American Idol crushed the Olympics in last night’s TV ratings. And deservedly so. I mean why would we wanna watch distant skiiers cruising down slopes or figure skaters falling when we can see the reaction from twenty kids who’ve just gotten rejected by Simon, Randy and Paula? My employees mocked me, but I can’t resist watching.
The show is brilliant–the cameras in the elevator on the contestant’s way up to find out their fate, and on the way down when the winners can barely contain themselves and the losers slump into funks. It is television in its purest form. The joy of the young women who made the cut, (we’re down to just 12 girls and 12 guys) exiting the elevator, hugging their parents, it made us tremble.
Some of the contestants shot themselves in the foot, like the famous Memphis twins Terrell and Derrell Brittenum. These two heavyweight black dudes were talking trash before the judges had picked them. Then one of the two thought his brother was rejected, and quit–only to find that they had both made it to the next round. But it didn’t matter….a day later they were both found to be in default of arrest warrents for check fraud and a few other felonies, and were unceremoniously dumped.
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