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4/15/2007 Thirty-five million people watch ‘American Idol’ every week for lots of reasons. At its base, it is a talent show, but it is much more than that. It’s a vehicle for a dream to come true for someone that was a virtual nobody around Super Bowl Time, but becomes a household name by spring. The term ‘idol’ is defined as ‘any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.’ You might note that there is no mention of anything having to do with singing in that definition. If there is one noteworthy aspect of the show that is
now well into its sixth season, is that it is basically a weeding-out
process for those that can’t stand the heat. Well over 100,000 tried out last fall, and 186 made it to Los Angeles. The field was pared down to the final 24, and that’s when live TV started up. That group was funneled to the final 12… that’s when the public gets to vote. Every Tuesday each contestant gives their best shot and on Wednesday, the person with the least amount of votes, is out of the competition. But the six days prior is like a gauntlet. They are up every day at 5:00am for a 12-14 hour workday, and the pace and demands are anything but glamorous. Often when a contestant is voted off, I think they are actually relieved. This not only makes for great theatre, but it’s also a
real metaphor that applies in sports and in life. Most of us look up to people that succeed in spite of long odds, maybe that’s reason they call it American Idol. (c) 2007 Novi
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