I've never seen a whole season.
I've never voted for a contestant.
Professional obligations force me to digest each and every "American Idol", and, while I don't think it's making me a better person or pushing me toward joining Jimmy Carter in curing guinea worm, I'm much more cognizant of one of the great pop culture phenomenons of our era.
"Idol" creates stars--not just the ones who win, but those who show that they have chops. It, and the web, are recreating how hit artists are made. No longer do singers have to sign their souls away to heartless record companies who'll treat them like meat and crush their creative spirits. Look at the charts for any format if you need proof.
"Idol" redid the prime-time television gird. It's called "The Death Star" in polite conversation among the opposing networks, and things far more profane when they chat privately. NBC, CBS and ABC have to steer their best shows clear of "Idol" nights because, no matter what they put up against it, Simon Cowell and company beat it down. Badly.
My biggest surprise in my first mandated season of "Idol" viewing? I'm ashamed to admit it, but...it's....Ryan Seacrest. I'd wrongly convicted him of being a lightweight. He knows his role, plays it smart, stays out of the way and makes his few moments shine. His high-water mark: his interview of "Idol" alum Kelly Pickler and the way the tried to get her to fess up about her obviously augmented chest.
I find Simon's takes dead-on, and I find him less rude than Randy Jackson who lost me with his mid-song titterings during the early episodes. He adds virtually nothing, but looks like Howard Cosell when put next to lighter-than-air Paula Abdul. It's too easy to rip her...almost as easy as it is to hit "mute" when she talks.
I don't care who wins this year, although I do have my favorites. None of them are men, unless you count Sanjaya's hair. It should get it's own show. Everything beneath it should've gone home months ago.
There's a lot of other television I'd like to be watching the two or three nights that "Idol's" on, but I really haven't regretted my time spent with the hottest show since, well, I don't know. The early auditions grew tiring, but the producers do a good job of spreading out the drama. I no longer feel as though they're stringing viewers out for 59 minutes of fluff to get to a minute's worth of decision-making.
"Lost" lost me amid red herrings, dead ends, a flood of new characters I don't care about, and a chronic inability to over-hype and under-deliver. I never got on the "CSI" or "Law and Order" bandwagons, and "Desperate Housewives" couldn't keep building on all of the undeserved goodwill it garnered after it's inaugural season. It takes a lot to keep a prime time juggernaut going for two, three, four seasons. Whatever "Idol" did to maintain it's momentum should be emulated by networks everywhere. Then again, I don't even think THEY know--otherwise, they might've balled it up by now.
I found a great take on "Idol" on "Slate" this morning. Enjoy.
2 comments:
So, Gene, are you going with Melinda or Lakesha?
I'm Lakesha all the way...I'm tired of Melinda looking so surprised every time she nails a song. She's far enough along to know she's got the chops. Confidence would put her over the top.
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