American Idol

is there anything more dismal than listening to people murder songs that weren't done all that well by the original artists over 20 years ago?

tonight's American Idol was a complete exercise in how to make NO ONE want to watch ever again.

i don't know if i'll watch the girls tomorrow or not. if their choices also come from the glorious '80 music and they can't manage to do anything but ballads, i'll seriously be ill.

and that one rocker chick is totally one dimensional. can she please show us something that resembles anyone besides janis joplin?

perhaps i am just angry that my friend's daughter got cut in the final tally. she was 25th out of 24. literally.

ouch.

but in all candor, there is no way she could have done that much worse than the people that were picked to do this show. whatever skills they may have had during auditions have melted away like an ice cream cone on a car seat in august.

the only bright spot has been the kid from utah who sings so nicely. but he is also all bubble gum and sweetness. so that may keep him from being commercially viable and that is what idol is allegedly about.

thusfar, we have had major moneymaking success from only a few of the idols and idol runners up.

and since the show started 7 seasons ago (1 season in dog television), we only have two really BIG names: Kelly Clarkson & Carrie Underwood.

while i totally realize that everyone can't be a winner and somebody goes home in tears, that is a pretty crappy track record for a program that is alleged to bring the best and brightest to the forefront.

there are many others who have experienced measured success from this program. but there are hundreds of others over the course of these auditions who didn't make it due to a bad day, a sore throat or life in general who might have been 'the one' on any other day.

sadly, life doesn't seem to be very forgiving when it comes to a persons' moment to shine. you are either on target or miss the mark completely and there are seldom redo opportunities.

it's like daddy always told me growing up, 'you never get a second chance to make a first impression'. i have to believe that unless you could rewind and erase what they previously catalogued as what you had to offer, then a second chance would always be weighed unfavorably when added to the first fiasco.

so to all those Idol wannabe's and all of us who are simply content to sing in the shower, remember the only reason they are there and we are home lathering up is because it was their day.

tomorrow may be mine. or yours.

either way, something tells me that there will still be people who must learn to content themselves with Supreme's hits in the shower, or singing their baby to sleep or making the high notes ring from the rafters in their church choir.

and what is more American than that?