Well, Yippee. Just when I thought we were half way through the season, and my job would be getting slightly easier (Yay for half hour results shows!) the Idol producers decide to see just how much they can push their baby, by adding even more one-hour shows to the schedule. The producers claim that they are making the switch to one-hour results shows a month earlier than expected because there hasn't even been enough time for the booted singers to perform their farewell songs on air during the crammed 30-minute editions.
So wait, instead of cutting 2 minutes of commercials or other meaningless banter so that the rejected contestant can sing, Idol is adding 30 minutes of bloat? I imagine this means we'll get the reject song (actually under 2 minutes), along with 22 minutes of commercials, and 6 odd minutes of space-filling Ryan/Simon gay banter, along with a little bit of Paula-babbling.
Okay, how much of Idol is just too much Idol?
I used to like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire too, until they aired it 20 times a week. This is where I think the insatiable greed of certain network producers begins to jeopardize the product they've created. They have to realize that there is a line -- a point at which their show becomes too over-exposed, and the viewing public becomes jaded, and tired of the hype.
And while I enjoy Idol as mindless entertainment, I certainly don't like being played. I'm beginning to think (okay, I've thought it for a long time) that the producers really only care about making a butt-load of money, and don't care AT ALL about finding the best singer in America! It has become glaringly apparent that every single decision the producers make is based on how much more advertising dollars they can squeeze into 30 minutes of faux-programming.
They can do this, because we, the TV-viewing public, suck it up and flock to whatever the Almighty Idol serves us. Or we have until now. I know from reading our comments, that a lot of people are fed up with the voting system, and disgusted that Sanjaya remains in the competition. Lots of people have also complained that this year's show is the most boring ever. And some of you even say you're through, and will "never watch Idol again!"
I'm sorry to say, however, that we can complain about it all we want, but as long as Idol remains a ratings juggernaut - NOTHING is going to change. The producers don't need to listen to their whiny, dissatisfied customers, because there are millions of people buying what they are selling. And we can't seem to get enough. So why wouldn't they give us more, as long as we seem to want it? The Idol money train will keep rolling on and on until it completely runs out of gas. Since nobody knows when that will be, the producers and network are pretty darn smart to milk this thing for as long as they can.
I know lots of you think Idol should limit the number of votes as a solution to the Sanjaya problem. But I doubt this will ever happen, at least not as long as they are charging for phone calls and text messages. There would be too much revenue lost for Idol's partners. Which is why the producers can only thank themselves for Vote for the Worst and Howard Stern's campaign to ruin Idol. The producers could create a "fairer voting system" and eliminate the "VFTW/Stern Effect" completely -- if they didn't have the need to make a penny off of every aspect of this competition.
The extended one-hour results shows will air on April 11, April 18 and May 2. The April 25th show has also been extended for the two-hour Idol Gives Back event. Even the two-hour charity event leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The cynical side of me believes Idol is only running this star-studded charity event to increase their goodwill hype and raise their advertising rates for the night. I believe the event will most likely "give back" A LITTLE to charity, and A LOT into the producers' pockets. If they aren't doing it just for the money, they should donate all (not just a percentage) of the proceeds for the night (including ALL the advertising dollars).
Of course, I live in a dream world where American Idol really is a singing competition, and the producers don't care at all about making more money than they will ever need. And it's my job to watch it all, whether 20 more hours, or 100. I can't turn it off, and say "enough!" How about you? Have you had enough?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-28-2007 @ 3:50PM
Holli said...
How much Idol is too much? All of it.
Reply
3-28-2007 @ 4:17PM
Karen said...
Dear Holli--Amen, sister.
Reply
3-28-2007 @ 4:22PM
Justin said...
I couldn't have said it better myself. I don't understand why they can't cut a couple minutes of babbling instead of bumping the shows up to 1 hour.
Ridiculous.
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3-28-2007 @ 4:48PM
Backing Logan on this one said...
This is the first season I've watched Idol at all, aside from one finale episode, and the only way it's watchable at ALL is by DVR. Skip all the commercials, the Ryan Seacrest drivel, and the inspirational backstory drek--cut to watching just the singing and the judges' opinions. Then skip to the last 5 minutes of the results episode.
Reply
3-28-2007 @ 5:06PM
RedStarRevolution said...
I have held my tongue for a loooooooong time about AI, but that time is up.
I have never understood why people watch drivel like this, and Dancing with the Stars for that matter. It's trash, absolute garbage. Nothing more than a vehicle for Coke, Ford, and whatever dozen other things FOX or ABC wants to pimp at a given time.
The end result, over hyped and under talented individuals that get much more airtime than they should, seeing how most should be MC'ing a mall opening in their tiny little home town in Idaho, not doing commercials and selling millions of records.
In closing, I would just like to point out that if there was no American Idol, there would be no William Hung, and that my friends, is a world that I want to live in...
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3-28-2007 @ 5:19PM
erroneous_nick said...
I hope we get tons of AI every day of the week, but not for the reasons you may at first assume. My hope would be AI overload. Get everyone so sick of seeing AI all the time that it tanks and the beast finally goes extinct.
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3-28-2007 @ 5:19PM
David said...
That's insane.
Maybe they shouldn't have ryan talk so much and show what we already know. We watched the normal show otherwise we wouldn't be watching the results. That saves at least 10 minutes.
Or here's a thought... Run long! Yesterdays show ran 7 minutes long, do the same on the sults show.
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3-28-2007 @ 5:45PM
popcultureidiot.blogspot.com said...
