American Idol Sociology
Can Sociology Explain American Idol's Appeal?
Clearly, there are many reasons the show has been so successful. As Bradley Wright recently blogged about, the judges are a key factor.
Thousands prefer to watch the early auditions to hear the judges respond to the talent-challenged contestants. Simon’s snappy barbs violate my own sense of kindness and the social norm of “being nice,” yet somehow seeing that violated is entertaining (particularly since I am not on the receiving end). The auditioners reflect a central principle of comedy: a character totally committed to his or her actions while completely lacking self-awareness. And there are plenty of those.
Let’s start with Simon Cowell—the acerbic-tongued British music producer. His comments tend to be low on consensus—he’s not afraid to offer an opinion different than the other judges and the live audience. (In fact, the audience routinely boo him for expressing negative opinions.) He’s also low on consistency. One week he’ll rip a contestant while the next week he’ll praise the same contestant. Finally, he’s also high on distinctiveness. On the same show, …show more content…
Reality shows are a huge hit with urban Indian viewers. Apart for American reality shows like Survivor and Amazing Race that are very popular, the Indian adaptations of American reality shows have rewritten the history of Indian television programming. India's variation of Who Wants' to be a Millionaire, Kaun Banega Crorepati, is one of Indian televisions biggest success stories. It has been the number one show in India with consistently high TV ratings. Indian Idol, a spin-off of American Idol, is yet another success story. “Reality television is popular because the audiences identify with the contestants and their ups and downs. A dream coming true for someone they relate to is what appeals most to audiences of reality shows,” says Archana, a
Clearly, there are many reasons the show has been so successful. As Bradley Wright recently blogged about, the judges are a key factor.
Thousands prefer to watch the early auditions to hear the judges respond to the talent-challenged contestants. Simon’s snappy barbs violate my own sense of kindness and the social norm of “being nice,” yet somehow seeing that violated is entertaining (particularly since I am not on the receiving end). The auditioners reflect a central principle of comedy: a character totally committed to his or her actions while completely lacking self-awareness. And there are plenty of those.
Let’s start with Simon Cowell—the acerbic-tongued British music producer. His comments tend to be low on consensus—he’s not afraid to offer an opinion different than the other judges and the live audience. (In fact, the audience routinely boo him for expressing negative opinions.) He’s also low on consistency. One week he’ll rip a contestant while the next week he’ll praise the same contestant. Finally, he’s also high on distinctiveness. On the same show, …show more content…
Reality shows are a huge hit with urban Indian viewers. Apart for American reality shows like Survivor and Amazing Race that are very popular, the Indian adaptations of American reality shows have rewritten the history of Indian television programming. India's variation of Who Wants' to be a Millionaire, Kaun Banega Crorepati, is one of Indian televisions biggest success stories. It has been the number one show in India with consistently high TV ratings. Indian Idol, a spin-off of American Idol, is yet another success story. “Reality television is popular because the audiences identify with the contestants and their ups and downs. A dream coming true for someone they relate to is what appeals most to audiences of reality shows,” says Archana, a