Idol Worship

Another season of 'American Idol' has come to a close. My husband is only
too delighted. After many months of finding his wife and son glued to the
television set every weekend, he can finally reclaim his family and the
remote control.
So what is it that gets us hooked on to AI? How do contestants for a singing
show become household names? Perhaps it’s the singing, the quirks or
Simon Cowell’s unusual remarks.
This year I was rooting for a 24-year-old contestant named Crystal
Bowersox. Not just did she have an amazing voice, (When was that the only
prerequisite for the show?) Bowersox seemed unlike previous contestants in
other ways too. She was bold enough to be herself and not get swayed by the
judges. She also happens to be a single mother.
It must have been hard to leave a child who is less than a year old, for that
one in million shot at winning a TV contest. Bowersox is no stranger to
hardship. Shortly after the finale she recalled life barely a year ago. As she
hoped to audition for one of the biggest shows on television, Crystal could
not afford a house with heating. She had to look for a place to keep her son
warm in the winter. After claiming the hugely coveted runner’s up title she
said, ‘Thank God I will never go hungry again’. It is probably that hunger
that prompted Crystal to keep going week after week as she inched closer to
the winning title.
Many would argue that AI seems way too cleverly edited to fall in
the ‘reality’ genre. Few can deny the genuineness of mother’s tears
whenever she remembered her son. It was plain to see that Crystal was in it
to win it for a better life for her child.
Even if you don’t give ‘Mama Sox’ the sympathy vote, her vocals were
exceptional from the start. Few of the other contestants were vocally as
strong especially when Crystal sang classics like, ‘Me and Bobby Mcgee,’ by
Janis Joplin or Tracy Chapman’s, ‘Give me one good reason,’ with so much
ease.
The judges admitted that Crystal was a tough act to follow. Acknowledging
the accolades, she said she didn’t feel like she’d already won the competition
barely a few weeks in to the show.
When her health wasn’t at its strongest earlier on in the competition the
producers changed the scheduled progamme and waited for a contestant -
- a first for the show. It was clear to see that her performances held a strong
bearing on viewer ratings.
The other finalist, Lee Deewyze’s real life story is equally touching. A clerk
in a paint shop, he lacked self confidence till the final few weeks of the
show. It is interesting how the producers found two seemingly down to earth
finalists to keep us hooked. Both seemed like worthy winners in the end. But
for me, one voice stood out.
If previous runner up Adam Lambert’s success post Idol is anything to go
by, there’s no doubt that Crystal’s natural talent will keep taking her to new
heights. She has already written a number of original songs which she was
hoping to perform on the show. A vulnerable Crystal was overcome with
emotion when sharing that her original song has become an anthem for her
home town, Ohio.
A troubled childhood didn’t stop Crystal from getting to where she is
today. From singing in the subways of train stations to one of the biggest
platforms on an international stage, she has certainly come a long way. She
is definitely an artist I’m going to keep cheering for.

This piece was recently published in Bazaar Magazine. Image courtesy, Teen First.com