My Secret Shame

Okay, I admit it. I watch American Idol.

So glad I got that off my chest!

I didn't start watching on a regular basis until the Melinda Doolittle season. (When was that, even? Seems like 5 years ago). The first season I refused to watch because I thought the entire thing looked ridiculous and tacky. And, um, it IS ridiculous and tacky but if you let go of that judgment, you can sit back, laugh at the spectacle Ryan and the judges make of themselves, and every so often hear some remarkable singing.

The first season my roommate Bjorn (hi, Bjorn!), insisted on watching the finale. My other roommate and I sat down with him prepared to cringe when the strangest thing happened. I sat up and said "Who the hell is THAT?" after hearing Kelly Clarkson sing. Yes, the production values were (and remain), over the top in a 13-year-old-girl-high-from-sniffing-glue-gone-crazy-with-her-glitter-pen way, but I did not care! Kelly Clarkson simply had amazing pipes and buckets of charisma, AND an emotional investment in what she was singing. I thought I was hooked.

And then I didn't watch the show again until the Melinda/Blake/Jordan season which was, what, 5 or 6 seasons later? While it's difficult to recall what brought me back to the show, I became invested in the outcome that season. Melinda Doolittle was clearly the most talented of the finalists and should have won, but as is regrettably the case on Idol, the best artist often doesn't win. Kelly Clarkson was an exception. (I can't comment on Carrie Underwood 'cause I wasn't watching that season).

Which brings me to perhaps the most frustrating thing about the show -- aside from the inane comments from Paula and Randy, the snarky, cold-eyed critique of Simon (who is usually right), it being over-produced to within an inch of its life, the blatant manipulation of the audience through pimping out any contestant's sad/difficult/handicapped backstory -- the fact that America often gets it wrong. [Insert your favorite George W. Bush joke here] Rewarding flashy emptiness, pandering, and cuddly looking 16 year olds who may sound good but don't have much going on underneath that sound, the ones who are truly artists often get the shaft. Not always, mind you, but often.

Case in point -- last night's results episode. Alexis -- the diminutive blond pixie with a powerful, soulful voice one doesn't expect to come out of that tiny frame -- was booted off, and Michael Sarver -- so, so boring -- was kept. But Sarver is from Texas and works on an oil rig and has a pretty blonde wife and a pretty blonde daughter, while Alexis is a single 21 year old mother, so clearly, he HAS to stay! It's beyond me.

Where was I? Oh, right, I actually like this show for some reason and I guess you'd like me to tell you why. Well, it's a combination of things really. Because every once in a while you see a performer do something completely beautiful and authentic, like Brooke White singing "Let It Be" at the piano, or the aforementioned Melinda Doolittle doing absolutely anything, or Blake with his awesome beat boxing and unexpected sexiness, and it reminds you that even on this tacky, manipulative, hyper program, actual artistry manages to sneak in the back door.

That, and it's delicious trying to figure out what Paula's saying since she still hasn't mastered the English language despite living here for her entire life.

And here's a brief shout-out to the most original, gifted performer the show has ever seen, one Adam Lambert. Love him or hate him, you cannot deny his talent, his self-possession or his uniqueness. I can't wait to see what he does next -- and isn't that one of the reasons for watching a show like this? The chance to occasionally watch someone so jaw-droppingly excellent that for the briefest of moments one can forget his or her troubles and simply... enjoy.