There appears to be some sort of hideous meme running around inside Apple that causes people to want to watch American Idol. Half of my group watches it and discusses the episodes like last Sunday's NFL results.

I'm immunizing myself by sticking with The Osbornes. Now I need a burrito.

You're dead-on accurate, friend. I live in LA, and if you live in LA, you tend to have friends who work in entertainment.

A buddy of mine works as a Production Assistant for Idol, and the pre-screeners of COURSE pass on lousy singers for entertainment value.

What they don't show you is that Simon and the gang even have to say YES to some really bad people, so that they can be adequately insulted during the live shows once they get to Hollywood.

(Do the LA people get excited when they're told they're going to Hollywood? Or do they just say, "Okay, should I take the 101 or the 405?")

A friend of mine recently pointed out an article on Television Without Pity, detailing the experience of one of their regular reviewers and an editor as they joined the ranks of the hopeful. I think one of the more interesting things to note is how this time (unlike during the first season), the goal is to have a "good television show" (in other words, lots of pain and humiliation).

Here's a link directly to the review (sorry it's so long):
http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=89&story=4403&limit=&sort=

It simply terrifies me how the really really bad people stand there and defend the quality of their singing. It just goes to show that ego doesn't affect talent :)

I was watching the show the other night an was wondering the same thing. I was also questioning what would possess people to actually go in there if they know they are terrible singers. I guess it just speaks worlds for the ignorance of the masses.

Answer me one question. Would you really watch the show if it were not for the losers and the judges comments? It would just be another Star Search.

Trust me, you'll be thoroughly fed up of it after 3 series and several copycat shows, like we've had here in the UK. Urgh.

Well we're up to season 2 and one copycat (well, a revival of Star Search to try to capitalize on Idol's success, so pretty much a copycat). Give us just a few more months. ;)

I refuse to watch American Idol until it implements tabbed browsing!

In the middle of watching it, I had the surprisingly obvious realization that I was watching "the Gong Show 2003". All the mor eappropriate what with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in theaters now -- there's nothing revolutionary whatsoever.

Still hilarious, though.

What could be better than people being humiliated on television? I have to admit that I probably will not watch Idol past the audition stage. It is just not very funny after that, just the same old thing for a month or two.

Is there really anything that is new on television? I certainly don't think so.

"The Gong Show," one of the early reality programs, was at least played for fun. Everyone had a good laugh, even if the acts were awful, or somewhere in between, like the Unknown Comic (aka Murray Langston).

I can't bring myself to watch American Bore--I mean Idol or Survivor or any of those things.

Peace,
Gene

The format for Idols was created where I live, in the Netherlands, and then sold to many countries.
The screenings are meant to be funny - it's kind of camp, so lots of people are drawn to the tv series. Don't you get the feeling even YOU would sing better than some of the contestants?
Later it all becomes more serious but then many people are hooked (including myself).
I think it's a brilliant format.

hey, you want an inside tale of auditioning for AI? take a look here (http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=89&story=4403&limit=&sort=)

full disclosure: i have nothing to do with that web site aside from reading it. a lot. too much.

You know, these people are bad. But the tv stations that let those people on screen are even worse. Huge media companies, expecially TV stations, wield great power. I think that the media has the responsibility to protect the people from the power it has.

What they are doing instead is using their power to ridicule people in front of whole nations. Why? For profit. The fact that most of the people they ridicule have no idea what's happening to them is of no concern to these TV stations. These people aren't professionals, they're normal (if a bit dumb) people who just hope to make it big. They don't realize that they're just being used, and they don't realize the consequences of appearing on such a screening - and it's not really their fault. When exactly did it become a crime to be dumb?

But worst of all are the people who actually watch this crap and give these stations a reason to continue with formats like this one.

Dave,

I like reading your site, but I find the comments hard to read, using grey text on a white background(especially when antialiased). Could you please change it to black text on a white background? Or darker grey is you must be gray?

Thanks,

Michel

not hard to see that many people, GQUK did it for the show/magaizine in the UK. the editors of GQUK and GlamourUK saw alll the contestants for the modeling tryouts.

not sure if anyone could stand all that singing though?

by the way, browsing at posting on Phoenix for OSX cause I don't have 10.2. It is not bad. Just works.

Not to really defend the humiliation that is going on, but the party line from Simon (in a number of interviews I have seen with him) is that they intentionally put on the 'bad' acts because they want to show a cross section of what they are getting as auditions. But he admits it makes for good TV also.

After the auditions it gets worse. In the UK most of the drama of the later rounds is obviously staged disagreements between judges where the Bad Cop will be set against an obvious fan favourite, and the Good Cop argues for them telling the Bad Cop that they know nothing about music.

But the absolute worst is when the Bad Cop relents and finally says something good about the contestant, possibly throwing in a half-hearted apology. The pathetic, tear-stained gratitude of the contestant reminds me of cult initiation techniques like love-bombing.

Does Simon still wear his trousers just underneath his armpits?

you know what i'd like to see? a tv show with Kate Bosworth naked! that would be sweet. and by sweet, i mean totally awesome.

Since I worked as a PA on American Idol 2, I have some information on the audition process.

http://www.macfora.com/~akuma/2003_01_19_blog_archive#87977018

whoops that should be:

http://www.macfora.com/~akuma/

I agree - American Idol using Tabbed Browsing and Kate Bosworth naked are the two most improtant things that is necessary this year...Oh- add sell kidney for 17" Powerbook with 23" HD disp.

you know what i really want to see? Dixie Chicks Naked. aw yeah. those ladies are so beautiful, man. that would be great. Dave Hyatt. anything you can do is much appreciated.

I actually thought they did no screening and it was first-come, first-serve... which is why contestants were camping out so far in advance. Idol takes the first X people, so they get horrible singers without trying? I wasn't sure, though, cause in the last episode, someone did say "I can't believe I made it this far" and that implied they may have actually had to do something (besides just show up).