by Martha Leonard

Created on: January 20, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

I confess my fascination with American Idol. Every time I watch it I wonder:
How do they whittle down 10,000 applicants in a given city to a reasonable number for the judges to see?
How can someone keep on singing when he sees the judges falling out of their chairs with laughter?
How does Simon keep a straight face when he listens to some of the contestants and when he says some of the things he does?

Are any of these people paid actors?
How can some of the those people auditioning act so shocked when they get a "No" after they've forgotten words or otherwise butchered a song?
How are the people picked that actually make the show, especially the awful ones? Are they for real?
What do the judges do at night after listening to such rubbish all day? To think, out of 10,000 entries in Minnesota, they picked 17 to go to Hollywood.
I, for one, respect them for the job they do.
For the most part, I think the judges treat the contestants with respect, but I did not care for the comments about one person's eyes and the appearance they are born with.
Whether you approve of this show or not, it is fascinating and never dull. I think the ratings agree. This type of show along with many other reality based shows give the viewer a sense of power and participation.

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