“American Idol” is an amazing show. It gave us Kelly Clarkson and she entertained America for at least three years. It gave us Clay Aiken, whose dead-end musical career and standing availability for guest spots on failing sitcoms have aroused our sympathies time after time. “American Idol” symbolizes the American Dream for many of its contestants who have lived small lives and are finally about to get a chance to dream big. But “American Idol” isn’t about dreaming. “American Idol” is about two fundamental human pleasures: hearing good voices, and seeing earnest people fail.
The audition episodes are incredibly entertaining and oft-regarded as the high point of each season. Why is it so interesting? Because we get to watch people with dreams put themselves out there on national television, get ridiculed, and then cry.
But “American Idol” has revealed something even more disturbing about our society than the fact that we love watching stern British men degrade Americans… it has revealed that we actually have a societal tolerance for the talentless host, Ryan Seacrest. And that’s hard to come to terms with.
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