Cheerbots: The Live Audience Factor

[Kromm]

Talk about the effect the live audience has--both on the performance, as well as the aftermath (the judges comments and reactions, and potentially how home viewers vote).

Note that the Cheerbots occupy the same bodies as the BooTrons.  It's all about predictable behaviors triggered by stupid glory notes, being aw-shucks "country", or one of the other many factors that are more about stuff other than actual technical prowess.  The Cheerbots go nuts when someone hits those glory notes, or hits down home especially hard, or some other trigger of those natures, whereas the BooTrons are the manifestation which appears when a judge (usually Harry--in the past occasionally Simon when he wasn't simply being shallow, or once or twice even Kara) dares to point out actual technical mistakes and problems that disturb/upend the reactions of the Cheerbots.

[TheBitchyWife]

You're right - it definitely has an effect on the judges...I sometimes feel like they are watching a different show than I am.  In the past, I've seen a band live at a festival or bar and loved them...then I downloaded some songs and cringed.  Definitely not as good and theoretically they should be better as they are smoother and more produced. 

Is my vote affected by them?  Of course not, but I wouldn't doubt that certain demographics are definitely influenced by both groups.

[Kromm]

As I sit here reading this, I just watched (I'm behind in my viewing) the March 26 American Idol episode.  Just got to the part where Country Boy Dexter does a horrible predictable job of singing something down-home that the Cheerbots in the live audience auto-like, but if they actually thought it through might realize they're going to forget about an hour later, then Harry points this out and the BooTrons (predictably) give it to him for daring to criticize one of the designated "must love or else" performers.

Then even the judges grow so bored with this they spend several minutes talking about giant gummy bears.

Edited March 28, 2014 by Kromm

[OakGoblinFly]

I wish the sound engineers could find a way to filter out the screams as sometimes they drown out the singer; then again sometimes the band does that too.

[SnarkyTart]

Someone on TwoP, maybe ari33, coined the term Boo Cows.  I like that. 

American Idol would benefit hugely by eliminating The Boo Cows and Cheer Bots.  (Eliminating Randy Jackson would hugely improve things too, but that's another subject.) 

I find The Voice much more enjoyable to watch than AI, partly as a result of NO Boo Cows.  The judges are free to give performance critiques, and we are saved from hearing the audience boo, without the possibility of a good judge starting to self-censor so as to avoid being stampeded by Boo Cows.

It would be ridiculously easy to eliminate these issues by turning the sound down on the audience, as The Voice does.  Obviously, the AI showrunners want it this way.  I hate the Sway Bots, too, even if they don't affect the judging.  Nigel Lithgoe was smart enough to at least get rid of the Sway Bots, but the stupid show brought them back as soon as he was gone.

[Kromm]

I like that.  Boo Cows.  It makes the pairing with Cheer Bots a bit less matchy matchy than BooTrons.

[Rick Kitchen]

I loved Harry calling them out last night and telling them to shut up.  :)