So many of you know, in the past few weeks, my guilty pleasure has been American Idol. Unlike last week, when the best singer got voted off. The whole show is junk, and I've known that all along, even while I was watching avidly. Why is it junk?

Well, for one, it's not realistic. Most successful musical artists don't have to be great at singing all styles of music. In fact, some of them would SUCK if they tried to sing something else (Dave Matthews singing disco? Rosie Thomas singing disco? Uh, eww). Does that mean they are bad singers? Not at all. They have their niche and they are very good within that niche. Rock bands are not asked to rap (though sometimes they do it anyways), and they are not considered horrible if they can't. Country singers are not asked to sing perfect big band songs. In fact, not many branch out. And that's perfectly fine. So why should the American Idol have to do so? Is it because if they can sing, perfectly, big band, disco, country, etc, then they are truly American? What American sings all of those genres equally great? And does that mean that there are no truly wonderful American singers? Not at all.

Secondly, the voting is strongly based off of personality. La Toya London got voted off mostly because throughout the competition, she was quieter, more reserved. At least, that's the impression that I am left with. People seem to vote for Jasmine because she's a sweet girl (and to spite Simon). People get annoyed with Fantasia because her personality is a little... odd, I guess. Does personality matter that much when it comes to singing? What does personality really have to do with vocal talent? Isn't American Idol supposed to find the best singer, not the person with whom you'd like to be best friends? Okay, so personality has something to do with the popularity of singers. Michael Jackson is a helluva weirdo... but there are still some people who really like his music. But everyone else... they're not psychopathic killers, and so people buy their music. Nobody in the final 12 of American Idol are psychopaths, from what we saw of them. Shouldn't that be enough? Actors don't have to be the nicest people in the world (look at Russell Crowe's not-pleasant temperament and his popularity), so why should singers?

This country puts a lot of emphasis on character. It seems like if you have to be voted in to get a position, you have to be not just like-able, but damn near the epitomy of niceness. Not just on American Idol... look wider into the upcoming Presidential election. People are criticizing Kerry because he wasn't nice to his next-door neighbors... by asking them not to talk to them, mostly, or to get off his lawn, or whatever. It's not like he tried to KILL them. Kerry is running to be PRESIDENT, not for the award for best neighbor. There's a difference. It's not like Bush is the perfect character. Bush supporters say that grammar is not the most important issue when choosing for whom to vote (misunderestimate, anyone?)... why should neighborliness? I agree, it's important to be civil and decently pleasant, but you don't have to be coated in sugar.

So that's my (not-so-brief) rant about the not-real American Idol (and character debates in presidential campaigns).
|