Christina and Ali in the America’s Got Talent Finals
If you’ve been reading Pure America’s Got Talent this season, then you know I’ve already displayed my bias for Christina and Ali front and center. I don’t shy away from the fact that I have biases. I embrace them and enjoy the beauty of loving something or someone.
However, it’s not surprising that a lot of people are saying that Christina and Ali don’t deserve to be in the finals. They usually have the obvious argument that they aren’t great singers and that they shouldn’t win based on their sob story. First of all, I’m not sure why someone shouldn’t win for a sob story. However, let’s set that aside for a minute and consider their talent.
In order to illustrate how talented I think Christina and Ali are, check out this INCREDIBLE video of pianist Liu Wei on “China’s Got Talent.” I won’t ruin the video, but you REALLY MUST watch this video (and you might want some tissues close by). It’s pretty incredible (Thanks Marianya for pointing it out to me).
It’s hard to imagine anyone saying that Liu Wei is not very talented. Some could easily make the argument that if he was compared to other pianists he really isn’t very good. It was a pretty simple piece of music, he missed some notes and the rhythm was all over the place. I’m literally laughing as I type this since no one would say this (and they shouldn’t). Why? Because it’s an amazing talent that he can play piano with his feet.
How is this any different than the talent Christina and Ali display? They’re lungs are literally being destroyed. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a lung condition which makes it hard to breathe and yet they’re able to go on stage and belt out their songs. That’s overcoming a lot.
Maybe people don’t respect the talent as much in Christina and Ali’s case because it’s an internal disease which people can’t see. They can’t really know how much of the lungs have problems. They can’t see the amount of lung problems they have. However, would Liu Wei’s talent be any less amazing if he only lost half of his arms?
Plus, America can’t try and do what Christina and Ali are doing. America can’t attempt to sing with mucus built up on their lungs like Christina and Ali have to do. America could try and play the piano with their feet and so they can be more amazed by the talent of Liu Wei. Just because you can’t try it yourself, does it make it any less talented?
I don’t blame America. Most people don’t know much about CF and so how can they judge the talent of girls singing with CF? I don’t claim to be an expert in CF myself. However, I’ve sung next to someone with CF. That’s why beyond loving Christina and Ali’s goodness and kindness (which they have in abundance) I love them for their talent too.
OK, I know Christina & Ali have medical problems & I applaud them for getting this far, however, I feel they are getting sympathy votes & that is nor fair to the other contestants. They are good singers but not Vegas worthy & I personally would not pay to go see them..Sorry.
I love the two of them and have been rooting for them since their first audition. I love them and they are the only act that I vote for. I’d love for them to make it big.
Hey, I’ve been wondering, on another note,….with the way they have been bringing back acts to from prior shows that did not win and yet were so great to perform on results night, I wonder if they tried to get Eli Mattson on. He ran a very close second to the crying opera boy but I’m wondering if they tried and ran into the same trouble booking him like we’ve seen on the message boards here. Or, maybe they have gotten him and we’ll be seeing in on one of the remaining results shows. Wouldn’t that be great?
Anyway you can find that out, John?
They don’t usually talk about what’s coming up. It’s certainly possible that they could have Eli come back. However, I think it’s unlikely if Eli doesn’t make a name for himself. You can see the reason they brought recycled percussion back was because they now have a Las Vegas show. They like to bring back the successes to get people excited about what might happen for them.
Hi. Remember Jessica Price? Well her band is in a competition to open for KISS in Detroit, Michigan. However, they need some more votes. The top five bands get an audition for the gig so if you could please go to eventful.com/kiss and under Detroit Metro Area vote for Jessica Price band, they would really appreciate it. Voting ends Saturday!
Thank you very much,
Patricia
I feel I must comment here. I had the honor of competing (with? against?) Christina and Ali in Week 1 of the Top 48. I am a proud member of Airpocalypse, and I am compelled to confirm that Christina and Ali are two of the nicest people that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I’ve heard that Courage is Grace under Pressure, and I hope that should I ever have to confront the challenges that these two young ladies face on a daily basis, I hope I can have a fraction of the Courage that they have.
Am I bummed that I am not in the competition still? Hell yes. Am I bummed that they are in what could have been my place?
Nope. Not at all.
Yes, there are acts that I think we should have gone ahead of. However, this is not one of them. Best of luck to them. If you pray, (to whoever), pray for them. And if you don’t, you must recognize the fact that you are watching one of the most inspirational things that you may ever see.
~X
it is great to see acts come back after finding success. It proves that the acts that are good can find fame even if they do not win. the exposure they get sometime is better then the short term fame they get when they win.
I have already started rehersing for my second trip down the audition road at agt. Hopefully my second trip will get me some exposure. I was happy to have been a very, very small part of this seasons show. Pray next year I w ill be a larger part of the show.
Air Guitar X,
That’s really stand up for you to say and for you to come and share with us. I’ll republish your comment for others to see.
Best of luck to you and the rest of your band. I know you brought a lot of smiles to people’s faces.
Although our my act never made it to air-time, in Vegas I was in the ‘duos’ category with Christina and Ali, so after spending all that time with both sisters and their parents, I also feel the need to comment here.
