Saturday, April 10, 2004

The Idol Masses

"Unlike the general public, which would probably be capable of trimming a list of candidates down to a serviceable pop singer by the end of a season, the People are systematically ruining it for everyone. The People must be stopped."

This critique of American Idol sounds vaguely fitting as a critique of American democracy: a small rabid group of "People" with a disproportionate amount of power; leaders chosen because they are untalented and therefore more like the voter; all of which result in the general public getting turned off by the whole show.

The People are "ruining it" by clogging up the phone lines as they furiously vote multiple times for their favorite. Of course, in a political voting system, you can't vote more than once. You can however often find ways to give as much money as you want. Perhaps American Idol is an example of why we should limit that money?

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