S10.E09: Judge Cuts Week 2

[Taeolas]

Michael Buble is the guest judge to cut another group of 20 down to 7.

 

All in all, some good cuts. Some of those groups knew who the winner was among them.

 

The hardest pick was between Ira and the Magician; I loved both of them and hated seeing them up together. 

 

Really happy DM Nation got the nod; their act was very crisp (from what we could see; damn cutaways). A solo dancer IMO is rarely going to win against a good group. And that said, no offense to the guy going blind, but he got a pity pass through IMO. For a blind guy, it was an ok dance, but that's all it was. 

 

The choir group was great the first time, and great this time too; an easy pass through and I can't wait to see them again.

 

Sad that nerves got to the Bearded comedian. Even his opener was a bit flat which probably unnerved him. His adopted reunion joke was cute, but for whatever reason it came off flat and the audience didn't react which probably put him off. 

 

Copydales was WTF. Maybe Okay in small doses but I have no clue what they were trying to do. Rightfully buzzed.

 

As for Buble as a host, he did a decent job I'd say. I feel bad for pressuring to push the gold buzzer like that; but I suspect it was all manufactured drama anyways. The group he put through was decent enough, so I'm fine for it.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Taeolas

[Commando Cody]

I wanted to know when this was taped.  Mel B's birthday was on May 29th.

 

I figured the singer's performance of the Elvis song was just too slow and boring to show all of it.  

 

I didn't like the opera singer.  Her voice sounded like it was all over the place.

 

I find the life of the 87 year old woman fascinating.  She is so vibrant and happy for her age.  She doesn't have enough talent to continue in the competition, but she is really admirable.  

 

I'm sorry to hear about the dancer's vision.  Judging him on his talent, he needs a lot more training. 

 

I found the ladder guy's first audition much more entertaining.  It was awesome the way he went up and down the ladder.  Still, balancing on a ladder is pretty impressive. It's weird, but it left me with "Is that all there is tonight?". 

 

I like the Craig Lewis Band. I don't think they needed the GB. However, I don't think any of the other acts were worth using it on. 

 

Wow.  The bus crashing team was really lame.  What the hell.  The guy rode his bike up and down a ramp - through some large burning arch.  It was really pretty sad.  When he finally runs through the burning wooden wall, he wipes out. 

 

It's great if you can be middle aged dads and still move around like they do, but that's as far as it goes. 

 

DM Nation is too busy for me. There was a lot of arm waving.

 

Where the hell did the Chippendoubles come from?  I do not remember seeing them before.  They sucked donkey balls. 

 

I don't know what went on with the hypnotist.  

 

Sorry Scott the comedian couldn't remember his lines.  I really enjoyed his act the first time.

 

I'm still not impressed with the choir. Maybe it was the song.

 

 

Seriously.  

-They picked the kid dancer over the much better woman dancer.  Even in the little clip they showed of her, she was tons more talented than he was. 

-They picked fucking puppets over the magician.

 

What the hell is going on here?

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Maverick]

 The hypnotist was acting a bitch.  It's not Mel and Michael's fault he deliver on his talent.  He could have said 'sorry, hypnotism doesn't work on everyone' and left with some grace.  Instead he came off like a spoiled brat, mouthing off to the judges and blaming them for his failure.  

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Magician got shafted.  I like Ira tons, too.  However, the magician pulled off a truly amazing stunt and his austere, no-nonsense presentation sets him apart from pretty much all the others.  This was strictly a matter of the draw.  Ira offers a niche that no other act has.  The show needs that variety.  Any magician would have lost to that act.

 

I would have put the magician through in place of the blind dancer or ladder guy.  In fact, Ira should have been against ladder guy as a group.

 

I may be super wrong about this, but about 1/3 of the way through the gospel group performance, I am pretty sure I heard vocal backtracks.  There was a choral note, yet none of the folks on stage were singing, save the soloist.  Ultimate shenanigans if I am right.

 

The abject failure rate tonight was ridiculous.  No, Heidi, you did not do a good job.  Duds like these were rather obvious and y'all voted them through on a whim.

