Thursday, June 28, 2007

Who Cares about Canadian Idol

According to the producer of Canadian Idol Toronto does not support it's local musicians.
While the rest of the country is buzzing about Canadian Idol and the success of their hometown heroes, Toronto is not paying attention. Toronto is not supporting the local talent found right in its own backyard.
John Brunton's real concern is, obviously, ratings. If Toronto cared more about Canadian Idol, Canadian Idol would have better ratings. It's not about supporting local talent because Toronto certainly does that. On any given night dozens of acts are playing at local venues.

Recording artists deliberately move to Toronto because Toronto supports local talent. Just to name a few recent examples:

  • Broken Social Scene

  • Feist

  • Billy Talent

  • Apostle of Hustle

  • the Hidden Cameras

  • Hawksley Workman

  • Sum 41

  • Serena Ryder

  • the Fembots

  • the Constantines

  • K-os

  • Danko Jones

  • Ron Sexsmith

  • K'Naan


  • All of these have come out of Toronto, and the list could go on for awhile, then I could make another list of good bands that are currently on their way up in Toronto (that list would be even longer.) It is not that Toronto doesn't support local talent - we most certainly do. It's that Toronto doesn't care about vacuous, plastic talent shows.

    As I said John Brunton does not care about music, or Toronto, he cares about ratings. Canadian Idol is not about musical talent, it is not about a music career. It is about pop stardom, a popularity contest where naive young people who think there is a shortcut to rock star status can grab 15 minutes of fame one summer before they are forgotten like a fast food dinner and I, for one, am happy that Toronto doesn't care.

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