by Patrick Sills

Created on: January 26, 2012   Last Updated: January 27, 2012

Should we be surprised that American Idol is tanking in the ratings? Considering what has happened in the past year, the answer is clearly no. And just what factors play a role in this show’s slipping popularity?

The first and foremost reason can be summed up with three words: The X Factor. In just its first season in the US, the singing talent on this show blows American Idol away. To begin with, when X-Factor hopefuls audition before the panel of four judges, their voices are accompanied with music right from the start. This serves as a true test of one’s singing abilities, for the slightest dissonance in the contestant’s voice against the accompanying music will clearly be heard.

Unlike The X Factor, most American Idol hopefuls audition with no accompaniment. Thus, even the most musically-trained ear on any of the judges’ parts can easily miss a note that could be as little as a quarter-tone sharp or flat. What then happens? The vocal flaws of a person who initially sounded good at the audition singing a capella are oftentimes not revealed until a live band or orchestra backs him or her up.

The second reason? Simon Cowell left American Idol and is now an X-Factor judge. Say what you will about this British music producer’s harsh and at times rude demeanor, but the fact of the matter is that he knows talent when he sees it. Yes, it must be quite unsettling to be told that you are awful, but Simon’s brutal honesty cuts right to the chase and has likely prevented scores of untalented people from further making fools of themselves.

This leaves Randy Jackson as the only original American Idol judge remaining. Although excellent at his job after ten previous seasons, there is no longer anyone like Simon Cowell to provide balance. Instead, Idol has resorted to Jennifer Lopez, a pop diva who makes a better actor and model, and Steven Tyler. The aging Aerosmith frontman is a far better choice than J Lo, but he tends to agree with whatever the other judges think a bit too often. His occasional bleeped-out remarks also serve no purpose.

One of the most entertaining parts of the original American Idol was the early-season audition segment. This no longer holds true because they don’t broadcast the really bad auditions as frequently as they used to. This frankly provided much-needed comic relief. Who could forget Steven Thoen’s dreadful interpretation of Queen’s "Bohemian Rhapsody" or James Lewis butchering "Go Down Moses?"  Instead of viewers seeing these gut-splitting performances in their entirety as they did up until a couple of seasons ago, the most hilarious parts of this show have fallen prey to the chopping block.

In regard to contest winners, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have enjoyed commercial success, but as for the others? Not so much. In fact, some who didn’t win it all have fared better than those who beat them. Chris Daughtry is doing well with three released CDs and live dates at this writing. Can the same be said for Taylor Hicks?

A crystal ball isn’t readily available, but it’s highly likely that The X Factor will spell American Idol’s demise. One must also take into account that the music industry is decidedly not what it was even a decade ago. It’s never been easy to make a career of singing, but with the onset of downloading, sales of recorded music are sinking like the Titanic. Thus, in a not too-distant future, TV audiences will grow tired of reality shows that feature undiscovered singing talent.

If television networks would dump all of the other mindless reality shows and implement a return to quality programming, ratings wouldn’t be an issue, would it?

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