Cruelty on America's Got Talent?

HI Whiteheather: I love that show and have watched it since its first airing a few years ago, but after watching it the last two nights I'm really a bit "miffed at them". I too can't and I don't understand how they can send so many people to Las Vegas get their hopes and dreams all built up and then stomp them into the ground like bugs beneath their feet. ARRGgghh!! I can see "sorta" the need to weed out a bunch of them but its very silly to fly them all there, then ship them right back home before they even take a bathroom break you know? They used to have them perform again in Las Vegas before they'd weed out the ones that didn't really cut it, so to speak but the way they do it now just really upsets me; I feel bad for a lot of them and I think a lot of the ones that got to go there should NOT have been picked to go, then get slapped in the face before they get started and sent back home; and a couple of the "good ones" got sent home and yet they kept a couple of ones that to me didn't or shouldn't have been kept to move on you know? I don't know that show makes me crazy sometimes and I too yell at my TV...LOL!! I gotta "express my opinions" one way or another but once the voting starts I for sure will be doing that... I felt bad for so many of them Tues & Weds. night standing there in tears waiting and waiting to be told if they were gonna go on, or be sent home...it's maddening for us and you know its very very stressful on them; as I said I love the show but good grief! and now I have to wonder WTF is going on with Simon's call last night????? did you hear that? I wonder WHAT'S UP?? WHAT ARE THEY DOING?? guess we shall just have to wait it out toooooo and tune in on Tuesday..

I agree, dramatics is a main part of it but it's still so cruel. Some of these people really had their heart set on performing again only to get booted off.

One other reason I don’t watch reality show…I find its unnecessarily competitive, aggressive, abusive and insulting. Though I’ve never watched America’s Got Talent, we have something similar called India’s Got Talent and I have seen a few episodes to know what they are talking about. First of all as you know, the talent can be anything…so people really perform daring stunts and incredible stuff just for a few moment of fame (money comes much much later)…and the judges are just sitting there smug and passing judgements (which of course is their job)…one particular episode brought tears to my eyes when a mother aged 42 was trying to show off her skating skills on the floor and you could see she was no good at it yet trying so hard and at the end of it, the judges just lambasted her and that also in front of her two teenage kids! I mean, if she was no good, why wasn’t she eliminated in the auditions itself? Why make a laughing stock of her in front of so many people? and then her kids were called onstage (to share her humiliation) and at the end of it, she left the stage leaning on the shoulder of her son and wiping her tears! How cruel can the channels be just to earn the money? I mean its not a soap, its real!

Yeh, it's all for dramtics. The pause is put in durring the editing I think though. Again, it is all for dramtics. I see the same thing on Hell's kitchen too. What struck me about Americas Got Talent, was the aufdience. I was stunned durring the audition phase. The out right booing and jeering that came from the audience. I had never wacthed the show before this year. I was reminded of the gong show from the 70's, but even that didn't reach this level.

It's not just this show I've noticed doing these cruel things to contestants but others as well. Ryan Seacrest is another one who breaks to commercial just before he announces the top three or the two finalists. It is mean I agree but it keeps audiences watching at home. Have a nice night

I agree with you on that. However what I thought was worse was telling 160 people you are going to Las Vegas and then they get to the airport and tell 40 people you are going home. Why did they bother telling them they were going to Las Vegas. They never had a chance to perform in LA. That was cruel especially to do that too so many kids. They should never had told them they were going to LA in the first place. These kids and adults had their hopes up and never got to prove themselves again. This didn't make any sense at all and it made me very angry.

Just watched it this morning and yup they did take along time on some of them. and I wondered at the money it cost them to come to Vegas and get turned back around waste of money why didnt they just tell these people not to come!

i suppose it makes for more dramitcs and more people watching the show, but you are right. there seems to be a lot of stuff like this going on in tv these days. (ie the whole jon & kate affair.) (those poor kids! see where greed can end you up?)

I really love the show but that really happens. I do not know what to say but I really wish that a real winner will be proclaimed soon. Keep posting. Happy Mylotting. Have a nice day. best regards, Jeff

That's called reality TV. Anything that adds drama adds viewers. TV isn't about being nice, its about ratings. If that bothers you, I would suggest avoiding reality TV shows, cause yes, they can be quite mean. Drawing out the results is actually quite tame.