Yeah. Pretty much. I don't like flames of any kind, but she really didn't sound good singing that particular song. It's complaints about extraneous stuff and then focusing on those things that gets me. Jeez Louis, people.
First, to everyone who's crying going "Be nice to her, she did her best!" Yes, she did her best, yes, it takes some friggen guts to go on national television and try to sing in front of an asshole like Simon. But most people are only saying that cause she's an anime freak, any other person and the flames of "WTF" would be normal.
Second, it's a singing competition, and honest to God, she didn't sound good, so the flames about "she sounded terrible" are somewhat true, just in a blunt way. She basically just screamed, and not very well might I add. She sounds like she has the potential to sing very well, and I think if she had picked a different song, she might not have gotten the reaction she did.
Third...I feel a bit sad on the inside that she went and was like "I AM AN OTAKU" and then represented herself in the way that she did. I agree with another comment that someone said earlier, couldn't she have done something a little better with her hair? You're on national television for Christ's sake.
Fourth, I don't watch American Idol, so to be truthful, I really don't care, I just happened to find the link on youtube to see how she actually sounded and to comment.
My words of advice to her if she ever saw this comment:
"Don't feel discouraged, keep trying. The voice is there, you just need to refine it and practice. Everyone has a different style in singing, and Janice just doesn't seem to be your style."
WRITER'S REACTION
I think it's time we put this to rest. Judging from her deactivated Twitter and DeviantArt accounts, this is probably becoming problematic to her already. And I seriously hope this news nugget didn't contribute significantly to that.
The reason why I placed the links there is for additional information for those who are interested, and not to cause a spread of hate mail. And if you'll notice, I purposely phrased this news nugget in a more polite manner, to lessen the ridicule that other sites have put on her.
So if you're reading this, Ms. Doyle, I would like to apologize if this news nugget did cause discomfort to you. I sincerely hope that you will be able to get over from this soon and move on to the bright side of life.
Actually...if she kept her *bragging* down...it wouldn't be so bad......(half the humiliation...) Does any of the people actually mirror themselves before joining a national competition?.....You gotta be 10000000% sure that you can sing before appearing on national tv... -.-!!
Does it make me a bad person that I feel no sympathy for her whatsoever? Another walking otaku stereotype is exactly the kind of publicity anime needs in the west, let me tell you. At least she didn't wear a goddamn Naruto headband.
She was not the worse person ever, but what she demonstrated wasn't on a competitive level; for singing talent or further devolving the image of what an "otaku" is to the western public. That being said, I don't think me or my friends could have done a lot better. On a bet or a dare, one of my group would have tried to sing a "World Ends With You" rap or a "Beat Crusaders'" song and not even make it to the air.
As for the Naruto Jacket, at least she didn't wear it when she was singing.
[Tonight, the love is rationed. Tonight, across the nation. Tonight, love infects worldwide...]
Last edited by KeenHavoc at 9:08:10 PM EST on January 14, 2010.
Probably the same way anime came to refer to only the Japanese shows everywhere else. Look up "anime" in a Japanese dictionary and more than likely it will say "animated cartoon" (I just looked it up). So technically, there, anime wouldn't only be shows from Japan, but cartoons from around the world. It was people elsewhere that changed the meaning to "Japanese animation".
It's the same with otaku. Someone took an aspect of Japan and switched it around to suit their own purposes. I suppose they wanted to integrate themselves into the culture a little bit, but didn't want to acknowledge that liking what they did made them part of a group that is looked own upon. So the meaning changed to mean "anime fan" in other countries, but not in a bad way.
I agree with you. Otakus are anime freaks, but that doesn't mean anime freaks are otakus. There's a difference between the two. How? Otakus are more obsessed with anime, mostly to the point where it's compulsive and unnecessary. Also, in Japan, being called an otaku is a bad thing. So how did it end up being "glamorized" pretty much everywhere else?
Poor girl, but American Idol isn't not the way to get to Japan! Plus, don't sing english songs, they sound completely different! Japanese songs are easier to sing than English because we have -ing, instead of -iku, which is much easier to say.
Plus, reality TV shows aren't the best way, too. I mean, look at Koharu Kusumi, she's HUGE, even though she has little talent (can't act, sing, but can kinda dance).
LOL I heard about his at school all m friends were like " OMG did you see that animu person on idol last night?!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOl" Then they all looked at me, I was all ">> What's animu??" xD
I LOL'd at this xD
I think she took it a little far with her ambitions there. I mean, over 100 auditions? I would have got it after the first maybe... 3? xD
I liked her kimono she made though. She should use her sewing talent and put it to use.