For Christina and Ali, this isn’t about winning. They carry a message with them greater than anyone else on the show – and instead of telling it, they’re SHOWING it. Follow your dreams, no matter what.
Not to say they’re the only courageous people on America’s Got Talent – many others have come from hard backgrounds/lives, but after knowing them personally, I can tell you with complete honesty: They deserve everything good in this world.
Sympathy votes? No. I believe people over-think the title of the show too much. It’s not solely about who the most talented person/act is. It’s about who people like personally. Remember, they’re looking for a Vegas “show”, not “just singing.” Professional performers need to be personable with their audiences, like-able, relate-able, and inspiring. So, whether it’s their amazing talent, courage, inspiring story, beauty, humbleness, or grace, people will continue to vote for Christina and Ali because THEY DESERVE IT.
What they portray on the show is NOT some produced persona the show made up for them – what you see/hear is who they REALLY are. They are angels. I spoke most with Ali (she was closer to my age), and every time, I would feel a warming light radiating from her smile, eyes, and sincerity.
Christina and Ali, and Michael Grimm, are the most genuine acts I met during my experience with the show. They deserve it all, and I hope they get it. God bless them.
-Jamison
our/my*
Jamison,
Thanks for sharing. I love hearing stories from people who’ve actually met them. I added your comments to the post I did with Airpocalypse’s comments: https://pureamericasgottalent.com/2010/08/30/airpocalypse-comments-on-christina-and-ali/
im sorry, i know ppl will hate me for saying this, but i just don’t think i would pay to see them in vegas. yes, they are inspiring, but im looking at the bigger picture here; despite the fact that ali and christi have CF that doesnt cover up the fact that they are clearly not the most talented singers on AGT or the fact that they do not have eye catching stage prescence. i guess you could say im a bit biased towards prince poppycock because he looks like the vegas type, in addition to the fact that he has a wide vocal range, he brings more spectacular comings everytime he’s on stage. sure, he has a sob story too about his never ending quest to be accepted but he does not use his story to get votes, he uses his talent. christi and ali also have a way of sneaking in mushy songs about “climbing that mountain” and “miracles” and to me that takes away from who they could be but instead they use sappy songs. i feel that its ok for me to be biased because i too have CF and despite my struggle with my disease, i do not go telling ppl my sob story. don’t get me wrong, ali and christi are talented, just not vegas talented. i believe they could use their talent for christian church concerts like the band mercy me. they seem like the kind of ppl who would like that.
Momo,
I don’t hate you for sharing your opinion. You’re certainly welcome to it and you did it in a very respectful way. Those types of comments are certainly welcome on this site any time.
I think your love of Prince Poppycock is widely held and means that you have little to worry about Christina and Ali winning.
The only comment I’d make about yours is that Christina and Ali have very rarely made it about their disease and the challenge it poses. In fact, I bet that the producers would love for them to say more, but they just haven’t.
No doubt their not the most talented singers, but I still love watching them perform. The first time I saw them sing live in Las Vegas I cried. It was great! I’d definitely go to see the tour in Las Vegas if they were performing.
I was intending on writing a supportive piece for the two girls, but first I have to comment on the terrible comparison that the author makes between the pianist with NO ARMS, and the girls. This man lacks the necessary component that would allow him to train to butter Chopin’s bread! Although both are disadvantaged, the magnitude of the disadvantages are world apart. Stating that comparing him to Chopin would be a mistake is simply ignoring that fact that in spite of his disadvantage he in sensational. Even if he had arms there is no guarantee that he would come close to any of the greats. Fact, he’s not a great musician, but he IS an exceptional example of the human character and we all should look to him for inspiration.
Now on to the girls. They are inspirations, but they are not good singers. I believe this to be a case of advancing mediocrity because of their illness, and it’s insulting to those with CF. Would the man have advanced if he had only a missing finger and he played the piano poorly? Django Reinhardt had his third and fourth fingers paralyzed, and still became one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Lisa Bentley Canadian Ironman triathlete, who has CF, has won eleven Ironman competitions. Even Chopin became one of the world’s most beloved pianists and the standard to which others are held to, while being a sick and weak child then adult with possible CF (many attribute his conditions to what we now know to be CF).
The girls would not have been admitted to my high school show choir, and their talent alone would never have advanced them on the show. They are genuinely sweet, encouraging, confident, living with CF, and those are just some of the qualities that make them shine.
Nika,
You can’t see some comparison between the piano player and someone with CF? We can argue the talent to overcome the difficulty they face, but the concept that these girls had to overcome a physical challenge is worthy of the comparison to me.
Probably the most beautiful part about these girls is that they haven’t tried to make CF their story to get sympathy votes. They’ve wanted to be judged based on their talent and not their sickness. I’m quite sure they won’t make the top 4, but I’m so glad that they went on AGT.
christina and ali you represent all of the following
1.pure consciousness
2.illumination
3.loving
4inspiring
5.empowerment
6.transcendence
7serenity
8.class
9.beauty
10.transfiguration
overall creator,s view
that,s why i love you two
all the best
infinitively cal shummon MdS-E