Vault: She doesn't know she can't sing

Summary

The Bert Show — Vault: She Doesn’t Know She Can’t Sing (June 9, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this vintage episode, The Bert Show crew dives into the world of reality TV singing competitions, focusing on a memorable and cringe-worthy American Idol audition from Atlanta’s own Brittany Sullivan. The cast dissects the misleading TV editing, interviews Brittany on her singing ambitions and self-awareness, and then takes a lighthearted detour into the ongoing Atlanta-vs-Hollywood “Hotlanta” inside joke. The group keeps it real, poking fun and reflecting on the awkwardness of shattered dreams versus relentless confidence.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. TV Editing Tricks and American Idol’s Atlanta Auditions

• Main Theme: The group quickly calls out how American Idol's audition edits depicted attendee lines as being at a single location (the W Midtown), mixing footage from both the Georgia Dome and elsewhere.
  • “[They] spliced it together with the Georgia Dome video so it made it look like it was all in one place.” — Main Host (01:35)
  • Co-hosts joke about the confusing Atlanta geography on TV:
    • “Wait, that’s in Buckhead. Wait, that’s downtown. Wait, that’s Buckhead. Wait, that’s downtown. Wait, wait, it looks like Midtown.” — Co-host 1 (01:28)

2. Interview with Brittany Sullivan: “She Doesn’t Know She Can’t Sing”

• Main Segment: Brittany Sullivan, the infamous “second girl” in the Southern Belles group of “really bad girls” from the previous night’s American Idol, calls in. She owns her moment but remains convinced that editing and context ruined her sound.
  • “Actually, like, I did [know I wasn’t great], but I know if they can, like, just send me… the studio makes anyone sound really nice, you know.” — Brittany Sullivan (02:35)
  • She claims she could sing better with “help” (autotune, studio equipment, or vocal coaching).
  • “I think I can sing with help… like, I had a vocal corpse before with an autotuner.” — Brittany Sullivan (02:53)
  • When pressed, she offers a live rendition:
    • “And I think I will always love you.” (03:45)
• The hosts’ reactions are a blend of agony and support:
  • “Did you think, like, was that better than what you did on American Idol right there?” — Main Host (03:56)
  • “That’s exactly what I did on American Idol, but they didn’t play the whole thing.” — Brittany Sullivan (04:00)
• Discussion around honesty and chasing dreams:
  • “Would you want your family and friends to say, I have to be totally honest with you … or would you rather people just shut up and let you do your own thing?” — Main Host (04:17)
  • “I just rather people just shut up and do my own thing.” — Brittany Sullivan (04:43)
  • “All right, then, you go follow your dream, girl.” — Main Host (04:46)

3. Should You Tell Someone They Can’t Sing?

• Debate: The group debates the ethics of letting a friend chase a doomed dream, especially if it burns time, energy, and money.
  • “At some point though, as a friend or as a family member … isn't somebody responsible to say, hey, baby, you gotta think of something else?” — Main Host (05:02)
  • “I think somebody has to say it because she's terrible and she's gonna spend a lot of time and energy and effort.” — Co-host 1 (05:26)
• Others stress personal agency and the value of learning through experience.
  • “But doesn't she have the right attitude? … Eventually, she'll get turned down so many times that she's gonna have to realize she don't got it.” — Main Host (05:39)

4. “Hotlanta” and Atlanta Identity

• Bonus Riff: The segment wraps up with a rant about how American Idol and Ryan Seacrest keep calling Atlanta “Hotlanta”—to the chagrin of locals.
  • “They call it Hotlanta.” — Main Host (06:09)
  • “No, they don’t.” — Co-hosts (06:11, 06:12)
• Listeners and hosts alike tweet at Ryan Seacrest to stop using the nickname; he eventually apologizes.
  • “He wrote you back last night?” — Main Host (06:25)
  • “He wrote Jeff back saying, my bad hometown. … Everyone was tweeting him last night, no more Hotlanta.” — Co-host 2 (06:26–06:34)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Oh, baby. Oh, sweetie. That was you?” — Main Host (02:24)
• “Don’t do it on the radio again because it hurt.” — Co-host 3 (05:00)
• “If she's really hot, some guy somewhere is gonna think she's the best singer ever.” — Co-host 3 (05:54)
• “There’s at least four offenses of Hotlanta last night on Ryan knows better.” — Main Host (06:13)
• “It's just not used anymore. … They set us back last night.” — Main Host (07:08)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:28] — Dissecting American Idol’s “Atlanta” editing mix-up
• [01:45] — Introduction of Brittany Sullivan and context for her appearance
• [02:35] — Brittany addresses her singing skills and TV editing claims
• [03:45] — Brittany sings live on air (“And I think I will always love you”)
• [04:17] — The big question: Would you want honesty from friends/family or pursue your dream regardless?
• [05:00] — Hosts share their own thoughts on when, if ever, to crush a dream
• [06:09] — The “Hotlanta” controversy and local Atlanta pride/Twitter blowback

