Elliott

Ok it's now 7 years running and showing no signs ofslowing down.  What started as a curious, ambitious talent show is nowthe worldwide gold standard of its genre.  Survivor?  Comeon.  Big Brother?  Who cares. Bachelor/Bachelorette?  Stay single.  Fear Factor? Keep puking up bugs.  AI is the shit.

AI declares the next superstar in music and most times it actuallyhappens.  That is power.  That is something that deserves respect.

Pure capitalism, they just keep pushing the envelope.  Simon Fuller, the show creator (who also created the Spice Girls), God bless him, fits more commercial time in his show than anyother show, including the Super Bowl.  Ford is the official carsponsor with Idol contestants elevated to star spokesperson status byperforming in their commercials as quasi-music videos.  When AI realizedthey could charge people to text message for their votes, they made millions onthe voting mechanism, in addition to the commercials (and eventual recordsales).  When AI realized that "taxing" their viewers toparticipate was counter productive to the show's goals (more votes means moreeverything, why make it a purchase decision?) they got AT&T tosponsor the voting and made millions more.  Now, in the age of digitalmusic, they are pimping out iTunes and making even more money."Wow, look at that, this is so cool!" titillated contestant Carly Smithson giggles when she discovers her face, title of song, and song downloaddisplayed on her iPod screen for the viewers. 

And check it out: AI songs on iTunes aren't allowed to be tracked in the top 10because they are free cover songs.  But if they were, 5 of the top 10would be AI contestants, according to host Ryan Seacrest. People,this is power.

The format is brilliant.  The fans decide but the judges sway the votewith commentary.  They sign the top 10 and tour them just like they didwith the rock acts of the 50's and 60's, caravanning them around North America,the package of 10 as powerful as any one single star act.  They not onlyrelease the winner's album but select the best ones of the top 5 as well. Why not put in first right of refusal in the contract, applicants will signanything before they’ve actually made it to the show, what have they got tolose?  So even when Daugherty finishes 3rd, he still becomes the biggeststar of that season with his debut album.  The show is so strong that therunners up are almost as famous as the winner.

And I'll tell you something else.  Simon Cowell knows hisshit.  Randy knows something. Even Paula has a clue.  But Simon REALLY REALLY knows his shit.  And when he's wrong, he'sadmits it.  So the net result is we trust the judges.  Theycriticize, well, Simon does, Randy tempers it and you really haveto screw up to get a negative word out of Paula, and as a result, the show hassome sort of credibility, despite the fact it is technically "fanvoted". 

In a world where digital downloads have supplanted CD sales, and music is free,where is the determination of what is popular, what is success?  It'slevel of engagement.  30million votes A SHOW is engagement people. And that's the people who voted.  How many more watch the whole show anddon't vote (present company included)? And how many more take a passinginterest by watching some of the show, or clips on the net, or read articles onwhom got booted?  30 million is the measurement of those who engaged in thehighest level of activity possible, that's just the tip of the iceberg and itflows down and wide from there!

And yet, Simon boasts about how many records ("reh-khordz" inhis droll UKaccent) past Idols have sold.  So here is a show, an industry if you will,that is re-defining how to break out an act, yet still measuring success in termsof a dying format.  Curious.  But there's the problem.  What arethey engaged towards?  Cover songs?  Reality eye candy (people crying,screwing up, doing great, high praise, hard criticism, emotions, real peopleliving out dreams etc.)?  The circus of it all?

And yet, during the auditions part of the show there are thousands and thousandsand THOUSANDS of new applicants and it grows each year (ok, sure they expandedthe age range but still).  Where were these people in past years? They were watching the show each year seeing waitresses and teachers andstudents and mechanics just like them summoning up the huevos toaudition.  And so a generation of "hey I can do this" people isborn.  More people singing.  More people making music.  More peopleinterested in music.

If my blog seems cyclical between lamenting American Idol and praising it, it'sbecause it is of itself a dichotomy: it's everything right and everything wrongabout the music industry at the same time.  Maybe that's why there's somuch interest...