American Idol

I have lost count of how many times I have heard of someone's amazement over the fact that more people voted for this year's American Idol than have ever voted in a presidential election. Ever.

Honestly, I am not all that surprised. At this point we believe that American Idol is still pretty pure. That is not to say that we believe there is not a great deal of presentation going on and people on the show are not being manipulated in one way or another. But right now, we do believe that the contestants are basically pure in their motives and the judges are more or less honest about their opinions (if they are actually able to form one, Ms. Abdul) and regular people are deciding the fates of contestants through their votes. Well, that stands in stark contrast to what we think about politics. Both parties have been incredibly adept at convincing us of their lack of honesty. They have convinced us that we seldom actually vote based on talent or ability but rather on what they might deliver in exchange for our vote. We do not vote based on trust that they will form opinions and then act based on those opinions even if sometimes the expression of their honest stance may sting a little or even be a challenge to endure. No, I am not the least bit amazed that so many people voted for the American Idol. In their minds they were voting for something much more tangible than what is being brokered in smokey board rooms. Although, some of the Idol wannabes will probably end up singing to bored people in smokey rooms. Funny how that works, Dog.