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Tone & Takeaways

The episode is classic Bert Show—irreverent, honest, and always rooting for the underdog in their own, snarky way. From ribbing TV shows for misleading edits, to warmly (if painfully) interviewing a not-so-gifted singer, the hosts mix empathy, humor, and tough-love realism. The “Hotlanta” debate at the end reinforces their deep Atlanta roots and commitment to keeping it authentic for locals.

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For listeners who missed it: This episode nails the blend of cringe, comedy, and compassion The Bert Show is known for, using one infamous American Idol audition as a springboard for bigger questions about honesty, dreams, and hometown pride.

Transcript

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[Main Host]

Visit borhears.com the third show guys noticed this on American Idol last night. That the way they edited the show, it made it look like that line all the way around that was wrapped around, like where was it the auditions? Georgia Dome was actually right at the W where they were conducting the. The singing and stuff last night.

[Co-host 1]

They kept editing it together.

[Main Host]

Yeah, they edited it together. So it made it look like the line was wrapped around the W when it was really wrapped around the Georgia Dome.

[Co-host 1]

Yeah, I kept looking at that. I'm like, wait, that's in Buckhead. Wait, that's downt. Wait, that's Buckhead. Wait, that's downtown. Wait, wait, it looks like midtown.

[Main Host]

It was the W. Midtown is where they held the auditions and they spliced it together with the Georgia Dome video so it made it look like it was all in one place.

[Co-host 1]

Right.

[Main Host]

Brittany Sullivan was on the show last night. She's from Atlanta. She was on American Idol last night. Hey, Brittany.

[Brittany Sullivan]

Hi. How are you?

[Main Host]

Good, how are you? Which one? Were you on the show last night?

[Brittany Sullivan]

Yes, I was the one in the group with the Southern belles.

[Co-host 2]

Were you the first girl, the second girl, or the third girl?

[Brittany Sullivan]

The second girl. I'm the Brown Girl.

[Co-host 2]

Okay, you have that clip, the one that the really bad girls that we listen to in your last entertainment buzz. It was a three bad girls. Tell me I'm crazy. The second one.

[Podcast Host]

The second girl.

[Co-host 1]

This is her.

[Brittany Sullivan]

Oh, God.

[Main Host]

Oh, baby. Oh, sweetie. That was you?

[Brittany Sullivan]

Yes, that's me.

[Co-host 1]

Did you know you were not a good singer?

[Brittany Sullivan]

Actually, like, I did, but, like, I know that if they can, like, just send me. They, like, they edit a lot of people. And, you know, if I went to the studio, I mean, the studio make anyone sounds really nice, you know, So

[Main Host]

I can't understand what your answer is to that question. Can you sing?

[Brittany Sullivan]

I think I can sing with help. Like, I had a vocal corpse before with an autotuner.

[Co-host 2]

Yes.

[Main Host]

You have taken a class before?

[Brittany Sullivan]

Yes, I have. My choir teacher was actually a vocal coach.

[Co-host 3]

Do you recall the grade you got in that class? I'm sorry, what grade did you get in the class?

[Brittany Sullivan]

Actually, no, she just, like, helped me. She actually lived, like, three houses down from my grandmother. Mm.

[Main Host]

So when you listened to that back right now or you watched last night, did you. As you are singing, do you feel like it sounds good or.

[Brittany Sullivan]

No. How? They edited it. Play the whole thing. They only played half of it. And people could have heard more of me because I'm more of like an acapella singer. And they just, like, did it while starting off, you know.

[Main Host]

Well, let's hear what you got. I mean, correct America. Now's your chance to correct American Idol. Go for it.

[Brittany Sullivan]

And I think I will always love you.

[Co-host 3]

And you thought that was great.

[Main Host]

Did you think, like, was that better than what you did on American Idol right there?

