S13.E07: Judge Cuts 1

[Commando Cody]

Quote

An elimination round.

[Ohwell]

Is this opera dude just going to stand up there and sing Il Divo songs every performance?  Badly, I might add?  Simon knows it's bad. 

[ams1001]

Random thoughts:

• I would break my neck just trying to stand in those heels.
• Hur hur, the singing married couple had sex! Are we 12?
• Can we just turn off Mel's mic or something?
• The comedian was kinda funny but it felt like the judges' laughter was edited in from something else. It was just a little too much for the level of funny.
• Oh, stop crying! (Nurse singer who they said was off-key. I wasn't listening closely enough to notice.)
• Started rapping at sailing camp? That has to be the WASPiest gangsta thing ever. (And no, I'm not calling you Patches.)
• Old guy dancer has better knees than I do. If I got down like that I would not have been able to get back up without help.
• Simon's mini-me is adorable.
• Starting out by telling us how bad your vision is kinda makes the blindfold a tad less dramatic...
• I thought the fall in the pre-commercial clip was gonna be a fakeout. Guess not. (Their son and his little mohawk are adorable.)
• Is Aaron Crow sucking in his cheeks all the time or is his face really that... chiseled?
• Calm down, Mel.
• Howie: "I want you to understand...why we make the decisions we make." Um, because the producers told you to?
•  

Edited July 18, 2018 by ams1001
afterthoughts

[DietCokeJunkie]

So who were the 7 acts that made it through? I caught the singing nurse, the blind trapeze artist, the guys dance troupe  and the nonsmiling, nontalking guy with the arrows. Who else? 

 

And thank goodness they're being a little little more judicious and not just automatically putting through the kid acts. 

Edited July 18, 2018 by DietCokeJunkie

[Commando Cody]

First acrobatic group. Flipping around in high heeled shoes - totally impressive. Aside from that, these guys were just bad. For a talent show, trying to win a million dollars, this was amateur hour. Was this a different group trying to escape the horrors of being in a gang by dancing? I don't know if the guy was really crying or not, but it looked like fake crying.

Pregnant couple singers - Nice voices. Terrible song. They won't get far with a baby at this stage of the game. 

Kevin the Magician - Mel's ring was in a another box.  Whatever. 

Guy dancing with toy - I can hardly see the toy because of the background. 

Animal sounds girl - She didn't even get the full audition on TV. So we don't have to wait until the end to find out her future on this show. The little bit they showed was not impressive. 

"Singing" dog. - Didn't get the full audition on TV either. 

Opera Guy - We got the whole rehash of "Simon made me sing this other song I never sang before".  Nice voice though. I like him. He's good looking and could probably sell a lot of records... or probably already has sold a bunch of records. 

Children's Choir - I didn't get the director's story. Who was saying "no" to her? If she wanted to be a singer, she would be out there in every little dive being a singer. Did she quit because she couldn't get a record contract? I wasn't sure what she was saying. The choir sounded nice. That was nice of Ken to golden buzzer them. Unless the producers told him to do it, I think he was just doing them a favor. 

Sword Guy - I just don't get into acts like this.  The set up always takes too long for one thrilling act of not killing a judge. Long and drawn out.  I had to fast forward to the actual trick.

Comedian - She wasn't funny.

Christina Wells - She has a great voice. I should do a search to see how successful she's been before they whitewash her background to make it look like she's never made a record. 

Patches - I don't like him. Patches? Really? His parents are hippies and he sees everything through a rainbow. 

Two old people dancing - We have to watch this again? The producer meddling made this act even stupider. The couple didn't really look like they were into it. Even though I didn't like the act to begin with, at least in the first audition it seemed like it was their thing. Still very impressed at the way the old guy can bend his knees. 

I don't remember these long haired guys. 

Trapeze couple - They're pretty impressive. The dude wasn't exactly ripping off his blindfold to see if his wife was okay. it was just "Is she alright?".  That was a little weird. Mel's screaming sucks. The fire didn't add much considering they weren't hovering over it and she didn't fall anywhere near it. 

I like Ken Jeong. I hope he replaces Mel as a judge. 

