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American Idol-atry
I love this show and find it irresistably watchable. Why is that?
1. AI (American Idol) taps into the most dominant value in the American culture: Performance. My worth = how well i do plus what Simon (+ all of America) thinks of me.
2. AI taps into the other most dominant value in the American culture: Fame. Everyone wants to be famous-- fifteen minutes is enough. And this show makes it conceivably possible for anyone willing to wait in line a few days to audition.
3. AI inversely taps into the most deeply subversive value in our culture: Humility. Only humility comes on reality television via humiliation. And for some strange reason we love it. AI has a high humiliation factor. Back to Simon again.
4. AI dials into the most powerful symbol of freedom: Song. Here is where it gets interesting. This is where the idolatry is exposed. Song, the great symbol of freedom, is placed into the service of slavery. In other words, singing and song actually become the slave of fame-- the quest to be god-like.
5. While feeding our insatiable appetite for fame and tapping into our deep need to perform, AI makes us vicarious, virtual participants. (I made a text vote for the first time this week!!! and it felt great!!!)
6. For the most part, AI feeds on the currency of imitation, leaving us hungry for true creativity and originality-- yet another mark of idolatry.
7. It is probably the most popular television show of all time-- in its 5th season and only getting started. (lapping the quadrennial winter olympics three times) And it comes on almost every night of the week?!?
I love this show and find it irresistably watchable. . . . . Have you seen it? posted by John David Walt | at 2/25/2006 09:54:00 PM
Today...
9 Comments:
have watched it for the first time ever this season. jenn text-voted for the first time ever last week.
i can't stand the show and can't stop watching it all at the same time (along with "alias" "lost" "the bachelor" and just about every other show i used to make fun of and said i'd never watch).
noooooooooooooooooo!!!!! (and yes!)
it's called seduction. . . . . jd
I listen to my ipod and read "shaping of the things to come" while Michelle sinfully watches the idolatry show. I have no desire to watch it. . .really. So who did you vote for?!?!?!!?
Stacey and I watch it and gleefully pick the people who should not return the next week. Never have officially voted for anyone....but since you said you did, you need to fess' up and tell us who you voted for!
The next question could be....have you ever thought or wished you could be on AI???
ok-- i'm trying to think of his name-- it was guy #12 last time--- taylor i think it is-- grey headed guy. lot of fun. ok-- i was going to audition and i was too old. i'm waiting for the over 30 edition to unleash my gifts. give me a call.
I had meant to ask you earlier with the rest of the gang to fess up on who you voted for! But you beat me to it.
Yes, we have American Idol here in Malaysia as well - the first telecast is by satellite (where Ryan Seacrest moves his mouth, but his voice follows a fraction of a second later!). ;-)
Tiffani had told me that she liked "the grey headed guy" earlier so I thought that you would favor him as well, and must have voted for him. Taylor Hicks IS fun - love his personality.
As for your big break - try "Oprah's Pop Star Challenge" J.D.. Simon's there too! ;-)
I saw about 10-15 minutes of AI a couple of years ago.
I'd like to say I only watch NOVA and American Experience on PBS (which I do), but we also partake of/get sucked into other trainwreck, err, reality TV...like Beauty and the Geek on the WB. Ok, that's my confessional.
I would just like to state that though I would never win American idol... I could totally make it to Hollywood.
I am so waiting for them to do AI for over 30 married people so we can have a chance to strut our stuff too! Is it obsessive to be singing a song in your car and then think of how you'd perform it if you were on the show?!
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