Whats the Big Deal about American Idol?

Now I am sure some of you are wondering how in the heck did a thread about American Idol end up in a Social Issues type of thread. LoL well, I am here to tell you why I think it should be here.

I know many people shun and laugh at the show, and I also know there are die hard fans that have watched from year one. I, being one of them. Do I feel silly for being one of them? Nope, cant say as I do. Actually, I am quite proud to say I am one of those long time followers.

Why? Well, I have quite a few reasons.

It has done my heart good to actually see something positive for our youth to strive for. Year one set the bar. No one knew where it was going to go, much less what it would become. But Become it did.

Now granted, I will be the first to admit innocence can be lost on a show like this in the long run, once the reality of Hollywood glamor hits, but I suppose that is just another form of weeding out the weak from the strong.

I will always give Kelly Clarkson the most kudos for being the first winner. To suffer through the simple piano player week after week was a accomplishment in itself. Any long time idol fan will know what Im talking about.
After all the silliness she had to endure following the show, you can not deny the fact the women has now to her credit:

Clarkson has released four albums to date under RCA Records: her double-platinum debut album Thankful (2003), her multi-platinum second album Breakaway (2004) (which has won two Grammy Awards), My December (2007), and her latest album All I Ever Wanted (2009) (which was nominated for a Grammy Award).

Her albums have sold over 10.5 million copies in the United States

.[1] Clarkson is the only American Idol contestant to have reached number one in the UK. She claimed number one on March 1, 2009, when "My Life Would Suck Without You" debuted number one on downloads alone.[2] Clarkson is also ranked on the top 200 album sellers of the Nielsen SoundScan era at number 187.[3] Eleven of Clarkson's singles became Top Twenty hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Her single, "My Life Would Suck Without You", advanced from No. 97 to No. 1 on the Hot 100 in its first week of release, breaking the record for the largest leap to the top position in chart history

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There is more I wish to mention about year one , but I will get back to that....

Now we have year two with more people with dreams of the spotlight...
The final 2:
Ruben Studdard: The Winner

Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol. He received a Grammy Award nomination in December 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Superstar."

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Hmm... he seems to only have a small snippet of acclaim. What does the second place winner have?

Clay Aiken:

American singer, songwriter, actor, producer, and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released in October 2003. He released four more albums on the RCA label: Merry Christmas with Love (2004), A Thousand Different Ways (2006), and the Christmas EP, All is Well (2006).[2][3] His fourth studio album (the first album of original material since 2003's Measure of a Man), On My Way Here was released on May 6, 2008.[4] After the release of On My Way Here Aiken left RCA and later signed with Decca Records. His first album with Decca, Tried and True, was released June 1, 2010.[5][6] In the years following his American Idol appearance, Aiken has launched nine tours, authored a New York Times best-selling book Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life with Allison Glock, and was the executive producer for a 2004 televised Christmas special, A Clay Aiken Christmas. He has been a frequent talk show guest, particularly on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. He appeared as a guest star on Scrubs and participated in comedy skits on Kimmel, Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. Aiken created the National Inclusion Project (formerly the Bubel/Aiken Foundation) in 2003, accepted a UNICEF ambassadorship in 2004, and in 2006 was appointed for a two-year term to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.[7][8][9] Aiken made his Broadway debut playing the role of Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot in January 2008.[10] His run ended in May but he rejoined the cast as Sir Robin in September and remained through January 4, 2009

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hmmm second place seems much busier.. how odd.

I can certainly bore you with a lot of other major accomplishments. From fourth place winners going on to win a Oscar ( Jennifer Hudson)

Or a number one winner with the most accomplishments thus far, Carrie Underwood :

Having 10 #1 Hits on Billboard Hot Country Songs, Underwood is tied with Reba McEntire as the Female Country Artist with Most #1 Hits on such chart from 1990 to present.[6] She's also the only solo Country Artist to have a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 Songs in the 2000 decade, as "Inside Your Heaven" reached the top of the chart on July 2005. Some Hearts, Underwood's debut album, was named the Best Country Album of the 2000 Decade by Billboard,[7] and she's the only Female Artist to appear on the Top 10 of Billboard's Best Country Artists of the 2000 Decade list, ranked at #10.[8] She was also ranked #50 on the Artists of the Decade list by Billboard. [9]. In 2010 Carrie was #3 on the Billboard's Hot Country Songs Artists,[10] #4 on the Top Country Album Artists,[11] and #23 on Top Artists of 2010

Nothing to sneeze at by any means...

These are just a couple of our youth that have gone on to great heights of true talent that has entertained us on more then one occasion. The awards speak for themselves and it was the people that made those awards be possible. Im guessing some of the same people that think American Idol is a joke. After all, they must have bought a cd or downloaded a song to their ipod...

