Final American Idol Thoughts from the finale: May 20, 2009

It was the third disappointing season in a row for Idol and I am out. With all of America from which to choose, we get David Cook, Jordin Sparks, and Kris Allen as American Idols. What a joke. They'll have careers for a bit b/c of currents caused by the show, but nothing really spectacular. This show is completely broken. We know nothing about any of these people. There is no real competition between them because there are no consequences to the losers. The top 5 become wildly well known and all of them get a legitimate shot at a career beyond the show. The result is a bland Kumbaya-fest where largely (and shockingly) mediocre talent sing a bunch of songs shoe-horned into themes unsuited for most the contestants fronted by well-outdated mentors like Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton, and Slash. And don't get me started on the "judges." They haven't made a meaningful comment - well, ever.

The show needs: 1) better talent; 2) real competition; 3) relevant (or no ) theme weeks; 4) legitimate commentary; 5) contemporary mentors (maybe even past winners/contestants); 6) a different host; and most importantly, 7) lots more behind the scenes stuff. I don't know about you, but I'd love to see an American Idol documentary. I'd like to see how the audition process works - I have visions of a flotilla of 21 year olds giving the throngs a 10 second shot, then going on to a second flotilla giving them a 15 second shot and so on until about 20 people get a minute or so with the panel, followed by 10 made for tv freaks.

I'd love to see how the song choices are made, and how much time is really spent with the mentors (my guess is 5 minutes), and how many consultants are working with the gang, and how long the judges actually work - my guess is 1 hour of make up, a 30 minute production meeting, and the show, and how the PR machine works, etc., and how the wardrobe process works, and how the contestants really get along, and what their living arrangements are like, and what a typical day is like for the contestants. That is a show I'd watch and enjoy.