American Idiocy

May 22, 4:13 PMMovie and TV History ExaminerRobert Anderson

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Simon Cowell

There has recently been a controversy regarding the ludicrously popular TV program "American Idol." It seems that the person who everybody thought would win - Adam Lambert - lost, and this didn't go over well. I'm afraid I don't understand why.

Simon Cowell is a canny producer. This was proved with his choice of Susan Boyle for "Britain's Got Talent." He knew that she could sing like an angel - they have auditions, after all - but he also knew that her looks and personal demeanor would set her up as a laughingstock with the audience, who could then be assured to be suitably shocked by her singing. I doubt that he could have known that the video of her performance would go viral via YouTube, but then I wouldn't slip it past him either.

The point is that "American Idol" and its clones are supremely cynical. They are not really about talent, but about humiliation. It's not a secret that "American Idol" gets its biggest ratings from the footage of the auditions, wherein misguided folks who are favorites at their local kaoroke bar prove that they should have stayed there. I am personally tired of such schlock on TV, but it would appear that most of the viewing public is not. And that's a shame.