Killer Karaoke: Distractions run in the extreme

MANILA, Philippines - Gone are the days when karaoke was done simply as a means of recreation to sing your favorite song or belt out your best ballad in whatever way you like it rendered. With a show like Killer Karaoke, doing karaoke becomes a daunting game on TV with challenges that contestants have to bravely face and ultimately win.

The weekly singing competition attempts to terrorize contestants and even viewers with out-of-this-world distractions. Of course, the participants are all amateur singers. They are made to sing a song while attempting to complete a challenge.

Apparently, the singing wannabes do not have prior idea of the challenge they are about to hurdle. No wonder, bleeps are heard intermittently during the show because the contestants mouth expletives or inevitably utter bad words while performing the task.

Killer Karaoke premiered in the US only last November and started airing in Asia (on Fox Channel) last March. As of this writing, no local network has yet secured the franchise to air the reality game show. Eat, Bulaga! recently did a similar format called Gymeoke, as one of its portions within the program.

In Killer Karaoke, distractions run in the extreme. In the singing competition, the amateur but brave contestants are not just made to compete. They are made to suffer the physical challenges. If you don’t call that mean or cruel, we don’t know what is. But everything is all for fun for the show.

The contestants attempt to render a song while enduring disruptions like chest waxing, being dipped in a tank filled with iced water and teeming with snakes or being bitten by dogs while wearing a heavily padded suit to deliver a package.

Animals like dogs, snakes, scorpions, eels and spiders also get to be part of some challenges. Sometimes, the mere sight of an animal freaks out a contestant, especially the ladies. But despite all the disruptions throughout the task, they have to complete the challenge.

Audience reaction is inevitable as they largely get to be part of the show. They scream, shout, laugh or clap even if they see the contestant get through the physical challenge frightened. 

The amateur singers perform crazy and sometimes scary stunts. The contestants should readily be impulsive upon seeing the tasks, no matter how horrible. They have to face the risks and they should be able to expect the worst challenge.

There are six contestants who come in pairs competing for every episode with their respective tasks. Even if worse comes to worst, the contestants have to finish the song. At the end of every show, one of them can win as much as $10,000.

For the final hurdle, three contestants chosen by the audience are placed on a giant turntable that turns, spins and tilts. The contestant who gets to hang on the longest without falling wins the cash prize at stake.

Killer Karaoke is hosted by Steve O and airs on Fox Channel.