 

 

They just whipped through who got through to the live shows. None of the six are going to win this thing, so it probably doesn't matter who they were. This was a really long, dragged out couple of hours of TV. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

That they actually advanced more non-singing acts than singing acts (4 to 3), should be considered a minor miracle.

While, the group of 7 that advanced wasn't overly inspiring....given who they let go, I can't really be mad at the Judges. I'm seriously not a fan of the last lady's style of singing...so I would've gotten rid of her and maybe replaced her with the Asian Girl who balanced the glasses. But the fact that she was montaged (along with animal impression girl, bald singer guy, piano player accompanied by dog, the first acro balance act, etc.) meant that she was just there to make up numbers.

Mochi's genuine excitement about getting to the next round was cute. He's one of those acts where even if it isn't the most mind blowing thing (and sometimes it actually is!), I still respect the hell out of how much he's practiced and honed his craft. It really looks like it's just an additional part of his body and he's never going to drop the diablo to the ground.

The 7 who advanced for those who missed the ending:

Voices of Hope Children's Choir (Ken Jeong's Golden Buzzer)

Mochi (Diablo dance/multimedia artist)

Us the Duo (Pop Group)

Junior New System (Dance act from the Philippines & Asia's Got Talent)

Aaron Crow (Danger Act...swords, arrows, lasers, etc.)

Duo Transcend (Married Aerial Acro-balance act)

Christina Wells (Singer)

[Mr. Sparkle]

Random thoughts on last night:

• I'm shocked to be writing this, but I thought Patches was the most improved act. His elimination probably saves him from a lot of online abuse, though. 
• Christina was the least improved by far. Voice didn't sound great and lousy song choice. 
• I wouldn't be surprised if the acrobat fell on purpose, and she clearly landed on her feet in no danger. 
• Thank G-d singing dog and old dirty dancers are out. Also animal sound girl. Where's that gonna go? 
• Kevin the magician's trick was telegraphed from a mile away. Very little showmanship either. 
• By contrast, I like Aaron Crow because he's all showmanship. I wonder if his schtick will still be interesting after 1-2 more rounds. 

[MagnanimousRex]

16 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Is this opera dude just going to stand up there and sing Il Divo songs every performance?  Badly, I might add?  Simon knows it's bad. 

But you have to admit he's better than Us the Duo.  They made my skin crawl.  

[Mr. Sparkle]

2 minutes ago, MagnanimousRex said:

But you have to admit he's better than Us the Duo.  They made my skin crawl.  

I liked them the first time. Last night was pretty bad. Bad song. The opera singer is just mediocre at his craft. My mother was a big opera fan (I am not) so I heard a lot of opera growing up. I'd bet there are dozens of opera singers out there who are better than him. 

[saber5055]

14 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

I like Ken Jeong. I hope he replaces Mel as a judge. 

This. Ken was the best part of this show. He's smart, funny and better than all four of the judges together. I'd be fine with him being the one and only judge. From now until the end of time.

Patches ... I hope I never see or hear of you again. The same with the simulated-sex-on-stage old people. I don't need or want to see that ever again either.

They really quickly went through who stayed and who left last night. Usually that drags out longer with DRAH-matic pauses. So thanks show for moving that along.

I did like the high-heel dance group though. Those guys are hilarious and pretty sexy, and could easily be in a drag show.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Give me a thousand Us the Duo's over one more Christina Wells (and Ill Divo boy). Yeah, they are ringer-ish...but they are infinitely more pleasant and enjoyable to listen to. Though I will agree that their audition original song was better than their original song last night.

Ken Jeong runs kind of hot or cold for me, but he was a definite plus on the judge's panel this week. Hopefully Olivia Munn will keep it going next week.

[anthonyd46]

Whats the whole "Well this show isn't about being perfect" thing the last 3 or 4 acts. I mean I get people have off nights, but that just seems like an excuse when a million dollars is on the line. Not sure the choir was golden buzzer worthy, but this whole night of acts wasn't the greatest group of acts either so I guess it made sense.

I'm really not sure what these judges want and I still have Courtney winning until we see someone dethrone her (hopefully they do)

Edited July 18, 2018 by anthonyd46

[hnygrl]

I fell asleep before we got to the end (long night at the ER with the roomie the night before. She's okay, not a stroke after all) so thanks for the "who got through" update.

