I was so looking forward to the January debut of American Idol. I love the show, in spite of the fact that we, the audience, are clearly manipulated. Those heart-warming stories designed to introduce us and (I think) influence our future votes are pretty formulaic. But, we know this and accept it as part of the American Idol ride.
I don't have the stomach for the more unstable contestants, though. I don't know if it's reality tv overload or empathy or what but this year, I cannot bear to watch the under-medicated chew through their fifteen minutes of fame. They aren't funny to me anymore. They're tragic.
I don't mind those thirty second montages where the worst of the worst are trying to hit a note. They're kind of like a blooper reel in that we get a cheap chuckle without feeling the need for a shower afterward. The bits that are truly awful are the five minute spots with the mentally ill contestants. They're sad and to me, showcasing their auditions bumps right up against the exploitative.
It has been suggested that some of the more outrageous contestants are actors who have been hired specifically to provide comic relief.
I hope that is true but it won't change the fact that my thumb will be poised over the fast forward button because really, in spite of the fact that there is an undeniable morbid curiosity, I just can't bear to watch a human train wreck.
2 comments:
I so agree with you 100%.
I like watching it because Grandma, who is going to 95 in July, loves it Kenny and I watch it with her, and the Canadian Idol too. She loves it. It's a hoot but thank God for the dvr fast forward!
I predict that Lloyd Thomas, the Ruben Studdard look-a-like from Dallas, will make the top ten!
...going to BE 95!
...and I am missing a comma in there somewhere too!
Post a Comment