| Canadian Idol, the nationally televised talent show, has become a broadcast phenomenon in our country. It’s part of the Idol talent show bandwagon sweeping the world. Surprisingly, the press has not bothered to ask tough questions of the show’s producers and participants. Thus Fast Forward takes on that responsibility. Jake Gold, Canadian Idol judge and Tragically Hip manager, was interviewed while the show was auditioning contestants in Edmonton in April.
Fast Forward: Is the show prepared for the eventuality of a Canadian Idol backlash?
Gold: Who cares? It's a TV show, right? What's the backlash over? You mean from you guys? From the press….
The reality is if we can do at least what we did last year, it's still massive. No one's ever averaged 2-million viewers a week. It's never happened. Hockey Night in Canada in the playoffs is the only thing that does that. Even if we did a million-and-a-half average, it's still the biggest show ever.
What would make a backlash? Because the press start writing stuff about it? Man, I've been dealing with that all my life.
What do you say to the critics who complain the show is not reflective of Canada's cultural mosaic, specifically in the religious and spiritual department?
Spiritual and religious context? (pause) We don't even care. That's not what we're all about. We've got great singers. Let the public decide….
In terms of Canada's cultural aspects, you look at last year, just in the top 10, we had the rock-blues chick from Vancouver, the country guy from Edmonton, the rock guy from Calgary, the rootsy singer-type girl from Newfoundland, and the French chanteuse from Montreal. We had them all. We had it covered. And we didn't pick them! We just put them up! We put 30 up there and the country picked those 10 people! And they seemed to represent somebody from everywhere. Don't you think that represents Canadian culture?
But by crowning one person the Canadian Idol the show is stepping towards the sort of paganism the Semitic religions warn us against.
(Pause) Oh, come onnnnnn! I think you're delving way too deep in to it (chuckling). You're talking about paganism and idols? It's the name of a show, buddy!
It's idol worship, right?
Idol worship? No, it's called a TV show! You're kidding, right? You must be kidding. Is Fast Forward a religious magazine?
It covers all the bases, really.
Yeah, I understand.
How does that go to the contestants' heads if they become an idol? Is Ryan Malcolm going to turn into Caligula?
No, he's not going to turn into Caligula! Come ooonnnnn! Seriously!
How do you know? He could get his groupies to start doing things with horses.
Oh, come on! What are you throwing at me here? First of all, I'm not saying any of that. I think you're so off base, it's not even funny. I know you guys are a weekly and I know you guys try to add some comedy to your articles, but come on, seriously.
I heard a rumour that Billy Klippert started consulting a spiritual medium while he was competing.
Hey, listen, Billy Klippert, whatever he did, that's entirely up to him. What does that have to do with the show? Madonna practices cabbala! So does Britney Spears and so does a whole bunch of other people. John Travolta is a Scientologist. What does that have to do with his movies?
(Refrains from mentioning Battlefield Earth.) Isn't this a dangerous trend, then?
Oh, I don't think so at all. We've been having competitions everywhere. In fact, we get so many gospel and Christian singers out to this show. It's unbelievable. I'd say 60 to 70 per cent of the singers that we get in front of us says in the notes, "sings at their church." So, if anything, in America especially, I think the Christian right is behind it all, in terms of how the voting is going.
Don't you think it's kind of cruel to dupe them in that kind of way?
Dupe them into what?
To get them into an idol competition.
I think you're taking the word "idol" way too literally. It's the idea of a TV show. We're not creating pagan idols. This is not Egypt in the time of Moses.
You watch it on TV, though. That's a pretty magical form of communication.
(Pause) What? TV is a magical form of communication? Come on. It's not witchcraft, buddy.
Now with this World Idol competition, what are they getting at with World Idol? They're attempting to crown the Antichrist, aren't they?
Oh, come onnnnnn! Seriously! I wish you were here so we could have this discussion face to face. You think the World Idol is attempting to crown the Antichrist? (Hysterical laughter from a group of people from Gold's end of the phone is audible.)
Yeah, I do.
I thought he (Kurt Nilsen) was hobbit, in a lot of ways. It was a fun television show that was a competition. I had no idea that the religious right was that strong in Canada. Do they have influence over your magazine?
I'm just asking about this Antichrist thing that seems to be a theme going on in these idol competitions.
You think it's an Antichrist thing? Where's that coming from?
Look, you've got an idol, from all these national idol competitions, then you have the World Idol. What does the winner of the World Idol competition do?
What does he do? He wins! That's about it (chuckling).
Then he starts ordering people to get 666 tattooed on their wrists.
Oh, puh-lease! Did you hear he did that?
Well, I believe he's going to do that.
I don't think so. I think you're completely misguided. I don't think he's going to do that.
Why not?
Why would he? What makes you think he's going to do that?
Because he's an Antichrist. He's now imbued with the powers of the secret society once he's crowned Antichrist.
Hey..., seriously. You're not serious, are you?
Actually, Jake, I was kind of hoping I could audition for Canadian Idol.
Why didn't you? You should have come up and auditioned.
I want to do it right now. Have you seen my lips move once?
I can't see you! I'm on the phone with you. Remember?!
Yeah, but my lips haven't moved once during this phone conversation. I'm a ventriloquist.
(Annoyed) So someone else is talking to me. Any other questions you want to ask me that may be of use because this Antichrist thing is obviously going nowhere. I think you're so off base it's not even funny.
But I'm a ventriloquist. I think I could be the next Canadian Idol.
Great, then you should have come out and auditioned.
I'm auditioning right now.
Well, I can't see you. We need to hear you sing in person. You're not even singing.
But my lips haven't moved during this conversation. You haven't even seen them move once.
OK, where do you want to go with this?
I'm talking to you across the room, Jake.
Alright, you're talking to me across the room. I can't see your lips move because we're on the phone.
And that's what's so special about my routine.
I know. It's a great routine. Guess what, now you get to go to Toronto. Now what?
Once I'm on stage, I do mind control tricks.
Perfect, that's amazing. I can't wait. You want to talk to Zack now?
Gold hands the phone to fellow judge Zack Werner who immediately complains about the interviews he had to do where he was asked the same questions over and over. When asked different questions of an apocalyptic nature he proceeds to make sarcastic dick jokes. Apparently, the nature of his job requires him to vent on occasion. Even as the questions become more crass, he refrains from hanging up. In the end he admits it was the best interview he did all day.
After the interview, Canadian Idol’s publicist phoned Fast Forward to inform them that representatives from the show would not be speaking to the paper for quite a while. |
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