Quote: |
Originally Posted by angelize56 | True. I could have very well been taking someone down a notch that day.  Quote: |
Originally Posted by Angel Repost your "Why American Idol is Pure Genius" article...it was great!!!  |   Thanks, Angel. With some updates for 2007: Quote:
With the return of American Idol on Tuesday (a two-night, four-hour premiere immediately following 24's two-night, four-hour premiere... that's a lotta TV, even for me), of course the hoopla is crescendoing up to a deafening roar. I found this article at TVGuide.com about all the new merchandising that this season will usher in. I mean, ice cream? They're really stretching it. But the whole thing is.... they can. They can take big risks in order to find out what works because they are running the most successful TV show in history. Advertisers are practically begging them for promotional spots. So for old time's sake, here's the piece I wrote about how genius American Idol is that I posted last May. So if you've been hanging around and already read it already, sorrylations.
====================================================
I've heard a lot of people rag on American Idol for being dumb, dull, a teen show, and some people even claim that it's fixed. Those people are wrong. This show is genius, through and through. I'm not asking anyone who has already decided not to like it to change their minds, but I hope those people will at least appreciate its genius after reading this. If they read it. Often people don't want to be persuaded, even if if the points are valid. Which mine, of course, always are.
1) They rope in tons of contestants with a very attractive prize. Not only are they offered a million dollars, it is attached to a recording contract with a major label. That's not just "here's your money, see ya" like most shows. The winner is basically owned by 19 Entertainment for a year. That's not the best situation ever, but you have a major label trying to sell you for a year. They want to make money off of their winner, and they'll market the hell out of you, which equals face-time with the public, which equals record sales in the future, no matter your label. Because... like we care what label you're on.
2) They will never run out of willing contestants. I'm guessing this show attracts about a tenth of the people who really think they can make it on this show. Long lines, limited audition cities, and age limits keep the rest of 'em out. I know I would've auditioned if I wasn't always about a month behind on the age limit. Gr! But there's always next year (if they up the age limit to 30... which they won't)!! [2007 Edit: Which they did! A month after I turned 30! GRRR!]
3) They hook the audience in with schadenfreude. In other words, they attract viewers who enjoy watching these people, who can't sing in the least, get torn to bits by the judges. Are the judges mean? Possibly. But some of those people really need a reality check. We all know someone who thinks they are the very best at what they do when really.... they're not even close. And while we may recognize their shortcomings, we're often not allowed for whatever reason, to clue these people in. I think somehow, it's satisfying to see people with these giant undeserved egos taken down a notch. The very best ones are the contestants who go into a rampage. "I'll still be a star! I don't need this stupid show!" Ah, well, you needed it about ten minutes ago, didn't you?
4) They get you attached to the contestants. As viewers, we often complain about all of this filler, but it's really genius at work. They let you "get to know" some of these people and you find yourself rooting for them. Who wanted Kellie Pickler to make it through to the top 24? Who cried when she made it? Just me? Oh. Um. Anyway. They find ways to make these people unique to the viewer so that we remember them. That's all it takes to get attached to someone. Taylor [Hicks] was the easiest to remember for his harmonica and unique looks (is he Elvis' long lost spawn or Mark Cuban's secret sibling?). I think he won because he had fans who were with him from the very beginning. I also think that's why Katharine [McPhee] lost: total lack of a hook. Yes, she's gorgeous and talented but.... her main story was that her dad cried a lot. We never even saw her until the top 24. She's talented enough to get to the finals, but she just didn't have that rabid fanbase that Taylor had.
5) After they hook you in, they don't let go. It's not just "we all sing songs and kick someone off the next night." They have guest stars help with their song choices (and get national face-time, which makes them want to do it even more.... genius!) and give them pointers on their performances. They have themes like Motown or Country. They make it hard for people who have pigeonholed themselves into a genre. That makes it interesting for us, as viewers! We want to come back next week and see what they'll do! We can't get bored or we'll go away and we'll never come back.
6) They invest us even further by giving us a say in how the show turns out. This is the most important aspect right here. It's not just a spectator sport. Everyone who watches is given an opportunity to have a say in who stays. Survivor is decided by other contestants. Amazing Race is amazingly decided on who performs the best (and sometimes who's luckiest). But American Idol is decided wholly by the viewers. No judges' votes. No fellow contestants' votes. Just us and our phones. And even better, they tell us who the bottom three are! So if our favorites are in the bottom three, we're going to vote even more the next week to ensure their safety. Mygod, it's GENIUS! [2007 Edit: In case you didn't read the TVGuide.com article above, another layer to the genius is that you have to watch it live. You can't download it on iTunes or watch it on DVR the next day and still vote. You have to watch it with the rest of us... ratings gold.]
