TV Review: America's Got Talent
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that although the majority of the acts
that appear on the show are very tame, several have the
potential to offend younger viewers. In one episode, for
example, a man who bills himself as "America's Oldest Stripper"
got halfway through his act before being booted off the stage,
while in another, an 8-year-old stand-up comic told a racially
insensitive joke. The show is a competition, so everyone wants
to win.
- Families can talk about what makes each of us uniquely talented. What would your kids' talent be if they were on the show? Why is it important to cultivate something we're good at? Although no one wants to be a quitter, are there times when something isn't worth pursuing? How can you tell when that is?
In NBC's reality series AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, aspiring performers duke it out on stage before three judges who will decide if they get to go on to the next round to compete for the chance to win $1 million. Performers who make it through their act get to hear the judges' comments; if they're favorable, they graduate to the next round. If the judges don't like what they see, they can hit an "X" button in front of them -- once performers have racked up three Xs, they're sent packing.
Sound familiar? It should. That's because the show is an almost exact replica of Fox's American Idol -- no surprise, since it's produced by Idol judge Simon Cowell, who's lined up the likes of David Hasselhoff (and, in later seasons, Howie Mandel) to "yea" or "nay" each act's performance. Though the show plays out on a glitzy stage with a large band and sophisticated lighting, thanks to the wide variety (and quality) of the acts, it often feels like a high-school talent show. Acts are pulled from the audience, then prepare backstage before their curtain call. As the host says at the beginning of one episode, "The door is open to anybody doing absolutely everything," and he's right: Viewers are treated to performances by Bobby Bad Fingers, a professional finger snappist; Sydney "The Kid" Park, an 8-year-old stand-up comic; and At Last, a harmonious hip-hop quartet. There are also jugglers, a ventriloquist, a talking parrot, a rapping granny, and many more.
America's Got Talent is great fun for the family to enjoy together. Everyone -- from the contestants to the audience to the judges (who, for the most part, are easygoing, unlike Idol) -- seems to enjoy themselves, and there are very few hard feelings when acts are nixed from the second round. Though some of the acts border on the ridiculous, the judges treat everyone equally in their criticism.
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