Constantine Maroulis

[deblyn]

I just don't understand this business about "signing over his rights." If this album was recorded before the show, why would Constantine have to do that? And what does "signing over his rights" mean exactly? It doesn't make sense.

I do not believe the contestants can have an album on the charts while the show is going on, and his way around it was to sign away the rights to the album. I do believe signing over his rights would be that he doesn't get any money made from the sale of the album.

[pillbeam]

I would think that since the album was recorded before his relationship with AI started, that 19E wouldn't have a claim on his participation in it. I guess I'll have to read some first-hand stuff about this before I'll believe it. Bo has several albums out that 19E has no claim on.

[jocelyns]

Constantine's fans were rabid. These people organized nationwide collections for gifts to send him. They showed their outrage at his vote-off by catapulting the Pray for the Soul of Betty CD up to #2 on the Amazon top sellers list, overnight. Most of them don't even like that music, they were just showing support for Constantine. These are the type of people that would walk around with their cordless phones, hitting redial, for two hours. Apathy? Doesn't fit.

Here's an excerpt from an interesting article by Tim Manners of FastCompany Sales and Marketing:
http://www.fastcompany.com/resources...rs/050905.html

Ever think about why American Idol is so popular? I have, and I suspect that it's because the program's very premise is that the viewers control the story line. More or less, that is. In reality, like a lot of other brands, American Idol wins by merely creating the illusion of consumer empowerment.

The show's first dirty little secret seems to be that only a small percentage of the people who watch American Idol actually vote for their favorites. A viewer survey by Initiative, a media and marketing communications network, finds, surprisingly, that the opportunity to vote is actually the least engaging aspect of the show.

The second not-so-secret secret is that the show's judges -- Simon Cowell especially -- are there to subvert what America actually wants and make sure the "correct" contestant wins. Problem is, this season an "incorrect" contestant -- Constantine Maroulis -- attempted to bypass American Idol's idea of a story line by creating his own.

To me, this is all so obvious -- most of the people I know don't watch American Idol. Of those that do, most do not vote. So that leaves the fan bases who do the voting.

It is just as obvious to me that the judges keep forcing certain contestants down our throats. Simon went on Oprah talking about Carrie's "IT" factor (which I have yet to see). Simon went on Oprah talking about how Ruben should win. I don't know if he went on for Fantasia, but I know he was pimping her strongly.

I'd like to believe we live in a world where big-time TV producers are fair with the public. But I think they believe they are smarter than the public, and would never leave the decision of in whom they would invest millions of dollars in our hands.

JMO.

[Dinahann]

That was an interesting article, jocelyns. Thanks for posting it!

[redmermaid]

I would think that since the album was recorded before his relationship with AI started, that 19E wouldn't have a claim on his participation in it. I guess I'll have to read some first-hand stuff about this before I'll believe it. Bo has several albums out that 19E has no claim on.

My understanding is that contestants cannot release new work while they are on the show. The point being that they will benefit from the publicity and take away something from the ultimate "winner". If an artist already has old work out (and it would have to be on small scale to even qualify to be on this show) there's not much that could be done about it.

When you sign over your rights, you say that this is not mine anymore. I cannot gain, financially, from it. The people who you sign over to can do what they want, when they want because your association with the music is in name only. Doing that legal work before auditioning was very smart. It also suggests that the band had to have known he was going to audition for AI.

[bbnbama]

Doing that legal work before auditioning was very smart. It also suggests that the band had to have known he was going to audition for AI.

hmmmm....makes them pretty smart all the way around, huh? Think there is any kind of "loophole" that might allow Constantine to profit from it..like say, maybe at a later date...2 years or so from now?! Monies to be held in escrow, etc???

[redmermaid]

Jocelyn's "I'd like to believe we live in a world where big-time TV producers are fair with the public. But I think they believe they are smarter than the public, and would never leave the decision of in whom they would invest millions of dollars in our hands."
(sorry, I can't figure out how to quite only a portion of a post!)



In the past few years we have witnessed some of the largest corporate greed ever made public. Enron?

Many people here have likely had business experience where they saw not so fair or legal practices on a regular basis from the company they worked at.

19E is not known to be remotely fair in their contracts with Idol artists.

Idol is experiencing a credibility crisis at the hands of one of their very own - Paula.

It is not so far fetched for people to consider that the biggest upset in Idol's run MIGHT have been set up for the producers own reasons. All the above factors play into the thought process. Because people believe it happened, does not mean they are in denial about the "results" - it means they have a healthy dose of skepticism for a business entity that has a large financial incentive to play with the results.

It is also within the realm of possibility that the results were legit. Until someone from Idol writes a tell all for 15 minutes in the spotlight, we'll never know for sure.

[jocelyns]

Agreed! No one can know for sure, but we're all entitled to our gut feelings.

[pillbeam]

My understanding is that contestants cannot release new work while they are on the show. The point being that they will benefit from the publicity and take away something from the ultimate "winner". If an artist already has old work out (and it would have to be on small scale to even qualify to be on this show) there's not much that could be done about it.

When you sign over your rights, you say that this is not mine anymore. I cannot gain, financially, from it. The people who you sign over to can do what they want, when they want because your association with the music is in name only. Doing that legal work before auditioning was very smart. It also suggests that the band had to have known he was going to audition for AI.

This still sounds like fan board speculation, to me. Again, since Connie recorded the album before the contest, I don't see how the show could have a claim to it, regardless when it's released. Also, it seems inconceivable to me that Constantine would give up his rights to something he created before AI. Is there a link to an interview with Connie, his parents or his band, in which they confirm this speculation?

[emily5]

I would think that since the album was recorded before his relationship with AI started, that 19E wouldn't have a claim on his participation in it. I guess I'll have to read some first-hand stuff about this before I'll believe it. Bo has several albums out that 19E has no claim on.

Three questions:
1- does anyone know the answer to this? Why would he have to sign over the rights? What claim would 19E have on it even if Constantine had WON, since it was recorded before the show? Is it because it wasn't released yet?
2- why does everyone call American Idol 19E, I've tried and tried to figure it out but I give up... enlighten me please!!!
3- is anyone attending any sort of album release party for PFTSOB? Doesn't it release today, or was that yesterday? Is anyone in NY that can enlighten us on what kindof stuff is going on out there for the big release of the big no. 2 (on Amazon) album?? Anything, Redmermaid????