This week on “American Idol,” contestants sang songs from the canon of music theater genius Andrew Lloyd Webber. The field had been narrowed to six contestants, and each worked one on one with Webber to prepare their song. Carly Smithson, an Irish woman (now married to a US citizen) who had auditioned two seasons prior but had to drop out due to visa issues, had chosen the ballad “All I Ask Of You” as her song. Webber, however, felt that Smithson’s voice was better suited to her second-choice song, “Superstar,” from the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The song is sung in the musical by Judas and questions whether Jesus is real and credible. The lyrics are: “Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, who are you, what have you sacrificed? Jesus Christ Superstar, do you think you’re what they say you are?”The show’s three judges agreed that Smithson’s spirited, lively performance was strong and one of the night’s best. They, along with many in the audience, were shocked when she was voted off on Wednesday’s elimination show over contestants like Jason Castro, who had gotten poor reviews, and Brooke White, who had flubbed the lyrics to her song and made the band start over.Some commenters on “American Idol’s” official FOX forums expressed displeasure with Smithson’s song choice. Today’s New York Times even picked up the story and called attention to the controversial history of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”Many “Idol” contestants have been criticized in the past for their song choice, but that usually means they chose a song that didn’t flatter or show off their voice. This is one of the only times a contestant’s song choice put them in jeopardy not because of the notes but because of the lyrics.For what it’s worth, Smithson says she’s OK with being off the show. “I’m actually not that sad to be leaving,” she said in an interview. “I enjoyed every minute thoroughly, but we’re back in two weeks to start preparing for the tour and the finale. So it’s like a small break and I’m going to be back. I think I made enough of an impact to reach a good fan base and now I just get to be me without a theme night and make a really cool record.”



posted April 25, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I think she was probably booted for being annoying, desperate, her sense of entitlement, and the fact that she sucked.
posted April 25, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I thought she was way better than several of those that remain. My husband thinks she is awesome and that her choice of song is why she lost. I suspect he is probably right. But it does not really matter much. This bunch is much better than previous groups and I suspect all of them will have very nice careers.
posted April 25, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Define – the term Christian and what it means to you? Her removal had nothing to do with God, it was a popluar decision that millions of people made, a choice of their own free to vote her off. You guys are way out in left field. Just as each of you have a free will to choose or reject Jesus Christ the Son of God. Or did you speak to God and He told you she was gonna get booted. This is a mockery and border line joke.
posted April 25, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I don’t know if my last comment made it through so forgive me if I’m being repetitive. I think that the secular media totally doesn’t understand Christianity if they think most Christians are still offended by Jesus Christ Superstar. In fact I think most Christians are fans of JC Superstar, which was released over 30 years ago…to believe the sensationalism wouldn’t have warn off by now is a bit absurd. JC Superstar controversial for it’s time perhaps, but certainly not now, until the secular media blew this story up. Carly got voted off because of the popularity contest, and her style of music is more on the hard rocking side…not what the typical American Idol fan is into. Brooke White flubbed her lyrics, but she has a more devoted fan base than Carly, and the judges have been more favorable to her. There is a related article on the night Carly Smithson got voted off here:
http://jviz.blogspot.com/2008/04/brooke-white-starting-over.html
posted April 25, 2008 at 7:54 pm
It sounds like you can’t find anything to rant Christian’s about so why not choose this method? get over it…it was a bad choice of music, as well no one likes to hear songs about questioning who Jesus is. How many have you heard lately since JC Super Star? Get it?
posted April 25, 2008 at 9:37 pm
I was not a Carly fan, but even if I was I wouldn’t have voted for her performance. I was insulted by the lyrics and very happy that she was voted off for singing them.
posted April 26, 2008 at 2:20 am
Carly did fine. Actually, Jesus Christ Superstar is an accurate depiction of the bible, and it’s required to see if you attend Catholic High School as I did. So no, Christians shouldn’t have had a problem with that song being sung by her. She did great!!! But, they all have talent and are very competitive with one another. There’s no telling what will happen from here on out and at this stage of the game.
posted April 26, 2008 at 10:21 am
Well, Jimmy, all I have to say in response to your post is…
Read a couple of the posts above mine. Yeah, it does seem that some Christians DO have a problem with JC Superstar, DO have a problem with the lyrics, and while the sensationalism of when it came out died down, we have a whole new generation that’s apparently never seen the show.
