I am a sucker for reality shows with competition (main network shows, i.e. I don't care who wins Flava Flav's heart). I always end up sucked into The Biggest Loser, Amazing Race & American Idol (even though I sorta try not to be) and I live to watch Survivor and Big Brother.
For the last two seasons I have loved The Voice. I voted for last year's winner Javier Colon each and every week-- he was the clear frontrunner and he was in a final 4 with 3 ladies who were all great in their own way, but Javier had my heart-- especially when he covered Cyndi's Time after Time, Fix You (Coldplay) and Man in the Mirror (MJ) so beautifully.
This year's final four contestants is a reverse in statistics-- 3 men, 1 woman and this year I think it's anyone's game. I have voted for different people each week, with a couple of constants-- Chris Mann- because I am a sucker for a contestant from Kansas, as well as Katrina Parker -- who stole my heart with her love of performing 90's female anthems (No Doubt, Joan Osbourne, The Fugees).
I was just singing along (in my head of course) every week and enjoying all of the talent until last week when Adam Levine (eye candy and Maroon 5 front man, let's be honest-the-only-person-you-know-from-Maroon 5-man) sent Katrina Parker packing with a comment that whittled his decision down to one of "bromance", when interestingly the show the night before ended with Juliet Sims belting about a Man's World (James Brown). Indeed.
I have no beef with Tony Lucca, in the earlier days I voted for him as well and I found Christina's personal attacks on him off-putting in the earlier weeks...so I wasn't bothered by the choice Adam made until last night's episode.
Tony Lucca came out a did cover by Hugo of a cover Jay Z's iconic 99 problems. As a student of feminism, I am of course familiar with the song with the chorus (which was lifted from an Ice-T song, which is incidentally just as inflammatory) that states "If you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son I got 99 problems but a b---- ain't one." Hugo's cover is MUCH more benign than it's predecessor and I dug Tony's cover of the Hugo cover, of a cover, I digress. But the spirit of the song left a bad taste in my mouth.
I realize Christina started it and continued it week after week. I thought she was petty and immature and confusing. I realize that the coach and the show have a lot of input on song choice (per other disgruntled contestants and it's obvious that they have to get viewers) but I was a little disenchanted to see a man that the show has sold as a "family man" (with his wife and son looking/loving on) a man who seemed to stay creatively above the fray of immaturity by covering Hit Me Baby One More Time and then How You Like Me Now? fall into the trench of what seems to be a immature war between Adam Levine and Christina.
I was disappointed that to "make another point" or "have another moment" (A.Levine) Tony had to go where he did. Frankly I don't think he did have to go there. But he did. As a woman, should I be insulted that Christina was called a bitch? She is no feminist role model (in any way shape or form) but she had a point-- lyrically the basis for the song was a derogatory towards women. Or, in other words, "Why did you have to go there?" I think before this stunt the world was firmly anti-Christina (on this front)...afterward I feel a little slighted.
I wish that Tony's bromance wouldn't have lead him to this. I think it boils down to the fact that in this Man's World of a music industry, Tony did what he needed to do to stay relevant, keep trending, and that seemed to come at a cost this week.
title courtesy of James Brown, Man's World
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