The requisite American Idol post...

Last night I happened to watch bits and pieces of the second to last episode of American Idol and I decided to check out the finale tonight despite not having followed the series so far. If there is one thing to be said about the Idol franchise it is definitely that the Americans certainly know how to do it the best. Now having just completed it's sixth season with ratings still consistently in the 20 millions in the States and reaching 30 million for the finale alone it is clear that American Idol works like a well oiled machine and is a veritable commercial giant in it's own right, this can been seen most prevalently through it's American time slot - so much so that competing networks will organise their own schedules around the show to lessen the blow to their network ratings. Add to this vertical and horizontal integration through brand marketed products, the various spin-off series, the sponsorship from major conglomerates - notably Coca-Cola and Ford Motor Company- and it is clear that American Idol has perfected a formula which gives it market viability and most especially a type of credibility which other Idol franchises have not managed to break into quite so successfully. Look no further than New Zealand Idol to see an example of this.

I have to wonder after watching the entertainment spectacle that was the finale just how much this show can be called "reality television" and furthermore how is it that what is essentially a glorified singing or talent contest can become such a huge phenomenon? I barely remember watching the first season of AI but I'm pretty sure that even back then the show wasn't quite as star studded as it was tonight - in the audience were TV celebrities ranging from Terri Hatcher to Jerry Springer, former Idol contestants such as Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and Music mogul Clive Davis just to name a few. In conjunction with that there were major contemporary pop acts such as Gwen Stefani and Green Day as well as performances by musical legends from days gone by such as Tony Bennett, Gladys Night, Bette Midler and Smokey Robinson. It would seem that the presence of these "stars" lends a type of credibility to AI that only Hollywood is really capable of. Not to mention that the judges, host, former winners and contestants have all become celebrities in their own rights as well. Considering that the last two episodes are shot in the Kodak Theatre, the home of the Academy Awards, it seems fair to say that the image projected by AI is about as far removed from reality as one can possibly get.

The few elements of possible "reality" tonight consisted of Golden Idol awards which were given to some of the crazier would-be contestants that tried out for the show. However, even these people seemed so far removed from normal, and they were arguably the comic relief of the show, that it would be very hard to truly say that they had any element of reality attached to them in the first place. In a bid to show the charitable side of AI this season 'Idol Gives Back' was used as a means to fundraise for children living in extreme poverty in Africa and America and was represented by an African Children's choir tonight. Perhaps the reminder of such a serious issue in the world could add weight to some aspect of reality but it was a very small part of what was truly a constructed television spectacle and when you take into account the corporate and commercial swing of the show there seems to be conflicting messages - especially when the final two contestants are given brand new mustangs.

Finally, it would seem that the musical aspect of the show is as much a commercial vehicle as the images being presented to us of the various entertainers and contestants. The songs sung by idol hopefuls tend to be mainstream pop songs from today as well as in the past and musical mentors such as Jennifer Lopez, Diana Ross or Tony Bennett appeared on episodes to help the contestants with their performances. It would seem that the ultimate marketing device for the music industry has been achieved by something which would at first have been looked down upon and stigmatized. Certain songs may regain popular appeal or contemporary songs could get even more exposure which naturally equates to more money and the musical mentors themselves are able to capitalize on their appearances - through exposure and promotion of their own music.

At the end of it all once the Idol has been named it can be seen that an illusion of reality has been perpetuated through the Hollywood dream factory - all this could be yours ... IF you have the talent, If you have the look, IF you have star potential, IF you are American, IF you can even get the chance to try out in the first place. American Idol may not have any true aspects of reality in its format but it has achieved what other reality TV shows haven't been able to - sustainability, market viability, audience appeal, longevity and Hollywood's stamp of approval. At the end of the day the AI formula of mixing music and image through "reality television" really does seem to work and it wouldn't appear that it is going to end anytime soon.