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American Morning

Idol Worship

Aired May 21, 2003 - 09:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Who will be the next "American Idol?" Tonight's the night when we learn which singer wins the coveted title and a $1 million recording contract. Last night Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, the two remaining finalists, tried to make a final, positive impression on the millions of viewers who will decide their fate.
This morning, we have assembled our own panel of experts to cast their votes on who will be America's newly minted idol. B.J. Sigesmund, entertainment reporter for "Newsweek," Lisa Bernhard, deputy editor of "TV Guide," and Toure, contributing editor for "Rolling Stone" magazine. Glad you're all with us.

So what did you guys think of the performances last night, best and worst? Let's start with you, B.J.

B.J. SIGESMUND, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER, "NEWSWEEK": I thought that Ruben got progressively worse over the night, and that Clay got progressively better.

CHOI: Lisa?

LISA BERNHARD, DEPUTY EDITOR, "TV GUIDE": Best was "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by clay. Worst was both of them on the Lennon/McCartney songs. Why are 20-year-olds kids doing schmaltzy muzak versions of rock 'n' roll? There's just something very wrong about that.

CHOI: Toure?

TOURE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "ROLLING STONE": I'm just continually just disappointed. The whole show, this is not about creating musical stars. This is about talent, but that's not what the record business is about. It's about character, new songs, original songs, so we're asking questions that don't really matter.

CHOI: Really? It would seem like the record labels might take note, then that maybe this is what America wants, that they just want talent.

TOURE: Do we really want Kelly Clarkson? Is she doing as well as Britney, Avril?

BERNHARD: She had the number one record for a while.

TOURE: Is she a firmament now?

BERNHARD: Give her time. TOURE: She had a whole year on the screen. But who had a launch like this? Who had a launch like this? She should be much more successful. She shouldn't be just a modest success.

SIGESMUND: She has songs on the radio. It's still just beginning for Kelly.

BERNHARD: Number one album.

SIGESMUND: She has fans that were clinging to her like Avril and Britney?

CHOI: Either way, these who will end up -- I mean, They have got such a huge fan base, not only from teenagers but their parents and online, everybody's talking about them.

SIGESMUND: We shouldn't worry -- are they going to have a career two years from now? Well, we don't know. You're way too quick to judge.

TOURE: I'm not so sure. What do you think they'll end up with?

SIGESMUND: I think they're all both -- Kimberly, Ruben and Clay are all going to get record deals, they're all going have videos on MTV, and then they have to take it from there. They have to see how good songs are, how they catch on with America. I interviewed them all for "Newsweek" last week, and they all said, you know, all I ever wanted was to just have a record contract and be able to sing. These people are just at the start of their careers.

BERNHARD: If we're still seeing Susan Hawk from "Survivor" and a lot of these people from reality shows, they're in the pop culture firmament. These people are not going to fade, even if they don't hit the pinnacle.

CHOI: Isn't it a little refreshing that they are normal, that this is not the Britney Spears, you know, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce Knowles?

TOURE: That there's a sort of morality clause in the show. We're not deciding a president. We like stars with smut on their lives, who have trials, who have fights, who have divorces.

BERNHARD: Maybe you do, but America's saying they like these.

SIGESMUND: Yes, I think you're about that, because, Clay, look at how squeaky clean he is. He came from that nerdy, you know -- he's become a much more polished, like he's gone to art -- it's a more polished -- America does love him.

TOURE: They do, they do. If you put it into, everybody's going to be squeaky-clean, then yes, a guy like Clay and Ruben will come through.

SIGESMUND: Not everybody. But this is a show that generated organically. TOURE: But when we look at American stars, we like them to be a little messy, we like them to have smut on their lives.

BERNARD: This is just a basic talent show that's been on TV since the beginning, since "Ted Max Amateur Hour," since the beginning of TV.

CHOI: Let's show the audience who we're talking about, in case they missed it last night, a little more of the Clay performance. "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" was awesome last night, as you guys said, so let's listen.

All right. A little bit of both there.

So, final thoughts, who should get it? Who will get it?

SIGESMUND: I'm going on the record, Sophia, and telling you that that performance by Clay is going to win it for him tonight, and I think he deserves it. I think he's got the broadest range of all of, them and I think while he's not quite as marketable as Ruben, I think he's got a huge future, and I want to see him win.

CHOI: Lisa?

BERNARD: I disagree that he's not as marketable as Ruben, because I think Clay can also act, and you can put him in a feature film, like Kelly and Justin are doing, and they need to expand this brand new franchise to keep you tempted to watch in January. And he does have a better voice. I think Clay should win and will win.

CHOI: Toure?

TOURE: If little Luther doesn't win, there's going to be rioting in the streets.

