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The American Idol Problem Defined

by Gil Sery -- 04/23/2004

While looking through AI message boards, Gil stumbled into the answer of why the Bottom 3 this week was made up of those who shocked America. Want to know what the problem is? Read on to find out.

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I was reading one of the American Idol message boards yesterday, as I often do, and came across a message thread entitled, “That just made my day!!” Naturally, I became curious as to what the writer was referring to, so I opened the thread and found this quote:

John Stevens wasnt even in the bottom 3!!! WOOO WOOO!! I was SO worried. Thank god, America was right this time!! Still sad to see JPL gone tho...but that's o.k. we have john stevens !!

Horrified, I read further. Someone asked this person point blank, “What is it about his singing that you like?” to which the original author responded:

Oh, he's the worst singer I've ever heard!! But he's so freakin' hot!!!

And therein, ladies and gentlemen, lies the reason for this week’s Bottom Three.

It’s teenagers like this — and who among us would doubt that the author of this quote is indeed a teenager, grammatical errors and all — who have made a mockery out of American Idol. Randy Jackson was absolutely correct last night when he said that America can be proud of the previous two Idols that the show has produced, as well as Clay Aiken, and that the show should continue to crown talented finalists, not popular ones.

Have we learned nothing from the meteoric rise and fall of Justin Guarini? He made it to the finals out of 10,000 people and then he puts out an album, which sinks like the Titanic. Why? The people who voted for him and got him to the finals, did so mostly (not entirely) because “he’s so freakin’ hot!!!” not primarily based on his talent.

The same thing is in danger of happening this season. I won’t tell you whom to vote for, but please, America, vote based on talent, not popularity. Ask yourself, who — like 30-year veteran and guest judge Barry Manilow — is most likely to be in the music industry for the long haul?

I’m not talking about crowning the next William Hung (or Dream or O-Town or Eden’s Crush or Scene 23 or the Spice Girls, the list of here-today-gone-tomorrow music acts, especially those from reality TV shows, goes on forever); I am talking about someone who has longevity.

If I ask you in five years’ time who Kelly Clarkson or Ruben Studdard or Clay Aiken is, there is a strong possibility that you’ll still know to whom I am referring, because these people have the talent to go all the way. Can you honestly say that about the people who were safe last night? I can think of one finalist and one alone.

So please, America, vote with your ears, not with your eyes.

Gil Sery is a freelance entertainment writer and avid American Idol fan. You can email him at movieman26@hotmail.com.

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