IDOLS DAVE THOMPSON CONFIRMS WINNING MEANS NOTHING
I posted an article a couple days ago about Idols and, in particular, Dave Thompson suggesting the show might not go on. I also expressed dismay at Randall Abrahams playing the nasty character but ballsing up his sayings/phrases when he does so. All of this came after spending 5 minutes on the Idols highlights channel that I stumbled upon as I flipped through the satellite.
Dave “DT” Thompson
You might want to CLICK HERE to read that article before I show you the emails I received yesterday from both Dave Thompson and Randall Abrahams who seemed to lose all sense and felt compelled to write to my humble self from the great dizzy heights of the power house that is SA’s Sony BMG.
This, the email from Dave:
From: Dave.Thompson@sonymusic.com [mailto:Dave.Thompson@sonymusic.com]
Sent: 05 February 2009 04:12 PM
To: editor@2oceansvibe.com
Cc: randall@praekelt.co.za; gareth.cliff@5fm.co.za; Shaun.Myburg@sonymusic.com
Subject: Idols 5Hey Seth
Good to know you’re fully tuned into Idols to the point that you even watch the highlights channel!
Strange behaviour for someone who clearly despises the judges, and I guess the show in general.
Anyway, I thought I’d just clarify a few points that may set your mind at ease regarding future seasons of Idols.
My comment regarding “the competition continuing after this year” was no slip of the tongue. It’s a plain and simple fact.
Since Idols 1, M-Net have never committed to more than one season at a time. This season is no different.
In fact in most instances the judges receive a brief call from the producers of the show about four weeks before the first day of shooting, informing us that the next series has been approved.
So it would be irresponsible of me to advise any contestant to try again next time, when I honestly don’t know [and nor does anyone else] if there will be “a next time”
Who informed you that Idols doesn’t work? Why would M-Net commission a 5th series if it didn’t?
M-Net measures their results by advertising revenue and viewership, and Idols is one of their most successful franchises. What happens to the contestants whether they win or not, has no impact ,positive or negative on M-Net.
So come on Seth, change channels, and let Idols continue in the same successful vein as they have been for the past seven years.
Cheers
Dave
Hey Dave,
Thanks for the email and for taking the time out to stop everything and step down from the awesome heights of Sony BMG (South Africa) in order to write an email to me and 2oceansvibe within 24 hours of my original article. I’m genuinely blown away that you felt so compelled to explain yourself at such great length. Really there was no need. I wasn’t going to send you to the headmaster (or rather, your emperor in Japan..).
Before going on I simply must ask – did you find the article because you read my site, or did someone send it to you? Or was it because the article is number one in Google for the search “dave thompson idols?”
DAVE! You were Googling yourself, weren’t you!!??
Thank you for explaining to me the reason why the South African Idols winners do so poorly. As you said, “What happens to the contestants whether they win or not, has no impact, positive or negative on M-Net.”
I must then ask the question, is Idols a vehicle for SonyBMG (and a cosy relationship with MNET) or for the talent of South Africa?
It’s nothing new, I suppose, the big record label bullying is well documented. With big-fish-small-pond SonyBMG’s (SA) draconian ways and bigger-than-thou attitude and no understanding of the new music revolution (digital + marketing etc), it’s no surprise that it’s all turning into a bit of a Homewreck.
Thank you also for “clearing up” the matter regarding next season and the fact that absolutely no-one is sure that there will be another show.
For someone with SO much experience and SO much respect in “the industry” I cannot fathom why you would make the COMPLETE rookie error of interfacing directly with someone who has a rant and judges you on a blog site.
In fact, isn’t that what your job is on Idols?
Wow, I think I know a little boy who can’t take what he gives?
This is the big league, Dave
Grow up.
My very best,
Seth Rotherham
ps. please thank Randall for his messages he gave me on Gareth Cliff’s 5fm morning show. I’ll be responding to that and his email to me a little later.
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55 Comments
AJ
06 Feb 2009
WAAAAAAHahahahahahaha…..
RobertParker
06 Feb 2009
Dave is such a muppet…
Joan
06 Feb 2009
Who is advising these amateurs? They should rather have kept quite, but that is really too late now. If they keep quite now then they will look like complete losers, instead of just plain losers!
mick
06 Feb 2009
wow, and you didn’t even touch on that piece of tweed that seems to have got stuck on his chin yet.
i can’t believe that that is gareth cliff’s actual email. well i know it’s his, but surely that thing must be spammed to infinite and deemed totally useless? seems like mara doesn’t have email yet.
Billy
06 Feb 2009
Fight. Fight. Fight!!!!!!
Seems a bit odd that they felt the need to respond?
