American Idol’s has been intertwined with the trajectory of pop culture over the past two decades. From helping to create the reality television craze, to later becoming the pinnacle of weekly television, to then becoming a product of reboot culture, you could look only at Idol when wanting to see the ebbs and flows of the culture.
When the show was at its height on Fox, it was the absolute talk of the nation. Now, that wasn’t solely based on the talent presented. It was more so thanks to the sum of its parts. The archetypes presented by the judging panel created the blueprint for competition shows going forward (“The Mean One,” “The Crazy One,” “The Subdued One”). A solid host became as essential to the success as the contestants. Then, above all, were the audition episodes.
The audition rounds were watercooler moment after watercooler moment combined into two weekly episodes that kicked off each season. The good and the bad was all shown to viewers, leading to comically cringe humor juxtaposed with some of the greatest talent discoveries being witnessed on a large scale. Mr. “Pants on the Ground” and Mary Roach alongside Melinda Doolittle and Clay Aiken. That was a key part of the Idol formula: seeing the triumphs and the defeats of auditioners.
It initially went off the air in 2016. Yet, something happened during its break. Its goals changed. The presentation it put forth was completely different. Yes, the Idol bones were there, but the rebooted show was not what we had come to expect.
American Idol moved to ABC in 2018, now celebrating its seventh season in its “new” home. Gone are the record-breaking ratings and the pop culture defining moments, but what it has gained is an interesting twist in the hopes to find a new American Idol.
As auditions come around, the city-per-episode fixture hasn’t existed on ABC. Instead, an amalgamation of all audition spots are edited into single episodes, featuring the most talented. That is key: the complete focus is on the talent. ABC’s version of the show barely highlights the “bad” performers. The judges (Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and, in her last season, Katy Perry) rarely give any bad critique, mostly highlighting the person’s personality if the actual singing goes astray. In the audition episodes, even Ryan Seacrest feels sidelined in ways he never was during the Fox years.
Instead, the focus is solely on the contestants. Not only are their performances now accompanied by musicians, in hopes to give them the best possible scenario for sounding great, but they also are given extensive time for backstories. One could argue most golden tickets (or platinum tickets, in some cases) given out are directly based on montages about the lives of auditioners. The new mindset has problems looking past backstories to see actual talent, which is frustrating. Many are talented, but some constructive criticism (while still sending them through) would only aid in their ability to compete and possibly win. I love to know where contestants come from, as narratives are huge for successful reality television. However, when the contestants’ “sob stories” are the backbone of their season-long arcs? Then it’s hard to look at the musical talent itself.
While the Idol of yesteryear remains at the top of people’s minds, it’s interesting to see what ABC’s incarnation has turned into and where it can go from here. I’m not 100% positive a true Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson is able to be created by a singing competition anymore. Yet, ABC remains focused on presenting these contestants in a positive light from the start. With Katy Perry leaving at the end of this season, could a shake-up be warranted in Idoloonie nation? If it allows us to fall in love with an icon on the rise, then let’s get to shaking.
American Idol premieres February 18th at 8pm ET on ABC, streaming the next day on Hulu.