I don't like calling them 'sob stories' but that seems to be the general term for anyone with a story of hardship.

I'd say that they are just 'life stories'.

When you hear some of what people have been through and they seem genuine, does anyone else get emotional or cry?

In particular last night and the last contestant, you could see how much her little girl meant to her and it got to me

Can't stand the sob stories myself. It's as if the people are saying "you HAVE to put me through to the next round cos something terrible happened to me"

I only ever record the show and skip through everything except the singing and the judging - the show is way too long with all the other crap in between and I've got no time for it.

They have no effect on me what so ever.

99% of the time they make me roll my eyes but the girl who was originally from Kosova made me a little emotional but that's because that whole situation was terrible.

I'm Mr Cynic - but the woman with the special needs daughter + song had me welling up

Same here, very cringeworthy and unprofessional too. If you're a singer, and have a decent voice then that's all that matters. Sounding desperate is very off-putting, and really means that singer has to add something as they are not so great. duh!

I've got hydrocephalus, same as Paris's daughter, and I think Paris had quite a good voice and was obviously a devoted mum, but she doesn't necessarily deserve to win. I wasn't keen on how the story was portrayed. I auditioned for X Factor in 2007, and as I didn't want the sob story angle, I made light of my time in hospital by joking about the awful food and singing in the corridors at full blast - while my mum and dad went on about my operations, grr lol!

I feel sorry for Paris and her daughter, having hydrocephalus is no fun, but it doesn't mean your mum's the next American Idol, just like I didn't win XF. (I wasn't even shown, as my hydrocephalus manifests itself as behavioural problems.....I did make boot camp though )

xxxx

Usually not, but that woman with brain damage made me sad. Doesn't mean the guy is a great singer though. He's not terrible, but I don't think he'll make it far during Hollywood week.

Tear in my eye last night with the woman in the wheelchair after an accident. Normally the stories dont affect me but it was what Steven said to her that got me.

I don't have a problem with them on Idol as they aren't featured on every contestant as they seem to have become on x factor. Some people have had a shitty life and that has affected them as a performer, that's just the way it is.

i agree.. i really do not mind the sob stories on american idol..
i must say not having simon cowell has improved the show immensely

They don't usually but the guy who's fiance had brain damage certainly did.

Ditto. I sat sobbing watching that. I'd just seen real love and devotion and his fiancee's situation was desperately sad.

I agree and I don't think they could have not shown it, because obviously that will have affected his life so much and will have made him the person (and performer) that he now is. Not telling the audience about it would have meant we would have been missing out on an aspect of him.

Hmm where does the line get drawn as to what aspects of a person we miss?

As soon as there is a sob story pushed (and they ARE sob stories) I lose interest in that person, regardless of their singing abilities and it takes a lot for me to shrug off their baggage and focus on what is important: their ability.

However, once they establish themselves, if then a sob story comes out, then fine. But at least let them prove themselves first rather than have a sob story almost as a pre-emptive excuse for mediocrity or to propel themselves using emotional "blackmail".

And in some cases really crap singers pushing their own sob stories when the producers don't feel the need to. I wonder if the really talentless ones who do that should go through purely on the strength of their plight.......???

ok that last girl was a good singer and deserved to go through onher singing talent and warmth but she did not really have a "wow" factor. I wonder how much the judges would have loved her if the whole sob story had not been over done. I don't blame her at all - but the way it is set up.

I don't usually get emotional but this story really upset me. People always say "sob stories blah blah bah"... but its stories like this that make you truely thankful for what you've got.

Agree with all of the above - just goes to show that bad things can happen any time, anywhere. I'm usually quite hard with sob stories, but this one made me weep. I hope he does well, he was a good singer.

I don't normally get emotional unless it's like the fiance with TBI. That was so sad!

I don't mind hearing some of the stories, but it annoys me that they will sail through to the next round due to judges sympathy rather than because they are really good.

The man with the fiancee in the wheelchair clearly had a terrible tragedy befall him, but there is no way that guy is a pop star. He was not a bad singer, but totally the wrong image.

And the woman who had lost her home in a fire was a terrible singer but went through anyway! She also seems to be through the first Hollyood round too!

The 'sob' stories make me want to vomit.

American Idol is crap now.

The sob stories are the one thing that spoils American Idol. Every other contestant has one and it's so repetitive and irritating.

The US audiences generally lap up this sort of thing, though. I just mute the show when a sob story comes on (so I do mute quite a lot of it! ) and try to enjoy what's left.

At least the Sob Stories stop to a certain extent when they reach Hollywood.
No the 'Sob Stories' don't really make me emotional unless it's that bad, but even then, all I want to see, is talent!