I was so happy to see an otaku on Idol!
She definitely gets an A for effort, and I LOVED that she was an otaku, but I think she should be a little like Naruto: Go into hiatus for a while, train her butt off, and come back next time...maybe she'd be a little better.
State Alchemist (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
I think it was a good thing that American Idol got its first otaku. I don't think anime freak was that offending and I loved that she showed her true colors out there especially when its in front of 22 million Americans. And don't say bad things about her. It was spur of the moment that she said anime freak and I'm pretty sure that there are people (me for example) who would've gone out in full cosplay and sing in Japanese. I probably would have done that if they picked a closer city.
But I honestly thought that since she was dancing to the Hare Hare Yukai, that she was gonna sing it too.
I'm going to ignore the Naruto jacket. What I can't ignore is her saying "I'm an otaku, which means I'm an anime freak." Over in Japan Otakus are considered, more or less, freaks. Over here, we just use it to mean an anime fan. I just have a little problem with that.
And I'd like to have a talk with her vocal coaches. All that sounded like to me was shouting. Not screeching, because that would imply that she actually tried to sing. I just heard shouting, nothing musical about it.
Absentminded One (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
Yeah, I don't know where she's all that bad; just pretty main stream in her anime selections (not that that's bad)
I was talking about her singing and the way she acted after. I think that would be kinda embarrassing, crying like that. =x
Last edited by Driffter at 3:18:30 PM EST on January 13, 2010.
Well, you know - it's American Idol...all credibility is lost when one auditions for a singing competition without having a general sense of reality. The reality was that she couldn't sing.
There was an Otaku just like her that came on AI two years ago, saying the exact same thing. *sighs*
I'm going to say something that will most likely attract flames, but it is the bare truth.
She is a disgrace to all Otakus. Her performance just delved even further into the whole "Japanophile" stereotype on those that love anime. I would have rather grinded lemons into my pupils than to watch her performance. Seriously, that would have been more fun.
UGH. We know the only reason bad singers (who know they're bad at singing) go on American Idol is for screentime. "Ohhhh, look at me! I was on American Idol on Fox and they decided to broadcast my audition! See? See? That's my face on TV!"
Oh man. I feel kinda sorry for her. Honestly, couldn't some of the people here on The Otaku be a little nicer in their comments? She doesn't seem all that different from me in her enthusiasm. (Though she's definitely a lot better at costume design, those outfits rocked!) Granted, her singing performance was horrible, but that's no reason to put her down, and neither is her self-professed status as an otaku.
Yeah I have heard that before to from several jap. people. They are disgusted by them, ha ha ha. I'm just grateful that i'm not one of them, ha ha ha. Woo hoo. Dont you just hate it when they use the phrases over the internet all the time? It's just....wow.
I think if that girl went to Japan and tried to become a singer...it could be it's own comedy show! I'd watch it.
Ha! I'm not what you would consider and Otaku either...or a music fan ha ha ha. That's funny that you laughed. Me and my sister were just shaking our heads and saying OMG a lot because it was shockingly horrific.
Maybe I felt bad for her because she was so....you know, ha ha ha.
Yeah when she said she was going to sing that, me and my mom were both like...she already lost. Maybe she was a good singer but her nervers got the best of her.
I just hope her hopes and dreams werent crushed too bad, ha ha ha. You got a point about that courage thing though. I felt so bad when she was crying when she came out. It's like omg, she's really crying. ....((shifts eyes)) I wonder if she has an Otaku account!?
0_0
When I watched that vid all I could do was shake my head. I think she was a disgrace to anime fans and to herself. It's a shame she didnt approach the audience better. Why did her hair have to be so ...greasy and slimey? Ugh! ((dies from her nerdiness))
And on top of that...she sang horribly. I cant believe how dilusional she was.
Absentminded One (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
Actually, I was thinking how hilarious it would be if a hard core cosplayer(or really any anime fan in cosplay) entered in American Idol. xD
And is that what they do all the time in American Idol? *::*watched the clip that was supplied in the previous comment*::* o_o
Mere Doyle is an aspiring singer who is hoping to make it big in Japan.
A video of Mere Doyle's performance is currently available in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xRSa5tMLUQ, though it's expected to be taken down soon. Notice the Naruto jacket she shows off on camera, among other otaku stuff.
Like many otakus in today's world, she also has an online presence on several sites, including DeviantArt, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace.
