So which show was better American Idol or The Voice?

[bUU]

I wouldn't try to claim, as you have implicitly, that some popular singers of some previous age were the last paragons. That smacks of the myopia many older folks suffer from, driven by feelings that the world is moving on past them. It's such a ridiculous cliche to hold to the contention that things were better, "back in the day."

And generally false. It's hard to come to grips with that reality, if you're beholden to the past, especially since qualitative matters generally have no readily-normalizable metric to measure the past against the present. Older folks hide strong opinions presented as fact behind the fact that there is no way to objectively compare musicianship, but there is no rational basis for claiming that track runners get faster and faster while paradoxically (they claim) singers degrade generation over generation. One has to embrace life - all of it - including getting older and becoming less relevant - to be able to acknowledge that there is very little that isn't better now than when the world seemed more arrayed to our own personal benefit.

That's not to say that American Idol is likely to produce paragons. But the reality is, it probably has produced at least one if not two singers who are as talented as any of those old-timers you mentioned. Of course, there's no way to really know that for another few decades, but it sure seems like it is heading that way. And to have produced talents of that quality from a competition show on television is remarkable. That kind of thing never happened when we were young. Singers had to be already famous to gain that kind of exposure. It's an innovation. That it produces even one remarkable talent is an advancement.

[PhotogGal]

I like both shows, really, and I especially liked having Usher and Shakira back on "The Voice" and bringing back JLo and adding Harry Connick, Jr. to the judging panel at "American Idol." Of the winners, Josh and Caleb, I liked them both too. I'm guessing of the two that Caleb will have a bigger career.

[ChessieMom]

I have watched maybe 10 minutes of AI in the last few years. I watched last year but just could not get past Niki Minage or whatever her name is. She was just horrible. But I watched a few minutes of The Voice and was hooked. Loved the entire season. I thought the talent was just amazing. Seriously blew me away. And the fun between the coaches was very enjoyable as well. I picked Josh as the winner from the start - that guy can sing ANYTHING. He's awesome.