Christina....oh baby who picked out that dress? It was...unfortunate....bad, bad wardrobe choice.

And Never Enough is a song you have to "SANG" and if you can't "SANG" you need to leave that song alone because it goes way high, way low, lots of emotion required to sell it. She did not deliver. Halfway through I knew she wasn't gonna hit it and she didn't. She screwed up. Never Enough is like singing Whitney. You better be able to hit it if you gonna even attempt it. She couldn't and didn't and that DRESS. WHO picked that out???? It was 2 sizes too small and waaaay too short. And with her whitish hair she should've worn either silver or black.

I hope she does better next round, cause lady can sing when she's on game.

And let's not even mention the whiter than the whitest white white boy over-privileged, private school going, trust fund having "rapper." No. Just...NO. Thank GOD he's off our televisions.

 

So far?

 

This season blows.

[lynxfx]

So Aaron Crow placed fourth on Britain's Got Talent 5 years ago and he did the exact same illusion. I like him but they need to stop calling it a danger act when it is a magic act. Also the camera work and editing completely cheapened that trick. Seems like it was fast enough to work for the live audience but if you saw a wide shot on tv it would have been quite obvious in how it was done. 

Glad sail camp rapper is gone. He was improved this time but his whole story ruins it for me.

The singers are just that, singers. Us the Duo currently have a record contract and are touring this fall. AGT must be their summer gig.

They did a good job masking the huge pad under the acrobats. Definitely didn't looked planned but at least she was slowed down and only fell a couple feet max. The blindfold on a near blind guy seemed superfluous. 

I really want to like Mochi and he is super talented with that juggling thing, but you would never know how much because it is masked by the media graphics. I would like to see him mix it up. Maybe have two screens on either side of the stage and transition between the two. So in-between you could really see how good he is.

Surprised that 4 non-singers went through. That is a positive to a pretty lackluster show.

[atlantaloves]

Wow, this truly is the worst season EVER, and that is saying something. I only watch it because I am in love with Simon to tell you the truth. (hey, I am a sucker for dog acts, what can I tell ya?)

[Babalooie]

16 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

Kevin the Magician - Mel's ring was in a another box.  Whatever. 

Spoiler alert:   I came to this conclusion all by myself!      There were two matching rings from the prop department.    One went bye-bye tied to the balloons and the other was in the box that they opened at the judges' pane.  Voila!  I'm a regular Sherlock Holmes.

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm pretty sure he took the ring out of the box before he sent it sailing and then put it in the other box just as Mel opened it. Simple sleight of hand/misdirection. 

[ams1001]

18 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

Trapeze couple - They're pretty impressive. The dude wasn't exactly ripping off his blindfold to see if his wife was okay. it was just "Is she alright?".  That was a little weird. Mel's screaming sucks. The fire didn't add much considering they weren't hovering over it and she didn't fall anywhere near it. 

I wonder if that points to it being a stunt (which if so I would suspect the producers manufacturing "drama" rather than the couple doing it on their own, because why would they purposely jeopardize their act?) or just that in that kind of act you have to learn how to fall. There was a mat below them and she was high enough up to have time to turn a bit in the air and not land on her head, but not so high that she would likely be seriously hurt unless she landed really wrong. They must train for that possibility so when it happens he's probably the least worried of everyone there because he trusts their training. (And yeah, certain angles probably make it look more dangerous but they were well behind the fire line.)

[Huff Post headline this morning: 'America's Got Talent' Trapeze Act Goes Horribly Wrong]

Oh my! [reads article] Oh, she landed on a mat and no one was hurt. "Horribly" sounds a bit...overly dramatic. (Also, I doubt the son is old enough to really understand what happened and be terribly scared for his mom.)

Assuming the fall wasn't staged, I suspect her mother's "if she falls she'll land on her head!" soundbite was recorded after the fact just for the pre-performance package.

[lb60]

Mel, please STFU.  You are useless.

I'm not putting through any singers/groups/bands/choirs.  None of them are that good, and I'm tired of listening to all of them.

