It has become America’s biggest and boldest TV spectacle over the last five years. It is recession-proof, and the fact that porous content and quality doesn’t seem to phase it is jaw-dropping. I am talking about the colossal and commodious enigma that is American Idol.
At the time of this writing, the Hollywood rounds have just ended and we are at the Top 50. I can probably predict who most of those 10 are just by noticing who the producers and judges are primping, preening and sheening.
The cameras are constantly badgering the same handful of people. Gosh, I feel like I know poor Josiah, the kid who lives out of his car. Or Asia, the girl who lost her dad two days before the preliminary auditions. Then there’s Carly, the girl with the killer voice and tattoos.
Other notable characters are the Rock N Roll Nurse who rides a Harley and the dippy wannabe politician who looks like the offspring of Harry Potter and Clay Aiken. Could he be the next Chris Daughtry? I think not—let’s try the next Sanjaya, that silly little pony-hawked nincompoop from last season.
One person you will NOT see later this season is the annoying, pretentious dance team leader. If you ask me, she was more than ready for the cold, hard slap of a humility haymaker. Her copious amount of overconfidence was her undoing. Thank you judges for passing on this preening teen!
Another pseudo-singer that will smell the feet of defeat is that one guy with the nasally, whiny boy-band voice. It is both razor-thin and displeasing. I haven’t seen or heard him yet, but there is one EVERY season. Good riddance to you, Nostril-damus
You know, it is fun to take potshots at the immovable object that is A.I. However, would we really want it any other way? If every single finalist or top 24 were brimming with talent, would the show still be fun or exciting to watch? Probably not. My goodness, what would I write about and what would we wax about around the water cooler?
American Idol works because it is not perfect—it is flawed, unfair and gets it wrong some of the time. Perhaps the reason Idol is the number one show in America, is that we can all see a little piece of our imperfect little selves in this giant A.I. mirror of society.
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