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Season 7 of American Idol is in full swing and already we've been exposed to the scandal's surrounding some of the contestants of this very popular reality show.

It is certainly no secret that American Idol is a popularity contest. We've seen contestants advance forward during the competition that should have been eliminated sooner rather than later. American Idol has also fallen prey to prejudice among viewers. Scandal has been weaved in and out of AI through the years. As scandal has rocked American Idol right alongside the contestants, the show's producers have been passive in their efforts to silence the noise surrounding these controversial contestants. Viewers wait almost in suspense to see if the show's management will disqualify a contestant for their antics outside of the American Idol pre-Idol arena, only to be further disgusted when it appears AI is condoning the given contestant for their questionable behavior by not eliminating the contestant themselves.

There is a certain standard by which viewers hold the contestants to. Society tends to view a potential "American Idol" for what the term represents. By definition, an American Idol is one who will represent all Americans by promoting a wholesome, positive image and further can be a role model by which not only our youth can follow but Americans everywhere will be proud to call their Idol.

In this season alone, there were two scandals that broke within the same week while the contestants in question were allowed to remain in the competition. It was only a matter of time before the viewers took matters into their own hands and did the duty of eliminating these less than honorable contestants once they saw that AI itself had no intention of doing so.

Every individual has the right to free will, freedom of choice, and the ability to make their own decisions whether right or wrong. When these decisions spill over onto Youtube, Myspace, or other various social networking sites for all the world to see, these future contestants never think about the outcome of their decisions that ultimately could jeopardize their chance for success.

Society as a whole is not very tolerant of such things as we have seen in the evident eliminations of those contestants in question. Even though society can do nothing about the questionable choices of celebrities who have already made it into the spotlight, American Idol does allow viewers the opportunity to have a voice in the overall outcome of the competition. When controversies abound, a contestant's true talent & potential is quickly overlooked by viewers. The scandal that hangs over the contestant like a black cloud becomes the focus and does play a factor. The contestant's fate is then at the mercy of the viewer.

It is debatable whether the scandals of American Idol are an issue of prejudice among viewers or more a matter of viewers' unwillingness to tolerate these unacceptable behaviors that these contestants have exhibited. As the seasons continue to unfold for American Idol, it would be a misnomer to believe that viewers will see a scandal free season. With the ever present evolvement of technology to the next level, the image of each future contestant will forever be on display for all the world to critique, to judge, and to see. Prejudice of contestants riddled with scandal will unfortunately always play a role and the popularity of scandal free contestants will win out every time.

Learn more about this author, Dawn M. O'Neal.
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