False Idol

Driving to work today I truly realized how incredibly sick and tired I was of hearing the latest developments of American Idol. The fact that 35 million viewers piss away 2 hours a week on this incredibly bland, homogeneous show is simply baffling. While the value of our dollar and health swirl down the crapper, we continue stuffing our faces and ears with this filth, while our ears have he unfortunate task of listening to comments by the beloved, yet brainless Paul and the venomous sting of Simon. We sit and lounge on our ever-growing flat panels, critiquing members of the same desperate caliber, just wishing we were a little more desperate...just a little more to have the guts to directly stare the humiliation straight in the eye. This overgrown, over-funded mega-karaoke debacle has really gone far enough. I can accept and enjoy the success of the Fox network only because I enjoy the memories of our dear Simpson's and enjoy the complete vulgarity of Family Guy but I won't support anything else with the Fox brand on it.

I know it's like an Olympics or special event, root for the little guy, empathize "where" they're coming from. Nothing draws them in like a couple of tear-jerker stories paired with some suspense and triumph. I have to say that this David and Goliath format has gone completely out of control. How many times will our little David come away victorious before he's no longer an underdog? Oh and I don't think anything can top this formula after the original American Gladiators completion.

I mean honestly if an obnoxiously loud stereo and a couple of lights can both be pollution, I'm going to have to throw the flag on this one and call it pollution to a (generally) progressive society. I think modesty will no long prevail in such a numbers driven world. A football player makes a measly play and dances around like an idiot, teen pop stars talk about how they worked SO hard and how well deserved that car, which they can't even drive yet, in the their driveway was. Ask any artist (say from Motown) and they never expected or deserved to change the world but they were sure as hell grateful for the chance to change it!
The writers of these shows, excuse me organizers, need no script, no cast (you'll gladly oblige for a free flight and some screen time) and in some cases don't even judge, they have you do it in precise calling windows along with a million other people. Let's think that over. YOu do all the work while they cash the checks from promotions, which in turn take more of your money on many times, more American Idol crap. As far as looking at it like a "product", just set up some lights and run the cameras!

To be completely fair, which I feel like being in this delightful mood, some of the contestants are talented but again, why do I care? Thousands of singers, writing their own material, struggle for years and don't get a cent (I know we've all seen them, you might even be one). Meanwhile everyone else stands in a huge line, like cattle, for this tryout thing, yet another free pool of episode material. What a complete misallocation of time, effort and resources. That venue can be used for so many other useful things! A typical quick fix for an American that "deserves" success...no wonder why a large percentage of the world hates us. What is this obsession with fame and highly publicized success, I'd even call it a success epidemic if I wanted to be a those "hot shot" journalists.

I guess now that we've claimed our share of the continent and the world has been divided, is this our modern day Manifest Destiny? The 19th century was the human race destroying ourselves over land, the 20th was vastly influenced at sea with our gaudy fleets, so logically the 21st will have some negatively widespread transmission wave. I think we found it.