America's Got Hoff

I have got to start watching America's Got Talent. It premiered last night, and sounds like a combination of American Idol, Star Search (hopefully the quality is more like the original and not that Arsenio retread) and The Gong Show. So already, it has a lot going for it.

The structure seems much like American Idol. People who think they "got talent" go to an audition. The viewer gets to see some talent people and some very, very untalented people. Three judges determine whether the contestant will proceed to the next round. Eventually fans will vote for the winner. The Gong Show atmosphere comes in not only because the contestants can have any type of talent at all (it's not just a singing show), but also because each judge will give the contestant an "X" if they decide s/he shouldn't proceed.

But this show is more than mere imitation. I realize I say this having never watched the show, but I simply know it to be the case. Why? The celebrity judges. Okay, sure, the host is Regis. No one's too excited about that. And one of the judges is a British newspaper man, Piers Morgan, who I am sure is very famous in his homeland. But they do not excite me. No, it is the other two judges for whom I will tune into this show faithfully.

First up: Brandy. How can you not want to watch her? This is a woman who faked her own marriage. She told people she was married, but she wasn't. She had an entire reality show centered around the birth of her baby and her happy marriage to her husband. Who was not, in fact, her husband. I had never really cared much about Brandy one way or another before, but the fake marriage endeared her to me for life. And she suffered almost no reprecussions for it! Amazing.

And the other: The Hoff. Need I say more? The Hoff giving his opinion about the talent of others on a weekly basis? This spells certain success. What happens when a contestant comes on and bites a live fish while snowboarding and wearing a furry coat? Will the Hoff regale us with stories of how he did the same in a German music video for "Hooked on a Feeling?" Will the Hoff insist that person go through to the next round?


Most definitely going to watch this show.