The simplest commentary on this episode would be, “Oh, grow up.”
A 21-year-old mattress salesman named Trey Louis performed Whiskey Myers’ 2016 song “Stone” as his “American Idol” audition for pop singer Kay Perry and fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. (He wasn’t bad at all.) After receiving a positive response from the three, Louis was asked by Bryan why he’s auditioning out for “American Idol.”
“I’m from Santa Fe, Texas. In May 2018, a gunman walked into my school,” Louis replied, becoming emotional. “I was in Art Room 1. He shot up Art Room 2 before he made his way to Art Room 1. I lost a lot of friends. Eight students were killed. Two teachers were killed. It’s just really been negative, man. Santa Fe’s had a bad rap here since 2018.”
(That doesn’t exactly answer the question, but never mind…)
Perry quickly throttled the other judges in over-the-top emotional grandstanding, first putting her head in her hands and weeping, and then screaming,
“Our country has fucking failed us! This is not OK! You should be singing here because you love music, not because you had to go through that fucking bullshit! You don’t have to lose eight friends! I hope that you remind people that we have to change. Because, you know, I’m scared, too!”
That’s fine, Katy. Now go along with these nice men in the white coats, and they will help you.
This is just the latest example of how celebrities degrade both the level of civic discourse on important issues and the intellectual abilities of anyone foolish enough to take them seriously. I’m pretty sure that no one, literally no one, believes that mass shootings anywhere, not just in schools, are “OK;” Perry was seeking virtue-signaling points for stating the screamingly obvious. Moreover, I am 100% certain that Perry doesn’t have the tiniest clue about how the U.S. has “fucking failed us” because of this school shooting or any schools shooting. What do you want, Katy? Martial law? No Bill of Rights? Everyone stuck going to school via Zoom forever? And if Katy Perry is “scared too,” she should hire better bodyguards. Someone like Perry is statistically as likely to get shot as she is to be hit by lightning while fighting off a shark. Let’s see: I can think of two popular singing stars of note who were shot dead without being involved in gangs: John Lennon 42 years ago, and Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakely), in the 1975 Robert Altman film “Nashville”…and she was fictional. Maybe Katy has seen “Nashville’ too many times. I recommend switching to “Dirty Harry.”
Her outburst was mindless emotionalism, and coming from a superstar singer, helps convince similarly addled (but not as talented) members of the public that facts, reason, analysis and perspective should take a back seat to passion and violent knee-jerks. The woman has the maturity of a five-year-old, and the intellectual skills of a squash. Exploiting a TV singing contest to make a fatuous protest about the vicissitudes of life when you have literally nothing of value to contribute is simultaneously the height of narcissism and stupidity.
Now watch social media erupt with praise. This is how The Great Stupid thrives…
Ethics Alarms 
What would be wrong with martial law in these high crime places like Santa Fe and the Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia?
(That doesn’t exactly answer the question, but never mind…)
No, but likely a good response. Those shows are pretty cutthroat and this kind of appeal of emotion is the kind of thing audiences and judges like to see. I don’t want American Idol, but I have seen enough Hell’s Kitchen or Cake Boss to know that often times the clearly superior chef/baker was sent home because some lame appeal to emotion attempt. That’s not to say the guy isn’t good, he might be (I’m not a fan of country music so I can’t give an honest opinion), but in shows like these good is only going to get you so far. Tradagy makes a good story and after all, “It’s not the scar, its the story.” (Anyone know this movie quote? I know I’ve seen it in a movie but google isn’t helping me).
If I was a gambling man, I think I’d bet that this guy wins. Let me check the headlines:
American Idol 2023: Katy Perry in tears after Santa Fe shooting survivor Trey Louis’ audition
Katy Perry left extremely emotional during raw American Idol moment
Trey Louis: 5 Things To Know About The School Shooting Survivor Auditioning For ‘American Idol’
School Shooting Survivor Trey Louis Stuns ‘American Idol …
Hmm… Anyone know the Vegas betting line on this guy?
So it’s back to “Queen for a Day,” then? Cool!
I don’t know what this means. I’m also not endorsing the behavior.
