by L. Lewis

Created on: June 11, 2007

The irony of American Idol is that the winner is to be chosen by the American audience. But what the American audience does not know is that before the Finale, the winner has already been chosen.

Over the course of the initial round of auditions, which are often times the best episodes of the entire season of the show, you can watch so many people who just do not belong anywhere near a microphone, let alone a stage with a microphone! The fact that someone could become 'famous' for auditioning for the show, and have Simon Cowell make some horrible comments about them, and then they can appear on the late night talk show circuit for the next few weeks is insane! All the while they are making complete 'idiots' of themselves and it just becomes so mundane.

On the other hand you have the actual contestants. Oh yes, lets not forget the ones who actually make it through the audition process 'for real',and outlast the others and make it through Hollywood Week, and make it to the top 12. Now, you would think that by making it thorough the audition process that included, ohhhhhhh lets say some ohhhh 1 million people or so that you might be pretty darned good to be 1 of the 12 remaining to compete for the title of American Idol, right? No. Not even close.

Unfortunately, American Idol has not been much of a search for the best that America has to offer with regards to musical talent since its inception. It still remains, to this day a popularity contest in which the winner is going to be the person who may have a good voice, perhaps have some talent, and could very well have a career in the industry. But overall the winner, has to be young, has to look good, and has to be able to sell records regardless if the music is good or not.

American Idol itself is actually really good at finding talent, and it is the American public that is even better at supporting those that it chooses as the winners of American Idol. So regardless of who the winner is, whether it be Kelly or Ruben, Taylor or Jordin, the American public will always be able to say that they played a part in making them who they are today.

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