CHOI: OK, B.J. Sigesmund, Lisa Bernard, and Toure, thank you so much for giving us your thoughts and opinions on this.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 21, 2003 - 09:45   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: Who will be the next "American Idol?" Tonight's the night when we learn which singer wins the coveted title and a $1 million recording contract. Last night Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, the two remaining finalists, tried to make a final, positive impression on the millions of viewers who will decide their fate.
This morning, we have assembled our own panel of experts to cast their votes on who will be America's newly minted idol. B.J. Sigesmund, entertainment reporter for "Newsweek," Lisa Bernhard, deputy editor of "TV Guide," and Toure, contributing editor for "Rolling Stone" magazine. Glad you're all with us.

So what did you guys think of the performances last night, best and worst? Let's start with you, B.J.

B.J. SIGESMUND, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER, "NEWSWEEK": I thought that Ruben got progressively worse over the night, and that Clay got progressively better.

CHOI: Lisa?

LISA BERNHARD, DEPUTY EDITOR, "TV GUIDE": Best was "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by clay. Worst was both of them on the Lennon/McCartney songs. Why are 20-year-olds kids doing schmaltzy muzak versions of rock 'n' roll? There's just something very wrong about that.

CHOI: Toure?

TOURE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "ROLLING STONE": I'm just continually just disappointed. The whole show, this is not about creating musical stars. This is about talent, but that's not what the record business is about. It's about character, new songs, original songs, so we're asking questions that don't really matter.

CHOI: Really? It would seem like the record labels might take note, then that maybe this is what America wants, that they just want talent.

TOURE: Do we really want Kelly Clarkson? Is she doing as well as Britney, Avril?

BERNHARD: She had the number one record for a while.

TOURE: Is she a firmament now?

BERNHARD: Give her time. TOURE: She had a whole year on the screen. But who had a launch like this? Who had a launch like this? She should be much more successful. She shouldn't be just a modest success.

SIGESMUND: She has songs on the radio. It's still just beginning for Kelly.

BERNHARD: Number one album.

SIGESMUND: She has fans that were clinging to her like Avril and Britney?

CHOI: Either way, these who will end up -- I mean, They have got such a huge fan base, not only from teenagers but their parents and online, everybody's talking about them.

SIGESMUND: We shouldn't worry -- are they going to have a career two years from now? Well, we don't know. You're way too quick to judge.

TOURE: I'm not so sure. What do you think they'll end up with?

SIGESMUND: I think they're all both -- Kimberly, Ruben and Clay are all going to get record deals, they're all going have videos on MTV, and then they have to take it from there. They have to see how good songs are, how they catch on with America. I interviewed them all for "Newsweek" last week, and they all said, you know, all I ever wanted was to just have a record contract and be able to sing. These people are just at the start of their careers.

BERNHARD: If we're still seeing Susan Hawk from "Survivor" and a lot of these people from reality shows, they're in the pop culture firmament. These people are not going to fade, even if they don't hit the pinnacle.

CHOI: Isn't it a little refreshing that they are normal, that this is not the Britney Spears, you know, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce Knowles?

TOURE: That there's a sort of morality clause in the show. We're not deciding a president. We like stars with smut on their lives, who have trials, who have fights, who have divorces.

BERNHARD: Maybe you do, but America's saying they like these.

SIGESMUND: Yes, I think you're about that, because, Clay, look at how squeaky clean he is. He came from that nerdy, you know -- he's become a much more polished, like he's gone to art -- it's a more polished -- America does love him.

TOURE: They do, they do. If you put it into, everybody's going to be squeaky-clean, then yes, a guy like Clay and Ruben will come through.

SIGESMUND: Not everybody. But this is a show that generated organically. TOURE: But when we look at American stars, we like them to be a little messy, we like them to have smut on their lives.

BERNARD: This is just a basic talent show that's been on TV since the beginning, since "Ted Max Amateur Hour," since the beginning of TV.

CHOI: Let's show the audience who we're talking about, in case they missed it last night, a little more of the Clay performance. "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" was awesome last night, as you guys said, so let's listen.

All right. A little bit of both there.

So, final thoughts, who should get it? Who will get it?

SIGESMUND: I'm going on the record, Sophia, and telling you that that performance by Clay is going to win it for him tonight, and I think he deserves it. I think he's got the broadest range of all of, them and I think while he's not quite as marketable as Ruben, I think he's got a huge future, and I want to see him win.

CHOI: Lisa?

BERNARD: I disagree that he's not as marketable as Ruben, because I think Clay can also act, and you can put him in a feature film, like Kelly and Justin are doing, and they need to expand this brand new franchise to keep you tempted to watch in January. And he does have a better voice. I think Clay should win and will win.

CHOI: Toure?

TOURE: If little Luther doesn't win, there's going to be rioting in the streets.

CHOI: OK, B.J. Sigesmund, Lisa Bernard, and Toure, thank you so much for giving us your thoughts and opinions on this.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com