Ken Jeong was the best thing about Aaron Crow's act, and I usually find him way over the top.

Mochi and Junior New System are the only acts I (tepidly) put through last night. 

Looks like I might be back on #TeamScorpions.

Eric Cowell is still adorable.

[saber5055]

The acrobat mat was obviously hidden by the flames that were on the front of the stage, not under the acrobats. Trapeze artists leave the trapeze to fall into the net below on their backs. I'm guessing acrobat woman did the same last night, we just didn't get to see it. It was interesting she wanted to do the blindfold trick again and judges said no and put them through. In an earlier audition, some person fell and they let him do the trick again, and the judges only let him get through because he "brought it" that time. But typically on AGT, if you aren't "perfect" in the judges' eyes, you are toast.

What? You mean the sword guy isn't really cutting things with his sword and shooting things with his arrows? The heck! Although I can't imagine any of the judges being part of that act if it weren't somehow faked.

I'm still rooting for Circus Cats to win this entire thing.

[anthonyd46]

32 minutes ago, saber5055 said:

The acrobat mat was obviously hidden by the flames that were on the front of the stage, not under the acrobats. Trapeze artists leave the trapeze to fall into the net below on their backs. I'm guessing acrobat woman did the same last night, we just didn't get to see it. It was interesting she wanted to do the blindfold trick again and judges said no and put them through. In an earlier audition, some person fell and they let him do the trick again, and the judges only let him get through because he "brought it" that time. But typically on AGT, if you aren't "perfect" in the judges' eyes, you are toast.

What? You mean the sword guy isn't really cutting things with his sword and shooting things with his arrows? The heck! Although I can't imagine any of the judges being part of that act if it weren't somehow faked.

I'm still rooting for Circus Cats to win this entire thing.

That’s what I’m saying the last three or four acts they kept going on about how it’s not about being perfect and not being perfect is ok etc.

Yet other times they are like only 7 acts can go through perfection is the only thing accepted ! No room for average! 

Make up your minds judges.

Another thing there’s not enough time to do 18 full acts so it’s prettty obvious anyone who doesn’t get a full audition aired it’s a very high chance they aren’t advancing. 

Only good thing about the choir getting the golden buzzer I feel that for the first time in a while it was used correctly which is to give it to an act that otherwise might not make it through instead of giving it to an obvious one.

[ams1001]

23 minutes ago, anthonyd46 said:

That’s what I’m saying the last three or four acts they kept going on about how it’s not about being perfect and not being perfect is ok etc.

Maybe they realize how much this season sucks and if they insist on perfect they'll run out of people..

Edited July 19, 2018 by ams1001

[anthonyd46]

46 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Maybe they realize how much this season sucks and if they insist on perfect they'll run out of people..

That’s a possibility. 

I am wondering who they will put on champions edition. 

[ams1001]

50 minutes ago, anthonyd46 said:

That’s a possibility. 

I am wondering who they will put on champions edition. 

Champions edition? Hadn't heard about that.

[seltzer3]

Do you know which acts are up next week?  Hoping get to see Shin Lim and Scary Reina.  Their magic acts are so much better than we saw tonight.

Edited July 19, 2018 by seltzer3

[Vermicious Knid]

Anyone who can do a flip and land on 4 inch heels has my respect, but I didn't really feel anything about the performance as a whole. On the other hand the first solo singer with the children's choir has a fantastic voice and was better than all four of the other golden buzzer acts all by herself.

Falling apparently hasn't hurt the trapeze act. TMZ is reporting they're in high demand. Also going to perform at a Cirque show.

[CelticBlackCat]

Aaron Crow.  I liked him before, but this time he mesmerized me.  His looks, costume, stage presence (he owns the stage) and his act, whether it's a danger act or magic act, is interesting.  I am intrigued by him.  OK, I heart him.  He didn't screw up his act so he should go through, as he is talented and no one else is doing this act now.  I know he won't be the million dollar winner, but he looks like he's Vegas ready, and this isn't his first time at the rodeo.  He's performed on Britain's Got Talent, Broadway, and the Sydney Opera House.  Guy gets around!