If they did, they might know the context of the song and realize that it doesn’t mean what they seem to be thinking it means.
posted April 26, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I didn’t think about this angle. The people don’t vote against a contestant, they vote for the one they want. They may not even be cognizant of all the factors present in their choice. I don’t think Jesus Christ Superstar is consistent with biblical accounts of Jesus, and was stunned to hear Bob Daly suggest that it was. It created considerable sympathy for Judas, which the NT never does.
Concerning the performance, it wasn’t very good. The song has syncopated cadence that is distinctive to the song and makes it move. She lost the cadence and it kind of bogged down. In the higher parts her pitch was all over the place. I was stunned when I heard the judges praise the performance because I’ve heard it performed much better in regional playhouses.
Now Brooke pulled a major blunder, and her jaw dropped when she wasn’t 86′d from the show. Some people may have voted for her because they felt sorry for her. Who knows? To say Christians were responsible for for Carly’s demise is largely speculative, and may reflect the open distaste for Christianity that is growing in our society.
posted April 26, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I love jason castro!I hate carly smithson
posted April 27, 2008 at 12:05 am
I would hope that most Christians would have the sense not to refuse to vote for her for that reason. It’s a great musical, very true to the Bible, and that was part of one the most well-known songs from it (that and Mary Magadalene’s “I don’t Know How To Love Him”). Anyone who is insulted by the song should see or listen to the whole show, for a faith lift.
On the other hand, Carly did screw up the lyrics twice and the rhythm was off and she got a bit screechy in parts. That’s why I didn’t vote for her. The only one I actually liked this time was Syesha — this was the first time I ever voted for her.
posted April 27, 2008 at 11:58 am
I loved the way Carly sang all of her songs on Idol! I feel that Brooke should have been the one to go! She not only blundered her song but has done it more than once. She also restarted another song when she played the piano…..What is her problem? And what is up for voting for someone that messes up compared to someone that doesn’t? I hope she is gone next week! But, don’t give up Carly! This is what happened to Chris D. on the show too and look at him now!!!!
posted April 27, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I am a Christian and I loved Carly and I appreciate “Jesus Christ Superstar” for the context in which it was written. Most Christians are not as closed minded as that and many of us are intelligent people – contrary to popular belief. I just think the show is at the point where it is hard to see anyone go. David A is amazing and he has a young teen female following (who have cell phones) and also Jason has a teen female following (with cell phones) so who has the biggest advantage?
posted April 28, 2008 at 11:09 am
I reacted the opposite way. When I heard JC Superstar, my reaction was, “oh no, not ANOTHER Christian song! When are they going to stop promoting Christianity on AI? “.
Maybe people didn’t vote for her because the song was from a *Christian* musical, rather than a reaction to the lyrics ascribed to the apostle Judas.
Rather than being rejected by Christians, perhaps it was the non-Christian crowd that decided not to vote for her.
blessed be,
Cern
posted April 28, 2008 at 11:10 am
Congratulations. I was quite surprised that no one placed any attention on this perspective until now. What most individuals do not understand is that the belief in and alignment with the concept of sin necessitates judgement of oneself according to an externally imposed standard of morality and thus judgement of others. More succinctly put, the dynamic of Christianity precludes those within it from the freedom of truly loving and accepting themselves and thus truly loving and accepting others and even more significant, accepting God’s unconditional love for them because of their inherent guilt and the unworthiness that follows.