 

I think this was the best use of the gold buzzer all year.  That duo performance was stellar.  Each of them has a unique voice and the whole is greater than the sum of the two.  In that killer category, they may well have been cut.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Lonesome Rhodes

[LadyMustang65]

Puppets over the magician?  Ugh.  Just ugh.  They weren't good the first time, and I was surprised when they got put through.  The whole "I told Ira 'get it on' means go get ice cream" was just stupid and a set up for some lame sex jokes.  Just ugh.  That fabulous magician gets cut for that?  <sigh>

 

I would not have put the ladder guy through either.  He was better, I thought, the first time, but still . . . how long can you watch a guy go up and down a ladder?  It's just not enough really.  The blind dancer was a pity vote.  I admire his courage, and he's a decent dancer, but a better act got cut so the judges could feel good.  I felt bad for the comedian.  That was so tough to watch him just blank out like that.  I hope he comes back next season.  He was amusing the last time, and we thought his act tonight started off well. 

Edited July 22, 2015 by LadyMustang65

[mtlchick]

DM Nation was pretty damn busy for my taste but they're from my home province so by default I will root for them all the way.

 

I did miss most of the show but I really hope that Ben doesn't get that far because it will be mostly based on pity votes which I can't stand. 

[Taeolas]

I'm wondering if during the Judge Cut round they have less time for their act than during the live show or the audition stage? Because it certainly felt like a lot of the acts were shorter, even the ones we saw 'all' of.

 

I don't have a problem with the ladder guy going through, but his Cut-act was less interesting than his audition. It felt like he was going for the difficult stunt rather than the flamboyant act he had originally (when he was basically dancing with the ladder). Impressive, but i hope he goes back to the first style in the live round.

 

The Magician definitely should have gone through, and he should be a shoo-in for the wildcard slot the judges will have at the end. His trick was very simple and straightforward and I have no clue how he did it. (

Audience plant maybe?

) Once again, this one seemed shorter than usual.

 

I know Ira's act and banter was a bit juvenile, but I liked it. I just hope he can move on to something else than his MelB fixation. Still his banter with the judges is strong, showing he can think quick at least. Glad he got through.

[KarateKate]

Ira was going through. Let's face it... this is a puppet act that they have from the VERY beginning identified by the puppet name (not puppeteers) and have only interacted with as the puppet persona and puppet backstory (at least for our screens). This (respect? I don't know the best word for here) is not given to all performances, but when it IS it's a clear sign this act will have to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, as far as advancing. 

Now, if Ira were a human and not a puppet, he would not have gone through. He might have been served a restraining order. 

 

[...]I may be super wrong about this, but about 1/3 of the way through the gospel group performance, I am pretty sure I heard vocal backtracks.  There was a choral note, yet none of the folks on stage were singing, save the soloist.  Ultimate shenanigans if I am right.

[...]

 

I don't know if this answers it fully, but there was a keyboardist with the group providing synth background. But I didn't specifically notice the part you are talking about, so that might not answer it. 

[camom]

 

 

-They picked the kid dancer over the much better woman dancer.  Even in the little clip they showed of her, she was tons more talented than he was.

-They picked fucking puppets over the magician.

 

I agree with both of these.  The blind kid is a decent dancer for a blind person.  But the woman was tons better.  Definitely a pity vote.  I really like the puppets, but given a choice between the puppets and the magician I would have picked the magician.  He was terrific.  I hope the ladder guy has more to show us.  His audition was really impressive, but last night not so much.  He may be a one-trick wonder.

[PepperMonkey]

Michael Buble just bores me to tears. I'm probably the only one who feels that way, but there it is.

 

I missed the ladder guy's audition. I thought his act was impressive enough, especially compared to some of the other acts. Is that all he does though? Ladders? Hope he can excel in the next round.

 

I really do love the going-blind dancer's story. But yeah, he's just not that good. I hate the pity vote, too and I really wish they wouldn't send him through just because of the backstory. I'm not sure America will feel as good about him as a talent, as do the judges.