The other acts who got through that I like are Junior New System and Duo Transcend.  I didn't believe the trapeze couple's story of the husband's eyesight failing but they clarified it this week that he needs a cornea transplant, so I do believe it now.  Even though they had that whoopsie, it was still a great act.  Junior New System stepped it up from their first audition, and I liked their music soundtrack, and they didn't screw up.

Very happy to see the following go:  Patches, and Senior Dirty Dancing Couple.  I agree with the letting go of the rest of the acts.  I thought Mel B was mean to have buzzed Pam and Oscar the singing dog.

I am not excited about the children's choir and since Christina Wells sang off key, I don't see why she should win, but better her to have gone through than one of the other acts.  I don't remember the trapeze trio either.  I do not like Us the Duo at all.  I would rather hear opera.  I really hope Us the Duo doesn't win the million dollars.

Edited July 19, 2018 by CelticBlackCat
Forgot to diss Us the Duo.

[anthonyd46]

56 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Champions edition? Hadn't heard about that.

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/americas-got-talent-the-champions-simon-cowell-nbc-winter-edition-1202808476/

[helenamonster]

Well, there was nobody who got eliminated that I wanted to go through, so I guess I'll just be glad all the people I liked got through and shrug at the others.

Dance crews never win, so I'll enjoy Junior New System while I have the chance.

Can we all please agree that Us The Duo is the worst, laziest name for a singing act imaginable? It's redundant and doesn't roll off the tongue at all.

I looooove Mochi. I love diabolo and I'm one of the few who doesn't hate the projection acts yet. Also, he is just the sweetest most genuine guy.

Ugh, Daniel Emmet...bye Felicia. They spent all that time rehashing his audition drama just for him to get eliminated anyway, while other acts got montage (which is the most surefire sign they're definitely getting eliminated). Usually when they spend that much time on an act in both rounds it means they're guaranteed to go through, so thanks for wasting our time with this non-talent and his non-story.

I feel safe admitting this to you lovely people...Aaron Crow is more than twice my age and I find him deeply attractive. And totally mesmerizing in his act.

On 7/17/2018 at 9:03 PM, ams1001 said:

Starting out by telling us how bad your vision is kinda makes the blindfold a tad less dramatic...

Right? What is even the point?

[Amy Beth]

I knew Christina would go through when she “chose” Never Enough. Simon is obsessed with The Greatest Showman.  There were 3 songs from it during the most recent BGT. Getting to do that song means he liked her.

[ams1001]

19 hours ago, CelticBlackCat said:

Aaron Crow.  I liked him before, but this time he mesmerized me.  His looks, costume, stage presence (he owns the stage) and his act, whether it's a danger act or magic act, is interesting.

I won't post it but you can search on youtube (Revealed: Aaron Crow apple bow and arrow trick or something like that) and find a couple videos explaining how it's done, if you're interested (I am a person who actually likes to know how these things are done and it doesn't ruin it for me, but I know some people aren't like me. Penn & Teller actually have a video using a clear plastic setup of one of their routines so you can see exactly what's going on and it's really neat to watch.)

 

19 hours ago, anthonyd46 said:

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/americas-got-talent-the-champions-simon-cowell-nbc-winter-edition-1202808476/

Interesting; thanks :)

 

19 hours ago, helenamonster said:

Usually when they spend that much time on an act in both rounds it means they're guaranteed to go through, so thanks for wasting our time with this non-talent and his non-story.

Misdirection! Drama!!!

Edited July 19, 2018 by ams1001

[yankeefan]

On July 17, 2018 at 8:03 PM, ams1001 said:

Random thoughts

• Can we just turn off Mel's mic or something

Seriously. This isn't radio - I don't need her to describe what's happening.

[yankeefan]

On July 18, 2018 at 1:45 PM, anthonyd46 said:

Whats the whole "Well this show isn't about being perfect" thing the last 3 or 4 acts. I mean I get people have off nights, but that just seems like an excuse when a million dollars is on the line. 

Agreed.  As Piers Morgan would say "you had one job to do."

[CelticBlackCat]

I think it does a disservice to those who perform their act without any mistakes to let those who have made mistakes get through.  If someone is paying money to see your act, it has to be perfect every time.  It's a major fail if, for example, a hot ticket-selling singer gets onstage and has "an off night" and sings off key or misses the marks, etc.

