★★★★★ 0/5

Why I hate The Voice block

Coaches blocking artists from choosing their preferred mentor is a real party pooper.

18
Leave a comment

Yes I know it adds drama, but boy I hate the ‘block’ on The Voice.

Last night Jess Mauboy had just finished an impromptu duet with wedding singer Chloe Kandetzki on I Have Nothing –the same song she auditioned with for Australian Idol. In her video package Chloe remembered Jess’ rendition and was excited to sing it for The Voice coach.

But after the feelgood moment, coach Rita Ora blocked Jess from choosing Chloe to mentor. It ramped up the drama but it soured the mood.

Last week one singer composed an entire country song about Keith Urban (which was surprisingly good), but was blocked by Jess Mauboy.

The block has been used a number of times this season by coaches being strategic to bolster their teams. And on almost every occasion it was because a singer had their heart set on being mentored by a particular coach.

So much for giving the artists the best opportunity to be mentored?

Instead, it’s all about a coach having a winning team. I know, I know, should I really be surprised?

If I was in the audience I’d probably feel like booing. And if I was the singer I’d probably want to snub the coach who pressed the block button. In Chloe’s case she had no choice, given Ora was the only other Coach to turn their chair.

Reality TV, sometimes I really hate you…

18 Responses

  1. I agree I hate blocks in fact I hate most aspects of the Voice as it’s all about the high priced celebrity “mentors” instead of the artists. That’s why no winner has ever become famous.

    1. Firstly Idol and Voice use celebrity judges so that is an invalid argument.
      Secondly since voice started they had just as much success as Idol in producing stars if not more if you look at specific genres rather than just pop, Idols big success was early in a very different time for social media and music industry.
      Finally the voice is about, well obviously, the voices while idol is about the whole package including looks and stage presence to be stars. So while many voice contestants might not be stars they have made careers in music industry where looks irrelevant.
      I do agree though the block is a negative and restricting.

  2. I’ve watched and loved both Australian Idol and The Voice since I was very young, and I’ve never really understood the comparison that people keep harking back to.

    Apart from singing songs, they are completely different shows. Idol was a singing competition for a singing contract.

    The Voice is an entertainment show where celebrities build teams, where they coach their team to win the title of The Voice of Australia for the year. That’s the premise.

    It’s not about the contestants individually. It never has been. It’s about the coach competing against each other for their team to win.

    The failure for anyone to be a successful artist really comes down to people buying their albums after the show has finished. The show is over. It can’t give them a gold record.

    It’s like comparing Netball and Tennis. Sure, they’re both ball sports, technically, but played completely differently.

    It’s an entertainment show first and foremost, people forget that.

      1. I just don’t understand it.

        Where’s people’s similar outrage when The Block winners don’t go on to be successful and famous property developers after the show?

        Name me a winner – without googling – of MasterChef that has gone on to be a Celebrity Chef (Poh and Justine Schofield, but they didn’t win, did they).

        An Apprentice winner that has become a CEO? A survivor winner who has gone on to be the next Bear Grylls?

        Apples to oranges.

        1. MasterChef is not about creating celebrity chefs, but industry chefs, restaurateurs, cafe owners, of which there are dozens from MCA. I once attended a season launch event in which former contestants around the room all stood up to show they were working since their time on the show. They’ve also had plenty return in challenges. A lot of Block people go on to flip their own properties, or host in lifestyle / branded. Survivor doesn’t aim to discover Bear Grylls, either here or in USA. Some Voice artists go on to club work (Darren Percival, Harrison Craig, Karise Eden etc) but no arguments that Idol creates stars. It’s the same internationally, suggesting format is the key.

          1. Exactly my point. MasterChef doesn’t set out to create celebrity chefs. The Voice doesn’t set out to make pop stars, it sets out for the celebrity coach’s team to win the title. Australian Idol sets out to create a pop star, that’s why pop stars were created. Just as the chefs keep cooking, the Block-ers keep renovating – The Voice-rs don’t stop singing after the cameras stop rolling. People don’t criticise MasterChef contestants cafes, Block contestants on their house flipping. They also don’t criticise singers if they gig around pubs and clubs – but they do slam the singers if they don’t have a quintuple platinum record. The argument for that is they don’t have a platinum record because the public – not the show – don’t buy or stream their music. That is what makes someone a music industry success. Sure, they might win a car or money and a recording contract or whatever, but the show can’t make people buy the records after the show, not does it suggest that it will…

          2. Disagree. The prize has usually involved a recording contract and the coaches talk about artists becoming stars or being played on radio (including this week). I’ve filed in the past on why Idol made pop stars and Voice has not, it’s a number of factors.

        2. Justine did win also Adam from series 2 is still successful julie Goodwin still around.. I think if the judges want use block should only b limited to one for each like keith can only block guy once Jessica once n Rita once n vice versa

  3. I’d personally prefer there were no blocks, but if we are going to have it I really wish we’d follow the lead of most other countries. In the US and countless places in Europe you can only block someone if they haven’t yet turned around. That way if an artist is really connected to a performer and jumps early, they can never get blocked. It also stops coaches blocking just based on pitch, which I see a lot of. The pitch is when it’s clear that a coach is right for a particular singer. It’s not the time for blocking in my opinion.

    1. I disagree, if anything The Voice has opened more careers than Idol since the Voice started. Idols success was only at beginning when social media and music industry very different.

      Idol focuses on creating stars while voice focuses on musical talent which has meant the Voice has been huge pathway into music industry for writers and performers that vast majority of industry.

      How do you even define stars nowdays? I follow artists from all 3 major shows and some of the Chanel’s have millions of followers yet considered unknown by traditional music industry. (Many are scouted by show and recruited to bolster talent level from pre existing online presence). They might have no recording contract and release music on YouTube and Patreon from home and private studios and can tour world working smaller venues through social network promotion alone.

  5. I agree with you David on this. I am really enjoying this season having given it a complete miss last year. Just when the organics of music and performance are feeling great, along comes Producer manipulation. There are so many elements that are strategically placed or edited or designed that it is jarring and makes a misnomer of the show’s title or spirit. All about the judges. And last week in addition to the overlooking the fact that Guy knew one of the contestants, the country singer who wrote a song about Keith, Kaylee Bell is a seasoned and awarded recording artist for nearly a decade. Keith did admit he had heard of a song composed about him but she really should be ineligible. My ten cents.

  6. No-one on this show has even gone on to a successful recording career so it doesn’t matter which coach they receive. They’re all there to make entertaining television and the block function does that.

  7. Yeah I think the Blocked is a particularly negative part of the show. As always it’s about the judges. Have seen a lot more Blocked’s than I’ve seen the new one where they believe in the singer and put them right through.

    Someone should really do an edit where they put the judges comments on how awesome they think a singer is to convince them to join their team, and then dumping them two weeks later.

Leave a Reply