 

DM Nation: once again, I don't get it. I really didn't see much dancing, just a lot of arm flailing and stomping, accompanied by Janet Jackson mid 90s costumes and goth makeup. I'm sorry. I'm the lone dissenter on the forums a lot, but I just don't get how they made it through.

 

Hypnotist guy was boring as shite the first time and worse last night. Glad he and his attitude are gone.

 

UGH: singers. I think the Colombian singer is good, but not fabulous. I'm happy if singers HAVE to go through on the show, when they have something a little different. I'm okay with the duo that got golden buzzed. They're talented enough and I love their joie de vivre. I also like the gospel choir.

 

I don't get how the crazy guys from Texas even got through to this round at all, but I guess they were on daredevil night, which I refuse to watch. Unfortunately, we have more of those to watch. Maybe they'll all be weeded out early, too.

[bluepiano]

My understanding is that the acts in the groupings of three are not competing directly against each other. It's just a way to add drama when they announce the results. ("Only one of you three is going through.") So it's not as if Ira the puppet was picked over the magician. The magician was just not in their top seven.

 

The magician and the guy who sang "I Can't Make You Love Me" appeared particularly devastated, because the judges had led them to believe they were locks to go through. Buble told the singer he was his favorite of the competition, and that was after the woman sang "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina." But I still had a feeling she would be chosen. She's a "package." She's pretty and sweet, and they made a big deal out of her mother flying in from Columbia. The guy was a good singer but that over dramatic style is something we hear all the time.

 

Agree with many others that the magician was robbed. That was an amazing trick, and for back story, learning to do card tricks in prison is probably the most unique one I've ever heard. His trick did go by really quickly. Maybe that hurt him. But what he did was flawless.

 

I also don't remember seeing The Chippendoubles before, and I swear I've watched every minute of this season. Weird. And I can't imagine them having been put through in the auditions. (But then, they put through the hugger).

 

DM Nation and the guy with the ladder seem to be designated judges' pets. Ladder guy was funny in his audition. This time there was really no humor. It was just a balancing act, and not impressive compared to some of the others we've seen. I hope next time he loses the ladder and does something completely different.

 

As with the blind dancer, I think the gospel choir also made it through as a feel good act. Compared to other choirs I've heard they are nothing special. The woman who sang lead does not have a particularly strong voice. You expect the lead in a choir to have one of those voices that raises the roof.

 

Has there ever been a puppet act where we didn't actually see the human(s) behind it? I think that's what makes this act interesting. But though I find the act amusing (love the name "Ira Fennelblum") I thought the whole "let's get it on means getting ice cream" thing was just not funny.
 

Edited July 22, 2015 by bluepiano

[UsernameGoesHere]

Stunned that they put the puppets through over the magician. WTF. Hopefully they'll bring him back as a wildcard. The rest of the results were predictable, though I'm not really sure why the choir made it through.

 

I would've rather seen the rhythmic gymnast girl go through over the blind dancer. He's fine but we all know he got through because of his story. And this isn't his fault, but I'm just so tired of hearing about him - we're both from West MI and he's been all over the news here.

 

Uzeyer wasn't as good this time but I'm glad he made it through.

 

Ryan Shaw is great but what is a 3-time Grammy nominee doing on this show? Bye!

 

The danger act was embarrassing. LMAO at Howard being all "I LOVE THIS ACT!" and then buzzing them like 15 seconds in.

 

I didn't realize that Daditude even made it past the first round.

 

Every time someone says "DM Nation" all I hear is damnation. This looked pretty much the same as their first dance to me? Except I liked their first dance better.

 

What in the world was that Chippendoubles mess? LMAO! I definitely don't remember seeing them before. The only good part was Nick laughing when "Mariah" came out.

 

It sucks that the drag comedian blew it. He was one of my favorites. I felt so bad! I didn't feel bad for the hypnotist though because he was just a little bitch.

 

I thought Michael Buble was boring too.

 

Who wore the red heels better? I say Scott.

 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

First time poster on this forum. How many batches of 7 ultimately will go through? Next week will get us to 21...

