American Idol began its sixth season last night and based on last year's average of 30 million viewers per episode, it is again bound to be a big hit. Jennifer Hudson, an American Idol “also-ran” Monday evening won a Gold Globe for her role in the movie version of “Dreamgirls.” This can only help boost ratings. This year’s program will have additional features, like a songwriting contest to ensure viewer interest as the contest makes its way from the initial humiliation of contestants to longer-term humiliation as those with “talent” make their way to the finals. Humiliation has been a major part of this program and it has been an important aspect of pop culture in general for at least ten years. I have written elsewhere about the ways in which advertisers humiliate men when they depict them as cavemen, wolves, and caught in public without their pants. Americans, it appears, have not lost their taste for seeing bad things happen to other people; referred to as schadenfreude. But more to the theme of our course: American Idol is a great example of media convergence, primarily because of its interactive qualities. In other words, viewers participate--20 million or more votes are cast by viewers--in order to determine those that will move on to the next round and ultimately who will win the contest. Advertisers are integrally involved in this process as Cingular utilized the opportunity to encourage text messaging of viewers’ votes in order to increase the use of this service in America. Obviously, there is interconnectedness between the program itself and the other media properties it spawns that range from touring shows, individual CDs from winners and losers, movies, and books, among others. It is the interconnectedness of all these media that compels individual viewers to become fans and to find in various media modalities ways in which to satisfy their emotional cravings to be close to this viewer created phenomenon.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
American Idol: The great American transformation from humiliation to stardom
American Idol began its sixth season last night and based on last year's average of 30 million viewers per episode, it is again bound to be a big hit. Jennifer Hudson, an American Idol “also-ran” Monday evening won a Gold Globe for her role in the movie version of “Dreamgirls.” This can only help boost ratings. This year’s program will have additional features, like a songwriting contest to ensure viewer interest as the contest makes its way from the initial humiliation of contestants to longer-term humiliation as those with “talent” make their way to the finals. Humiliation has been a major part of this program and it has been an important aspect of pop culture in general for at least ten years. I have written elsewhere about the ways in which advertisers humiliate men when they depict them as cavemen, wolves, and caught in public without their pants. Americans, it appears, have not lost their taste for seeing bad things happen to other people; referred to as schadenfreude. But more to the theme of our course: American Idol is a great example of media convergence, primarily because of its interactive qualities. In other words, viewers participate--20 million or more votes are cast by viewers--in order to determine those that will move on to the next round and ultimately who will win the contest. Advertisers are integrally involved in this process as Cingular utilized the opportunity to encourage text messaging of viewers’ votes in order to increase the use of this service in America. Obviously, there is interconnectedness between the program itself and the other media properties it spawns that range from touring shows, individual CDs from winners and losers, movies, and books, among others. It is the interconnectedness of all these media that compels individual viewers to become fans and to find in various media modalities ways in which to satisfy their emotional cravings to be close to this viewer created phenomenon.
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6 comments:
I agree that there seems to be a cultural fascination with watching other people be humiliated. In addition to American Idol, this idea can be seen on any number of reality television shows, but more so on dating reality shows. MTV airs the show, "Next," a show where one person looking for a mate gets the opportunity to date as many as five different people. The first person dates each of the dater one at a time, and whenever the dater gets tired of the datees, they say "Next," and another person steps off the bus. The datees get a dollar for each minute they lastm and at the end of the date, if they are asked on a second date, they get the option of keeping the money or taking the second date. Most of the people who are Nexted on this show are usually done so on the grounds that the other person doesn't like their appearance. People can argue against public humiliation on television, but people who agree to go on these shows know they will be humliated and have no grounds to complain.
