the voice

The kid's new favorite show (and mine, too) is The Voice. It has so much more personality than juggernaut American Idol. It had me at Cee Lo, but I like rest of the celebrity mix. They seem a lot more invested in the singers' success, and seem to like each other more than the Idol judges, who only seem there to hawk their latest album or book deal. Not that I don't enjoy Steven Tyler, I do, but he is entertaining just standing still. If he ever does that.

I think the main reason that singing shows do so well is that almost anyone can sing  — along to a song on the radio or in the shower — not necessarily well, but the majority of the audience can at least relate to singing in some way, as opposed to the dancing shows, which requires a lot more physical skill and training.

I'm not sure where The Voice will go after it's opening "blind taste test" gimmick. The "deathmatch" preview seems even wackier than the celebrity spinning chairs, but I'm interested and willing to find out.

Related articles

• Why "The Voice" deserves to topple "Idol" (salon.com)

separated at birth

Watching the first Harry Potter movie with the kid and I am always struck by how the Goblin at the bank looks uncannily like...Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.

Coinkydink?

I think not.