 

The breakdown of the 14 goes like this:

 

1 Magican/Magic Dragon (GB)

1 Stand up comedian (Myq)

1 Archery/Danger act

1 Puppet act

1 Circus performer

4 Dance acts (Giant group and the special effects troupe from last week, DM Nation, and the Blind kid)

1 Band (3 Shades of Blue?)

1 Gospel Choir--Selected of God

1 Singing Duo (GB)

1 The final African American female singer from last week

1 female opera singer from Colombia

 

I can understand the Puppet act purely getting the nod for the sake of variety. The same could be said for the Circus performer climbing his ladder. But the selection of the solo dancer kid is just sad. Not his condition...it would be a difficult thing to deal w/, but he simply has no business on the basis of his "talent" making the top 40 or however many people will end up peforming at RCMH. The Music Duo is awesome. Completely worthy of Bubbly's Golden buzzer.

 

While in principle I hate any dance act w/ more than 7 or 8 members (the immortally named Studio One Young Beast Society had about the maximum amount of troupe members I can really get behind in the context of AGT), I will give this to DM Nation. They were super sharp and synchronized and kept me engaged for the entire performance w/out getting too repetitive.

Edited July 22, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Panopticon]

Before I get into a few complaints, I want to reiterate what I said last week: thank you, AGT, for structuring this round this way. It's a format that works.

Agree with many here that the blind teenage dancer was put through on pity. I was grossed out that they had him say "I may go completely blind so this may be my only chance" for the camera. Seriously manipulative and clearly scripted.

As far as backstory goes, both in the audition and in this round I enjoyed the magician talking about his time in prison. For once an "I screwed up but now I'll get it right" story instead of "agony! misery! woe!" But whatever his backstory, he deserved to go through. Here's hoping a wildcard has his name on it.

I thought it was sweet that Michael Buble evaluated the Colombian singer in Spanish for her mother. And I enjoyed him failing to be hypnotized. Both guest judges have been just fine with me so far.

The choir seemed a bit off but I was okay with them making it in anyway.

I felt sorry for the street performer/dancer. There was something about him I enjoyed although it was obvious he wasn't close to making the cut when they only showed a second of his performance and said it wasn't right.

Finally, I just don't get the puppets. Or else I get them and am not entertained. Either way.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Panopticon

[Maverick]

Michael Buble just bores me to tears. I'm probably the only one who feels that way, but there it is.

 

 You've clearly never seen him shilling for Ham 'n' Bubbly.

 

 

 

Ryan Shaw is great but what is a 3-time Grammy nominee doing on this show? Bye!

 

 This was a WTF for me?  Were we really expected to have sympathy for something tearfully calling for another chance as he tells us about his multiple Grammy nominations?  The majority of aspiring singers will never make it near the Grammy's, even as a guest.  If you've been there so many times and still have to try AGT maybe it's just not meant to happen for you. 

 

Finally, I just don't get the puppets. Or else I get them and am not entertained. Either way.

 

 The puppets were a non-entity to me...until that "let's get it on" joke.  Which was just fucking creepy.  Someone needs to wash their mouth out with Tide.

[bluepiano]

This was a WTF for me?  Were we really expected to have sympathy for something tearfully calling for another chance as he tells us about his multiple Grammy nominations?  

 

I must've missed that. Did not hear his tearful pleading. But I'm still pretty shocked that the guy I described in my previous post as good but nothing special has had a successful career. At least relative to most singers. Why would someone like that go on AGT? Wouldn't that be embarrassing? I understand that show biz can be very up and down, but unless you were to actually win the whole competition (or come very close) this would not seem like a smart career move.

 

Michael Buble said that he should've sung "Higher" by Jackie Wilson. The Wikipedia entry on Ryan Shaw said that on his album he covered Jackie Wilson, so I'm betting that Buble (and the other judges) knew about his background. When there's a contestant with significant professional experience, i feel like the show should inform the viewers of that.

