by Michele Blacksberg

Created on: March 18, 2009

No, I am not tired of American Idol. I admit that this is only the second season I have regularly watched it but it is one of the few weekly shows I look forward to seeing. This year they made changes from last year by adding a new judge, putting the contestants up in a fancy mansion and other small changes in the rules. The real reason I enjoy American Idol is that of this type of "reality" show there is true talent, practiced skill and knowledge gained about performance that for someone like myself, who will never be up in front of an audience singing my heart out, find refreshing. I enjoy hearing about the challenges a performer must consider to be successful and I admire the tenacity of the singers who doggedly keeps trying week after week even when the judges openly and sometimes unanimously criticize their performance.

What I am tired of and never watch are those reality shows with pseudo created danger like Survivor or weight loss challenges, as if these people couldn't possibly loose weight unless all of America watched and there was money to be made for improving their own health. I fail to understand the fascination people have watching someone swallow gross items like crickets or crawl into an enclosed container and be covered in snakes in order to win money? What is it that draws audiences to watch a contestant have a panic attack due to her fear of heights as she clings to a post when told she must swing out on a trapeze elevated high above the ground?

If you watch American Idol with your children you will not tire of watching a show that repeatedly demonstrates life lessons we all want our kids to learn? Lessons about the need to practice something over and over even if it is an activity you are good at, taking risks by putting yourself out there to do something you believe in and the ability to listen to criticism, even when it is hard for you to hear can all be learned from watching American Idol.

I can watch Idol without fear that inappropriate sexual innuendo will constantly pop out of the mouths of the regular cast even though it is a show full of young people in their 20's. I have a teenage son and last season we watched each episode as a family, one of the few shows we all enjoyed watching together. We marveled as David Cook creatively transformed the Michael Jackson song "Billie Jean" and were spell bound listening to David Archuleta sing "Imagine" in his sweet clear voice of reason while the war in Iraq roared on.

I don't tire of watching

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