Nowadays, it seems like everybodys doing it. But you dont have to. At least not really. No, you do not
have to watch the televised pop-culture
explosion that is
American Idol, and youd actually be in the majority of Americas TV-watching public if you didnt. But not by much.
USA Today reports: "According to preliminary ratings, Tuesday's two-hour audition show drew 37.3 million viewers, making it Fox's highest-rated night of entertainment programming ever." In other words, over 40% of this countrys TV-carrying households tuned in.
So, wow. Thats a whole lot of Americans - all of them crowded around their TV set, yelling at Simon to take it easy on the tuneless kids, pleading with Randy to start being nice again, and wondering what the hell Jewel is doing up there with the other judges.
We know that most people dont watch
American Idol to think. Rather, we all watch the show because it requires us
not to think. We can turn off our brains, bask in Paulas age-defying loveliness, forget about the stress of our daily occupations, and develop crushes on country-raised farmgirls who cant pronounce "salmon" correctly. We recognize this, and we like this.
But, here are some things to think about:
1. Does winning the show really matter anymore? Taylor Hicks was last years champion, but his album sales pale in comparison to those of Chris Daughtrys platinum record. 2006s
Daughtry debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts, selling more than 1 million copies after just five weeks in the U.S. alone.
2. Does making it into the Top Three even matter anymore? Jennifer Hudson finished seventh during Season Three, but she still won a Golden Globe this week for her portrayal of Effie White in
Dreamgirls. And guess who tried out for the same part and got shot down? Fantasia Barrino, the
Idol champion that year.
3. There is no #3, but we thought it was better than leaving things at #2.
When are we going to get another Kelly Clarkson, who was nominated for a Grammy in 2004 and won
two of them in 2006? Wheres the next Carrie Underwood, whose debut album
Some Hearts has been certified quintuple platinum and is the fastest selling female country album of all time? And, umm, when's the next episode coming on?
Not that we watch
American Idol or anything
