What Has Become of American Idol?

Once upon a time, I used to be a huge American Idol fan. And I really mean HUGE. All you have to do is look back in this very blog to see how big of a fan I was. I recapped every performance show and gave my opinions on who I thought did the best and the worst of each week. But somewhere along the way, there was a disconnect. It just no longer appeals to me like it once did. It has become the same old show year in and year out and no matter what they try to do, they just can't capture the magic the show once held. Here are a few reasons why I think the show has slipped the way that it has.

The loss of Simon Cowell...It was after season nine where Simon bid adieu to the venerable singing show. At the time I thought it was a welcome change for the show to be Simon-less. But I quickly changed my opinion once I heard the critiques from newcomer-judges Jennifer Lopez and Stephen Tyler. They never could say a bad thing to any of the contestants unless they were really, really bad. Simon certainly had a way of letting people down on that show. He didn't mince words and he pulled no punches. He was honest when he needed to be and when a contestant gave a brilliant performance, he gave it its proper credit. To me, the show has yet to find that personality to be as harsh and honest as Simon was on the show. Randy tries to be harsh, but it isn't the same. You know, there will never be another Simon Cowell. He's just so irreplaceable. The show has tried to press on without him, but it hasn't had the success that it once did.

Winners not as successful on the charts...When you think of previous Idol winners, you think of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. They are the two biggest stars of the Idol franchise. And I have a feeling that will remain the same until Idol goes off the air once and for all. The show doesn't bring in the kind of ratings that it once did, thus it isn't drawing as many viewers in to watch the top ten contestants duking it out for the top spot. It doesn't have as much exposure to as many people, and the contestants that have been winning in recent years have been focused more towards a specific genre of music (i.e. gospel, soul) rather than being totally mainstream. People have tuned away from the show more than ever before, thanks to programs on other networks and cable channels. Idol just isn't as appealing as it once was.

The show has been on for too long...We are now upon the 12th season of Idol; 11 years in total. That's a long time to be on the air, especially these days. To maintain the 30 million people that it once was able to draw in for ratings would have been difficult for any TV program to do. Popularity for TV shows eventually wanes as the years go by. Now, it's lucky to draw 16 million viewers. But, the show still does quite well for the FOX network, so I doubt it'll go away anytime soon. It seems that reality/game based shows tend to lose ratings quicker in time than other genre of TV programs. Most comedy and dramas that are popular typically maintain 20+ million viewers. But 30 million is certainly not an everyday feat. I think Idol producers are trying every way they can to keep people glued to the set while Idol is on. And so far, it hasn't worked.

Those are just a few of the reasons why I think Idol's popularity has taken a hit, particularly after season eight wrapped up. For me, the greatest years of American Idol were seasons seven and eight. Season nine has been referenced as being Idol's worst of all, which just so happened to be Simon's last. And you could tell he was bagging the last season in as he seemed so disinterested in what was going on. Will Idol ever be able to retain the ratings death hold it once had? It likely never will. I think Idol producers were hoping that this season's star-studded judges panel would fix the ratings issue. But even Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj can only do so much. As for myself, I still watch it when I can, but I am no longer interested like I once was. Maybe I am getting too old, as all of the contestants are mostly in their late teens and early 20's. I am now 30 and even if I wanted to audition, I no longer can. So I am starting to get out of the demographic that the show desires. And as I mentioned earlier, it just isn't the same without Simon.

Jonathan

I feel as if I never really knew you, even though we were related; cousins to be exact.
And now you are gone, a life ended much too soon.
You were a troubled soul, crying out for help.
But nobody was there to lend a hand, to lift you up.
And now there is nothing to remember you by.
Just sad memories.
It's as if you never even existed.
I look in the newspaper, search on-line.
There's no obituaries, no tributes.
All I can say is that I know you once existed.
But now you are gone.

We were never all that close.
Yet, you are still family.
But there is nothing to remember you by.
Except for a few pictures in a photo album from a time long ago.
It was a much happier time, when things were so much more care free.
These days, life seems so hectic and lost.
I wish we could regain those innocent times.
And at least try to start over; to be more of a family than we ever were.
But that will never happen now.
It's a dream that will never come true because, you are gone.

You had a lot of potential, but were lead down the wrong path.
Perhaps if you lived in a less chaotic environment.
You could have been successful at life.
Instead, your life is categorized as a failure.
But it certainly wasn't all your fault.
You lived in chaos during your childhood, teenage years, and right into your adulthood.
Your upbringing was less than spectacular.
Yet you were never steered straight down the right path.
And we'll never truly know what might have been.
So dear cousin, this is my small attempt at a remembrance for you.
Because there really isn't much else to remember you by.
No obituaries, no funeral.
Just a lost soul, gone way too soon.
May you rest in peace.