I have to admit that I used to be dragged into the American Idol fad, but after 2 seasons ago, this quickly came to an end. The producers main target of humiliation Season 4 was called "Crazy Mary". It was extremely apparent that this girl was mentally ill. I can see what "mscott" is discussing in her comment that people should know that they will be humiliated, but in a case such as this one, I honestly don't think this girl was capable of understanding this. I thought it was a shame on the producers to expose such a thing. It's very apparent that humiliation is their target, specifically choosing who gets to meet the judges (we all know the judges don't sit through millions of applicants). I make it a purpose to no longer watch this show because their choice of people to air was appauling. It crossed the line of funny and entered sad and shameful. I couldn't find a link displaying Mary's performance, but I found a video that gives a little idea what she was like.
http://www.americanidol.com/videos/view/?vid=13
That clip in no way displays the amount of air time Mary got and the number of shows she appeared in, nor does it truly display her character, but you get a little taste.
I think in Pop Culture, producers are always making risks and crossing lines, but this instance on American Idol I believe went beyond humiliation of hopeless wannabes and into repeatedly insulting an individual who was mentally ill.
I think we have left a word out in the title of this blog so i want to rename it- "American Idol: The great American transformation from desperation to humiliation to stardom". The sad part to me is not even the humiliation show contestants go through but the fact that they are so desparate! This desparation for many of these people is not even to actually became THE American Idol. I mean, come on! From walking in dressed as a banana to the stripper costumes to those that barely speak English. These people cannot actually believe they wil be chosen to represent the best in the nation.Rather, they are desparate - desparate to make it on tv,desparate to prove some enemies wrong, desparate to have their "unique" story heard - plain desparation. And what irks me more is the parent, boyfriend and chuch group who are using these individual to add color to their lives. They know how horrible these contestants are and yet still encourage them to camp out for hours and help piece together the tacky costumes. They are no different from the character contestants- also desparate to be famous by association..or at worst..to get their 15 seconds of...humiliation?
After reading the previous comments posted, I think that it is worthwhile to ask why we enjoy seeing others being humiliated. Does it stem from our own sense of insecurity? Do we forget our problems when we see other people being embarrassed, especially in such a public manner? Is it purely the fact that we get a good laugh from the crazy antics of some of the contestants (like the guy who could not sing at all, but chose to juggle)? I think that our enjoyment of the public humiliation that the auditions for American Idol depict speaks a little about our inner selves too. Television can serve as an escape for us from daily conflicts and stress. A lot of the content on shows like the early episodes of Idol is mindless entertainment that postpones our personal worries and problems. Shows like MTV’s NEXT, or the newest of the dating shows, Exposed (where everything the contestants say is run through lie-detector software without their knowledge) serve as distractions. Television has fully embraced this role.
I agree that humiliation seems to be the biggest draw of this show for many people, including myself.
I don't watch the show regularly, however I do catch the initial tryouts whenever I can, as the humiliation endured by some of the more horrible singers is, I'm regret to admit, hilarious and very amusing.
On the topic of humiliation, and following up on the first comment, there is another MTV show that fans of Next should definitely check out: Exposed. It's your run of the mill dating show, except the dater has a best friend listening in on the two dates he/she goes on. The friend is in a surveillance truck using lie detection software to bust the contestants whenever they lie and inform the dater via a hidden radio. It's awesome, especially in one episode where a guy pretends to be from Spain and uses a fake accent the entire time, making the lie detection software go haywire. Watching these people get caught in their lies isn't only a big self esteem boost: it also makes for great television.
I can honestly say that I leave the room when Ameriican Idol is on. My entire family including my 23 year old brother makes everyone be quiet right when the clock strikes the time for American Idol.
I think the show is pathetic in having people humiliate themselves and yet we see this as entertainment? I think my line was drawn when I saw the Jackass films. Is this what our world is coming to? Its bad enough with the reality tv shows promoting excessive drinking and sex and looking foolish but now it is voluntary and people jump at the opportunity?
Granted there may be some talent on this show and a large fan base but for the people that were laughed at or turned away, was this their 5 minutes of fame? a dare? or do they honestly think that they have talent?
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