I stumbled upon this Inquirer article written by Lea Salonga about reality talent search on television. It's a bold article, and I loved it. She put into words what many writers would never dare say about these reality singing contests. Here's some excerpt:

"To be honest, I don’t like watching a judge be super-nice and super-sweet. That’s kind of a cop-out, and not necessarily an accurate reflection of how the real world can be. If you’re a singer and you’re unable to stomach a harsh criticism of your performance, then stay home and sing for your family who will applaud you and stand up for you, no matter what. Besides talent and stage presence, it’s necessary to be equipped with a strong stomach and a level head in order to take all these things with a grain (or even a bucket) of salt."

This was for those Pinoy Dream Academy contestants who can't accept criticisms coming from judges. I think Lea has a point. These talent searches are like boot camps - they prepare the contestants for a harsher music industry. If the contestants can't accept the fact that not everyone will like their singing, they won't have a long carreer in the biz. Unwavering pride won't do them any good, it will just make them stumble. They can't always cry if they receive bad reviews, they should try harder to improve.

"And to the judges, my own two cents: Be honest. You owe it to the contestants to give it to them straight. It won’t do any of them any good for you to sugarcoat the bitter-tasting medicine you may have to deliver. At some point in your own careers, you were meted doses of it as well, and lived to tell the tale. So pay it forward, and let a new generation of performers feel your brand of tough love."

I hope the crew of Pinoy Idol read this. Tell your judges to deliver better comments. Sue Ellen won't become a good singer if the comments she receives are always about her being "cute". The contestants won't learn anything from a vague statement saying his/her singing was "flat". Pinoy Idol is a singing contest, not a segment of "Wish Ko Lang" who caters for the dreams of singer wannabes. If you really like your contestants to improve, give them constructive criticisms, not stupid comments.

Haaay... Makapag-aral na nga lang.