Secrets of the City

Well, based on what’s on YouTube, Minneapolis was terrible.

But Paris Bennett is still a local girl.

I’m surprised no one opened a thread to gripe about American Idol trashing Minneapolis.

Well I’m guessing that channel 9 covered the affront with characteristic drama, served up on a bed of zingy sound effects, so what’s really left to say?

That’s sort of the deal. The first rounds always showcase the worst singers (or those who pretend to be the worst to get their 15 minutes). And, Simon does his best to be an ass. It is what is expected. In the end, 17 people made it through to the next round, but only 3 or 4 were actually shown. Note: just because people try out here doesn’t mean they are from here. People travel all over the country for these auditions.

Here’s the complete Jason Anderson meltdown.

Jesus Take the Wheel.

Prince tribute.

Cowardly Lion.

Anyone who tries out is mentally retarded. We just had a smaller pool.

It’s because citizens of the Jumeaux like good music and would never bother with such frivolity. Anyone else note that most auditioners were, in fact, from outside the Twin Cities proper? Our towns are too cool to audition for American Idol.

Am I the only photographer here who perked up thinking this thread was about Amidol?

Yeah. Probably so.

The fact that that crew found Minneapolis unpalatable pleases me no end.

Get out of here, you creeps!

I have never seen the show. So why should I care?

When Carrie Underwood won, Jesus wept.

Minneapolis auditions liveblogged, in case you want to know but don’t want to actually watch it yourself.

Also, contestants’ Myspace pages. That’s some funny shit.

I don’t think that they made Minneapolis look particularly bad so much as this whole American Idol audition process has gotten out of control.

As Maria Isa said at the Best New Bands show the other night:

“They tried to say there’s no talent in Minneapolis. No, it’s here. We’re just not selling out.”

I think if you’re not accused of being a sell-out by somebody at some point in a career, chances are you probably didn’t have much of a career.

Selling out? What’s Maria gonna do if Def Jam calls?

zenrhino, I caught that too — although I snap some picts, I don’t do any film processing, but I remember it from my days as a copper, when a dood tried to buy a bunch of amidol thinking it was amital

i’ve come across your stuff out there in internet land; flickr and such — you’ve got some great stuff — but what happened to f8 and be there?

American Idol is still on the air? Why didn’t someone tell me?

Simon’s trashing of the Twin Cities is just a way to gain publicity. Free publicity. I’ve ignored it for several years, and I will continue to do so. I wish everyone else would too.

Am I the only photographer here who perked up thinking this thread was about Amidol?

Yeah. Probably so.

actually, no!

but then I couldn’t give half a shit about stupid tv shows I don’t know anything about.

Also, boo hoo, people are trashing minneapolis! Like this is anything new?

Seriously, about all I knew about minneapolis prior to moving here was that it was in the middle of the country somewhere and that it was cold. Both have proven true so far, so there were no false assumptions there. Except I was expecting colder, I suppose, but you people talk everything up like that.

You do realize that AmIdol included only the worst, most “entertaining,” of the TC auditions. If the Cities came off looking ‘tarded, it was because of program editing. Look at how well Seattle fared, too. Same thing. Nothing to get upset about.

And, yes, it does get cold here. And it snows. Sometimes. And the summers can be real scorchers, too. Hawaiians complain about their weather, too.

Except I was expecting colder, I suppose, but you people talk everything up like that.

No, it’s been warmer here over the last decade. The Rake had an article about how we’re not seeing as much snow in the Twin Cities because it melts. See also here.

Dan

oh I know that part, but everyone talked like it was still 40 below all winter. Even after I arrived here, people kept saying “oh just wait for your first winter!” It was mild and I was unimpressed. Nothing much worse than what I was used to on an inland hill in central MA.

As a member of a local band, I’ve always made it very clear to my bandmates that I have every intention of selling out if asked. If a major label came to us and wanted us to start writing really horrible, vulgar music while wearing buttless pants, excellent. As long as we make enough to pay my boys’ college tuition.

In fact, I’ve also offered my services to the band that I’ll be the one who spins into a tragic, terrifying spiral of addictions only so that we have one member who can be talked about in dark and gravelly voices on VH1 rockumentaries.

BTW, I’m 34, my band will never be signed by a major label, and I highly doubt seeing me in buttless pants would sell records…

>”oh just wait for your first winter!”

The thing is, there hasn’t been a real winter here in years. Anyone over 30 who grew up here can tell you that the cold winters of years past seem to be missing. I grew up walking a mile to grade school. That’ll teach you about cold. I think that as a state we miss the cold “real” winters as they gave us bragging rights. Now it’s just really hot in the summer, and kind of unpleasant in the winter.

Where the hell is my snow?

Oh just to get back on topic – I’m sure American Idol sucks. I haven’t managed to see it yet. The whole bad ballad thing turns me off. You know, ’cause I’m a hipster.

SS, was that mile to school uphill? both ways?

37 million people watched american idol last week, yet nobody on mnspeak.com watches it. riiiiight….

I moved to Minneapolis the year of the Halloween blizzard. So, I was here 2 months, and was dumped on by 31 inches of snow.

When I moved to St Paul, and had to shovel as sidewalk, etc. it was the year of record snowfalls. (As witnessed by flooding in the Red River valley.)

I remember hearing on the radio about “dangerous wind-chills.” So cold that local businesses and schools closed. They warned to not go outside unless absolutely necessary. The world is coming to an end, but business as usual at the U of Mn.

Since then, there has hardly been any snow, and very little cold weather. However I still talk up those stories. It keeps the bad people away – to quote Prince.

I’m less inclined to blame global warming or the weather in general for the same effect on our winters that makes the coffee colder, grass less green, skies less sunny, and summers much shorter than they used to be. I think it’s called “getting older”.

For those who didn’t watch AI, rest easy. They didn’t trash us that badly, compared to the way they treated Seattle.

Inre American Idol: I saw a guy singing the Allman Brothers song “Whipping Post” on either a clip of the show or the acutal show. Don’t remember. But he was good.

Doubt he won it all, though. Looks like the winners are usually warblers and cute little canery singers.

a thread opened up on channel 9s website with some pretty good idol bashing. they might have trashed the fat kid and bug eyes from seattle more than they trashed mpls contestants, but they definately trashed our city more than seattle.

I had to walk three miles to high school. One real cold day, I walked all the way to school, wearing my letter jacket, no hat, no gloves, you know, the usual attire for an adolesent male. When I got there, no one was around. The door was locked. I pounded on the door. No one came. I pounded again and again. Finally, the door opened a crack and a janitor stuck his head out and asked “What do you want? School’s closed!” I said “What? Why?” He said “It’s 31 below zero out there. They closed the schools. Didn’t you hear it on the tv or the radio?” I said, no, I don’t listen to the tv or the radio in the morning. It never occurred to me that they might close the schools because it’s cold. This is Minnesota. It’s cold every day in the winter. Well, not 31 below zero cold apparently. So I turned around and walked back home.

The end.

What did you letter in?

i’m not quite sure why any minnesotan would give two shits about what three idiots on the boob tube have to say about this state and our lovely city. i lost major brain cells just seeing the commercials for that ridiculous show. i can’t imagine why anyone would want to actually sit and watch it.

Who, me? Football, basketball and baseball.