Also, in her Twitter page she had just updated her status, saying that she "is mortified and embarrassed".
brigid
Otaku Legend | Posted 01/17/10 | Reply
@haseo luver92:
Yeah. Pretty much. I don't like flames of any kind, but she really didn't sound good singing that particular song. It's complaints about extraneous stuff and then focusing on those things that gets me. Jeez Louis, people.
I sure hope she's doing all right now.
haseo luver92
Otaku Legend | Posted 01/17/10 | Reply
First, to everyone who's crying going "Be nice to her, she did her best!" Yes, she did her best, yes, it takes some friggen guts to go on national television and try to sing in front of an asshole like Simon. But most people are only saying that cause she's an anime freak, any other person and the flames of "WTF" would be normal.
Second, it's a singing competition, and honest to God, she didn't sound good, so the flames about "she sounded terrible" are somewhat true, just in a blunt way. She basically just screamed, and not very well might I add. She sounds like she has the potential to sing very well, and I think if she had picked a different song, she might not have gotten the reaction she did.
Third...I feel a bit sad on the inside that she went and was like "I AM AN OTAKU" and then represented herself in the way that she did. I agree with another comment that someone said earlier, couldn't she have done something a little better with her hair? You're on national television for Christ's sake.
Fourth, I don't watch American Idol, so to be truthful, I really don't care, I just happened to find the link on youtube to see how she actually sounded and to comment.
My words of advice to her if she ever saw this comment:
"Don't feel discouraged, keep trying. The voice is there, you just need to refine it and practice. Everyone has a different style in singing, and Janice just doesn't seem to be your style."
haseo
The Mask
Detective Mask (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/17/10 | Reply
WRITER'S REACTION
I think it's time we put this to rest. Judging from her deactivated Twitter and DeviantArt accounts, this is probably becoming problematic to her already. And I seriously hope this news nugget didn't contribute significantly to that.
The reason why I placed the links there is for additional information for those who are interested, and not to cause a spread of hate mail. And if you'll notice, I purposely phrased this news nugget in a more polite manner, to lessen the ridicule that other sites have put on her.
So if you're reading this, Ms. Doyle, I would like to apologize if this news nugget did cause discomfort to you. I sincerely hope that you will be able to get over from this soon and move on to the bright side of life.
- The Mask
"Students, be ambitious!"
brigid
Otaku Legend | Posted 01/16/10 | Reply
@AvariceTears:
She had several really well made costumes. I'm not saying she wore them well or not, just that she did a good job with them.
Ace
Senile Hipster (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/15/10 | Reply
@Cezieni:
Oh, I dunno, the metal plate might have protected her from Simon's patented Ego Bullets (TM).
Hinryuko
Otakuite | Posted 01/14/10 | Reply
Actually...if she kept her *bragging* down...it wouldn't be so bad......(half the humiliation...) Does any of the people actually mirror themselves before joining a national competition?.....You gotta be 10000000% sure that you can sing before appearing on national tv... -.-!!
Cezieni
Otakuite++ | Posted 01/14/10 | Reply
Does it make me a bad person that I feel no sympathy for her whatsoever? Another walking otaku stereotype is exactly the kind of publicity anime needs in the west, let me tell you. At least she didn't wear a goddamn Naruto headband.
KeenHavoc
Grand Otaku | Posted 01/14/10 | Reply
She was not the worse person ever, but what she demonstrated wasn't on a competitive level; for singing talent or further devolving the image of what an "otaku" is to the western public. That being said, I don't think me or my friends could have done a lot better. On a bet or a dare, one of my group would have tried to sing a "World Ends With You" rap or a "Beat Crusaders'" song and not even make it to the air.
As for the Naruto Jacket, at least she didn't wear it when she was singing.
[Tonight, the love is rationed. Tonight, across the nation. Tonight, love infects worldwide...]
Last edited by KeenHavoc at 9:08:10 PM EST on January 14, 2010.
Wakusei Aoshi
Otaku Eternal | Posted 01/14/10 | Reply
@:
Ermm, yeah, I was actually thinking that. But at least she'll try!
HeartlessArteries
Otakuite | Posted 01/14/10 | Reply
@:
I don't blame you...Plus it makes a tard of an anime fan to be a self proclaimed otaku like that.
AvariceTears
Senior Otaku | Posted 01/14/10 | Reply
@ChibiSasuke:
ha ha ha ha! ....wait what?
