What Wrong With American Idol

What’s Wrong with ‘American Idol’? Bob Baker’s updated manifesto on how the popular show is creating widespread misconceptions about what it takes to succeed as a musical artist today. It’s one of the most popular TV shows of recent years, drawing tens of millions of viewers every week. Even I admit, American Idol is fun to watch. The show provides all the elements of good pop culture entertainment: passion, emotion, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, dreams attained and lost … So, what’s wrong with American Idol? Considering it’s lumped into the “reality” TV category, the show is doing a great disservice to aspiring musicians (and the public at large) by distorting perceptions of how the music business really works. It sends an outdated message of “dependence” on the industry vs. the more realistic “independence” that artists have today to control their own careers. The Talent Discovery Myth For instance, the program leads you to believe that there are hundreds of people like Simon, Paula and Randy out there searching for raw talent they can mold into the next big pop star. Not true. Sure, record companies employ A&R people whose job it is to sign and nurture new artists — but as major labels consolidate, cut staffs, and get nervous about the bottom line, they no longer have the time or money to develop new acts. Instead, labels look for artists who are already developing themselves, attracting fans, and selling CDs on their own. There’s less risk with an act …