Fourteenth century Western Europe was a dreadful place. That fact can be attributed fully to the black plague that swept through her, decimating between 1/3 and 1/2 of it’s population in just two short years.
Sure, that particular affliction has been put under medical wraps, but these days we have a worse epidemic not so easily cured. Today’s pandemic started on ITV1 in the UK, calling itself Pop Idol. It was contagious too, quickly spreading through unknown means to first world countries the world around. The name changed with every infection, calling itself American Idol, Canadian Idol or Australian Idol to name some. Side effects included intense headaches, scabby inner ears, dry heaves and astronomical ratings.
Despite the obvious mental hazards, government owned TV in Ethiopia has decided it wants a piece of that action. They intend to call it…wait for it…Ethiopian Idol.
Smack-dab in the middle of a government-run Saturday night line up
is Ethiopian Idol, Ethiopia’s ‘We got it too’ answer to the
Pop/American Idol phenomenon. The show seems to be a welcome reprieve
from the oft’ war-torn day to day life of one of the oldest independent
countries in the world, as it is the most popular show on Ethiopian
television.
Filmed in a hotel during off hours, the back drop consists of Ethiopian Idol logos taped to the wall, and bed sheets draped behind
the contestants. The set is constructed and taken down every week.
The show also has the mandatory bluntly honest/rude/self-amusing panel
judge. Feleke Hailu tells contestants:
"Most of the time I tell (them)
to go back to their old jobs, forget about a career in singing, or I
tell them they sing like donkeys."
The straightforward insult is
unusual in the generally polite Ethiopian society, and seems to be a
major factor in the shows popularity.
That said, hecklerspray has an extensive list of mama-jokes we’d be
willing to part with if the price was right. We generally spend the
hour just before lunch writing them, and have been strenuously looking
for the proper method of profiteering from it. A brief sampling of
some of our punch lines is: "…because your Mum’s so fat", "…because
your Mum’s so ugly", and out favourite "…because we think you may
actually be our child".
For the record though, we’re not limiting the sale of our jokes to
the wonderful people of Ethiopia, we’re also extending the offer to
next year’s hopeful television hit: Vatican Idol. We went on vacation
there when we were younger, and some of those cardinals had velvet
throats.
Those interested in helping the poverty stricken people of Ethiopia
may do so at Share Our Strength
Read more:
‘Ethiopian Idols’ Offers Hope Amid Poverty – ABC
[story by Shawn Lindseth]
tame says
Yes, this inhumane dictator Ethiopian government is trying to destroy and to destruct…. actually since June2005, November 2005 mass jailing of YOUNGSTERS reaches 100,000. Those youngsters, only between 14 to 18years of age are in concentration camps exposing these youngsters to HIV/AIDS by using one razor, disease in this malaria infested area, wild life are beside the and killings of pregnant women, elderly and the killings of children as young as 7 are some of the very UNFORGIVEABLE CRIMES of the government of Ethiopia.
Here is eye witness NGO worker appeal to stop the government inhumane action on minors.
http://i-newswire.com/pr50250.html
Mass grave, the inhumane, savage brutality of the goverment of Ethiopia’s repression can not be and will not be covered by this until the criminals will face justice.
The people of Ethiopia, specially the youngsters WILL NOT be destructed by this as the goverment, who brought this to shift the people’s attention (the youngsters attention).
Human right crisis, peace, poverity, disease … is Ethiopia’s issue not the infamous idol for Ethiopia who is under grave HUMAN RIGHT CRISIS and poverty. STOP THE KILLINGS, PRISIONING, TORTURING AND REPRESSION of the people of Ethiopia the judgement day is not far. UNCONDITIONALLY FREE ALL THE PRISNORES IMMEDIATELY as the donor countries requested through European commision.
Wushet says
The Ethiopian Idol show is popular! Yes It is true!
But what the judge says he would say in the program is not only false but also if people in this country hear that he said to you, he would no longer be a judge in the show.
Ethiopian are poor and have complex problems! But they are not yet ready to lose their pride allow someone to insult them on Public TV. The one thing that will not be allowed (Specially in the state owned media) is to be rude to ppl unless it has a political agenda.
Feleke( judge), Liar! Liar!
Ewunet says
The “Ethiopian Idol” is niether popular nor relevant to our country. I admire Feleke if he has done that. But the better option is not insulting them but getting rid of this hazard phenomenon. We do need our pure identity and humanity!
This is not a remedy for our poorness and complex problems! We are unlucky in having such “critical” thinkers bringing idols as a solution and shifting our mind to that!
May God give us Solution!
Hailu Shawel says
Please ignore these liars who lie about the Democratic government in Ethiopia. For the most part any negative comments you read are posted by ex-members of the previous regime who lost the last war. Their atrocities are well documented and they are beyond reprieve. These thugs and killers have reformulated themselves into a new political party called CUD. They are very active because they live in the west mostly in Europe. They receive welfare and do not have to work. All day they keep themselves occupied taking jabs at the Ethiopian Government because they are the ones who destroyed their Killing Machine from the previous government. They are many and useless.
Gebisa says
Hi Guys
I think it is shame for all of us that we are writing the nonesence and irrelevant things on the Ethiopian Idol show. You must be either mad with the politicing politics or you want the su… What relevance has the Ethiopian Idols show, with the singers coming on their own will, to the prisoners and the crime? You must be the one to be the criminal on trial as you are judging the idols! Isn’t it?
Let’s be Ethiopian with proud culture and humane behaviour. Let’s not teach our kids and the visionary idols to be as criminal as you guys. Let’s learn to judge people be it in polictics, singing, etc by logic not be heredity or emotion!!! I would jave taken you to the literacy training on politics so that you cpould washout your disease so that you want infect others.
Assefa A. says
I’m verry much astonished by some opinions and comments forwaded by Ethiopians in Diaspora regarding their own country’s effort to challenge poverty,backwardness and intollerance.
MUnaye Ab says
I and my family delights with the program Ethopian Idol show this is very interesting of the ETV program. Actually I don’t have the knowledge to give sugession about the jugment but I can sugesst it is very
interesting program and We are starving to know the final winner and I guess Amelewoke The blind one or Samson both from Addis. Thank you!!
fereja says
I think ethiopian Idol feleke knows what music is? forget the rest.
XFactorial7 says
Whatever….
This kind of show sucks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boU4IJhk9D4