Welcome to Pure America's Got Talent

I’ve been a little bit busy, but a couple of days ago Piers Morgan announced on his CNN show that he would not be returning as a judge on America’s Got Talent. Here’s what he said in the video:

I think we all knew that something had to happen with the judges. I’m just sad that it was Piers leaving and not Howie. Sharon was a wash for me. I’m not sure they’ll be able to find someone as good as Piers in what he did. He was pretty good at playing devil’s advocate. Unless Simon decides to step in and be a judge, then I think we’re going to be disappointed by whoever replaces him. Now, Simon Cowell replacing Piers would be fantastic and now that he’s not a judge on American Idol, maybe that’s a possibility since it shouldn’t overlap too much with X Factor either. Simon judged Britain’s Got Talent and was great.

As for Piers, his choice makes a lot of sense. Between not wanting to deal with Sharon, Howie and Nick, there’s little doubt that 2012 will be a huge year for “Piers Morgan Tonight” thanks to the presidential election.

Howard Stern has be rumored as a replacement for Piers Morgan on America’s Got Talent. The Hollywood Reporter quotes him as saying:

“Everyone knows I love America’s Got Talent,” he said he said on his syndicated radio show. “I think it’s the greatest and I would be certainly honored to sit with Howie [Mandel] and Sharon [Osbourne] and judge these lunatics.”
He also insisted that his big personality wouldn’t get in the way of the job at hand.
“I take show business very seriously,” he said. “If I was a judge on there, there would be no nonsense whatsoever. I would be there for the talent. I would be there to actually find somebody good.”

The Parents Television Council (PTC) has issued a statement asking NBC to not hire Howard Stern as a judge on America’s Got Talent. Turns out, a number of my readers are in agreement. Here’s what they’ve sent me on my contact page:

I have been a fan of America’s Got Talent since it started but I will not watch it anymore if Stern is hired. I am sure I am with others in not wanting to give Mr Stern any credibility at all. I can see a push via the internet for a boycott of this program if this person is hired.

And this one I just received:

Just to let you know. if the rumors are true that Howard Stern is being considered I will not be watching AGT. I voted religiously for Michael Grimm and Landau Eugene Murphy Jr and cannot see them or anyone else I would be interested in watching being judged by this man.

Considering I hadn’t even posted about the Stern rumor and I was already getting messages like this, I’d say it would be a mistake for them to put Howard Stern on the show. Sure, I’m sure Howard would be a different man on America’s Got Talent than he is on his radio and TV shows. It might even show us that Howard is a real person like we found when Jerry Springer hosted the show. However, I think the show would definitely take a hit with its core viewers if they chose to put Howard on. The outcry would be big. Maybe that’s what they want. Sad if that’s the case.

I’m sure many readers to this site have felt the judge backlash that’s been happening this season. It’s fair to say that MANY longtime viewers of America’s Got Talent are really angry and upset about the way the judges have acted this season on America’s Got Talent.

I think we can all agree that it’s been annoying, unprofessional, and has detracted from the talent on the show.

I’ll let the readers that submitted comments (most of them anyway) to me have their voices heard (without their names):
Reader #1
I love the show but I think you are going way over board with this hate thing going on between Howie and Piers Morgon. A little back & forth between them was funny at first but now it is both sharon & howie against Piers and it has become way too much. I have several friends who feel the same way.

Pure AGT Reader #2
this season of agt is getting annoying! i am really tired of howie…the bickering between howie and piers is childish. howies little pranks and comments toward piers is completely uncalled for and should not be part of the show. has america gotten so bad that the rudeness is a big entertainment thrill for them? i would enjoy the show alot more if it would stop!!

Pure AGT Reader #3
I love AGT but I must say I am losing interest in the show because of the continual bickering between Piers and Howie. Their silliness is getting old. What’s up with Nick’s ugly wardrobe? That’s one thing I do agree with Piers on.

Pure AGT Reader #4
I find Howie Mandel and his second grade school child antics repulsive. In my opinion he should not be on the show.

And then a comment from Twitter to the Pure AGT twitter account:
@ShempLabs – Shemp DeYoung
@tvblog I find the judges on AGT completely annoying. Fighting with each other, making fart jokes, too silly/stupid. Just not funny.

I have a feeling the AGT producers aren’t any happier about the judges actions than we are. I bet they’re in a tough spot right now and not sure how to deal with it. I can pretty much guarantee there will be some major judge changes next season of America’s Got Talent.

Although, I do want to say that unlike some of the other comments above, I’ve found Howie’s jokes funny when they were done as asides. It was his jokes during the judging that were annoying and out of place.

