My friend just told me that watching AMERICAN IDOL is like rubber necking at a car wreck. I kinda know what she means. She probably thinks that watching it means  partaking in the worst of American culture – and she’d be right about that, too.

There’s not much good you can say about the show. It’s not edifying, uplifting, or inspirational. But it is addictive. That’s for dang sure.

Before this season, we never watched American Idol. Never even took a peek. We had sworn off television for 7 years – and lived for the most part without the boob tube, except for video rentals. 

This year for reasons I don’t completely understand, we put the television antenna back on the TV. We have reception. We can watch network TV (no cable here. Is that next?) It felt like time. We’re fairly restrained about it. And we’ve been enjoying the family togetherness aspect of sitting in front of the television. Together. In the living room.

Hepcat sits at his desk and groans. He just hates it.

AMERICAN IDOL just pulled us in (me, OSFO, and Teen Spirit grudgingly) and wouldn’t let go. For starters, the auditions were fun to watch in a kind of sadistic way. Sadistic voyeurism. Many of the performers were pathetic. Few were worth a second listen. Anyone with any talent really stood out.

Like Taylor Bickford. He’s the guy with gray hair, a Ray Charles voice, and the harmonica. That was pretty novel for Fox television. A harmonica.

Yes, there is something addictive about the show. And as it progresses, we get familiar with the characters in a sit-com way. We have our faves. OSFO, Diaper Diva, and I have come up with nick names: Frank Sinatra, Smiley (who did an incredible version of Sam Cooke’s "A Change is Gonna Come") the Gray Haired Guy, Cutie (the boyish looking teenager from Levittown, NY), Bucky (the cute, dopey southern rocker), Baldy (the really good rock and roller pictured above) and Big Ears (his name is Eliot and he’s really talented).

So far, I’ve only mentioned the men. That’s because they are SO MUCH BETTER than the women. Sad to say, most of the women are like Barbie Dolls who sing. And they are about as talented (or untalented) as that sounds. It comes from the sexism that says a female performer has to look a certain way. Few of these women seem to really be about  the music.

Catherine McPhee was an exception. She stood out initially for having a really good voice and good taste in songs. Then there’s Paris who  is hot, she’s only 16 and super talented. Big Lady is pretty damn great. And I guess I like Pickney, the blonde who did that Bonnie Raitt song (and doesn’t like calimari) and Lisa Tucker who is also very young and very talented.

I have to say, the judges are the most interesting aspect of the show. There’s Randy with his: "Dude, what was going on?"  Or "Dude, that was hot." Or his ultimate compliment, "You’re a dog!" He really knows popular music and is good at sussing out whether someone has any talent at all.

Paula Abdul is the adoring sister. She always looks like she’s going to start crying, especially with the boys and finds each one more adorable than the next.

And Simon. Simon is so unforgiving, so impatient, so on the money, and SO FUNNY most of the time, that, for me, he is the show. He also has something good to say: again and again he gives the performers good advice. Advice we could all take to heart:

–Be original

–Give it your all

–Pick a song and or style that expresses who you are

–This is your only chance so make something of it

–Think about what makes you unque and put that forward

It all seems kind of obvious – but it’s so easy to mis-fire when you’re trying to be creative. It’s tempting to do something that is safe. Or to try to master a style that you like but is not your own. Really, what’s the point? The essence is to put what you have to say out there – for better or worse – and try to make something new.

Otherwise why bother?