-Avarice-
Shadow Vampiress
Otaku Legend | Posted 01/14/10 | Reply
@hilowsa741:
Probably the same way anime came to refer to only the Japanese shows everywhere else. Look up "anime" in a Japanese dictionary and more than likely it will say "animated cartoon" (I just looked it up). So technically, there, anime wouldn't only be shows from Japan, but cartoons from around the world. It was people elsewhere that changed the meaning to "Japanese animation".
It's the same with otaku. Someone took an aspect of Japan and switched it around to suit their own purposes. I suppose they wanted to integrate themselves into the culture a little bit, but didn't want to acknowledge that liking what they did made them part of a group that is looked own upon. So the meaning changed to mean "anime fan" in other countries, but not in a bad way.
Of course, that's just my opinion.
hilowsa741
Otakuite+ | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@Shadow Vampiress:
I agree with you. Otakus are anime freaks, but that doesn't mean anime freaks are otakus. There's a difference between the two. How? Otakus are more obsessed with anime, mostly to the point where it's compulsive and unnecessary. Also, in Japan, being called an otaku is a bad thing. So how did it end up being "glamorized" pretty much everywhere else?
- hilo
ChibiSasuke
13th Angel (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@AvariceTears:
She'd be bashed by "anonymous" accounts xD
Wakusei Aoshi
Otaku Eternal | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
Poor girl, but American Idol isn't not the way to get to Japan! Plus, don't sing english songs, they sound completely different! Japanese songs are easier to sing than English because we have -ing, instead of -iku, which is much easier to say.
Plus, reality TV shows aren't the best way, too. I mean, look at Koharu Kusumi, she's HUGE, even though she has little talent (can't act, sing, but can kinda dance).
StrawberrySalad
Otakuite++ | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
LOL I heard about his at school all m friends were like " OMG did you see that animu person on idol last night?!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOl" Then they all looked at me, I was all ">> What's animu??" xD
Ace
Senile Hipster (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
I'll give you that. And, y'know, the show itself for thinking it would be so damn hilarious to let him into the actual competition in the first place.
AvariceTears
Senior Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@ChibiSasuke:
ha ha ha, if she did that'd be awesome
-Avarice-
AvariceTears
Senior Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@brigid:
Ew. what costume!? You arent really serious about her having an awesome costume are you? Because it was horrible.
-Avarice-
ChibiSasuke
13th Angel (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@AvariceTears:
If she had an Otaku account, she would probably never say it was her ^^;
ChibiSasuke
13th Angel (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
I LOL'd at this xD
I think she took it a little far with her ambitions there. I mean, over 100 auditions? I would have got it after the first maybe... 3? xD
I liked her kimono she made though. She should use her sewing talent and put it to use.
Kyrianne
Otaku Eternal | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
It made me feel like such a nerd to know exactly what she was talking about the whole time XD
And she's 24? Wow, she seems a LOT younger than that. Like, my age. *cough17cough*
sunachick
Grand Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
I was so happy to see an otaku on Idol!
She definitely gets an A for effort, and I LOVED that she was an otaku, but I think she should be a little like Naruto: Go into hiatus for a while, train her butt off, and come back next time...maybe she'd be a little better.
erupanda
Otakuite | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
THAT WAS YESTERDAY! I didn't think she was great, but she definitely had confidence, and that is very respectable. GO FELLOW OTAKU!
darknessslayer
Awesome dude (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
She gets an "A" for effort, but she could have done better representing some of us otakus.
-darknessslayer
edisshort
State Alchemist (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
I think it was a good thing that American Idol got its first otaku. I don't think anime freak was that offending and I loved that she showed her true colors out there especially when its in front of 22 million Americans. And don't say bad things about her. It was spur of the moment that she said anime freak and I'm pretty sure that there are people (me for example) who would've gone out in full cosplay and sing in Japanese. I probably would have done that if they picked a closer city.
But I honestly thought that since she was dancing to the Hare Hare Yukai, that she was gonna sing it too.
Ace
Senile Hipster (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
Oh, I dunno. It's been what, 4 seasons? And I still kinda wanna lynch Sanjaya, so.
Shadow Vampiress
Otaku Legend | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
I'm going to ignore the Naruto jacket. What I can't ignore is her saying "I'm an otaku, which means I'm an anime freak." Over in Japan Otakus are considered, more or less, freaks. Over here, we just use it to mean an anime fan. I just have a little problem with that.
And I'd like to have a talk with her vocal coaches. All that sounded like to me was shouting. Not screeching, because that would imply that she actually tried to sing. I just heard shouting, nothing musical about it.
