Idol: Why it Lost It's Shine

This is an article that I am wrote to go in conjunction with an article that should be coming out on Archaic cannon soon. I hope you enjoy.

American Idol: Why it lost it’s Shine.

In 2002 Fox created a show that captured America’s attention. As a country we turned in weekly to American Idol to watch as everyday people were turned into stars. Eleven years later Idol is losing judges as quickly as it is losing viewers because it has been exposed and has truly lost its shine.

For years Idol lured us in with the promise that we could pick America’s next pop artist. They showed us some bad auditions to let us laugh and then empowered us by allowing us to vote weekly for the people we liked. As the years have passed this formula has become stale and because Idol was unable to create a brand they were never able to make good on their promise to create an American Idol.

There have been success stories: Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia, Clay Aiken. However even in these five it is arguable that Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson are the only two that have reached the “idol” status,creating a lasting career in the ever changing landscape of pop. While Idol was the launching pad for their careers few people remember that they got their start with Idol considering their continued success came outside of Idol’s shadow.

Do not get me wrong; I am not blaming Fox or Idol for artists not becoming mega stars. Idol participants have had great success overall and considering the volatile nature of the music industry two superstars should be viewed as a great accomplishment.

Unfortunately three, four, five, stars are not enough when you consider what Idol promotes and promises. Idol promised us the power to create the next superstar by letting us hand pick them with our votes. Within the hundreds of Idol finalist three making it big is not enough. Simply put there is no interest in picking a star who is going to fade back into obscurity.

Idol is supposed to allow us to pick our next pop star. The next person we want to follow, but because the show is a repeating cycle of replaceable parts it is not that at all.

Picture provided by:www.buddytv.com

Idol is a reality TV. show that gets new “stars” year after year. Every season we watched as they transformed these “normal people” into stars with new haircuts, clothes, etc... Beyond this though like any reality t.v. show tIdol needed “artist” that had some heartwarming interest story. Weather it be a single mother, retired military or something else these stories became progressively harder to produce as the show went on.

Even with millions of viewers and a national platform few artists have made it huge after Idol. If anything the lack luster success stories illuminates just how volatile the music industry is. It really gives America a view into how difficult it is to create a musical superstar.
Idol never had a chance to create superstar after superstar because Idol is much closer to a bar or the Fox Theater than it ever was a record company. They are a stage a platform and because of the nature of the beast Idol was doomed to fail.

It may have taken a while but after twelve seasons we have finally truly seen that Idol can not truly deliver on its penultimate promise: create a lasting American Idol.