[Brittany Sullivan]

I mean, that's exactly what I did on American Idol, but they didn't play the whole thing.

[Main Host]

Well, that's why I'm saying, giving us a little bit more of it. I mean, get. Get to the good part.

[Brittany Sullivan]

Okay, I actually need to, like, look at the paper before I only know the hook part.

[Main Host]

Actually, like, if you could let me ask you this question, Brittany, because we know you love to sing, and it's probably your dream. Let me ask you this. Like, if you really didn't have the goods, like, you were spending a whole bunch of your time because you really thought that you had the goods to be a star in la, would you want your family and friends to say, I have to be totally honest with you. You are totally wasting your time, or would you rather people to shut up and you just do your own thing?

[Brittany Sullivan]

I just rather people just shut up and do my own thing.

[Main Host]

Okay, cool. All right, then you go follow your dream, girl. Then go follow that dream.

[Brittany Sullivan]

Thank you.

[Main Host]

Go get it.

[Brittany Sullivan]

Thank you.

[Main Host]

Thanks for calling it.

[Brittany Sullivan]

Bye bye.

[Main Host]

Bye, bye. I said good.

[Co-host 3]

You go, you go do what you got to do.

[Co-host 2]

You know what? Dream it. You can do it.

[Co-host 3]

Don't do it on the radio again because it hurt.

[Main Host]

At some point though, don't you? As a friend or as a family member, if people, if, like your son or daughter is spending so much time, so much energy, and you're spending so much money, cuz that's what it takes to make it right at some point, doesn't somebody, Isn't somebody responsible to say, hey, baby, you gotta think of something else? You're probably talented in a whole bunch of other areas.

[Co-host 2]

Give him a little direction into something else maybe.

[Co-host 1]

I think somebody has to say it because she's terrible and she's gonna spend a lot of time and energy and effort. But you, I mean, sometimes you either got it or you don't. When it comes to singing or having a singing voice.

[Co-host 3]

Terrible, according to you.

[Main Host]

But doesn't she have the right attitude? Like, oh, yeah, you know what? If I'm not gonna be good at this, I'd rather find out myself. Like eventually she'll get turned down so many times that she's gonna have to realize she don't got it.

[Co-host 1]

Yeah, she'll have to.

[Co-host 3]

And if she's really hot, some guy somewhere is gonna think she's the best singer ever.

[Main Host]

Maybe that's all that will matter.

[Co-host 1]

Maybe.

[Main Host]

This was offensive last night on American Idol. Can Hotlanta continue to heat things up?

[Co-host 1]

The fiery 411 on what makes Hotlanta so darn hot.

[Main Host]

They call it Hotlanta.

[Co-host 1]

No, they don't.

[Co-host 3]

No, they don't.

[Main Host]

There's at least four offenses of Hotlanta last night on Ryan knows better.

[Co-host 1]

No, he doesn't. He's been in Hollywood for too long.

[Co-host 3]

He knows now. A lot of people tweeted him. He wrote back. He's. He's on it.

[Main Host]

He wrote you back last night?

[Co-host 3]

Yeah.

[Main Host]

What'd you say, Wendy?

[Co-host 2]

No, that's what I was gonna say, that he wrote Jeff back saying, my bad hometown.

[Brittany Sullivan]

Nobody knew.

[Co-host 2]

And then everyone was tweeting him last night, no more Hotlanta.

[Co-host 3]

And thank you to everybody who'd sent him tweets. I didn't watch the show, so I found out about it on Twitter with everybody writing, oh my God, I can't believe he did it. Al Burcher's gonna go nuts tomorrow. Blah, blah, blah, but they were all using his Twitter name, Ryan Seacrest. So he obviously saw those. And then I wrote something like, I think we'll have to give Ryan a call tomorrow. And then I put the no more Hotlanta thing and then he responded and then to which I responded with, hey, thanks a lot, I owe you a lunch. Next time I come out to La La Land or no, I called it the City of Angels.

[Main Host]

It's just not used anymore. And watching it last night, I just felt like this is, this is a bigger war than I thought it was gonna be. They set us back last night.

[Co-host 1]

This is a big battle.

[Main Host]

It's a big, big battle.

[Co-host 1]

We've got lots of warriors out there. So thank you for the heads up, the emails, the tweets.

[Main Host]

And he got it. Now he's got it. Our job is done.

[Co-host 3]

Get it.

[Main Host]

The bird show.