teeny-bopperish to the hilt. I suspect it's hatred for the young, the mainstream, and middle America that inspires all the groundless accusations of selling out.

because they like to think of themselves as elitist music snobs and don't have anything else to put down this week.

cuz they're a buncha elitist snobs. screw u and ur shitty music taste and show we're better and so is prince cuz he likes so and so real music and plays the so and so makes real music etc...so obviously he's selling out cuz he's already a legend and doesnt need u types

Dayspring said:

PurpleCharm said:

co-

playing devils advocate

AI is seen as the epitome of everything that is wrong with the music industry, marginally talented puppets who will perform whatever the record company wants them too which is then forcefed down the throats of the mainstream. Prince has been probably the most vocal major artist against record company control and the idea that he has deemed to grace the AI stage is the ultimate hypocrisy.

I don't believe this to be the truth. I watched some of a profile on Kelly Clarkson and she said "Nobody told me what songs to sing, nobody told me how to look, they let me make the record how I wanted it, the let me do my live show how I wanted. It's the opposite of being a puppet. I was offered 2 horrible deals before doing AI and they basically said you can do what you want. A first time artist doesn't get that deal. I would have been a moron not to do it."

I don't think Prince performed as good as he can but he reached a lot of people who don't normally tune into the org.

mynameisnotsusan said:

There is no good argument for accusing anyone of selling out. It's what lazy people say about hard working people.

padawan said:

Ever??

mynameisnotsusan said:

That's a lazy question.

mynameisnotsusan said:

Nope. That was signing to Universal.

padawan said:

pfft. You made a blanket statement, basically saying it's not possible to sell out. Your logic didn't require a more 'hard working' question.

Dayspring said:

If he had sold the rights to his masters

mynameisnotsusan said:

he's benefitting one slaveship (Universal) what's wrong with benefitting another (AI)?

You are almost right. It's not about hatred for youth but it is definately a hatred for their music. If you turn on the radio, especially R&B stations, the only thing you will hear is either ballads (which is what artists on American Idol usually record once they become stars) or midtempo shit hop.

We grew up on Prince who made slammin' funk/rock. He has always made a few ballads on the albums but the albums did not consist of ballads only. When these people from American Idol go on to make records, the only thing they ever record is ballads. Today's youth is absolutely going backwards in time to the boring old days before funk or rock instead of moving forward. It's almost like living in a boring classical music era. Yes, that's their right to record whatever they want to but when it becomes all that's on the radio, then yes, I have a problem with it. Yeah, there's something else on the radio....there's midtempo shit hop which is equally as boring.

Prince going on a show like American Idol helps the show to grow. Sure, it doesn't need Prince's help but he still doesn't need to do anything to help it grow. Also, if he gets a taste of their limelight, he may be tempted in the future to sell out to their kind of music. He already has sold out to shit hop with a few songs like "Incense and Candles" and "Illusion, Coma, Pimp, and Circumstance". Who's to say he might not start making whole albums like this.

People like me grew up on Prince because we loved funk. These youngsters have the whole radio and video channels full of their type of boring music. The only artist still making funk is Prince. When we lose him, there will be no funk left. As much as Rick James hated Prince, even he said that Prince was the only one keeping funk alive. That says a lot considering how much he disliked Prince.

As far as the arguement that Prince appearing on a show like this exposes youngsters to funk goes, they don't want to be exposed to funk. If they did, they would already know who Prince is. There are a few cool young people but the ones on American Idol are the furthest thing from cool.

mynameisnotsusan said:

That's not what I said. Don't twist my words.