Culture

Prince Poppycock Buzzed on America's Got Talent (Video)

by Jordan Yerman | September 15, 2010 at 08:56 am

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Prince Poppycock's Opera Performance Interrupted by Piers Morgan's Buzzer

As Prince Poppycock performed in the final night of competition for America's Got Talent, Piers Morgan interrupted with his buzzer. Kitted out as a Restoration fop who was in turn dressed in armor, Prince Poppycock was singing "Neesun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot.

Prince Poppycock was unfazed, saying, "Piers is a big ninny". More importantly, Prince Poppycock was unapologetic, which, despite his harlequin appearance, is a crucial factor in success (and maintaining mental health) in show business.

If anything, Piers Morgan probably motivated Prince Poppycock's fans (which are legion, considering how far he has progressed in the competition) to vote for him.
Whether or not you like his singing, you must concede that John Quale, the man behind the face-paint, is really creative in his approach: unless The Riddler shows up, you've never seen anything quite like him.

Poppycock himself wasn’t sweating Morgan’s critique. “I’m feeling fantastic,” he said. “Piers is a big ninny. If anything, he’s just looking to be divisive and create tension. It was just unfortunate. The act did not go perfectly because I had some technical difficulties but all in all, I have no regrets and no excuses.”

The L.A. Times' Culture Monster blog breaks it down, saying that Prince Poppycock's voice wasn't suited to that particular song choice, and that the performance casts doubt upon his versatility:

What makes the character great is that it's a sendup of an opera singer's vanity and the decadence of the art form. In "Nessun Dorma," the fun was gone.

We wonder if Poppycock should be confined to the winking cheekiness of his previous performances or is it OK for him to explore more serious repertoire?