Driffter
Absentminded One (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
Yeah, I don't know where she's all that bad; just pretty main stream in her anime selections (not that that's bad)
I was talking about her singing and the way she acted after. I think that would be kinda embarrassing, crying like that. =x
Last edited by Driffter at 3:18:30 PM EST on January 13, 2010.
Ace
Senile Hipster (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@Zeit:
Your avatar is perfect for this comment. Just thought it needed to be said.
Ace
Senile Hipster (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
Oh, Idol. When are you going to finally admit that half the time your prescreeners are only looking for someone terrible so Simon can tear them apart?
Last edited by Ace at 4:39:26 PM EST on January 13, 2010.
Driffter
Absentminded One (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
I just wish she hadn't been so. . .x_x
Last edited by Driffter at 1:27:40 PM EST on January 13, 2010.
kugen
Grand Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@brigid:
Well, you know - it's American Idol...all credibility is lost when one auditions for a singing competition without having a general sense of reality. The reality was that she couldn't sing.
There was an Otaku just like her that came on AI two years ago, saying the exact same thing. *sighs*
kugen
Grand Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
I'm going to say something that will most likely attract flames, but it is the bare truth.
She is a disgrace to all Otakus. Her performance just delved even further into the whole "Japanophile" stereotype on those that love anime. I would have rather grinded lemons into my pupils than to watch her performance. Seriously, that would have been more fun.
UGH. We know the only reason bad singers (who know they're bad at singing) go on American Idol is for screentime. "Ohhhh, look at me! I was on American Idol on Fox and they decided to broadcast my audition! See? See? That's my face on TV!"
The things people will do to be on TV. Wow.
~kugen
brigid
Otaku Legend | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
Oh man. I feel kinda sorry for her. Honestly, couldn't some of the people here on The Otaku be a little nicer in their comments? She doesn't seem all that different from me in her enthusiasm. (Though she's definitely a lot better at costume design, those outfits rocked!) Granted, her singing performance was horrible, but that's no reason to put her down, and neither is her self-professed status as an otaku.
AvariceTears
Senior Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
Yeah I have heard that before to from several jap. people. They are disgusted by them, ha ha ha. I'm just grateful that i'm not one of them, ha ha ha. Woo hoo. Dont you just hate it when they use the phrases over the internet all the time? It's just....wow.
I think if that girl went to Japan and tried to become a singer...it could be it's own comedy show! I'd watch it.
-Avarice-
AvariceTears
Senior Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
Ha! I'm not what you would consider and Otaku either...or a music fan ha ha ha. That's funny that you laughed. Me and my sister were just shaking our heads and saying OMG a lot because it was shockingly horrific.
Maybe I felt bad for her because she was so....you know, ha ha ha.
-Avarice-
Driffter
Absentminded One (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
She was. . .interesting. >>;;
AvariceTears
Senior Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
@:
Yeah when she said she was going to sing that, me and my mom were both like...she already lost. Maybe she was a good singer but her nervers got the best of her.
I just hope her hopes and dreams werent crushed too bad, ha ha ha. You got a point about that courage thing though. I felt so bad when she was crying when she came out. It's like omg, she's really crying. ....((shifts eyes)) I wonder if she has an Otaku account!?
0_0
-Avarice-
AvariceTears
Senior Otaku | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
When I watched that vid all I could do was shake my head. I think she was a disgrace to anime fans and to herself. It's a shame she didnt approach the audience better. Why did her hair have to be so ...greasy and slimey? Ugh! ((dies from her nerdiness))
And on top of that...she sang horribly. I cant believe how dilusional she was.
-Avarice-
Zeit
Otaku Eternal | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
Oh girl.
Driffter
Absentminded One (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
Actually, I was thinking how hilarious it would be if a hard core cosplayer(or really any anime fan in cosplay) entered in American Idol. xD
And is that what they do all the time in American Idol? *::*watched the clip that was supplied in the previous comment*::* o_o
The Mask
Detective Mask (Otaku Eternal) | Posted 01/13/10 | Reply
THE ASPIRING OTAKU IDOL
Mere Doyle is an aspiring singer who is hoping to make it big in Japan.
A video of Mere Doyle's performance is currently available in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xRSa5tMLUQ, though it's expected to be taken down soon. Notice the Naruto jacket she shows off on camera, among other otaku stuff.
Like many otakus in today's world, she also has an online presence on several sites, including DeviantArt, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace.
Also, in her Twitter page she had just updated her status, saying that she "is mortified and embarrassed".
Source:
USAToday.com - More about anime freak Mere Doyle
Last edited by The Mask at 7:26:41 AM EST on January 14, 2010.
"Students, be ambitious!"