Open Mic
Kate Ferris / Columnist
No matter what you may think of reality television shows,
the fact cannot be denied that these shows have taken over
television.
There are 295 reality shows in existence, according to
realitytvworld.com. Some of these are still running,
and some never made it past the first episode.
PBS' "An American Family" was the first
reality show, first airing in 1973, but no one knows or
remembers it. It seems it was not until
"Survivor" premiered that networks realized what
possibilities there were in the realm of reality, contrived
or not.
Since this boom, one show stands out more than any other.
People of all ages cannot get enough of it.
"American Idol" has gone beyond all the rest, and
now in its fifth season, it shows no signs of stopping.
Unlike many reality shows that pull in a small audience of a
certain age group or gender, "American Idol" has
captured viewers of all ages and
genders.
Most reality shows do not see a second season. However, with
"Idol" in the middle of its fifth season, it has
never had so many viewers. This season of "Idol"
had such a large audience that it crushed the competition NBC
put up with the Winter Olympics.
Very little has changed in the format of the show this year.
Currently, "American Idol" can be seen three
nights a week, with the ladies' competition, the
men's competition and the combined results show.
Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Elon students all
over campus tune in to see who shines and who falls flat each
week.
"Singing is something that everyone does,"
sophomore and avid viewer Leah Matthews said. "It's
not like modeling or living on a desert island.
A lot of the contestants are average, everyday people with
talent.
They sing songs people know, and it's fun to hear
someone else sing them and compare."
When asked why people watch "American Idol,"
sophomore Megan Long said that people are pulled into the
show by the bad singers in the beginning, as well as the
good, and people continue watching also to see who will win.
People also tune in to root for their favorite singer and to
see what harsh judge Simon Cowell will say each week. He has
an endless supply of comments that point out the bad and
rarely praise the good of each singer.
However, not everyone has found "American Idol"
worth watching.
"They've taken what could have been done in a
30-minute show and stretched it out for hours,"
sophomore Brian Summer said. "It's becoming
absolutely ridiculous."
Summer believes the judging is no longer truthful, but
rather the judges say what pleases the audience.
"It is losing all of its qualities of being a
competition," he said.
Whether you are into "American Idol" or not, with
an average of 30 million people tuning in each week,
"Idol" won't be going away anytime soon.
It will continue to persist into another season.
Contact Kate Ferris at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247
| 
Photo courtesy of KRT Campus