Cape Town’s Favourite Son
06 Feb 2009
I never really got Randal’s “bad cop” vibe, especially after remembering him as the happy-go-lucky and sometimes goofy DJ “Randy A”, on Good Hope FM during the 90′s.
Ryan
06 Feb 2009
All of those judges on “idols” are wannabe wankers. Rude fuckwits who’s so-called achievements are embarrassing compared to the US judges (or even any schoolboy choir). Someone should fucking wedgie the arse out of that randall, he is begging for a smack.
GavinDN
06 Feb 2009
well put my booitjie. “Seth for president”. Can’t believe what tonsils operate in our country…
Andrew
06 Feb 2009
These guys need to get some good PR people to save them from themselves. Though Randal will always be a prick, no amount of good PR is going to help that.
MarkC
06 Feb 2009
Bravo Seth.As you say,he can dish it out but can’t take it.
Mark
06 Feb 2009
Love your work Seth!
Mark
06 Feb 2009
Hey Seth, you should ask him if his wife is happy? Cause if his F@#$in is anything like his judging, he would not find the gspot on a 12 inch…..
Ferger-Berger
06 Feb 2009
That’ll learn them.
Tossers.
Gaby
06 Feb 2009
sorry dudes, you’re gonna have to clear something up for me. what the fuck is idols? is it something that happens on THE TV? Kind of where Randal belongs, in the 90′s.
You can add as many instruments as you like, its still not going to change the fact that its boring, old and done.
Let’s move on shall we Dave? I’d be bold enough to suggest that you say that Idols will definately NOT be continuing for another season, and come up with something a little more appropriate (and maybe kinder). Its not difficult.
tony
06 Feb 2009
YU!!Take a bow Dave,you’ve just been nailed in your balloon knott.
tony
06 Feb 2009
YU!!Take a bow Dave,you’ve just been nailed in your balloon knot.
Vince
06 Feb 2009
Ha this is classic; perhaps it may even have deserved a serious debate but then perhaps I’d not be smiling as much as I am now.
The statement which irks me most from Dave is the following,”M-Net measures their results by advertising revenue and viewership, and Idols is one of their most successful franchises. What happens to the contestants whether they win or not, has no impact ,positive or negative on M-Net.”
Clearly then their role as ambassadors for talented young south africans ends when their revenue is accumulated at the end of their campaign(Idols). It would appear then that any comments made that they are in the hunt of talent for the enrichment of a few individual’s lives is all hogwash because beyond simply appearing on Mnet those talented enough to appear on stage get stuff all.
I hate to point to our current idols who have appeared in shopping malls, at schools and bars near you, who owing to the help they received from Mnet and co. have been able to get free drinks, get laid a few times and possibly get gift cards from Sandton City.
Perhaps its best if we think of this as simply a kick ass brand strategy, successful in the sense that MNET’s viewership increases, ad placements on their channel are worth more owing to the increased ratings etc. etc. Overall a great communication strategy…
Just depends how you spin it I guess – either way the promotion of talent is the runner up to profit-generation. Guess they’ll say they never attempted to be anything more or less…
Brett G
06 Feb 2009
Seth, I don’t know how you came up with this..
DAVE! You were Googling yourself, weren’t you!!??
10/10
George
06 Feb 2009
Hey Seth
Loved this article! You bitch about a crap TV show and get free publicity on 5FM? lol! Only good things in line for you!
G
Vee
06 Feb 2009
I think you’re being childish. He probably just responded because the marketing
department told him he had to.
In any case, in the grand scheme of life, the universe and everything does Idols, or even your opinion of it, make any difference whatsoever?
Go back to being amusing without acying like a child. It what you’re here for.
dave
06 Feb 2009
Hey Seth
All I was doing was setting the record straight for anyone who was interested in the facts.Why does this make my communication a “rookie error”? Am I so important that can’t take a few minutes out of my day to bash out a response to your “rant”,which was forwarded to me by our webmaster Shaun Myburg?
Obviously I shouldn’t have bothered.
Don’t forget to tune in on Sunday 5:30.
Cheers
Dave
Seth Rotherham
06 Feb 2009
Always a pleasure.
I think Andrew summed it nicely up with :
“These guys need to get some good PR people to save them from themselves.”
Spot on.
They better move quick to save these headless chickens.
George
06 Feb 2009
So Dave gets to kak all over little children all day long, but can’t handle someone else having an opinion about him? Chill out Dave, don’t take yourself so seriously.
Keep up the awesomeness Seth!
stacey
06 Feb 2009
Dave and Randal and the rest of the idiots who are involved in that show must jog on!! good on ya Seth…they cannot take what they dish out!!!
Keep up the good vibes!!
Seth Rotherham
06 Feb 2009
It’s more than that Dave. I think having Randall whinging this morning about it on 5fm (BEFORE I posted today’s article) is another case in point, regarding rookie behaviour.