 

Last season there was country singer named Marty. AGT portrayed him as this shy, "aw shucks" kind of guy who had only tried out was because his wife made him. But the truth came out (at least on this website) that he'd actually recorded a couple of albums in Nashville. He made it to the live shows, so people were voting for him based on the story that he was a raw talent who had never been in front of an audience. Which was a complete lie. We all know that there's manipulation on "reality" TV, but i think that telling out-and-out lies to the audience is crossing a boundary.

Edited July 23, 2015 by bluepiano

[Commando Cody]

There have been contestants who pretended to be war veterans.  

[UsernameGoesHere]

Who could ever forget Marty Brown and his 4 studio albums? His epic fail of a live show performance is one of those things that goes down in AGT history, if such a thing exists. But yeah, stuff like that is why I was surprised that they brought up Ryan's Grammy noms. It was impossible for me to feel bad for him getting cut after hearing about that.

[Mumbles]

 

Finally, I just don't get the puppets. Or else I get them and am not entertained. Either way.

Me either. They're just not that funny. The stereotypical nebbish with the overprotective mother - shtick followed by a song, followed by more shtick. I actually think that Mel B doesn't really care for them but got crap when she was less than enthusiastic the first week they were on.

[Commando Cody]

I kind of wonder if it was all just a ploy.  They put these under-talented performers through with the intent of bringing back the "fucked over" in the judges pick. Although, we didn't see enough of the gymnast to expect her to be brought back.  I'm fairly certain they would bring the ex-con magician back. 

[helenamonster]

I can't believe they cut that magician. His trick was so fucking slick. He better come back as a wild card.

 

I don't think Shirley Claire deserved to go on but that doesn't stop from thinking she's fabulous. Damn, I'd love to get a drink with her some time and just listen to her talk about what I'm sure is a fascinating life.

 

Usually anti-singer, but then Daniella Mass pulled out "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and I just fell for it. I loooooove that song. Also, I know she (apparently) just moved to the States from Colombia, but she looks really familiar. Like I'm positive I've seen her on TV or in a movie before. Maybe she just has one of those faces.

 

Ngl, I find the whole Ira shtick really entertaining. If he hadn't gone through I would have been ok, but there's just something about him (and his mother). Idk, it hasn't gotten old for me yet.

 

Agree on the "ugh" re: the pity vote for the blind dancer. It's only gonna get him so far. I wish they had just let him down easy the first round and not built his hopes up. He seems really nice and I feel really bad for him, no one deserves that, but blech.

 

Uzeyer was definitely more entertaining the first round. Eh, we'll see if he's got anything else.

 

Lmao at the danger act completely shitting the bed.

 

Wtf was the Chippendoubles thing about? I don't remember seeing them in the auditions, and these judges can be questionable with their voting a lot of the time but I couldn't see them making it through to this round if their first act had been anything like the one from this episode. And they couldn't even remember the name of their own group! What a mess.

 

The attitude on the hypnotist was distasteful and uncalled for, but I kind of enjoyed it in all of its horribleness. Idk, it spiced things up a bit. But seriously, it felt like he came in with some kind of chip on his shoulder, especially with regards to that comment he made to Howie as he left the stage.

 

Soooooo bummed about Scott, you guys! He was my favorite along with Piff. I think Howard got it right when he said that his first audition was so good that it might have freaked him out. I wouldn't be mad if they gave him another chance with a wild card.

 

I didn't think the choir was that good. Over the years that I've been watching this show, a lot of people have made very insightful comments about how so many singers on reality competitions just belt out their songs because they saw Jennifer Hudson do it on American Idol and then go on to win an Oscar, and how a whole generation of up-and-coming singers have no concept of the advantages of softness, etc. This group felt like a bunch of those kinds of singers together. It honestly just sounded like a bunch of yelling to me. And lol at the one guy backstage who realized what song they were singing and went, "Beyonce!" Bitch, "Survivor" is a Destiny's Child song, get your facts straight!

[backformore]

 

 

Last season there was country singer named Marty. AGT portrayed him as this shy, "aw shucks" kind of guy who had only tried out was because his wife made him. But the truth came out (at least on this website) that he'd actually recorded a couple of albums in Nashville. He made it to the live shows, so people were voting for him based on the story that he was a raw talent who had never been in front of an audience. Which was a complete lie. We all know that there's manipulation on "reality" TV, but i think that telling out-and-out lies to the audience is crossing a boundary.

