Does American Idol showcase contestants with real talent?

No

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by Dambrath

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Shows such as American idol, rarely showcases anyone with any real talent or staying power in the music industry. If you ask anyone in twenty years time who they remember from these days as real standouts in music, not a single one of them will name you any of the contestants on any of these type of shows. American idol in particular, which is just an adaptation of a British show anyway, (pop idol), is just the latest in a long line of these type of shows that have sprung up recently, and not a single one of them is actually helping the music industry in any way at all.

The kind of people who watch these shows are usually more fans of the drama associated with the show itself, rather then the musical ability or talent of the eventual winners. It has reached such a stage in the United Kingdom now that the winners often sink without a trace and don't even have a top ten hit, even though the show itself has millions of viewers. The reality TV madness that has engulfed all of TV only seems to be getting worse.

Once the initial success of the first talent competition type show there were more. The other networks decided to have their own very similar shows in a bid to gain ratings. The result of which is that there now reality shows about everything. It has moved away from singing even and now there are some truly strange and obscure ideas floating around. For example there was one i saw where a guy pretended to be a millionaire, and there were 20 or so women vying for his attention. The women where whittled down to one, and the guy revealed that he actually doesn't have any money at all.

When the craze of these types of shows started, the winers would at least sell a few records and last for a year or so before they were forgotten on the back of appearing on the show, however now there isn't even this for them to bother entering the show for, meaning the really talented people are avoiding shows like this rather than taking part in them. Where those hungry to be on TV and that want to have their 5 minutes of fame whatever the cost to their integrity, are promoted.

Although they do of course have contestants with good singing voices they very rarely if ever have anyone with real star quality, and the fact that their careers have to be launched by what is essentially a reality TV show more then a real search for talent. Means that very little other then mediocre, one hit wonder pop music is ever created from these shows. None of the winners ever have their own image, and look and sound like clones of each other, all made in the record companies image.

The shows are intended to make money for both the record company and the TV network. This is something that they do very well. The initial sales of the chosen artists musics are good because they are recognized from being on TV. After the record company has made a few million then the singer is usually axed and their new material fails.

Often as well it is the better looking contestants rather then the ones that are the best sounding or individual that are selected so as to be more likely to sell records from their looks than talent. If this was the case years ago then we wouldn't have ever seen some of the best musical talent of all time, because back then it was more about talent rather then looks. Now it all seems to be a case of style over substance, which is what shows like American idol seems to be perpetuating.

The main problem with thinking that these kind of talent shows showcase real talent is that the very best talent is good enough to make it on their own and not through winning a popularity contest, or by removing all their credibility and appeal and becoming sell outs. Often these talent show winners don't even write their own songs, and after they lose their initial popularity from these shows, the record label behind them drops them and looks for the next hopeful that they can exploit and make money from.

If the record label was really interested in finding the very best talent that the nation has to offer then they would be canvassing singers and bands who already work on the club circuit and that are already writing their own songs etc. The reality show aspect isn't needed at all, and neither are the phone ins or the eliminations. Instead they are finding people who want to be famous and on the TV rather then those with the best talent as singers who wont compromise their own morals for five minutes of fame and not being able to be themselves.

All the best talent has a way of finding its way to the top anyway, without the help of TV to expose them. Can you imagine some of the great singers of years gone by appearing on a show like this. Frank Sinatra would be too short, and Elvis too different. The best talent doesn't fit in with the record company bosses idea of what sells. They aren't some identical girl or boy-band clones who sing covers of other peoples songs. They are individuals and people who have something new to say. In 100 years will it be someone like Elvis or Johnny Cash who are remembered, or someone who won a reality TV show and sang sugary pop songs like everyone else was doing?

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