You’re like a bunch of first-timers.
If you guys were just “bashing out a response,” then why would Randall be carrying on like a woman scorned live on air?
It’s just not washing, Dave.
Seriously, get a PR team, you guys are spinning out of control..
GavinDN
06 Feb 2009
This is F##king Entertainment at it’s best! F##k idols MNET, how bout a 2OCEANSVIBE channel. Seth- u biscuit!!!
tonypony
06 Feb 2009
he looks like lion man. that old mnet show back in the day.
Ron
06 Feb 2009
You’ve just made my Friday afternoon. Nothing like a good laugh before the weekend starts! I don’t even watch Idols and even I felt involved for a bit!! Big up the little guy…..
Jason
06 Feb 2009
Seth
Firstly, Im not the biggest idols fan, yet i am a big 2oceansvibe supporter. Secondly, you the one getting your knickers in a knot. Dave was simply stating the facts
in a polite manner. Not sure why you getting so aggresive with your response. Maybe you the one who needs to come down from your throne.
Seth
06 Feb 2009
Hey Jase,
You might have missed the part where he confirmed that finding South African talent is of no interest to them.
This is a concern.
Thanks for your support.
Seth
Jason
06 Feb 2009
….has no interest to Mnet, a seperate company. Anyway, who am i to tell you how to run your blog.
Keep up the rest of the good work.
Later
Andy
06 Feb 2009
I agree that the judges are getting a little tired, maybe mnet should bring in some fresh faces. But the show is structured in such a way that you need 4 tools giving their 2 cents. But i still think the show is decent and worth a watch because half the contestants think they are gods gift to the music world but couldn’t hit a high note if their lives depended on it. Its so funny watching these ‘singers’ prove to the whole of SA that they actually can’t sing. The final 10 part of the show is a load of crap tho. I know i’ve missed the point abit. cheers
Lisa
06 Feb 2009
I admit to watching idols, but not for the love of listening to talented singers or anything as idealistic as that. It is just incredibly funny watching so many people making ABSOLUTE asses of themselves because they actually BELIEVE that they have talent!!! But – I agree wholeheartedly with your comments in respect of the judges!!! Save for Gareth who, from time to time manages a witty comment, the others are trying WAY to hard to project personas that are too ridiculous to be funny – lets start with Randall!! No – you are not Simon Cowell – not even remotely – in order for that to work, you would have to have to have depth, credibility, be consistent…..and not just feign all of that by regurgitating a whole bunch of words from the dictionary (mispronounced and used out of context). As for Mara and Dave – some personality please. And lastly, when someone is bad – fine, but when someone displays talent, please get over yourselves and acknowledge it! In my mind, the role of a judge is not only to “out” the tossers who cant sing, but to laud those who can – Randall and Dave…….you guys take yourselves way too seriously!!!!!!!!
Lisa
06 Feb 2009
LOL…..now I’ve just taken myself way too seriously……..lekka weekend to all!!
tonypony
06 Feb 2009
why dont you do this comment crap on all your posts? its quite a lag.
BirdUn
06 Feb 2009
Agreed Tony, this is long overdue.
ronnie
06 Feb 2009
just a quickie re Dave living out his fantasies on air. Telling the MacDonalds worker to say ‘do you want fries with it?’must make him soooo excited. By the looks of his rotund face and gut he is clearly living the dream!!! What people stoop to to make a quick buck! Read the book Chart Throb by Ben Elton. A truly wicked exposee of this past its sell-by date program.
Tired
07 Feb 2009
MNET needs to study the US version and then get some proper judges. Mara and Dave are tired jokes. Who the hell are you kidding? you potentially have a great product (see the US show) but you have losers as judges and have munched it. wake up! This blog string is proof, any cool judge wouldn’t even give “Seth” the time of day.
Jan
07 Feb 2009
Who watches Idols?????
Idols hater
07 Feb 2009
Seth,
Some of your finest work ever!
Idols SA in rank amateur hour, made even more God-awful by those incompetent judges.
Randell is simply a Simon Cowell wannabee while Dave bears a startling resemblance to that sonic hedgehog cartoon creature. The less said about Gareth and that Mara excuse the better.
Keep up the good work!
MARIE
07 Feb 2009
at least it keeps the kids off the streets for a while anyway.
stop acting like the judges.
Carlos
08 Feb 2009
Dude, Seth, you’re spot on with both your posts.
Man, having these clowns on my tv makes me wonder why I bother watching local tv at all. Who the hell can take these guys seriously?