From another perspective, the entire interpretation of Christ’s words of reaping what you sow as a burden for which one could be punished and for which one requires saving, is merely the manner in which Soul in the childhood and early adolescence of Its spiritual journey interprets spiritual responsibility and the Laws of Karma and Love. Carly, or anyone else for that matter, in the public eye, must be quite careful not to activate the unconsciousness of religious judgement which so characterizes not only our nation but also man in general.
Consider that the entirety of the Iraq disaster originates in the mind of a President who is himself a born again Christian whose inherent principle is that those who believe in Jesus as “our Lord and Savior” are right and everyone else is wrong. Consider further the similarity, although certainly more civilized, to the radical members of the Muslim teachings who believe as well in good and evil and that those who believe as they are the saved and the rest are infidels who require either converting or terminating.
Imagine the somewhat unsurprising result when a “double minded” President clashes with a double minded terrorist and they both create deeper polarization from each other. Man will never reconcile with his neighbor until he awakens spiritually to realize that he is incapable of embracing the truth within his own belief until he can see evidence of it within the belief of his neighbor. Is it at all surprising to anyone that fundamentalism whether Christian or Arab is both narrow minded, judgemental and incapable of demonstrating Divine Tolerance towards any who hold beliefs different from its own.
Man, in this state of consciousness, is incognizant of the Law of Noninterference, and demonstrates its violation either through the blatant encroachment on the space of others by seeking to convert them or if the former is unlikely, seeks to do so as well through conquering them. This is the Jihad of the Muslims and the Crusade of the Christians, each as fanatical as the other in its own way and each a natural consequence of intolerance.
Carly Smithson irritated conservative America by her tatoos and by her choice of a song which to the Christian is much like the jokes made about Muhammed to the Muslims. Within the context of our enforced civility and a primary purpose of our nation’s formation, the practice of religious freedom, rather than rant and rave and injure life, we merely project judgement as an outgrowth of our uncontrolled attitudes towards all that does not fit into the narrowness of our belief system.
Dedicated to the Light and Sound of God which dwells within the hearts of all those who love God and do so by loving their neighbor as themselves.
Stephen
posted April 28, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Right. All this other stuff, and ALSO that Carly freakin’ sucked. Like, sucked in an interfaith kind of way.
posted April 30, 2008 at 2:34 am
I am a Christian, and I seem to see more “ranting and raving” from those that are NOT Christian(those who blame Christians for “ranting and raving”)than I do from Christians. They also show a blatant ignorance of what it really is to be a Christian. WE are not the intolerant ones. Uh, HELLO! Read the Bible–GOD is the intolerant one! He cannot look upon sin. That is the reason why he always required a sacrifice for remission of sins. And tell me–what kind of religion is it that is being touted here: one that encompasses ALL religions(a.k.a. “one world” or “universal” religion)? A “safe” religion that one can step in and out of at will and requires no commitment? A “god” that condemns no one? Ha! Go-o-o-d luck!
posted May 18, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Interestingly,the voting public seems to have become lost in the concept of this show.
The goal is to narrow down talent and decide on who has the best chance to succeed commercially in the music world.(albeit with some visual drama)
The choice of the music to achieve this end should never become an issue based on its content or theme.
Damning a performer on the basis of your personal religious views is reprehensible.
The theme was music from ALW.
Carlys choice was recommended by ALW himself.
The quality of her performance should have been the only consideration.
Those that voted her out based soley on the content of her musical choice, have become part of a censorship attempt that I liken to the very era she sings about.
Shame on all those this applies to.
I sincerely hope the ASPCA is on high alert should ‘Cats’ ever become the next theme. ~RicBNH~
posted May 19, 2008 at 8:30 am
Most of what people have commented on is a bunch of ramblings. I am a Christian, but I don’t go to church. Does that make me pond scum? Regardless, I love that song. Always have. She just sucked at singing it, end of story.
posted June 5, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Carly thanked God for “this opportunity” in a recent interview.