American Idol, you did it again

American Idol must have the smartest production staff ever. AI knows that there are only two reasons to watch the audition rounds - the personal stories and the really bad singers. Last week's episodes did not disappoint. The first one to grab the attention was the girl who has the Down's Syndrome brothers. She may not be the best singer (yet), but she is definitely one that I am rooting for. Of course some of American fell for a girl that completely annoyed me - the bumpkin that jumps bridges for fun and wears the Dollar Store dress. Seriously, she cannot sing, and they gave her unrealistic expectations that are going to be dashed and hurt her more than if they had been honest with her up front. She is terrible. If she makes the ten in the running when the real season starts, there is a serious lack of talent.

The producers know how to make us the audience talk about the really bad singers. They know that if the bad ones are not included, the audience is going to get bored. You had to have the freak out guy - there is one almost every season. The country bumpkin who could not sing a lick was represented (I would say twice, but one made it to Hollywood for some reason - see previous paragraph). Each year there has to be the one act that leaves everyone talking, at least since William Hung created the mold in Season Three. The producers found a classic one in General Larry Platt. If you read into Platt's background, there is no mistake as to why he was chosen to be this year's Internet sensation to have us talking about AI. He is a veteran, civil rights leader, and a local celebrity in Atlanta. They knew he would be appealing because of his ATL popularity. I suspect that they possibly even sought him out after hearing about him instead of him showing up on his own. Or maybe he showed up just to entertain the crowd. It was obvious that he would not qualify, and his tryout was only for show. Yet, knowing that we have been manipulated, the audience still cannot stop singing the song or talking about the guy. YouTube is now full of covers of the song. Late night hosts and football players are singing it. Facebook statuses (including one of my own) have been talking about him for a week.

Part of the reason that AI continues to be popular is because of the genius of the producers putting this material in front of us for our entertainment year in and year out. Part of the only reason I watch the early episodes is to see and laugh at the train wrecks. This year's overnight sensation quite possibly could be the best one of all. It was an original song instead of a cover, and now America is singing it. Brilliant. Instead of talking about how bad the general is, we are singing his song. By putting it in the first week, AI just created interest for the next few weeks of auditions. AI manipulates America, we know it, and yet it is still entertaining. Incredible.