History Main / HopelessAuditionees

* ''[[ Series/AmericasGotTalent America's Got Talent]]'' pretty much gives away who the hopeless auditionees are by playing upbeat or otherwise mocking music during the pre-performance interviews with them. Some also get a RecordNeedleScratch when the interview music stops and they're shown walking on stage. The hopeful ones almost always have horror stories and overly dramatic music playing for their segments.

* ''Series/AmericasGotTalent'' pretty much gives away who the hopeless auditionees are by playing upbeat or otherwise mocking music during the pre-performance interviews with them. Some also get a RecordNeedleScratch when the interview music stops and they're shown walking on stage. The hopeful ones almost always have horror stories and overly dramatic music playing for their segments.

* ''[[Series/AmericasGotTalent America's Got Talent]]'' pretty much gives away who the hopeless auditionees are by playing upbeat or otherwise mocking music during the pre-performance interviews with them. Some also get a RecordNeedleScratch when the interview music stops and they're shown walking on stage. The hopeful ones almost always have horror stories and overly dramatic music playing for their segments.
** Invoked with LeonidTheMagnificent; a very tall, flamboyantly gay Russian guy with a thick Russian accent, who has been a participant of the first two seasons. His second time around, he comes on stage in huge platform shoes, no shirt, spray-painted silver, with a giant headdress, and two women on leashes who dance while he does virtually nothing but pose and make faces---far less than what he'd done in the first season. He still gets put through to the next round, much to David Hasselhoff's anger (and he walks out afterward). He gets eliminated the next round, though.
** ''Completely'' subverted by Prince Poppycock, a stage persona who performed in a full 18th century French gentleman's court formal outfit, complete with white face paint, a huge white wig, and high-heeled shoes. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6E5kebinoQ&feature=fvst With a magnificent tenor voice and incredible stage presence.]]

* Subverted by Susan Boyle in the 2009 season of ''Series/BritainsGotTalent'', proving [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome you should never judge a book by its cover]].

** Partly subverted with LeonidTheMagnificent; a very tall, flamboyantly gay Russian guy with a thick Russian accent, who has been a participant of the first two seasons. His second time around, he comes on stage in huge platform shoes, no shirt, spray-painted silver, with a giant headdress, and two women on leashes who dance while he does virtually nothing but pose and make faces---far less than what he'd done in the first season. He still gets put through to the next round, much to David Hasselhoff's anger (and he walks out afterward). He gets eliminated the next round, though.

* ''America's Got Talent'' pretty much gives away who the hopeless auditionees are by playing upbeat or otherwise mocking music during the pre-performance interviews with them. Some also get a RecordNeedleScratch when the interview music stops and they're shown walking on stage. The hopeful ones almost always have horror stories and overly dramatic music playing for their segments.
** Partly subverted with LeonidTheMagnificent; a very tall, flamboyantly gay Russian guy with a thick Russian accent, who has been a participant of the first two seasons. His second time around, he comes on stage in huge platform shoes, no shirt, spray-painted silver, with a giant headdress, and two women on leashes who dance while he does virtually nothing but pose and make faces---far less than what he'd done in the first season. He still gets put through to the next round, much to David Hasselhoff's anger (and he walks out afterward). He gets eliminated the next round, though.
** ''Completely'' subverted by Prince Poppycock, a stage persona who performed in a full 18th century French gentleman's court formal outfit, complete with white face paint, a huge white wig, and high-heeled shoes. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6E5kebinoQ&feature=fvst With a magnificent tenor voice and incredible stage presence.]]

* Subverted by Susan Boyle in the latest series of ''Series/BritainsGotTalent'', proving [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome you should never judge a book by its cover]].

--->'''Simon Cowell''': Last year I described someone as being the worst singer in America. I think you're possibly the worst singer in the world. Based on that performance. And I'm absolutely serious. I've never ever heard anything like that in my life. Ever.

**** It was that he took the criticism well and admitted to simply doing his best that was the crux to his charm and subsequent fame; he was sincere. Other Hung-wannabes that have followed [[CompletelyMissingThePoint did not realize that.]]

* Anything with SimonCowell, such as ''American Idol''/''Pop Idol'', ''BritainsGotTalent'', ''TheXFactor''

* Subverted by Susan Boyle in the latest series of ''BritainsGotTalent'', proving [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome you should never judge a book by its cover]].

* ''HellsKitchen'' will generally have some contestants who either come from backgrounds with no cooking experience at all, or they're private chefs, diner workers, or otherwise completely unused to working on a line in a fine-dining restaurant and can't make appropriate attitude adjustments. They don't last long, typically.

[[AC:Theatre]]
* In ''MerrilyWeRollAlong'', we see two of the auditions for Frank and Charlie's first show, one of which is for a woman who doesn't so much sing as screech and clearly has no idea how bad she is.
-->"I can go higher!"
-->"That's okay, we'll call you."

*** It gets worse. The producers simply acted under the moniker "One Wish", and left its purpose vague. They did nothing to correct audiences who mistook it for the Make a Wish Foundation.

[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]
* In the 1936 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28hk97-vZdQ I Love to Sing-A]]" a long queue of HopelessAuditionees are trying out for Jack Bunny's radio talent show ― however, averting the second part of the description, he gives them no encouragement at all.

