:grunt: Hippies can sing!

Far fewer people vote for American Idol than voted in the 2004 presidential election. AI got 60 million votes in its final, but lots of people voted hundreds of times.

Just because somebody has a good career and can sing doesn't make them "American Idol" property. They aren't just looking for a good singer...they are looking for a certain look/personality/stage persona they can market. Let's face it, A LOT of great singers out there, many right now with record contracts, would NEVER make it on American Idol. Could you see a young Bob Dylan trying to get his start on there? Or a young Tom Waits? Just a couple examples, I know, but there are many more. They have had lead singers from local bands audition and do a pretty good job, but they just didn't make the cut because they weren't what American Idol is looking for.

It's not as if American Idol is the ONLY place we can find good singers. If good singing was all this show was concerned with, then each contestant would perform behind a curtain and nobody could see them...just their voice would be it. By now, the judges have an American Idol brand in mind when getting people on the show, and that's why some lackluster singers get through to the final rounds. As if Sanjaya would have gotten as far as he has if it was just a singing competition.

Great idea,
it still amazes me that almost 31 million people watch this show everytime its on. I remember when #1 shows were acted, now all the good shows are getting cancelled because reality garbage is taking over primetime tv. member back in the day when singers (well they still do but) got promoted on late night talk shows?
I am not trying to threadcrap but my opinion is that they don't need to fix AI, they need to cancel it!

You do realize how irrational this thought is. "They" would be Fox. If you owned a network, and one of your shows is making tens of millions of dollars each time it aired, would you cancel it?

Very true. As I've tried to explain to people (and I have to keep reminding myself), television isn't about making a great masterpiece, it's about appealing to the lowest common denominator in order to make the most money possible.

I'm not ashamed to admit liking American Idol. Shows like Survivor are way past their prime, and thank goodness the dating/marriage shows are done.

My suggestions for fixing the show:

1) In the tryout shows, have the videos of all of the people that advanced to Hollywood available to view online. Or, better yet, have a special episode each week showcasing the winning performances. I hate that they waste 6 weeks or so just showing non-singers wanting their 2 minutes of fame. There are contestants that make it into the final 24 without one second of previous airtime.

2) When voting by phone, force the caller to listen to a message telling them to enter in a random 3 digit code. "To confirm your vote, please enter 824#". This will prevent people from setting up machine dialing.

3) To make #2 work, add more lines or extend the dialing hours. I've set up DialIdol and less than 5% of my calls get through. I can't see how they are accurately totalling votes if their phone lines are at 98% capacity the whole voting period.

Honestly the best way is a modified ROCK STAR method - in the top 12, America votes and the bottom three is formed. The contestants sing again and the JUDGES send one home. At the top 6, America votes as usual.

Also, I think the top 24 should be changed as well. Four episodes prior, judges pick the top 40. There is a sing off each week, 10 of each sex. America votes through 3 each week. Judges can still affect voting by placing stronger contestants in with weaker ones (like Lakisha, Melinda and Blake in the same group with Sanjaya).

Do y'all really trust THESE judges?

Maybe we all need to vote for him to ensure that he wins then. :D

http://www.movieactors.com/freezefra...osidean85.jpeg
"You irresponsible bastard."

The show is really about as good as it can be. Many of the "fixes" mentioned here would not work and would actually make the show less popular AND less entertaining. There is a reason why they haven't monkeyed with the formula since season 4. More people are tuning in than ever and it is partially because of many of the things being complained about that need "fixing".

The show would be much duller if it was all about the most talented singers or the best possible judging/voting formula. For example, think of the show without Paula's unbelievably ridiculous behavior replaced with a sane judge like Olivia Newton John. Or the Sanjayas, Federovs, JPL's, Mikalas, etc. replaced with contestants like Brandon Rogers. Would the show be more entertaining or more fun to watch? I doubt it and the producers know this. Paula is probably the most talked about judge on this forum as is Sanjaya the most talked about contestant. If they get rid of the trainwrecks then they will lose the rubber-neckers.

What people say they want and what they will actually watch are many times two entirely different things. I say change nothing. It works and it is a lot of fun.

It seems older people like to watch this show. Whenever I hear people talk about it, younger people hate this show but older people-I'd say 40+ - seem to just LOVE this show. Ironically, I don't really think that's the demographic this show is geared towards.

Both of these are GREAT ideas. I doubt they will ever put these in action, but somebody in charge of this show should see this post.

"If you're my age, no one's trying to sell you anything except life insurance, hardcore pharmaceutical drugs, the hole in the ground, and "The Best of Sting," and when someone comes up to you and hands you "The Best of Sting," you realize that basically, somehow you are dead."
-- Henry Rollins on being over 40


Anyhow, right now they don't need to change anything, from what it seems. They're raking in money hand over fist, and most of the changes suggested so far seem to be ones that would result in less money for the show.

Why would they want to change a formula that is making them money and getting them free advertising? You know how many new viewers are tuning in now just because they keep hearing the story of this no-talent that survives every round?

These manufactured controversies bring in more publicity, publicity that is better than money can buy.

In the end, people need to realize two things -

1. This is a show about getting ratings.

2. This show is a popularity contest, not a talent contest.

The only problem I see for American Idol is if they charge you for voting. I don't watch the show, so I don't know the specifics of their voting system, but I do recall in other telephone voting situations that the law stated that if you're charging for people to vote, it's illegal to alter the results. If you're not charging, though, you can do whatever you want.

