American Idol - Final Thoughts
Published May 27, 2005
American Idol 2005-Final Notes, Thoughts and Opinions
And so, after weeks of hype, the 2005 competition for the new American Idol is a fait accompli.
The competition has been ongoing for a few years now and I am reminded of my thoughts the year of the series' premiere.
We are living in a world that gets fair-ER every year.
Only some people simply can't handle a fair world.
This is not to say that there are never shenanigans with the voting or, say, a female judge gets it on with a male contestant.
Only the judges on American Idol don't decide the winner. A factoid that has eluded rival networks. One such rival network wasting an hour's time on a horrific revelation that AI Judge Paula Abdul had a romantic affair with a former contestant. What was the point? Paula doesn't decide the winner and both participants in the love interlude were of adult age.
It took no time for the whole seamy revelation to become a subject of ridicule, what with Paula's kiss-and-tell former amour having a new CD in the works and the network airing the expose standing to benefit from attacking a rival.
Technology, via the Internet, cell phones, satellites and all manner of modern froufrou have made it easier for instant communication and broadcast of opinions. Any idiot can have a Blog and any idiot can spout an opinion. Just like the idiot moi is doing right now.
So who says that there are only a certain subset of people who can succeed in certain genres? Such as singing, just throwing it out there.
I am reminded of Liza Minelli, an ugly has-been, daughter of a superstar, bride of questionable males. Does Liza sing better than, say, Carrie Underwood?
Yet some, those who can't handle complete fairness, eschew American Idol as mindless hype and the winners naught but amateurs, unworthy of their "questionable" fame.
For sure the American Idol series is a fine example of hype gone wild. Fox certainly has honed on promoting this contest to include even showcasing their horrible entrants.
This is bad because ...?
The channel on the TV set allows the discontent to flip on by. The browser on the computer goes backwards and forwards. No one is forced to participate in this new freedom of choice.
Still they grouse.
Around my house it is husband's job to be curmudgeon of all things pop culture. And he does a fine job of it. By his logic, would-be singer superstars should have to suffer for their craft. Only those who tool around with songs and music their entire life should succeed in the business. American Idol bypasses that whole aspect and curmudgeon husband disdains the entire process.
Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.Pat lives in Delaware with her husband. They are owned by four cats, two dogs and one adorable granddaughter. Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.
- American Idol - Final Thoughts
- Published: May 27, 2005
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Reality TV
- Writer: Patfish
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No "Idol" Controversy
by Joal Ryan
Aug 20, 2002, 1:00 PM PT
On September 4, a new would-be pop star will be crowned by viewers of Fox's American Idol. Or maybe not...
In setting the ground rules for their game, producers of the top 10 hit Fox reality series long ago reserved the right to make the final pick themselves--millions of call-in votes, be damned, according to published reports today.
But the same producers say their trump card will only be played if, indeed, the call-in votes are damned--by, say, a technical glitch.
These disclosures, in both USA Today and the Los Angeles Times, come as American Idol marches toward its September 4 season finale, picking up viewers and ratings with each passing week.
In USA Today, American Idol coexecutive producer Nigel Lythgoe says it "would be the dumbest thing in the world" for his team to interfere and mess with viewers' choices. (It wouldn't, however, be necessarily illegal--only quiz shows fall under federal guidelines, a by-product of the 1950s quiz-show scandals.)
According to Lythgoe, every single contestant who has moved on, or moved out, has done so because the people out there in TV land said so.
"The minute you take away somebody the public's voting for, you're screwing with the program," Lythgoe tells USA Today. "There's no logic to [interfering]."
Ah, but there are legal reasons. Fox and Idol producers say they needed to give themselves an out in the event of a "partial or total failure" of the call-in voting system. Hence, the reserved right to pick the winner themselves.
Already that very same phone system has proved itself vulnerable. Last week, the Associated Press reported that "phone phreaks," equipped with killer Internet connections, were placing as many as 10,000 call-in votes a night from single phone lines. So far, producers say "slamming" has proved "statistically insignificant" to the big American Idol picture.
But if something were to come up, well, Idol producers would be ready for that, too.
The same legalese that gives them the right to pick the winner, also gives them the right to change the rules--at any time.
"Whenever you do a contract, you have to try to anticipate every angle, because you can't tell what's going to happen," Lythgoe explains in the Los Angeles Times.
The rule-change clause has allowed producers to give a contestant (Rik Waller of Britain's Pop Idol) the chance to recover from bum vocal cords, and to boot one of the round-of-30 American Idol finalists (unnamed) after something fishy turned up on a background check, USA Today says. (Another contestant, Delano Cagnolatti, was booted out on air after he was caught fibbing about his age.)
Despite producers' assurances to the contrary, some soured fans--largely those Ryan Starr and R.J. Helton devotees whose faves are long gone--are flocking to the Idol message boards and declaring the show is fixed.
American Idol is far from the only reality series to give its behind-the-scenes crew extra powers--just in case.
Original Survivor contestant Stacey Stillman even sued CBS and that show's producer alleging they stepped over the line to change the outcome of the game (and oust her in the process).
The big question is will the new Idol revelations rock viewers?
"I don't think they really care," says Robert J. Thompson, professor and director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. "The problem will be if [producers of reality TV, in general] go too far. If it turns out that the winner of Survivor [for example] was bogus, that would be a bad thing."
Thompson also says the burgeoning Idol controversy is nothing compared to the quiz-show scandal.
"America felt completely betrayed by the news [then]...The average American today reads [about American Idol] and goes, 'So, what?,' and will probably watch American Idol Tuesday and Wednesday."
http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,10415,00.html
Re #1: Well, duh. Of course it does, like most of broadcast teevee.
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Sorry to disagree but for me American Idol appeals to the lowest common denominator.