This list could really go on for awhile as we are now about to approach the Tenth year.
Being a die hard follower, I always kind of wished on the tenth year they would take all the first and second place winners and let them do it again!!! Sigh... just a dream, but would be fun to watch.

Ok so the show is a glorified talent show some folks think. True, it is in a way, but not only has it brought dreams come true for young adults whom have brought much to the table, it has also raised millions of dollars for charities.

For you folks that have kids, how many want to grow up to be a American Idol? I have a niece that wants too, lol she can't really sing yet, but maybe she will grow into that voice! I will not deny her dream to be American Idol any more then I would if it was to be a policewoman, doctor, or cowgirl.

I guess my point is, there is a lot of good that has come out of this lame joke of a show( as some will call it), and if you have gotten this far into the post, I would like to address some of the stars, at least to me, that didnt make the top two. Not everyone can win, and we have seen a few times the winner really didnt win in the long run.

Oddly, the fourth place folks have quite a bit of history.. I will address this soon...

All Idol fans please feel free to jump in here at any time. Perhaps we can show the folks there really is some talent going on here and without the show, we would have never been treated to witness it.

Just before I sign off on this part one, I would like to give credit to the first years 4th place person. She was my pick to win actually. She always showed true class. I really gave her credit for always "Dressing the Part" of the genre. ... To me that was polish. Sadly, that has been skipped over in later years. (Though I do have to say Adam Lambert had it down to a tee. More on him later.) Her voice? The angels truly blessed her...

Tamyra Grey:

During the third season of American Idol, she returned to the show on several occasions to sing "Raindrops Will Fall" and "Star", songs she co-wrote for her debut album, and to sing the National Anthem to open the final results show of the season. Gray also co-wrote the American Idol season three single "I Believe", which was performed by Idol finalists Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo. Barrino then released "I Believe" as her American Idol single, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.

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In 2002, Gray became one of the ten finalists on the first season of American Idol, eventually finishing fourth. Her performance of the Burt Bacharach classic "A House Is Not a Home" was described by Judge Simon Cowell as "one of the best performances on television" that he had ever seen.

The song and how she felt about it and how the judges felt about it.... enjoy the trip down memory lane for the old fans!



So just to sum this part one up real quickly, I think American Idol most certainly has a important place, no matter the outcome. It is a part of some of are youths dreams coming true before our eyes. No matter how you look at it, it is the music, and we all the know the magic that lies within that..

There is going to be part 2 to this thread ? Right , i'm off ........... Only kidding .

I guess I can see the point you are trying to make, but remember , unless you are actually taking part in the show , then it's only value is escapism . No denying the show helps to realise the dreams of many young people , who might have otherwise remained in obscurity . The true purpose of the show is to raise money , regardless off where that money will ultimately end up.

Enjoy the ride

it supporting a talent from the root up. you feel like you've invested in this person and therefore are partly responsible for their success. its a vicarious exercise. we like to reward those who do what we wish we could. then we tear them down and build them back up again. the cycle of the cosmos.

reply to post by gandalphthegrey


Yes I will be the first to admit, to put it rather ugly, the show pimps the winners in their ever chasing of the almighty dollar. That still doesnt rule out the fact that here have been some mighty fine power moments where the contestants found their own and out did themselves so much that they went viral into the millions of viewers. Their stars shined... A die hard viewer knows where they were when they witnessed it. lol besides in front of the tv...

For example: David Cook and his version of Billie Jean. I dont care how many remakes he made of it, and yes, this isnt the best video of that night, but I still say, this is the night his star flashed. A little tibet about David before the video and his accomplishments,
Another platinum winner:

American rock singer-songwriter,[1] who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol. Prior to Idol he released an album entitled Analog Heart, and his post-Idol self-titled album, produced by Rob Cavallo, was released on November 18, 2008 and has since been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

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The Videooesnt do it total justice, but still good enough to feel the power of the moment:

reply to post by onehuman


I have *never* watched the show, to be honest.

I don't watch much television anymore (bad influence on my children, I believe) except for perhaps later night news progamming (alternative as much as possible), sports, some discovery, history...you get the picture.

But I absolutely am amazed by Jennifer Hudson--and had no idea that her roots are from the show.

So thanks, onehuman, for posting. Perhaps, I will tune in next time...if I can bear through it...

I find the show extremely pretentious, actually.

The judges are oblivious yet judgmental:

"You're too gay, Lambert + Aiken"

"You're too fat, Clarkson"

And the prize for winning the show these days seems to be... well... absolutely nothing. Haven't there been ten seasons? Where are all these idols ?

Wow OP have you not got a life?
It's obviously a BIG DEAL to you or you wouldn't be posting.