It's too much for this season. There's no Kelly Clarkson, a Clay or a Fantasia Barrino. In fact, there's not much here at all, the time could be decreased not the opposite.
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3-28-2007 @ 5:46PM
Kyle Beasley said...
I agree about the charity thing. If they really wanted to be charitable they should donate all the proceeds of that night, not just a percentage. It wouldn't break their bank.
http://kylebeabo.blogspot.com/
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3-28-2007 @ 5:49PM
Porchland said...
It's a business. Get over it. Don't watch the results show, and let the ratings drop do the work.
Ratings are down about 10 percent this year, and I don't think it's because of Daylight Savings Time or weak talent; it's because people are starting to get tired of the show.
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=881a418d-edfd-4394-a1ce-32809506bba5&entry=index
And that's with none of the networks challenging the time slots at all. ABC ran a repeat "Ugly Betty" every single time "Idol" was on Thursday.
If the "Idol" ratings continue to dip this season, I hope one of the networks takes it on like ABC did this season, challenging "CSI" with "Grey's Anatomy" and knocking a dent into it.
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3-28-2007 @ 5:57PM
TomB said...
AI/FOX really screwed up my DVR last night. If a show is scheduled one minute past the hour it causes a conflict. If going to an hour gets it back on schedule then I'm all for it. I don't watch it anyway so it doesn't matter to me. It just messed up the House start and stop times.
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3-28-2007 @ 6:11PM
David said...
Actually Porchland I would agree that people are sick of seeing shity singers, aka, this season sucks.
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3-28-2007 @ 6:27PM
Darren said...
Way too much Idol - stop watching it and it goes BYE BYE!
Reply
3-28-2007 @ 6:27PM
Europa said...
All you have to do is tune in for the last 10 minutes for the "bottom line" results. That's what I've been doing all along. There’s no need to sit through the fluff and it’s highly unlikely that they’ll ever reveal the final result early – people would definitely tune out early then. If you're afraid you'll forget or get caught up in something more entertaining on another network, set your "egg timer" of choice; your cell phone alarm, your Outlook timer, your regular alarm clock. Works like a charm.
As for the looser singing a farewell, I have never understood that. I mean, the audience - at least in theory (“San-gay-a” has thrown all logic out the window this year) - liked this person's performance the least. We don't want, or need, to hear them sing it badly again. Hello!? Besides that, usually the looser is all choked up, upset to be leaving and clearly doesn’t feel like singing right at that moment anyway. It’s torture and for those under 18, child abuse. Let them say a few words of good-bye and thanks for the memories and cut to the 10:00 O'clock news.
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3-28-2007 @ 11:35PM
Brenda said...
I think american idol is a great show. If you don't
want to watch it, just turn the channel to something
else. My comment is that if Sanjaya is not kicked off
before long, alot of people are going to stop watching. He can't sing, dance, or anything else. He
should have never made the top 32, and certainly not
the top 12.
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3-29-2007 @ 8:02AM
LATT said...
AMERICAN IDOL BRINGS AMERICA TOGHER AS A FAMILY AND GIVES US ALL SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT ON A DAILY BASIS AS AMERICANS....WE ARE ONE....AS A FAMILY OF AMERICANS...LIKE SETING DOWN TO THE DINNER TABLE AND DISCUSSING .."WHAT WENT ON TODAY"...WITHOUT IDOL WHAT WOULD BRING US ALL TOGETHER IN TALK?????? IT HAS BEEN GOOD FOR US AS A FAMILY...AND GOOD FOR THE KIDS WHO HAVE A CARREER OUT OF IT.ITS BRINGING US ALL DECADES OF FUTURE ENTERTAINERS...THANK U AMERICAN IDOL FOR BRINGING US ALL TOGETHER.....NEVER GET ENOUGH OF U.
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3-29-2007 @ 11:27AM
Marlys said...
From a seniors point of view, this show sucks! The few times I've watched it I've had to wonder what has happened to the American public that they think any of these performers have talent. They cannot sing and further more they do not have a clue what good music is. They stand on stage and squeel and howel and are then celebrated. I'd really rather listen to a dog howel then put up with these talentless individuals.
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3-29-2007 @ 1:31PM
VEE said...
SANJAYA NEVER SHOULD HAVE MADE THE TOP ANYTHING.I AGREE THE JUDGES SHOULD HAVE SOME SAY WHEN IT GETS AS FAR AS IT HAS WITH SANJAYA AND ANTONELLA.SOMEONE MENTIONED AGE AS A FACTOR THERE I HAVE TO DISAGREE HERE WE HAVE SANJAYA 17 AS A HUGE JOKE,THEN WE HAVE JORDIN 17 WHO IS WONDERFUL,BLESSED WITH A VOICE THAT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS.IF THEY HAD CHANGED THE AGE AND SAID 17 IS TO YOUNG WE WOULD HAVE NEVER HAD THE JOY OF HEARING JORDIN WHO SHOULD BE IN THE TOP THREE ALONG WITH LAKISHA AND MELINDA.
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3-29-2007 @ 1:32PM
Pretty Cheap Jewelry said...
For Some it's never enough! Here's something I made for the person who can't live without it:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5614479
Just havin fun in a non-commercial way. :>
Reply
3-29-2007 @ 4:40PM
jeanette said...
This is insane, if Sanjaya continues to stay Idol will have to change the rules so that contestants that do not belong on the show get the boot, the judges will have to have a part in the voting .
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