Fancast Exclusive: Justin Guarini On Experience Idol’s Controversy — “It’s A Bunch Of Microwave C#@p”

By Justin Guarini
Fancast American Idol Correspondent
Host of Reality Chat: Idol Wrap and Idol Tonight, TV Guide Network

So USA Today’s Marco R. della Cava, as well as others, tried to stir up some controversy recently by pointing out that Idol contestants Carly Smithson, Kristy Lee Cook and Michael Johns have had considerable professional experience. My take? This is a bunch of microwaved crap. Who cares? Everyone who has gotten to the finals has had experience! That’s just a fact, and it’s no surprise to the producers or the judges. On the other hand, having experience doesn’t guarantee you’ll win or even make it to the finals.

There’s only one qualification when you audition for Idol (and from the comical, often cruel vignettes in the opening shows we know it’s not singing talent): You have to be completely unsigned and unaccountable to any talent agency, artist management, or record label. That’s it.

If a contestant is lucky to be one of the 1% that make it through the first rounds and given the chance to go to Hollywood, then a thorough background check is performed. Idol producers want to avoid a revival of the negative “American Felon” press that blindsided them the second year. By Hollywood week, everything the gossip websites and the news outlets have “unearthed” is old news to Idol – and perhaps even leaked by Idol to get press.

But back to the point. American Idol is about talent. It’s about taking very talented, unsigned artists, then using the show to develop both the artist’s talent and a fan base, and then finally unleashing them to the world and making as much money off them as possible. That formula has made 19 Entertainment a multi-billion dollar company. American Idol was never about taking inexperienced people off of the street who can sing and turning them into superstars. That is the fantasy of Idol. The reality? It’s harrowing to go onsage and sing in front of millions of people. Someone with absolutely no experience would melt from nerves. No one has ever won idol without having had professional experience. Let’s take a look:

Kelly- Shortly after she won it was revealed that she had a demo deal with Geffen Records that went south. After being absolved of any contractual infractions by Idol, she sung to the tune of millions of record sales.

Ruben- He majored in vocal performance at Alabama A&M, and sang professionally with the group “Just a Few Cats”, a well-known Jazz and R&B band in Birmingham, Alabama. According to Wikipedia, he said, “A lot of people don’t realize how hard I was trying to get into the business before American Idol, I was making demos and just working so hard.”

Fantasia- Grew up in a musical family, traveled and performed with them all over the South. She even recorded a CD, with her family, for a local record label.

Carrie- As a young girl she sang in church and at local events in her hometown. According to reports, in 1996, her manager tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to get her a record deal at Capitol Records.

Taylor- Absolutely no stranger to the in’s and out’s of the industry, it’s a known fact that Taylor moved to Nashville and made a demo with Billy Earl McClelland and Percy Sledge. When that didn’t land him a contract, he pursued his own professional career as a singer.

Jordan- Get ready for this…according to Wikipedia, Sparks finished second overall in 2004 at the Music in the Rockies national competition for aspiring Contemporary Christian Music artists, and won the talent portion of the event. She also appeared in “America’s Most Talented Kids” twice, winning in her first appearance. In 2003, at the age of thirteen, she recorded a five-song album titled “For Now.”

Surprise, surprise.

My opinion about this years “controversy”? It’s either yesterday’s news or a brilliant ploy by Idol to drum up more press.

I grew up in a family where my Father was the Chief Of Police in Atlanta who dealt with all kinds of people in the political and entertainment industry. He’s currently a politician who taught me from as young age how to communicate to a crowd and work a room. He also performed as a professional singer. I watched him like a hawk from as young as I can remember and soaked it all up.

My mother who was one of the first 200 people to work at CNN (she was an anchor woman who did the headline news every day) and through her I learned how to be comfortable on camera. At four, I played on the set between broadcasts, terrorized the bullpen, pretended to be a news anchor on a real set, and absorbed all the stuff that happened on the set.

Later, during my teens, I was offered management deals and record contracts. I turned them down ibecause I had grown up around the entertainment industry and seen what it did to people. I had performed solo in front of audiences of up to 10,000 people at a time before I ever stepped foot on the idol stage.

I had just as much experience as anyone that’s won, or that’s being grilled this year. Should I be stripped of my “No. 2″ sash? Should any of the winners who had experience have their Idol title taken away? Obviously not. Lets face it. This show would be nothing without the talented, experienced contestants just as the talented, experienced contestants would most likely unknown if it weren’t for the brilliance of Idol.

Be glad that these brave souls know what they’re doing. If not you’d have more of the disastrous nerves that shook the first two top 24 shows to their core. People would fall apart, and viewers would be bored out of your skull. In my opinion, and I’ve said this before, American Idol is the best and most honest reality television on the airwaves today simply because it’s about the people, not about the scripted drama.

The people who audition get the opportunity to live our their dreams and become legitimate stars. The people who watch the show get to choose who they want to see on television and hear on the radio And the people who write about TV get something positive to talk about in the midst of a senseless war and a heated political climate.

That, my friends, is entertainment.