Josh Bates & Kristin M. Barton
mistake-ridden auditions to be the most captivating element of the show; the
embarrassing attempts of contestants are a renewable source of humor on
the Internet.
Understanding and admitting these reasons for viewership does not
allow the dismissal of the implications of watching and supporting the show’s
not based on creativity or originality. As Simon Cowell (2003), the Idol judge
known for his coarse honesty, admits, judges and producers do not intend to
counterpart melodies over her chord progressions. The harsh judge concedes
out who is really marketable and why. The rest is wasted time and wasted
breath” (2). After granting that it his job to sell records, Cowell elaborates
that he must separate the “wannabes from the real stars” (3). He goes on to
period. Not everyone can achieve the lyrical notoriety of Bob Dylan or the
piano and vocal talent of Elton John. Therefore, record companies need to
American Idol and similar shows are platforms for this success, and
judges like Simon Cowell know how to scout the marketable attributes that
will turn a contestant into an idol. This argument is not explicitly casting
blame upon the judges or the producers of the show; they are all involved
in a business after all. But this incidental steering of America’s musical
preferences as a result of the judges’ and producers’ intentions is alarming,
simply because, as discussed previously, the relationship between humans
and music is invaluable. Fortunately, Cowell is quick to add that the foundation
to an artist’s successful career is that the artist has some degree of real
musical talent, so he is not advocating that the industry create stars out some
Idol
has permitted a marketable and unvarying formula to dictate what musical
talent is, and America has adopted the same standards.
These standards have caused viewers to gravitate away from the
artistry of well-respected and popular musicians. What if the renowned
American singer/songwriter Bob Dylan were to compete for the Idol crown?
Dylan’s voice has so few traces of marketable talent that it is unlikely that
the accomplished lyricist would advance beyond the initial audition rounds
of the competition. The contrasts between Dylan and the TV series are
just too great. As Unterberger distinguishes, Dylan represents the purity of
craft with elements of folk, country, and even gospel music. Representing
musical creativity and talent, Dylan brings a personal and unique stylistic
approach to his music and shares a worldview with his audienc K[