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‘Making the Band 4’: looking for a few good men
As the show kicks off, Puffy lets us know that this time he’s trying to make a “male hip-hop soul pop group to follow in the footsteps of the greats.” He rattles off a mess of very big names including the Temptations and New Edition. With a shrug he tacks on ’N Sync. I, for one, am a little dubious about his lofty aspirations for the wannabe crooners (perhaps the Backstreet Boys would be a more reasonable goal), but when Diddy introduces his talent scouts, the first face splashed across the screen is Michael Bivens of New Edition. Also included on Diddy’s “dream team” are rnb singer Joe, superproducer Bryan Cox, vocal coach Ankh Ra and the lone female, choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson.
I never watched the first few seasons of “Making the Band,” so I’m very pleased to discover that the show is fast-paced, much more so than “American Idol,” which has a tendency to drag along agonizingly, especially in the beginning. Instead of emphasizing embarrassing outtakes, the audition sequences are a highlights montage. Only the superfools - the portly cat who thought it would be a good idea to show up in a tiara and the middle-aged rhythmless white dude who’s probably a YouTube hit in his office building right about now - manage to sneak 15 seconds of fame out of it.
Having caught an unfortunate performance or two from Season 3’s (ahem) supergroup, Danity Kane, I wouldn’t be surprised to discover a few of the ladies cut their dance chops on the pole of a local gentlemen’s club. In this season, however, as we progress rapidly through endless renditions of “My Cherie Amour,” there’s a consistent theme to how the boys learned to sing. In the church.
The show flies through the auditions, and the faces come at us fast with only a few of the young men getting enough air time to make an impression. These include Dan, the big-boned, spiky-haired white boy from Orlando who apparently could be a sex symbol if he dropped 20 pounds; Julius, the adorable, emotional crooner who at first seems too young but sings his heart out when put on the spot; and Sam, the sweet, self-described F.O.B. Asian cat who talks about coming to this country and being blown away by rnb music. I like Sam.
Half an hour into the show, the hundreds of potential Puffy protégé’s are sliced down to 48 who are granted tickets to New York. Unastonishingly enough, the cities with the strongest representation are Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta and New York.
Upon arrival in New York the boys are marched out into a snowy park where they line up in an amphitheater and get a pep talk from Puffy Michael Bivens, who tells them he wanted to meet them out in the cold because it’s a cold cruel world (or some such thing). Then the boys are sent off to rehearsals.
After a flashy montage of young men busting butt, and a brief pause, during which Puffy shamelessly plugs his sunglasses, we come to the first round of cuts. The boys are gathered onstage, and they sing a touching ensemble number about “the end of the road” setting the scene for Diddy’s grand entrance. Come to think of it, half of the show seems to be a setup for grand entrances for Diddy, take that Simon Cowell. What follows is another speedy audition montage, this one complete with unfortunate warbling and stumbling dance moves. The talent panel, all of whom are, oddly enough, wearing sunglasses in the dark theater, is not terribly impressed. Vocal coach Ankh Ra says a lot of the boys choked under pressure.
The first round of cuts whittles away half the group. Puffy moves fast through the ranks, announcing the numbers of the kids who made the cut, with a gratuitous suspense-building pregnant pause before the last two, one of whom is my boy Sam. Before our crooners even take a sigh of relief, however, Diddy let’s us know we shouldn’t get attached to anyone because another 50 percent of the kids are about to get the ax.
A select few are given a second chance to sing. “But you won’t get a third one,” Puffy warns. The second round only gives us enough time to get more attached to earnest Julius, hair gel enthusiast Dan (who, taking the potential sex symbol comment to heart, has dropped a lot of weight since his first audition) and sweet immigrant Sam.
With lightning speed the talent scouts deliberate on who’s in. Puffy Michael Bivens says Sam can really sing, but he might not be right for the band, and Laurie Ann lobbies for young Julius.
Finally, the boys are marched back out, and with little ceremony (but ample adjusting of sunglasses) the finalists are announced. Laurie Ann wins, and Julius makes the final cut. My boy Sam doesn’t. The camera pans to him in the room full of sullen disappointed faces and with a genuine smile he tells us he tries to keep a positive attitude about everything, he’s glad he made it this far and he’s going to continue working hard and singing. Aww… Puffy’s right, though. As a brief flash of a Danity Kane video flits through my head, I realize the kid’s probably way too good-natured and well-adjusted for this show.
Coming soon on “Making the Band 4”? Along with singing and dancing expect boxing, brawling and perhaps even a little quiet manly tear or two. And, of course, sunglasses, more sunglasses. Your girl will be watching. Stay tuned.
- Episode 8 recap
- Episode 7 recap
- Episode 6 recap
- Episode 5 recap
- Episode 4 recap
- Episode 3 recap
- Episode 2 recap
- Episode 1 recap
Comments
By Patrick
June 19, 2007 10:36 AM | Link to this
If I recall (could be wrong… would have to check the tape), I believe Michael Bivens said that about Sam at the end, not Diddy.
By shannon
June 20, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this
no, you are correct. it is michael bivins.
By Mike
June 21, 2007 1:13 AM | Link to this
Also Michael Bivens was the one that talked them outside in the cold, not Diddy. The guys hadn’t met Diddy yet.
By andrea
June 21, 2007 7:47 AM | Link to this
i am completely in love with dan. hes by far my favorite :]
By Ms. Williams
June 22, 2007 4:52 PM | Link to this
I taught little Julius when he was in high school in Florida. The kid has the heart of a lion and the talent to take him all the way to the top! I feel like a proud Mama!GO JULIUS!!!!
By Nicole
June 24, 2007 6:28 PM | Link to this
omg. i fell for Dan the moment I saw him. I wasn’t really planning on watching the show all that much, until i saw him. Holy crap.
By Khalyn
June 24, 2007 10:18 PM | Link to this
I am so disappointed in Diddy for not picking Sam. He could have made the show more interesting and diverse, but no, he had to stay lame by reasoning of- ?Sam doesn?t fit into the groups visual look? Oh really, but over weight, unattractive, non groomed men do?!?! Only 6 of the 20 men are attractive or unique looking and the rest are waste of space and air time. No wonder P***y Cat Dolls out sold Danity Kane 5 to 1, and no wonder ?Push Play? was slept on. He has lost all sense of what women want and the diverse American public. TAKE A SEAT DIDDY?your reign is coming to an end.
By Tameka
June 25, 2007 8:11 PM | Link to this
julius gave me chills i love his singing and plus hes cute
By Dominique
June 26, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this
Im definitely rooting for Julius! BOY TORE THE SONG “I WONT COMPLAIN” UP!! HE SANG THAT SONG! lol I just pray that he doesnt lose sight of where he came from because that business is no joke!! The Bible says train up a child in the way that he should go and he will not depart from it…That voice definitely belongs in the church!!!
By tweety baby
July 2, 2007 10:14 PM | Link to this
mah boo baby carlos look so damn good n he’s all mines so f**k wat u heard….i hope he win…i kno he’s gonna win