Cultural literacy check! “Queen for a Day” was an infamous TV show where contestants, always women, tried to win a prizes and cash by telling the saddest story about their horrible lives. Then the host, Jack Bailey, would put his hand over each woman, and the “Applause Meter” would register which contestant got the most pity-applause. Then the host would crown the winner, as the announcer told her what she had won. Degrading, exploitive, nauseating. And very popular for a long time.
Misery loves company. No wonder the show was a success.
I will stand down now.
The winner invariably got a washing machine. No dryer, as near as I can remember. Dryers were a super luxury in the ’50s. My mother never got one. There wasn’t room in the utility room. We had a clothesline in the back yard.
Suddenly, everyone realized the show was tasteless and cruel, making woman beg and cry for money. It was like someone turned a switch off.
The first satirical skit I ever wrote was a parody of “Queen for a day.”
I think it’s a great answer. For the same reasons. I’m sure they ask every single person why they choose to do this. His is the answer that made it on TV for a reason.
As for singers being shot. Down in Florida we do remember Christina Grimmie. Saw her open up for Selena Gomez (who my daughter wanted to see). She was on The Voice, which is partially where she started, or at least got known. She was later shot by a deranged fan (yes, fan, not gun) signing autographs at just 22. Guy drove from Tampa to Orlando.
There is an entire musical genre based upon criminal violence in the inner city.
this singer is following in the steps of Snoop Doggy Dogg and Coolio.
I stopped watching Idol and now Americas got Talent because both venues became contests as to which participants can tell the saddest story.
Jack, she is doing the best she can.
There was also Selena, who was murdered by her fan club manager.
Phil Spector blowing away his live-in girlfriend also comes to mind. Katy should be careful of her record producer.
I forgot about Selena. Good call. She was massively popular with the Texas Latino/Hispanic community. Her appearance at the Houston Rodeo set attendance records.
jvb
The shooter has been deemed incompetent to stand trial and is in a mental health facility. His parents have been sued for not securing their legally owned shot gun and .38, in violation of a Texas statute.
Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott, guitarist for metal band Pantera and Damagplan, was also murdered by a deranged fan during a concert in Columbus, OH on December 8, 2004. That was a particularly gruesome murder because Abbott, the band’s head of security, a fan were also killed, and 3 others were wounded until a Columbus police officer ended the melee by shooting the killer with a 12 gauge Remington rifle.
jvb
Point of order: We don’t call shotguns “rifles,” although some would quibble about that. Shotguns are usually long guns like rifles, but they occupy a distinct category of firearm, since most of them don’t contain rifling from which the firearm category gets its name. There are a small subcategory of “slug” shotguns that do have a rifled barrel, but they are still called shotguns
If you ask a gun store clerk for a “12 gauge rifle,” you are likely to be treated to a puzzled look. He would be unsure if you wanted a shotgun, a slug gun, or were just confused about the calibration.
Duly noted.
jvb
If the police officer did that shooting, the “12 gauge Remington rifle” was probably the ageless Remington 870. They could fire both shot shells or rifled slugs, sometimes called “deer slugs” Out standard load was 12 ga 00 shot, and some of us carried a couple slugs in our pocket, just in case. Either would have don’t the deed in the aforementioned case. And there is your two much info dose for tonight.
Just to confirm, the reports I have read say the officer used the legendary Remington 870.
She’s obviously upset that school shootings were nearly non-existent before the federal Gun-free School Zones acts joined the collection of poorly named bills such as the ‘Inflation Reduction Act’.
Before this law, homicidal maniacs carried out their amok via fire and bombs.
“…celebrities degrade both the level of civic discourse on important issues and the intellectual abilities of anyone foolish enough to take them seriously.”
Anyone who takes people like Katy Perry seriously is probably already at or very near the lower limit of degraded intellectual abilities. Res ipsa loquitur, and so forth.
Her outburst was mindless emotionalism, and coming from a superstar singer, helps convince similarly addled (but not as talented) members of the public that facts, reason, analysis and perspective should take a back seat to passion and violent knee-jerks.
The fact that anyone would take her seriously at all is an indictment of our educational system, which now treats emotional outburst as equivalent, or in some cases superior, to reasoning and critical thought.
This is how a republic dies.
It appears to me that Katy Perry is an emotional troglodyte allowing her emotions to fully control her actions; don’t ever allow her access to a firearm especially if she’s showing any signs whatsoever of being angry. What an immature fool!
what is this absolutist political position?