[bluepiano]

On ‎7‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 12:01 PM, hnygrl said:

And let's not even mention the whiter than the whitest white white boy over-privileged, private school going, trust fund having "rapper." No. Just...NO. Thank GOD he's off our televisions.

 

Yes, Thank God. I thought we'd be stuck with him at least another week if not longer. I'm sure he was shocked. Probably the first time in his life he ever heard the word "no." When he said he learned to rap in sailing school I thought it was a joke. Like something out of The Onion. But I don't think he has the self-awareness to know how funny that is. The whole act was really this white kid from New Hampshire acting "ghetto," which to me is borderline offensive and not cute at all. It's one step away from putting on black face.

 

On ‎7‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:40 PM, helenamonster said:

Can we all please agree that Us The Duo is the worst, laziest name for a singing act imaginable? It's redundant and doesn't roll off the tongue at all.

I forgot that was actually their name. I just think of them as "the married couple." Did you know they're married? And having a baby? (I hate the phrase "we're pregnant.") The cynic in me thinks that this pregnancy was suspiciously well-time. "Us the Duo" is actually the perfect name for them, because it reflects total self-involvement, and that's how I see their act. It's all very precious and cutesy. "Look at us, we're so in love. Aren't we special?" If you're a performer, it shouldn't be about "us." It should be about the audience. Musically I think they're very generic. And I hate the man bun.

They kept saying it was so hard to select the cuts, but it really wasn't, since so many acts (singing dog, twerking older couple, girl making animal noises) were obvious filler. I think that the only real choice came down to Christine or Daniel Emmet. And that probably wasn't really a choice either, because I think Christine is one of the producer chosen ones.

Since little girl singers always get the Golden Buzzer, I guess it was natural that a choir with about 40 little girls would get one. They were better than the first audition, but I still think they're mediocre and probably no better than any school or community kids choir across the country. The only thing that makes them different is the ambition of "Miss Sarah" to enter them in AGT. It was funny how in her back story video she said she got involved with the choir because her solo singing career was going nowhere and she needed a job. Then we heard one girl say that she was working with them when she could be making records, and another girl say that she could be another Beyoncé. Well, I guess it's sweet that they look up to her that way.

Edited July 20, 2018 by bluepiano

[anthonyd46]

For a lackluster night I guess they deserved it.

[CelticBlackCat]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only person who hates "we're pregnant," man buns, and in particular this couple who thinks they're just so awesome with their mediocre-at-best shtick.

[Cinephile54]

On 7/18/2018 at 12:01 PM, hnygrl said:

. She couldn't and didn't and that DRESS. WHO picked that out???? It was 2 sizes too small and waaaay too short. And with her whitish hair she should've worn either silver or black.

I hope she does better next round, cause lady can sing when she's on game.

 

Christina mentioned on her Instagram that she makes her own clothes and that she likes wearing formfitting clothes in bright colors. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I know I harp on this, but wow, several acts who will be cut in the next couple of weeks would easily have made it with the dreck group we had for this ep.  I was, however, happily surprised that we didn't get at least one more singer (particularly opera guy who was given special priority and handling) this time.  Christina getting through was allllll about virtue signalling to big folks.  On merit?  Farcical.

I am well convinced that Mel's role is to react as the portion of the audience who are slow on the uptake and easily confused older folks who comprise the majority.  She gives them subconscious comfort and helps them feel not as "out of it" or not "with it."   Most all TV is an LCD enterprise.  Simon has a genius for understanding the base American audience and playing to it.

I have a ton of respect and like for Ken Jeong.  I wish I weren't so over his shtick.

The marginalizing of Tyra and Howie continues.  Good.  

[friendperidot]

I may be one of those "older folk" but I don't think I am easily confused by who I like as a performer or not and I don't need anyone to show me the way to feel.

