3 of 32

Write now Article Tools

Program makers make entertainment for us viewers for one main reason - to make money for themselves. When they hit on a successful idea, they will make it run and run. If you have public participation, then it is going to rake in the dollars.

American Idol has two aspects to it. Firstly, it is searching for a star. A normal person off the street with the voice of an angel. Something totally unexpected. We are hoodwinked into thinking that is the only aim of the program.

But the second element is equally important. If we were presented with a series of good singers behaving normally, the program would not run for so many weeks and would also not be half as interesting as it is. So, part of American Idol is a freak show. We get to see people with absolutely no talent convinced that they can sing like Pavarotti; an obese girl who thinks she is Madonna; a goofy guy who reckons he's the next Tom Jones. It is absolutely incredible that these guys can put themselves in front of a camera and then be screened into millions of homes at peak viewing time. Do they honestly think they can sing and perform? Seems like they do.

In Britain, they call it the X Factor, with Simon Cowell again offering his astute and sometimes barbed comments. What we don't appreciate as we cozy up to watch is that he and his fellow judges have sat through a whole day of listening to wanna be stars. Most will never make it. Presumably most of them, in a self-deluded way, honestly thought they were good enough. There are of course one or two who go along purely for a laugh, in the knowledge they will never make it.

Once the judges have got rid of the chaff in the first few weeks, the countdown starts in earnest. The producers make more mileage out of the program with 'boot camp' and then the knock out stages start, engineering excitement and disbelief. Once the winner has been chosen, viewer seem to want to follow their subsequent career. That is one of the key elements - the fact that the public are involved gives them some form of ownership of the show. American Idol is a brilliant concept and its success is testimony to the genius that is Simon Cowell. You can see why he has made himself a multi millionaire.

Learn more about this author, Phil Hill.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about American Idol: What are they searching for??
We want to hear your view. Write now!