Friday, January 19, 2007
Idol thoughts
American Idol is a program worthy of comment, if only because it attracts the rating/share of network shows from the distant past. With hundreds of channels, the prospect of water cooler conversations about a TV show has dimmed. But Idol has changed that.
Give credit to Fox for not overexposing this show, something ABC couldn't resist with Who Wants to be a Millionaire -- and perhaps NBC is flirting with an All-Celebrity version of Deal or No Deal (which is a sure sign of fading).
My chief complaint with Idol is not a particular judge, but the cruelty element. It's a singing contest, so why the parade of the mentally ill? Is there no limit to Simon's insults regarding personal appearance? My wife tells me that these contestants choose to make fools of themselves, but I'm not so sure that the selection of contestants escapes exploitation. I think the show would be just as successful with the same mix of normal-looking people singing horribly rather than the freak show of late.
But then that's just my opinion, and apparently no one is reading my blog anyway. Maybe I need to make it more of a train wreck to attract public attention.
Give credit to Fox for not overexposing this show, something ABC couldn't resist with Who Wants to be a Millionaire -- and perhaps NBC is flirting with an All-Celebrity version of Deal or No Deal (which is a sure sign of fading).
My chief complaint with Idol is not a particular judge, but the cruelty element. It's a singing contest, so why the parade of the mentally ill? Is there no limit to Simon's insults regarding personal appearance? My wife tells me that these contestants choose to make fools of themselves, but I'm not so sure that the selection of contestants escapes exploitation. I think the show would be just as successful with the same mix of normal-looking people singing horribly rather than the freak show of late.
But then that's just my opinion, and apparently no one is reading my blog anyway. Maybe I need to make it more of a train wreck to attract public attention.
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I think that this is the most subtle thing Fox has ever done to garner viewership. It is almost the equivalent to when situational comedies start adding "family values" messages into the show. Did you see any of the last three years of "Home Improvement"? Things could get worse. They could let me sing.
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