[xls]

On ‎7‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 9:03 PM, ams1001 said:

Random thoughts:

• I would break my neck just trying to stand in those heels.
• Hur hur, the singing married couple had sex! Are we 12?
• Can we just turn off Mel's mic or something?
• The comedian was kinda funny but it felt like the judges' laughter was edited in from something else. It was just a little too much for the level of funny.
• Oh, stop crying! (Nurse singer who they said was off-key. I wasn't listening closely enough to notice.)
• Started rapping at sailing camp? That has to be the WASPiest gangsta thing ever. (And no, I'm not calling you Patches.)
• Old guy dancer has better knees than I do. If I got down like that I would not have been able to get back up without help.
• Simon's mini-me is adorable.
• Starting out by telling us how bad your vision is kinda makes the blindfold a tad less dramatic...
• I thought the fall in the pre-commercial clip was gonna be a fakeout. Guess not. (Their son and his little mohawk are adorable.)
• Is Aaron Crow sucking in his cheeks all the time or is his face really that... chiseled?
• Calm down, Mel.
• Howie: "I want you to understand...why we make the decisions we make." Um, because the producers told you to?
•  

I thought the same they were roaring with laughter before she got two words out. She was just meh.

[anthonyd46]

On 7/20/2018 at 10:24 PM, CelticBlackCat said:

I'm glad to see I'm not the only person who hates "we're pregnant," man buns, and in particular this couple who thinks they're just so awesome with their mediocre-at-best shtick.

Now with the timing of how long ago that was taped she is going to go from announcing that to be about 7 months pregnant in a 2 or 3 week span. 

[ljenkins782]

On 7/20/2018 at 12:59 PM, bluepiano said:

I forgot that was actually their name. I just think of them as "the married couple." Did you know they're married? And having a baby? (I hate the phrase "we're pregnant.") The cynic in me thinks that this pregnancy was suspiciously well-time. "Us the Duo" is actually the perfect name for them, because it reflects total self-involvement, and that's how I see their act. It's all very precious and cutesy. "Look at us, we're so in love. Aren't we special?" If you're a performer, it shouldn't be about "us." It should be about the audience. Musically I think they're very generic. And I hate the man bun.

I can totally picture these 2 in a trendy coffeehouse in Brooklyn or someplace with the man bun and the faux sincerity. Their music is terribly uninteresting to my ears, I'd rather hear covers of good songs over bland originals. 

Though he wasn't all that interesting to me either, I'd rather have seen opera guy go through because I at least thought his voice was impressive. Just not seeing it with these 2.

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I think it does a disservice to those who perform their act without any mistakes to let those who have made mistakes get through.  If someone is paying money to see your act, it has to be perfect every time.  It's a major fail if, for example, a hot ticket-selling singer gets onstage and has "an off night" and sings off key or misses the marks, etc.

I disagree. I'd rather an interesting act with potential who made a mistake get through over someone who made no technical mistakes but isn't bringing anything special to the table. 

I wish Simon had had more of this attitude back in the American Idol days, there were many singers who had the potential to be interesting who got cut in favor of bland, Whitney-wannabe types who hit all their notes but could bore you to death. I still remember season 2 of Canadian Idol (generally known as their best season) where nearly all of the top 10 had truly horrendous screwups in their version of Hollywood week and the judges saw past it, put them through and it made for a really enjoyable season and produced possibly the only success story to come out of that show. 

It's not possible to be perfect all the time, so I'd rather see interesting imperfection over dull imperfection.

[Zuleikha]

I wonder if that points to it being a stunt (which if so I would suspect the producers manufacturing "drama" rather than the couple doing it on their own, because why would they purposely jeopardize their act?) or just that in that kind of act you have to learn how to fall. There was a mat below them and she was high enough up to have time to turn a bit in the air and not land on her head, but not so high that she would likely be seriously hurt unless she landed really wrong. They must train for that possibility so when it happens he's probably the least worried of everyone there because he trusts their training. (And yeah, certain angles probably make it look more dangerous but they were well behind the fire line.)

In a partner static trapeze act with releases, the standard is to use a mat. No one is perfect every time. And yes, pro-level acts like this one train how to fall, using either lines or a foam pit or both.

It was not a stunt per aerialists who know Duo Transcend.  

[deemac]

I just DVR'd this.  I can't believe it wasn't planned.  I'm a RETIRED RN and I would of been rushing the stage.  I can't believe a former doctor and whatever standby medical team they have just stoodby.