Idol watching can be amusing

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 14, 2003

After about a year of not having cable, new shows have had to replace guilty pleasures such as "Real World," "Road Rules" and "Trading Spaces."

While "Friends" and "ER" are good standbys, I find great appeal in "American Idol."

I don't say this proudly, of course. The show has a reputation for attracting mostly junior-high age fans.

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But the show works at creating suspense and highlighting the tensions between the judges.

It's also improved since its debut.

I watched it fleetingly last summer. The show stumbled a bit with the live formula. The talent, really, wasn't that great. Too much emphasis was put on looks. Justin Guarini wouldn't have made it as far without his curls.

This year, the judges didn't pay as much attention to things like weight and allowed truly talented singers to get into the final rounds.

They dumped one of the hosts and added a judge. Each week a musical legends joins the judge panel and the beginning of each show provides a small history lesson on each guest entertainer. It's not only interesting, it adds some "oomph" to the song selections of the evening.

Where last year's episodes felt rushed -- the hosts seemed panicked if things ran behind -- host Ryan Seacrest tries to give the contestants their fair share of face time. Sometimes I forget that the show is live.

There are definite flaws with the show's premise. I don't think these young performers will become anything more than one-hit wonders, certainly not "idols." Each episode has a theme relating to the guest judge of the night, which leads to the singers performing golden oldies.

These aren't songs that will appeal to young people beyond the show's performances. Teenagers rule the music-buying roost and want catchy NEW pop tunes.

After singing songs from the 1960s and 70s, the new American Idol comes away without an identity. (Case in point: Kelly Clarkson).

But despite what will happen to the winner after the show, it's one of the most entertaining and dramatic shows on television this season.

The talent is better. The judges keep solidifying their personalities. Paula Abdul is getting nicer. Simon Cowell is getting meaner. And Randy Jackson stays in between.

But they vary enough in their compliments to keep it interesting.

The performances sing their hearts out throughout the evening. And the judges weigh in.

But the reaction afterward is what makes it entertaining because it's so unpredictable. After a somewhat anemic performance, Randy will tip-toe around saying they did a poor job. Paula, with a strained look on her face, will tell them how much she loves their singing, but that they've had stronger performances.

Simon tells them it was horrible. Sometimes Paula hits him. Usually the crowd boos. Sometimes the singer will bite back with a snippy remark of their own.

And despite all that, it's up to the viewers to decide who is voted off the show.

The banter is less about helping the viewers make their choice than it is about entertainment. There's no way Joshua Gracin would have stayed on as long as he did if viewers listened to Simon.

The season finale is coming up in the next couple weeks. I hope Ruben wins, although Clay and Kimberly are talented, Ruben's more consistent.

Really, it doesn’t matter.

I'm already thinking about next season.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at cari.quam@austindailyherald.com