by Stephanie Stuart

Created on: November 17, 2008

As an avid watcher, I appreciated Idol contestants being able to show more of their talent by being able to play instruments when performing. I was glad to see Idol stepping away from its traditional karaoke/cover band format, and letting some of the contestant's originality and personality shine through.

Was it enough to keep the show going? I don't know. I believe that Idol has had its run. The auditions aren't funny anymore, because you know that people are trying their hardest to act like fools to get on camera. The predictable format of Hollywood week, and the one-on-one "you made it" judge talks before the finals are getting old. I also think it's a bit unfair to make these 20-something, or younger kids sing songs which they have never heard, and I am bored by these renditions. The contestants know nothing about the songs, why they were written or who they were written by. They end up sounding like wedding singers, which Simon usually calls them on.

Letting the contestants play instruments brought some life back into the show; watching Brooke perform "Love is a Battlefield" with nothing but her guitar was one of the most memorable moments of the past season. But unfortunately the predictability factor is still there. The judges are still the same, Randy is still calling people "pitchy," Paula is still half-drunk, and Simon is, at times, too rude for amateur singers. About halfway through the song, viewers can almost foresee what the judges will say. I am no longer shocked by the comments made, but do feel bad for the contestants at times.

In a season that brought some great performances, and a great finale, I do believe that it was a good decision to let the contestants creativity shine. I am starting to wonder, though, how many American Idols can there be? Only a couple have been successful so far, with Carrie Underwood holding the trophy for best-selling Idol winner. Sounds strange, since Idol appears to want to appeal to the pop culture community, that a country artist broke the barriers and outsold Kelly Clarkson. Hopefully next season there will be more room for contestant's personal creativity to show. Hopefully soon after that, American Idol will give up its run, and realize that enough is enough.

The show has had a great wave of success, and helped many people launch successful careers, but, let's be honest. Is America's true talent found waiting in lines outside football stadiums? Or are they the people that perform for pennies in almost empty bars and clubs, just for the love of the music?

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