Joe Bones
08 Feb 2009
It is the NUMBER 1 RULE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS:
“Never respond to a blog or a diary page”
(or you’ll look like even more of a cock).
james
08 Feb 2009
hey seth,
i’ve always thought idols was a load of crap – got plenty of respect for kids putting it out there – that takes some balls.
thing that really gets me is how on gods green earth can the judges expect to be taken seriously, i mean, what are their credentials…has randall ever signed a grammy award winning artist?….has dave?…would gareth know a hit song or singer if it bit him in the arse?….being an arsehole is easy. nervous teenagers deluded about their talents are an easy mark. what about the syrupy condescension when they hear something they like? you’d think they had just personally discovered the fucking beatles!! spotting talent is dead easy as well….grooming it into superstar success is another matter all together….american idols a different matter altogether. simon might be a dick, but he has a few hits under his belt. paula abdul is an annoying pisscat, but she’s walked the walk…..the endgame results speak for themselves….us idols winners go on to become bona fide entertainers.
Dimitri
08 Feb 2009
It would be more interesting if the proceeds from the show were redirected to enhancement of local musical talent in this country. Listening to poor covers of an origonal doesn’t cut it.
Jamie
09 Feb 2009
Looks like you are just trying to get some controversy in order to get readership.
Your arguments seem to be clutching at straws.
Im not saying this because I am a fan or not a fan of idols.
I just think your the sell out, trying to find an argument by using idols, knowing that people either love it or loath it and either way would get you some comments.
Seth Rotherham
09 Feb 2009
Jamie,
Absolutely spot on, pal! Hence the shock that they rose to the bait and responded! That’s when it all really started.
The use of the word “BOMBSHELL” in my first headline DAVE THOMPSON DROPS IDOLS BOMBSHELL (to which they responded) is clearly ironic and tongue-in-cheek/mountain-out-of-a-molehill.
The fact that they responded at all is what blew it out of proportion. This we call “playing into one’s hands.”
Thanks for the support and enjoy the show.
Jamie
09 Feb 2009
Cool man, respect.
James K
09 Feb 2009
Idols is so 7-years-ago. Boring!! Yawn.
Chi Ki
11 Feb 2009
First and foremost: IDOLS SCMIDOLS. Who gives a Sht?! Apparently you do.
Secondly: Challenging “Randy” to a fist fight to settle whether he’s intelligent & patient…??
Here’s your sign.
Joon
13 Feb 2009
Let me start by saying that Idols is rock-bottom when it comes to entertainment.
However, three things make it worth a watch:
1.) People being really set up to look stupid by the cynical production team. You know, the ones that tell them “Yes, you are exactly what we are looking for. Now remember, when you go in front of the judges, make sure to do that brilliant yodeling thing we saw the other day in the pre-auditions….”
2.) I actually enjoy both Dave’s and Gareth’s commentary. I get the feeling that they are both being quite genuine with what they say and do on the show. Mara and Randall are a bit of a waste of space…
3.) The best thing of all from last season was Chris McEvoy’s blogs about the shows for media24. Sheer genius, all of them.
Alain
15 Feb 2009
Ugh… This whole discussion is moronic – I respect and understand Dave’s point of view completely.
I have no concern with the fact that Idols is made purely for entertainment purposes and for the benefit of MNET – and if you didn’t realize this already then I’m afraid you have a gross misunderstanding of how the entertainment industry works.
Companies like MNET have no stake in funding troubled geniuses – their aims and goals are to find someone that’s marketable in a pop context, and I don’t think that they hide that as their intentions at all.
It should also be fairly obvious about what Dave said about what happens to the person who wins Idols – what benefit would MNET get out of it, as they’ve already made their money.
I have respect for both Dave and Randall, and to a certain extent – Gareth, because, as a music collector and appreciator I feel that they truly do have extensive knowledge of music – especially Randall. I just think that they are able to separate this from their job – which is an entirely different ballgame to the appreciation of the arts.
It’s just sad to see that people have such a misunderstanding of the show, and feel cheated when they realize the point of it, which isn’t something that it’s creators even try to hide.
If you want to support the creative geniuses, struggling artists and talented musicians of South Africa – I doubt that watching Idols means you’re doing your part, and I feel that Dave would agree with me on that…
Seth Rotherham
15 Feb 2009
Nice one, Alain.
Yup, I think we pretty much understand the concept. The idea was to create a mountain out of a molehill. Which we did. They rose to the bait and we created ANOTHER mountain out of a molehill, tugging on the “what about finding South African talent” emotional strings.
It’s sensational and it’s pretty funny as well.
Stick around and you’ll get the vibe eventually.
Thanks for the support.
Grim Reapz
15 Mar 2009
I cant believe that adults actually entertain themselves by trying to belittle a man that is clearly succesful in his field.
Who should grow up?
American Idols
01 Apr 2009
Hey, Love this site… tks
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