7) They can never ever fix it. Now listen. Just because your favorite didn't make it as far as you'd liked does not mean that there is some vast conspiracy going on in the ugly underbelly of AI. It can never happen. This show is giant. It makes so much money for FOX that they can't risk it. To fix this show would take too many people. And all it takes is for one to talk. And do you know how much money the entertainment magazines and tabloids would pay someone for information like that? To take down one of, if not the most lucrative show on television. This show gets more viewers than any other show that is not the Super Bowl. That is huge for a regular series to get 30-ish million viewers a week. It finishes number one (performances) and two (results) in the Nielsens every week it's on the air. The people who would benefit from fixing the show (FOX, 19 Entertainment) can't risk that amount of money from huge advertisers (Ford, Coca-Cola), because once it comes out that it's fixed, the audience stops trusting the show, doesn't get invested any more, tunes out, and never comes back. Too much of a gamble. And for once, greed keeps 'em honest.
8) Wide audience appeal. Who likes music? Oooh! I do! I do! I know some haters out there are saying, "Yeah, but I don't like it demolished before my very eyes." Fair enough. Neither do I. But when someone comes out and blows us away with their talent, we enjoy it. And then we want that person to go far in the competition and then we're invested. See number 4! And even when they're terrible.... see number 3! And that attracts old and young, men and women. And even better, they're pretty good about keeping that G-rating up on their screen. The little ones love to get addicted to this kind of stuff (Gabs has been a fan since she was two!). But the best part is, we're all armchair music critics with this show. And we like our armchairs! *The quarterbacks agree*
9) They inundate us until we're sick of it.... and then they go away for 8 months. I was so ready for it to be over last [May]. We watched that show 3 times a week for at least a month, and then twice a week for the next three months. 38 episodes this season (Season Three had the highest with 44 episodes. Just to compare, normal shows usually give us 22 for a complete season). That's dedication. But by the time May rolls around, we're ready for it to be over. We're saturated. Maxed out. And in January, when it comes back, we've been separated from it long enough for us to be excited about it again.
10) They learn from past mistakes. Who likes filler with their finale!? Ooooh, not me. We don't want to see the entire season rehashed. We just watched it! We don't want to see the final two sing over and over again. We just saw that last night! It seems like with Season Five, they finally got it right. Tons of guest stars, all of the final twelve making an appearance (and no doubt pimping the upcoming tour... more genius!), the final two only getting slightly more face time than the other ten. We were entertained the entire two hours (or at least I was, along with everyone I've discussed it with). And Prince! PRINCE! Holy crap, I couldn't believe my eyes. And the genius icing on the genius cake? Even more people are going to tune in next year to see what they have planned. What will they do to surprise us next?
11) They turn around and go on tour. All twelve of 'em, while it's still fresh on our minds. Or ten? I think twelve. No wait ten. Damn you producers! Anyway, they take these people, who we've invested ourselves in already, and allow us to see them live. We already know their names and what kind of music they like to sing. And they charge how much for tickets? I think I heard $40 or $50. More investing! [Gabs always wants to go, but luckily for me they usually end up in Dallas on a Tuesday or Thursday.... School night immunity! I don't want to hang out with a bunch of crazed, sugar-laden, screaming children! But I have a feeling I'll have to eventually.... sigh.]
12) It's everywhere. It's obviously on TV. And then as a supplement, they have a gigantic website (I recommend the Jaded Journalist's recaps because holy crap they're funny). And then they go on tour so you can see them in person. And then the winners (and sometimes the runners-up.... what happened, Guarini?) get their songs on the radio. Justin and Kelly even made a movie (but see number ten for why that never happened again). Anywhere you want American Idol, it's there. You can even download them on your cell phone. But as someone who's only about a mid-level fan, I actually like it when they go away so I can enjoy it fully when it comes back. Eight months later.
See? It's all intertwined. This show is marketable, appealing (arguably), safe for all ages, and best of all.... it goes away for 2/3 of the year. Usually I love it, sometimes I hate it, but I'll never stop being fascinated by how genius it is.
===================================================
And that's it for the original article. I will be watching it this season. Every second. It's wildly popular and there's plenty of reasons for that. It's so interesting to watch this pop culture phenomenon in motion. Sometimes "America" gets it right (Kelly, Carrie) and sometimes they don't (Ruben over Clay? Really?). There's no predicting and there's no spoilers. It just unfolds right before our very eyes. And come on.... THAT'S AWESOME!
| |
Login 
Search 
Unless your sister can deliver that tape in under two hours after the airing so you can vote! 
Facebook
Twitter
TechGuy.tv
TSG Mobile