Blog #3

I seldom find myself watching t.v; because I preoccupy my time with doing other more stimulating activities such as, reading, writing, or doing homework. Perhaps, on the off chance that I am tuned into the t.v I will catch the new season of American Idol with my family. I don't know what it is about the show but, I can't get enough of it. From its' most whimsical characters to the more heartbreaking pieces of personal sorrows, and betrayals of the contestants.
It could not be American Idol without portraying several American core values: Freedom, individualism, success, youthfulness. It has been a common occurrence to see individuals sporting the most ridiculous outfits imaginable to try-out in front of the judges (banana suits, bathing suits, wigs, hats, mismatched outfit,ect. It never seems to amaze me that by the seventh season people can still be allowed on the air with their crazy gimmicks, but isn't that the point--quirkiness or should I say individuality is what gets American Idol such good ratings. We live in such an amazing country, where people are granted the right to dress which ever way they please without being persecuted for it, and thus American Idol can have no restraint on the choice of apparel that the contestants make. Back to what I mentioned earlier about the heartbreaking pieces, they reveal the most important american value (at least what I believe to be the most important), achievement and success. One such story was about a man who was living with his mother so that he could look after her because she was suffering from severe seizures that would otherwise make it impossible to live at home. Well, being a self-less man he did the only thing he could do for his mom, he gave up his music career to look after her; it was only after his mother asked him to did he tryout for American Idol. This story depicts not only the value for humanitarianism, but it is interwoven this man's success at at making to the next auditions in Hollywood. It is these pieces that work up my heartstrings and draws me to the show, just because I'm rooting for them the entire way.