Essay Example on America's Got Talent: Platform for Talented Performers to Shine

Introduction

America's Got Talent (AGT) is in Season 14. AGT gives the undiscovered yet talented performers of all ages and genres a platform to highlight their talent. The performers at the AGT with the hope of winning sponsorship deal valued as $1milion from the AGT sponsors or other talent scouts (NBC). With performers from over 184 countries worldwide, the show is one of the most coveted and watched shows. By evaluating how the shows are critiqued, the researcher argues that the feedbacks from the judges may not always be favorable but there are established criteria that the judges use in critiquing the performance of the audiences which needs to be changed.

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1. How critiques are given on the show

Judges and hosts such as Howie Mandel, Howard Stern, Mel B, Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, Tyra Banks, Terry Crews and Gabrielle Union have graced the AGT in different seasons to critique, and give their feedback on the performance of various contestant and in some occasion giving the constants the golden buzzer for great act.

2. Thoughts on the goals of the evaluators

The goals of the evaluators are simple, they choose the best performer with stage presences, best acts, and unique persona to move to the next round and eventually win the prize but the audience's goal is to cheer up their families and friends or the just to get entertained vote through their applause but they are less likely to influence the outcomes. On the other hand, the performers also have different goals. Some just want to have fun, while others are there for the prize. Some of the performers have also cited their search for sponsors or mentors, therefore, they use the platform to expose their talents. Either way, the platform provides the performers with an opportunity to achieve their performances goals.

3. Accuracy and effectiveness of the feedback

The accuracy of the feedback depends on the goals of each stakeholder. Each viewer be it the judges, the hosts, the guest judges, and the audiences have their expectations. Each viewer gives his feedbacks based on his expectation on the performances of each artist. Therefore, the feedback may not be effective but the feedback from the judges is used as a yardstick for measuring performances. The feedback may be effective if the performers take the criticisms positively. For example, Simon Cowell is known to give harsh criticism believing that the criticism would help the performers shape their actions. For example, he once told a contestant, "In the history of 'America's Got Talent,' that was the worst live performance I've ever seen" (Dicker n.p). Therefore, the accuracy and effectiveness of the feedbacks depend on the individual's perception and attitude.

4. How the contestants respond to the feedback

Some contestant takes the feedbacks negatively while some learn from the feedback to improve their performances. Whether the feedbacks are objective or subjective, it depends on the individual performers. While some performers accept the feedbacks with simple positive and polite words such as thank, some contestant's breakup and cry, some throw tantrums while some become angry at the judges. Nevertheless, the decision is already made the judges have the final word. The goal of such platforms is the give everyone a chance to showcase the talent and not to please them. the responses to the feedback fully depend on the characters of the contestants because some are not mature enough to take in positive criticism.

5. What, I would do differently if I were a judge

If I were the judge, I would first listen to each performer's reason for coming to the AGT. Each performer has his goals for coming to AGT therefore as a judge I would tailor the decision criteria on the contestant's goals and the AGT overall objectives. If the contestant came to AGT to look for sponsors and showcase his talent to potential mentors, then the judge should tailor his feedback along those lines. However, if the constant aimed at winning the grand prices, then he should be judged according to the established criteria. Finally, if I were a judge, I would randomly sample few people from the audiences to give their opinion, this way, it would be easy to get an objective and fair view of the contestant's performance. The standard set by the AGT is sometimes too high and unreal for the audience and because the contestants once chosen would be performing to the audiences, the audiences should critique him as well.

Conclusion

The AGT is one of the leading platforms for undiscovered performers including singers' magicians, dancing, comedy, and stunts. The AGT judges are the main critiquing team. One of the main characteristics of these shows is that the critics give their comments and votes online while the judges give their votes on the platform. The performers are usually judged by four judges who give their opinion, votes, and criticism on the spot. even though everyone is given a platform, the judge's decision to the next round is final. The judges have changed over time but Simon Cowell is the recurring judge on AGT. There are also host judges and hosts who may give their critiques or votes. The decision of the judge's ad the critiques may not be favorable but the reaction of the contestants and attitudes determines the trajectory of the contestants after the shows.

Works Cited

Dicker, Ron. " Simon Cowell Gets Mean, Even For Him, On 'America's Got Talent' The grumpy TV judge called one-act "the worst live performance I have ever seen.". Huffpost.Com, 2019, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/simon-cowell-americas-got-talent-worst-live-performance_n_5d5d011be4b09e2b9fe3d073. Accessed 15 Sept 2019.

NBC. "America's Got Talent / About The Show". NBC, 2018, https://web.archive.org/web/20150603170657/https://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/about.