American Idol Loves Them Teens

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I've never really watched American Idol, because I always hated the dynamics between Paula Abdul and that British guy--Simon Le Bon? Also, I don't like watching hopefuls fail on national television. But Dan is into the show, and now that the judges are people I like, we have seen a few episodes (J Lo, Harry Connick Jr., and Keith Urban--who knew that he was from Australia? I have never listened to any of his songs intentionally, and just assumed that he was from somewhere in Oklahoma).

I guess it's better than The Bachelor as far as the reality TV spectrum goes because the participants have to be at least somewhat talented vs. just sexually attractive. And the show does have diversity--I think at least half of the finalists are non-white and one or two possibly non-straight.  A few play an instrument, and all of them come from fairly middle class to poor backgrounds and so there's this very modern American dream twist to it. And yet...

Of course there's an "and yet."  And yet...I don't know enough about singing or staying on key to really be able to tell you if someone is singing with the notes exactly, or just screeching. It does seem that they get most of it right, but it also seems that they think the main goal is to belt out the song as loudly as possible or to build to this crazy crescendo at the end. I mean, I am coming to this so so so so late, right? This has always been the case, probably. Maybe Dan and I can do a parody video some time. I keep saying that, but it just never happens.


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