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Let me begin by saying I love American Idol. Every Tuesday evening I can be found sitting on my cousin's couch eating dinner and commenting on the performances along with her. So what I am about to claim is done out of love; American Idol has a problem.

The idea of the show is to provide the best new talent available with the opportunity to become a star. But the process has proven to be hit or miss, and Idol producers have not always cleaned up in the ways they have hoped.

True, some of the winners have lived up to expectations; Clay Aiken and Carrie Underwood were big wins for the program, and Sony/Arist was able to reap the rewards. They also signed Daughtry, even though he didn't win, and he also turned out to be a big performer last year.

But there have also been some misses. Taylor Hicks won last year, but has made little splash with his self-titled first album. Reuben Studdard, winner of the second season, has proven to be more of a work in process, and has still not taken off after releasing two albums. Neither is currently on the Billboard Hot 100 Album chart.

And while Fantasia has not yet become the star everyone expected, she might yet. And Clay Aiken, like Daughtry, proved to be a diamond in the rough, at least for his first album, "Measure of a Man". But Diana DiGarmo, who finished second to Fantasia, has been a bust so far.

The point of all this is to point out that while the producers are able to use the progaram to find great talent, that is no guarantee of success. Ultimately, those who get contracts have to replicate the same passion and intensity with their own material. Some of the performers have risen to the challenge, and some have not.

American Idol is able to whittle the field down and make it easier to find new artists. But that does not guarantee success, it just make the odds better. At the end of the day, soemtimes the wrong people win, and occasionally someone who does not have the chops to make it manages to get by on popularity, like Sanjaya.

So root for your favorite singer (mine is Jordin Sparks) and enjoy the show. Just don't be too disappointed if your favorite comes up a little flat after all the hype. Making music is hard, and great performances hard to come by. Otherwise we'd all be an American Idol.

Learn more about this author, Thomas Spriggs.
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