Guilty Pleasures

I have to admit, one of my guilty pleasures is American Idol.  Each year I watch it, and I always wonder why I do.  It seems each season gets progressively worse, and yet they claim the bar continually rises year after year.  There are always a few standout performances that are worth watching, but overall the show has lost its edge.  I really find it hard to believe that these top 12 individuals are really the best out of everyone that auditioned.  Either the really good artists aren't even bothering with the show, or the producers that filter through people are looking for some quality other than good singing.

I had hopes for this year when Crystal Bowersox and Lilly Scott made the top 24, but that hope was completely lost when Lilly was voted of before getting to the top 12.  There were plenty of other people that should have gone before her.  Seriously, I think the show needs to change the voting format.  If we could just vote for the person we want kicked off of the show, that would make all the difference in the world.  Just don't make us listen to them again when their voted off.  I never watch the whole results show since it's pure torture.  Why would we want to hear the worst sing again?  Plus the cheesy group song and choreography is usually painful to watch.  Especially when you have unique individuals like Crystal in the mix. 

With Simon leaving the show, I don't think I'll be watching again next year.  I've never been a fan of Randy - he just tries too hard.  As Simon would say, it's borderline desperate.  I like Kara, but she can get a little carried away with what she wants out of the contestants.  I don't see why everyone has to have a real personal connection with the song.  Sometimes a song is just a song, and it's about singing it well.  I won't even go into the Ellen thing - it's just pointless. 

So I guess we'll see if this season gets any better, but I doubt it will.