PASADENA, CALIFORNIA: 'America's Got Talent' Season 18 has had exciting competitors from all over the world. Throughout the new season, the judges had to make the tough decision of rejecting acts that fans liked if they did not see the potential for them to move forward.
Now fans are criticizing Howie Mandel for his nasty comments directed at a flash mob ensemble on the most recent episode. The tryout, which included a group called Improv Everywhere, got off to a difficult start, with the audience booing and some of the judging panel disappointed.
Season 18 auditions finish today, and the opening performance of the night stunned the judges. Improv Everywhere stunned the 'AGT' judges with a flash mob at the start of the broadcast. Singers emerged from all around the crowd, and a marching band came down the aisles as a choir sang from the rafters.
Confetti even sprayed off the stage at the end of the performance. Last week, Summer Rios, a vocalist, stunned the judges with her performance of Zach Bryan's 'Something in the Orange' during her audition.
'This is more of a party gag'
During the episode of 'AGT' aired on August 8, a composer took the stage, stating he was there to play the piano and sing. He sat in front of the instrument and began to play, but the crowd was unimpressed and let him know. The audience booed loudly, and Howie slammed his buzzer, signaling he didn't want to hear anymore.
People in the crowd eventually began rising up and joining in on the performance, and watchers saw it was all a ruse. The group is well-known for staging flash mobs or surprise performances in public locations and they were successful in regaining some of the panel's trust.
Howie, however, was unconvinced. The ensemble approached the stage to await judgment, with nearly enough yes replies to pass. "So you have two yeses," Howie remarked, "and you need three to move on."
He added, "I've got to be honest with you, this is more of a party gag. It's great for a party. I'll hire you, but I don't think it's for this show. Like, what could you do next? You couldn't surprise us."
As the flash mob members crossed their fingers, his co-judges pleaded with him to be kind. He looked to be thinking about it before responding, "OK, well, I'm gonna surprise you. I'm gonna say no." His statement drew boos from the audience and vocal disapproval from his other judges.
'How could he hate on this'
Fans took to Twitter to slam the judges, saying, "Seriously, Sofia and Howie? Improv Everywhere was exciting! SHAME ON YOU!" Another person wrote, "So disappointed in Sofia and Howie for not puttin’ this fun act I was talkin’ about thru." One user asked, "Why does Howie Mandel have to be such an A Hole?" A fourth person tweeted, "Howie that was rude AF!"
On Instagram, fans wrote, "Howie and Sofia are NO FUN!" Another person added, "Howie needs to be replaced. Just sayin. He can't pick talent." One user further commented, "I'm so mad at Sophia and Howie!! It would have been nice to see what was next."
Another added, "I absolutely loved it. I thought it was a promo for a musical at first. Howie likes the most stupid of auditions, so how could he hate on this." One fan also asked, "Can we vote Howie off?" A fan also commented, "Even if they don't think the act should go through, for Howie to get their hopes up just to be an a** like that is ridiculous. I will not be supporting anymore."
New episodes of 'America's Got Talent' Season 18 air every Tuesday on NBC at 8 pm ET.
