America’s Got Talent: Episode 2, Season 2
“Say goodbye to another two hours of your life, because America’s Got Talent is all new and all terrible!” I seriously believe that is how the promos for this show should go. At least then NBC could say they were being honest about the show’s content.
AGT continued it’s trend of showcasing bad talent–and then sending them on to the next round so we’ll have to suffer again. I’m speaking of course about acts like Johnny Lonestar, the lassoing cowboy. Maybe there is a reason no one lassos anymore sir. And the plate spinner? What is this vaudeville? Let’s not forget Lil C, the wannabe (and now gonnabe) rapper/dancer. I think Piers was still feeling guilty from his outburst at the children who tried out last week and that’s why he sent Lil C through. And finally there was Pearl, a cranky grandmother type played by a young man in drag. The comedy act s/he performed was mildly amusing but rather reductive.
Speaking of drag, the queens were out in full force at the LA auditions. I suppose we should expect nothing less from California though. Jerry was getting a little sentimental after seeing one drag queen after another get rejected. “These are my people,” he remarked, almost tearfully. Not to worry Jerry, the audience has got your back. Several times, the people broke out into the famous “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” chant. And Jerry himself even got into the act. After a male belly dancer performed, Jerry appeared on stage sans shirt, posing and flexing for an adoring and approving crowd who moments earlier were repulsed and revilded by the handsome male dancer. Even Piers and Hasselhoff seemed to enjoy Jerry’s antics. Those two made sure to X the dancer during his performance to protect their straight male credibility.
As you can see the show has quickly become a sideshow act. The one saving grace of the 
night came in the form of the rock-a-billy band Johnny Come Lately. While not my favorite genre of music, these precocious 15 year-olds gave an uptempo, energetic performance of Elvis Presley’s “You Ain’t Nothing but a Hound Dog.” After the finished, I have expected the judges to deny them advancement. But I think they too were relieved that someone decent had chosen to grace their stage. Hey, they could’ve easily tried out for Simon Cowell’s other-other show “The Search for the Next Great American Band.”
Thank god they brought their talents to this show that has so far been seriously devoid of talent.
