Instant fame from talent show

What is american idol? you mean you never heard about it before? This is what wiki defines

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American Idol (titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar in the first season) is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted on June 11, 2002 on the Fox network, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television. It's currently the #1 TV show and is one of only three that have been #1 in the Nielsen Ratings for five consecutive seasons, along with All in the Family and The Cosby Show. Part of the Idol franchise, it is a spinoff from the reality program Pop Idol, which first aired in 2001 in the United Kingdom.

The program seeks to discover the best singer in the country through a series of nation-wide auditions. Through phone voting America has chosen past winners Kelly Clarkson (Season One), Ruben Studdard (Season Two), Fantasia Barrino (Season Three), Carrie Underwood (Season Four), Taylor Hicks (Season Five), Jordin Sparks (Season Six), David Cook (Season Seven), and Kris Allen (Season Eight).

In order to aid voters, the judges give critiques of the contestants' performances: Grammy award-winning record producer and music manager Randy Jackson; award-winning music executive and music manager Simon Cowell; and Grammy award-nominated singer-songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi. Grammy award-winning pop singer and Emmy award-winning choreographer Paula Abdul was a judge for seasons one through eight.[1] The format originally featured three judges with DioGuardi added in the eighth season. After Abdul's exit, on September 9, 2009, Ellen DeGeneres was confirmed to be her replacement.[2]

For all the show's seasons, it is currently hosted by veteran television personality and former children's game show host, Ryan Seacrest. Comedian Brian Dunkleman co-hosted with Seacrest during the first season. The American Idol band is led by Rickey Minor.

The show usually airs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the United States and Canada, Wednesday and Thursday nights in Australia and Asia, Thursday and Friday nights on digital television in the United Kingdom Friday and Saturday nights in Israel, and Saturday and Sunday nights in Latin America.

Different reason for American ido Appeal

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t this time of year, one can’t help but notice those perennial signs of the changing seasons: the leaves begin to turn, the kids return to school, and the summer reality television shows -- "Jon & Kate Plus 8," "America’s Got Talent" and "Whale Wars" -- give way to fall reality television shows, such as "The Amazing Race," "The Hills" and "Dancing with the Stars," among many others. The abundance of reality television has begun to seem as reliable as the seasons, with shows like "American Idol" more popular than ever and imitators proliferating on the cable channels.

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But what is it about these shows that audiences find so compelling?

The reality genre has been around for a long time, with shows like "Cops" and MTV’s "The Real World," said S. Shyam Sundar, distinguished professor of communications and founding director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Penn State, but the defining step came in 2002, when American Idol introduced audience interactivity.

"Shows like American Idol have completely changed how audiences watch television," Sundar said. In the past, television generally asked only that we sit back and relax as sitcoms and scripted dramas supplied passive entertainment. When the most popular show of the early ’80s, "Dallas," aired its "Who Shot J.R.?" cliffhanger, television writers -- not viewers -- decided what would happen. Game shows such as "Jeopardy!" and "Family Feud" set "average Joe" contestants against one another, but never included the audience. And while you could dream of appearing on "The Real World" (or have nightmares about appearing on "Cops"), a barrier remained between stars and viewers.

The real change, said Sundar, came when the audience became part of the production.

"It's the tantalizing possibility of shaping the show that is offered to viewers week in and week out."

American Idol -- now in its seventh season and one of the highest rated shows in the history of television -- appeared at the perfect time, he said. Years of surfing the Web and playing video games have taught younger viewers to expect more interaction with their entertainment media. American Idol’s voting via toll-free numbers and text messaging provides the television audience with a previously unheard-of level of influence.

Similar types of audience feedback have begun to appear outside of reality television, with news broadcasts and sports events especially taking advantage of text messaging interactivity, Sundar said. CNN recently displayed Twitter responses during the presidential debates, for example. Even scripted dramas such as "Lost" often provide a degree of interactivity through complicated puzzles that viewers solve online.

Yet while reality shows have become ratings bonanzas ("Survivor" finales have rivaled the Superbowl), many viewers remain suspicious of their "reality." Virtually every episode of "American Idol" provokes online speculation about vote-rigging or unfair judging. "It's like televised wrestling where everyone generally knows that things are not as real as they seem," Sundar said. Strict adherence to "reality" is not part of the appeal.

"The non-fictional nature of reality television helps only to the degree to which it promises audience involvement," Sundar said. If "American Idol" sets audience members at odds with the show’s producers (especially the acerbic Simon Cowell, who viewers love to hate), so much the better. Such passionate response marks a special kind of involvement that boosts ratings.

Reality TV shows without interactivity still have their appeal. Viewers can fantasize about becoming stars when watching ordinary people attain celebrity on shows like "Survivor."

However, the most appealing aspect of reality television, Sundar said, is its power to make audience members feel like part of the action. No longer mere couch potatoes, viewers join the creative production; the experience feels less like simply watching television and more like being part of a shared national project. "American Idol" is the most popular television show in America not because it produces stars, he said, but because it turns audience members into what they always wanted to be: star-makers.

Source: By Jesse Hicks, Research/PennState

Sociology in explaining the appeal of American idol

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Can Sociology Explain American Idol's Appeal?

author_karen By Karen Sternheimer

By now you have probably seen at least one episode of American Idol, and maybe even have a strong opinion about who this season’s winner should be. But have you ever thought about why it is so popular?

It is certainly not the first talent show to be on television. Remember Star Search? I barely do. Not just because the show has been off the air for thirteen years, but it never generated the buzz of American Idol…a Star Search winner might be an interesting tidbit of trivia, but Idol winners become household names almost immediately. How come? zwani.com myspace graphic comments

Clearly, there are many reasons the show has been so successful. As Bradley Wright recently blogged about, the judges are a key factor. I have to admit that I prefer to watch the early auditions to hear the judges respond to the talent-challenged contestants. Simon’s snappy barbs violate my own sense of kindness and the social norm of “being nice,” yet somehow seeing that violated is entertaining (particularly since I am not on the receiving end). The auditioners reflect a central principle of comedy: a character totally committed to his or her actions while completely lacking self-awareness. And there are plenty of those.

But beyond the bad singers, one of the key elements to Idol’s success is its interactivity. The audience can have a stake in the outcome by voting for their favorite right away by phone or text message. In our Internet age, media that don’t allow for our input and interaction seems dated. Even some national news programs encourage viewers to post comments online during the program. This challenges old complaints about television being a “passive” medium (see books like The Plug-in Drug for example).

or the funny auditions?

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is it the judges or contestants?funny?

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And It all begins from here!

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Reason for American`s idol appeal

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What’s the appeal of American Idol? Many people say that it’s the chance to
see the future music stars of tomorrow that intrigues and appeals to them.
Others say that they are entertained by Simon Cowell’s blistering comments which are delivered under the guise of“constructive criticism.” Whatever the reason, 26.5 million viewers made the airing of the first show in its second season, the highest rated non-sports program in Fox’s young television history.

This is reality TV for singers. The opportunities are real. The singing is
real. The rejection and criticism are real. When American Idol’s television
audience becomes desensitized to Simon’s scathing remarks and actually
listen to the truth behind them, they will realize that what he lacks in diplomacy,
he easily compensates for with his insight. He is the real star of this show.

Despite the fun that’s made of the lesser talented singers, some are very
good. But the industry is full of good singers. American Idol is not looking for
them. They are looking for singers who have “it.” (That’s the industry
description of someone that has a combination of charisma, charm, sex
appeal, attitude, personality, AND talent.) Singers who are merely talent are of no use to today’s industry executives who seek to capitalize on more than just singing skill.

Making it big

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American Idol

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