Yes, ridiculous!

A tangent, sorry, but the most successful case of this was on American Idol - Carrie Underwood.  She was sold as a country bumpkin, she was shown singing to the animals on her gran'pappy's farm.  Before the show wiped her online presence clean, it was found that she had been performing in Nashville with some very big names in country music - all before ever auditioning on Idol. 

So I'm not surprised that AGT is doing the same stuff.

[damnman]

I think the magician should have been put through but the nagging thought in the back of my head is that maybe he doesn't "qualify" because of his criminal record??? I'm pretty sure these shows have a clause in them about that. Hopefully the exposure he got on AGT helps him out.

 

I agree about the blind dancer - put through totally on the pity vote (sorry if that comes across as crass).

[Commando Cody]

It's not crass.  That is exactly how it is.  

[helenamonster]

With this show especially, I don't need every act to legitimately be plucked from obscurity. If anything, I'd rather see seasoned professionals do their thing than watch some guy who spends his Saturdays teaching himself to juggle in his backyard or whatever. But I definitely hate when they take someone who has had pretty impressive success in their field and present them like they're brand new. It's not so much the "dishonesty" as it is the fact that we can all Google these people and find their life stories if we wanted. Don't treat us like idiots.

 

That being said, I was definitely raising an eyebrow at the guy who had three (!) Grammy nominations. I know winning would have been better but that's nothing to turn your nose up at and I consider it to be a sign of success.

Edited July 28, 2015 by helenamonster

[Indy]

With this show especially, I don't need every act to legitimately be plucked from obscurity. If anything, I'd rather see seasoned professionals do their thing than watch some guy who spends his Saturdays teaching himself to juggle in his backyard or whatever. But I definitely hate when they take someone who has had pretty impressive success in their field and present them like they're brand new. It's not so much the "dishonesty" as it is the fact that we can all Google these people and find their life stories if we wanted. Don't treat us like idiots.

 

That being said, I was definitely raising an eyebrow at the guy who had three (!) Grammy nominations. I know winning would have been better but that's nothing to turn your nose up at and I consider it to be a sign of success.

 

ITA.  A lot of acts really benefit from having experience before the show, like the comedians.  It's really hard to play to a big audience like that without having gotten your feet wet before (maybe Scott wouldn't have had such a sad meltdown had he more experience).  I don't need/want a show full of people who this is the first time they've sung/dance/told jokes/etc in front of someone other than their reflection in the mirror - but be honest about it.  Most of the variety and trick acts have quite a bit of experience, it just isn't as mainstream as being on the Tonight Show or having Grammy Nominations.  Piff has done at least the college circuit and clearly Sylvia Sylvia hasn't just been shooting arrows at her husband in their basement (though if she has, that would be kind of cool too). However neither is pretending that this is the first time they've ever performed for the public. It's the guys like that country singer who was pleading complete amateurity and then we find out he's had record deals that bother me.  It's clearly not against the rules for the contestants to have previous national exposure so the lies and shadiness aren't necessary. 

[AyeshaTheGreat]

I didn't get to see this episode; however, I've been following The CraigLewis Band for years and just saw them sing live recently, so I viewed their performance.  I also started following Ryan Shaw and to say I am surprised that either of these acts were on the show would be an understatement.  Obviously, The CraigLewis Band has done well so far but Ryan Shaw's peformance did not go over as well.  I did not know Ryan Shaw was a Grammy nominee, and while it is an achievement, I do not think it signals a successful singing career.  But I did hear of Ryan Shaw from being on Broadway in Motown the Musical, playing "Stevie Wonder", among other characters.  That achievement made me believe he should have taken a different route to reboot his singing career.  Even appearing on The Voice may have been a better option.  Lastly, like Michael Buble, I didn't like Ryan's song choice.  Looking at his youtube page, I see he has sung this in the past but I thought the performance was underwhelming.