American Idol: A Delusional Dream

Before I get a bunch of psychotic rabid AI fans ranting and raving, I'm writing this from a personal experience. You see, my daughter who does happen to have true talent and you can actually hear this through her natural ability, not some auto-tune assisted vocal, was booted off of season 7. She was told by some of the judges that she had a beautiful voice and a promising future, but she just wasn't what they were looking for that season. Which led me to start digging into what is really going on over there at AI.

It is a TV show. And a TV show is not going to be about the best singers in the country competing against each week after week, episode after episode. That would be boring. First rule of entertainment: Thou Shalt Not be boring.

"Can you believe this or can you believe that?" That's not boring. That's market appeal. That's what draws the 30-some million viewers that watched on Tuesday night. That, in short, is A SHOW.

So, let's go back to that boring best singer competition and pretend it is a TV show. Add in personalities, egos, people that down right suck, insanity, tempers, contestants crying, contestants screaming, contestants cursing - and then bathe it all in a hot pool of hopes, dreams, delusions of grandeur, spotlights, the taste of fame, the promise of riches and popularity, oh and yes, a few very truly talented singers sprinkled on top. Now you have a TV show, an entertaining, high grossing, well-produced show that has been going nine years strong.

So those people that claim there were better singers who should have! gone farther than this person or that person: they might just be right - but at the same time, the person who didn't advance might not be very interesting. Welcome to entertainment, being interesting is kind of important.

In the end, American Idol is about entertainment, selling ad time and keeping viewership up. It is not about carefully honing in on the best possible talent out there. The show's concept feeds off a jaded and unrealistic view of the music industry.

Still, they aren't lying to anyone. You have to sign a contract to audition, and you give up many rights pertaining to your name, your music and your career. But, come on! Who cares about all that? Who actually reads the contract all the way through? These people are signing on the dotted line to get on the list. The few that do move forward will later learn about the details spelled out in all those paragraphs above that dotted line.

I'm not saying watch the show or don't like the show. I am just saying it is a TV show. It is not the catalyst that many make it out to be. For the average contestant, it is not going to change your life or make it better. It is not going to be your ticket to riches. It is not going to make all your dreams come true. For more than 99% of them, it won't even bring that cherished 15 minutes of fame. It doesn't work that way. After 8 complete seasons, there are only about 15 idol contestants with successful and self-sustaining careers (even with those horrible controlling contracts).