Taylor Tuesday

AMERICAN IDOL: SO OVER IT

I hate to quote a Katharine McPhee song, but that's how I feel about American Idol. I'm over it. I get no joy from the show anymore.

I'm obviously a Taylor Hicks fan, so my perception of the show is tempered by how I think he's been treated since winning AI. I have no inside info and I don't know much about the music industry, but I can speak from my perspective as the average Joe viewer.

During Season Six, the year after Taylor won, a contestant walked into auditions with gum in her mouth. Simon told her to stick it on a picture of Taylor's face. And later, when we moved on to the part of the show where America votes, the exit song was sung by the guy who placed FOURTH the year Taylor won. If any former contestant deserved that priviledge, it should be the winner of American Idol, not Mr. 4th Place.

After enduring a season of blatant disrespect towards their reigning Idol, we Taylor fans were looking forward to his appearance on the finale. Let me remind you that the year before, the reigning Idol opened the finale show. Carrie Underwood was presented like royalty as the curtains parted to wild applause. Taylor, on the other hand, was given a spot somewhere in the middle of the finale show, without an introduction.

Then there was Clive Davis' embarrassing speech about how lucrative AI has been for him. OK, that wasn't exactly what he said, but it WAS all about numbers and how many more CDs Daughtry had sold than Taylor.

From my seat here in consumer land, it seems Taylor got no help from Clive Davis in the promotion of his CD (perhaps because he was too busy figuring out how to promote Daughtry). Taylor's first single wasn't released until AFTER the CD had already been out for a while and it got little radio play.

I read an article recently which said that the single is everything. Get it out there, get it played and people will buy the CD. Makes sense to me. Radio play is EVERYTHING. I can't really address the rumors that swirl about payola, but when other Idol contestant's songs have been played and replayed on the radio and Taylor's never is, it kinda makes you wonder.

But, back to American Idol. I was never a huge fan, but I did get hooked on Season Five. Taylor Hick's story was (supposedly) what the show was all about: giving an unknown singer a shot at a music career. But I think it went even deeper. It became a story about giving the unknown misfit a shot. Though Taylor's a good-looking guy, he was the underdog because he doesn't fit the traditional image of a pop star.

Let me stop right here. I'm confused. Is that what we're looking for on American Idol? A pop star? Maybe Ryan should make it very clear when they flash those phone numbers on the screen: "Remember, folks, the phone lines won't be open until the end of the show and be sure to vote for the person you feel is most marketable!"

Those silly producers have been telling us to vote for our favorite. I'm sorry, I misunderstood! Maybe they should just tell us the actual person they want us to vote for, then we viewers won't waste our time putting our hearts and souls into backing someone the music label doesn't believe in.

Ow. My stomach hurts. That happens every time I think about that show. Taylor won American Idol. Fact. He brought the goods. The night he took the prize he yelled, "I'm living the American Dream!" Yeah, well, not so fast. When it comes to American Idol, you're living it if you're willing to conform to what music executives think you should be.

American Idol has been an education and a sobering disappointment. I won't be watching tonight or any night in the future. I can't get that invested again, only to have the harsh realities of the music biz kill the joy of discovering a great new talent.