What’s up with the judges on The Voice?
I sense something different about The Voice this year, and it’s not just Jessie J.
I’m talking about all these unscripted moments in the first few episodes of the Blind Auditions! Like multiple judges leaping onstage to comfort an overwhelmed contestant, and Ricky inviting a ‘non-turner’ to pop backstage on his tour for the learning experience. Like the guitar player who was given precious additional screentime and asked to sing a second song - one of his own at that - while Delta ran into the audience to find his girlfriend. And let’s not forget Jessie J’s duet/impromptu lesson with a contestant on Beyoncé’s Work It Out.
Judges be pitching hard for them contestants.
For celebrity judges on talent quest shows, it’s always been about reigniting their own careers by increasing their visibility and using the show as a vehicle for promoting long time coming new music. Hasn’t it? This offers an obvious but partial explanation for the amped-up pitching we’re seeing: the bigger the ‘big gestures’ they make, the more memorable they’ll be post-show. But contestants perform and judges opine, and the format of these shows has remained as such until now. It begs the question: why is the ‘us and them’ barrier repeatedly being crossed this year on The Voice?
Sure, this more relaxed, more improvised and big-hearted approach makes sense given the judges’ additional roles as coaches who will go on to form closer, ongoing relationships with the contestants. But I think the ‘big gesture in the public forum’ serves a different purpose. I think we’re just looking at an extension of the trend of accessible celebrities. You know, like how they are now able to talk directly to the masses through Twitter and Instagram and invite us to bake biscuits and play with cats together?
So okay, it might be a highly calculated strategy, but it does make for unexpected and sometimes deliciously awkward TV. And it should appeal to an audience of egalitarian Aussies who like their people true blue and down-to-earth. I think it’s a kind of genius.