** ''Completely'' subverted by Prince Poppycock, a stage persona who performed in a full 18th century French gentleman's court formal outfit, complete with white face paint, huge white wigs, and high-heeled shoes. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6E5kebinoQ&feature=fvst With a magnificent tenor voice and incredible stage presence.]]

** ''Completely'' subverted by Prince Poppycock, a CampGay young man in whiteface makeup and high heels... [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6E5kebinoQ&feature=fvst With a magnificent tenor voice and incredible stage presence.]]

* Fans of ''SoYouThinkYouCanDance'' have, from the second season through to the fifth, had to put up with a geeky-looking fellow who insisted he be called "Sex." His talent was marginal at best, and his spins reminded [[Tropers/JIrish780 this troper]] of a vulture. Compounding the fact is he took his mother with him who was insistent that he was an amazing talent getting a raw deal.

* Subverted cruelly by the talent show parody ''Superstar USA'', which ran parallel to ''AmericanIdol's'' third season. Basically, the bad auditioners were treated like stars while the truly talented were told "You will thank me for saying this: NEXT!" One can imagine why the show wasn't picked up for another season; the potential damage to a person's psyche--whether it's a girl who can really sing running offstage in tears after being told she's terrible, or someone truly horrid told they're a star only to be later humiliated in front of a live audience and on national TV--was disturbing. According to ThatOtherWiki, the person chosen over the others ("winner" just doesn't sound right), Jamie Floss, didn't seem to mind that the show was a joke and actually had small roles on TV dramas. Thankfully her album was never released. The first and only time this troper heard his then-roommate--a devout Christian--swear was when calling this show "fucked up."
** The really fucked up thing? The cheering crowds for the live performances? Apparently, they had all been told that those performing were doing so as part of a "Make a Wish" type program, of the fantasy they wanted to do before they died. Fucked. Up.

Compare TerribleIntervieweesMontage.

* Fans of ''SoYouThinkYouCanDance'' have, from the second season through to the fifth, had to put up with a geeky-looking fellow who insisted he be called "Sex." His talent was marginal at best, and his spins reminded [[JIrish780 this troper]] of a vulture. Compounding the fact is he took his mother with him who was insistent that he was an amazing talent getting a raw deal.

* ''American Inventor'' was the best. Some of the inventions would leave you in pain from laughter. The Therapy Buddy was the best. Eeeevvvvveeeeerrrrryyyytttttthhhhhiiiiiiiinnnnngggg iiiiiissssss ggggggoooooooiiiiiinnnnnnngggggg tooooooooooo bbbbbbeeeee ooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.

In short, it's a sadistic ritual wherein real people are humiliated in front of an audience of millions for the sake of a few giggles.

* Always a highlight of any ''LegionOfSuperheroes'' audition are the people with [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway lame powers]] trying their best to impress the Legion.
** [[Series/LegionOfSuperHeroes The cartoon adaptation]] had particular fun with this. The audition episode The Substitutes doubles as ADayInTheLimelight episode, and got foreshadowed by a comic relief scene in an earlier episode tormenting [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Lightning Lad]].

* ''America's Got Talent'' pretty much gives away who the hopeless auditionees are by playing upbeat or otherwise mocking music during the pre-performance interviews with them. The hopeful ones almost always have horror stories and overly dramatic music playing for their segments.

*** Also subverted with Hung. While he's far from a good singer, he took the critique postively and the judges didn't really kill him at all. Plus he is very aware that he can't sing.
****It was that he took the criticism well and admitted to simply doing his best that was the crux to his charm and subsiquent fame; he was sincere. Other Hung-wannabes that have followed [[CompletelyMissingThePoint did not realize that.]]

***It gets worse. The producers simply acted under the moniker "One Wish", and left its purpose vague. They did nothing to correct audiences who mistook it for the Make a Wish Foundation.
* Always a highlight of any ''LegionOfSuperheroes'' audition are the people with [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway lame powers]] trying their best to impress the Legion.
** [[Series/LegionOfSuperHeroes The cartoon adaptation]] had particular fun with this. The audition episode The Substitutes doubles as ADayInTheLimelight episode, and got foreshadowed by a comic relief scene in an earlier episode tormenting [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Lightning Lad]].

** Partly subverted with LeonidTheMagnificent; a very tall, flamboyantly gay Russian guy with a thick Russian accent, who has been a participant of the first two seasons. His second time around, he comes on stage in huge platform shoes, no shirt, spray-painted silver, with a giant headdress, and two women on leashes who dance while he does virtually nothing but pose and make faces---far less than what he'd done in the first season. He still gets put through to the next round, much to David Hasselhoff's anger (and he walks out afterward). He gets eliminated the next round, though.
* In the 1936 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, ?[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28hk97-vZdQ I Love to Sing-A]]? a long queue of HopelessAuditionees are trying out for ?Jack Bunny?s? radio talent show ― however, averting the second part of the description, he gives them no encouragement at all.

* American Inventor was the best. Some of the inventions would leave you in pain from laughter. The Therapy Buddy was the best. Eeeevvvvveeeeerrrrryyyytttttthhhhhiiiiiiiinnnnngggg iiiiiissssss ggggggoooooooiiiiiinnnnnnngggggg tooooooooooo bbbbbbeeeee ooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.
* HellsKitchen will generally have some contestants who either come from backgrounds with no cooking experience at all, or they're private chefs, diner workers, or otherwise completely unused to working on a line in a fine-dining restaurant and can't make appropriate attitude adjustments. They don't last long, typically.

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