My answers to the American Idol survey

Please answer the questions on this survey:

American Idol contributes to the world of pop music:

FORMCHECKBOX A. Top-flight singing talent.

FORMCHECKBOX B. Mediocre karaoke singers.

FORMCHECKBOX C. Manufactured media stars.

FORMCHECKBOX D. A unique launch pad for charismatic personalities

None of the above. Choose D if you need an answer. They are singers with good voices who can hit their high notes. That doesn’t mean they’re useful or contributing to pop music. “Contributing to the world of pop music”? The question is a debate. One could say that it could be made better by injections of songs from the mom and pop shops instead of the assembly lines, sung by singers who understand passion to be more than the contrast between soft and loud notes. Or one could equally say that the better contribution to pop music would be the bodies of – nevermind.

Which of the following best describes your perception of “American Idol?”

FORMCHECKBOX A. It is a freak show.

FORMCHECKBOX B. It is a sad statement on the current state of popular music.

FORMCHECKBOX C. It is a way for talented people to gain the exposure they need to launch careers.

FORMCHECKBOX D. It is an advertising supported exploitation of America’s obsession with celebrity.

FORMCHECKBOX E. It is a manifestation of “the American dream.”

None of the above. Choose B or D if you need an answer. It’s a singing contest in which singing is neither terribly important nor understood by two of the three judges or the audience or anyone else involved, which negates that statement “It’s a singing contest.” So it’s a contest in which a few of the major elelments of pop culture (looks, talent, personality under duress) are embodied by people who are then pitted against each other to create tension in idle viewing minds, which gives the illusion of time passing in a substantive manner, thereby disguising the fact that time is actually being wasted.

American Idle.