Manipulation and The Voice

No one calls for justice...

Isaiah 59:4

 

I really detest being manipulated.  Worse than that, I really detest being manipulated and not knowing that I am until it is all over.  All my life I have been an advocate for what is fair.  Manipulation is rarely fair.

My two oldest daughters are rabid fans of the vocal competition, The Voice, with its celebrity judges: Usher, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and Shakira.  Being a vocal coach by profession, I love to watch the (mostly) young talent as they vie for the coaches' approval and audience votes.  Witnessing the singers' growth as the show progresses is a particularly satisfying experience.  I have been an avid watcher since the second season, but this year, I noticed something that really began to bother me, shortly after the beginning of the live shows:  clear attempts to manipulate who the audience voted for.

When you put on a simple recital, a local singing competition, or a huge production like The Voice, where you place the contestants in the lineup has a great deal to do with how well the person performs, and the perception of that performance by the audience.  No one wants to be first.  In a competition, going first is like getting the kiss of death.  Conversely, the end of the program, particularly the last slot, is where any performer worth their salt wants to be.  Save the best for last, right?  When competition is a one-shot deal, there are hard choices to be made about who goes where on the lineup.  But when the competition continues over several weeks, you have the opportunity to do the fair thing:  spread the good and the bad around.

Unfortunately, the producers of The Voice did not appear to want to do the "fair" thing.  Over the last several weeks, it became quite clear who the producers thought the stars should be.  Michelle Chamuel was slated last or near last for several weeks, because it was obvious that she was at the top of her game.  Then Danielle Bradbery broke away from the pack, and they began to feature her in the better spots.  The Swon Brothers, a country duo that were unlikely but effective contenders, were given the "kiss of death" spot three weeks running.  It was pure audience manipulation, and I was sad to see.

On the series finale Monday night, each contestant had several opportunities to sing.  The Swon Brothers were given the opening slot (again), then the program seemed to bounce back and forth between the brothers and Michelle.  Danielle?  She was conspicuous because of her absence onstage.  She finally sang a duet with her coach, Blake Shelton.  But both of her solo moments were in the second hour, toward the end of the show, giving her perfect placement in the audience' memory.  Add that in with Adam Levine's proclamation after one of her solos that she was "...the winner" of the show, and you have manipulation in its finest form.

Don't get me wrong.  I don't dislike Danielle or begrudge her the win.  She has a great voice and amazing poise for one so young.  But I can't help but wonder how things might have turned out if all three artists had been given the opportunity to shine in that final hour - each leaving a distinct musical footprint fresh in the minds of the voters.