Either way, you can be sure there will be changes next year on America’s Got Talent 2012. I’m sure Piers won’t be back if Howie is there and I won’t be surprised if Piers isn’t back at all. He’s got a pretty good gig on CNN now and so America’s Got Talent season 7 judging panel will likely be quite different.

The America’s Got Talent 2011 Top 48 contestants are:

Anna Graceman – Juneau, Alaska (singer/pianist)
Attack Dance Crew – Tallahassee, Fla. (drilling dance crew)
Avery and the Calico Hearts – Lubbock, Texas (singing trio)
Captain & Maybelle – Atlanta, Ga. (variety act)
Charles Peachock – Kent, Ohio (juggler)
Dani Shay – Orlando, Fla. (singer/guitarist)
Daniel Joseph Baker – Katy, Texas (singer/pianist)
Dezmond Meeks – Pineville, La. (singer/pianist)
Duo Aero – Saint Paul, Minn (trapeze duo)
Dylan Andre – Zieglerville, Pa. (singer/guitarist)
Echo of Animal Gardens – Lake Geneva, Wis. (animal act)
Fatally Unique – Rockford, Ill. (hip hop dance team)
Fearless Flores Family – Myakka City, Fla. (family daredevil act)
Frank Miles – Los Angeles, Calif. (variety act)
Geechy Guy – Las Vegas, Nev. (comedian)
Ian Johnson – Hebron, Ill. (yo-yo tricks)
J Chris Newberg – Los Angeles, Calif. (comic/musician)
Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. – Logan, W. V. (singer)
Landon Swank – Wasilla, Alaska (magician)
Lys Agn̬s РDenver, Colo. (singer)
Mauricio Herrera – Pomona, Calif. (singer/dancer)
Melissa Villasenor – Los Angeles, Calif. (impressionist)
Miami All Stars – Miami, Fla. (dance group)
Mona Lisa – Houston, Texas (twin singers/guitarist duo)
Monet – Charlotte, N. Car. (singer)
POPLYFE – Oakland, Calif. (teen band)
Professor Splash – Lakewood, Colo. (shallow water diver)
Purrfect Angelz – Los Angeles, Calif. (dance troupe)
Sam B. – Falls Church, Va. (dancer)
Sandou Trio Russian Bar – San Antonio, Texas (Russian bar trio)
Scott Alexander – Lancaster, Pa. (magician)
Seth Grabel – Los Angeles, Calif. (magician)
SH’Boss Boys – Atlanta, Ga. (young rap trio)
Silhouettes – Arvada, Colo. (interpretative dance)
Smage Bros. Riding Shows – Elkhorn, Wis. (motorcycle stunt show)
Snap Boogie – Boston, Mass. (dancer)
Squonk Opera – Pittsburgh, Pa. (band)
Steven Retchless – New York, N. Y. (pole dancer/aerialist)
Summerwind Skippers – Boise, Idaho (jump rope team)
Taylor Davis – Leesburg, Ga. (singer/guitarist)
Team iLuminate – New York, N.Y. (glow suit dancers)
The Fiddleheads – Dahlonega, Ga. (bluegrass band)
The Kinetic King – St. Paul, Minn. (variety act)
The Rhinestone Ropers – Jerome, Idaho (variety act)
Thomas John – Woodland Park, Colo. (variety act)
Those Funny Little People – Chicago, Ill. (variety act)
Yellow Designs Stunt Team – Monument, Colo. (BMX bike tricks)
Zuma Zuma – Las Vegas, Nevada (tumblers)

Also, some other good information about the next America’s Got Talent episodes:
“America’s Got Talent,” airs Tuesdays (9-11 p.m. ET) and Wednesdays (9-10 p.m. ET) on NBC.

Plus, this interesting bit of information about the America’s Got Talent ratings:
So far this summer, the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of “American’s Got Talent” are the #1 and #2 series on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox in total viewers, while ranking #2 and #3 in adults 18-49, behind only NBC’s “The Voice.” Versus last year, “America’s Got Talent” is up in adults 18-49 by 14 percent on Tuesdays (with an average 4.1 rating vs. a 3.6) and up 27 percent on Wednesdays (4.2 vs. 3.3), according to “most current” averages from Nielsen Media Research. In total viewers, the show is up 17 percent year-to-year on Tuesdays (14.5 million vs. 12.4 million) and 21 percent year-to-year on Wednesdays (14.3 million vs. 11.8 million).

Looks like based on those numbers we can bet on America’s Got Talent 2012 (Season 7).