Son of a bitch, you got me.
i wouldn't cancel it, but i just plain out hate american idol thats all. if i cancelled AI i would be fired from FOX so fast its not even funny.

Not a true statement. This show typically draws more viewers in the key advertising demographic (18-49) than all the shows on the other networks COMBINED. Here is a clip from zap2it last Tues on ratings:

"FOX and "Idol" drew a 17.2 rating/26 share for the night, leaving everyone else in the dust. CBS came in second with a 8.0/13. NBC, 4.6/7, edged ABC, 4.3/7, for third. The CW trailed at 1.7/3. In the adults 18-49 demographic, FOX's 11.6 rating lapped the field several times. CBS, 3.3, was the best of the rest, followed by NBC at 2.1. ABC averaged 1.9 and The CW 1.1."

It's pretty much like this every week. What makes this show pure gold is that it seems to cut across all demographics.

i'm not feelin you dog.

"Whenever I hear people talk about it" suggests something to you that is a false statement??? Have you been following me around???? :eek:

So you weren't trying to make the point that only older folks watch the show?? Um, OK. What was the point of your statement? :eek:

http://community.allhiphop.com/image...s/awwgeeze.jpg

Seeing as you were incapable of reading the quote you quoted from me, let me break it down:

This is a general observation based on MY personal experience. This is not based on an extensive study of Neilsen ratings or anything else. Just my day to day contact with folks. The words "IT SEEMS" denotes this as an observation, NOT FACT. Nor does "OLDER PEOPLE LIKE TO WATCH THIS SHOW" say ONLY older people like to watch this show. Follow the ball on the bottom of the screen very carefully here, skippy. You're losing track of it.

Not whenever I read posts on line (which I never really go to the official American Idol chat rooms....this board is about the only place I read comments on the show, and I have no idea how old any of you are)...whenever I hear people talk about it. To hear somebody talk about it you have to be in their general vicinity, or talking to them personally. It's an amazing thing this socialization...you should try it sometime, moocher.

This is a continuation of my thought that started "Whenever I hear people talk about it." I've yet to meet a person under the age of 30 that talks highly of this show, but then again I don't teach at a school or anything like that for a living, so maybe there are throngs of teens out there gushing over every moment of this show, I have no idea. At work, I know several over 40 that like this show and I also know several under that age who hate this show. Do you care to challenge those assertions? Because you can't, unless you come to work with me and ask the people I work with about it. That's what I know, that's all I'm saying.

One could presume that older people generally like this show over all if the majority in a small area like it. Heck, that's what people who take statistics do...they poll a thousand or so people and determine what millions like based on those few. But I guess in your area, moocher, younger people gush over this show and absolutely love it. Great, wonderful, glad for ya, but you can't really argue with statements that are based on personal observation of people around me. But even if one did presume that older people generally liked it, that doesn't mean I was saying ONLY older people like it nationwide. I never made any comments that suggested I was meaning nationwide.

Do I have to explain that one to you now?

Uh...kinda hate to even comment since just about everything has been said (repeatedly), but will just agree that it's hard to talk about "fixing" the No. 1 show on tv. One might project that, if a Sanjaya actually WON the competition, it might forever damage the "credibility" of the show and hurt its future ratings.
However, I think that it would take several such events to really sink the show...it's more likely that people would tire of the concept itself before that happened.

In fact, keeping a Sanjaya around might actually be helping ratings in the short term...it's kind of interesting (yet sad, since it's hard to know if the boy is really in on "the joke"...he seems to think he's invulnerable now & can do no wrong...witness the Rooster Gone Wrong this past week) to see just how long this can go on. Actually, it's kind of hard to see any really marketable "talent" up there...it's hard to see too many sellout concerts (well, Taylor Hicks is still selling lots of tickets, so there's always going to be the curiosity factor). I still don't see any of them fitting the "Idol" profile a la Carrie Underwood, who both looks good & can sing reasonably well. There are some good, likeable singers (mainly female), but their genres aren't exactly Billboard busters right now.

I would respond to the audience age comments. Teaching middle school, I hear lots of kids avidly discussing AI each week (both commenting on the results, predicting winners, and defending their favorites). It came as more of a surprise to hear 50+ people gushing over the show...maybe it shouldn't, since they grew up with Ted Mack's Amateur Hour, Ed Sullivan-style variety shows, etc.

Just as with Survivor, the success of AI depends upon the personalities involved more than the actual talents/abilities of the participants (something I think the producers understand full well). AI could find 24 really great singers who looked/sounded similar & the ratings would fall like a rock (consider the dwindling ratings for "beauty contests" in which cookie-cutter contestants are interchangeable). In that sense, having some weaker/odder links really makes for a stronger contrast between the good, the mediocre, and the painful...and creates more controversy when a "better" singer gets booted in favor of a lame one.

like all popular media, people are starting to get sick of it and a lot of the audience is starting to get older, happens all the time, see backstreet boys. the 12 and 13 year old girls who watched it 4 seasons ago are now 16 and 17 and moved on to other interests. I am enjoying this season. then again,I missed all the seasons except the bo bice one. so I am not burnt out from American Idol. I take it for what it is. one and a half hours of weekly entertainment. no cure for cancer will be found there.

Here's the thing guys - This show is here to stay, even if it gets cancelled! Remember that a few years ago they brought back Star Search for a short while.

If American Idol does dwindle in popularity and is cancelled maybe 5 years from now, it will be brought back about 10-20 years later. It'll never actually 'go away'. It's here for good.

Simon will just keep getting richer. a Brit living the American dream. he will be a billionaire in 20 years.