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Why Does America think 1 and 1 equals 10? See American Idol

posted November 26, 2006 - 7:46pm
Why Does America think 1 and 1 equals 10? See American Idol

You don’t need a talking head to tell you what’s gone wrong with America. Just compare American Idol in 2007 to The Gong Show in 1976:

American Idol: popular hit
Gong Show: popular hit

American Idol: from 2002 – God only knows
Gong Show: from 1976-1980

American Idol: “Talent” show with 3-judge panel
Gong Show: “Talent” show with 3-judge panel

American Idol: season-long elimination contest
Gong Show: weekly elimination contest

American Idol: grand prize is a recording contract
Gong Show: grand prize was $716

American Idol: contestants want careers
Gong Show: contestants wanted laughs

American Idol: contestants develop ulcers
Gong Show: contestants didn’t care

American Idol: takes itself seriously
Gong Show: self-deprecating

American Idol: preoccupies American public
Gong Show: amused American public

American Idol: shows American penchant for trivia
Gong Show: showed American penchant for humor

American Idol: Treated as news by TV and press
Gong Show: not treated

American Idol: people argue it when they discuss it
Gong Show: people chuckled about it, if they discussed it

American Idol: winners and losers get heavy media coverage
Gong Show: winners and losers got on with their lives

So what did the Gong Show have that American Idol doesn’t? Try a sense of proportion, a trait that’s all but disappeared. You think that’s a stretch? Do you think it’s still there? Well then, how did hospitals become medical centers? Who kidnapped all those secretaries and replaced them with administrative assistants? How did tenure change from a hope of college professors to an assumption of middle school teachers? When did every kid who didn’t pay attention develop ADD and then, ADHD? When did shell-shock become post-traumatic stress disorder? When did not getting it up become erectile disfunction? When did having a crush on someone become obsessive-compulsive disorder? When did expressing irrational dislike of somebody become hate speech? When did it become news that actors and comedians say stupid things in public and private? When did it start mattering when other actors and comedians make inane pronouncements on foreign affairs?

Okay I take it back, we’re the same sensible people we’ve always been. But 1 and 1 still equals 10.

www.xomba.com/xombyte/thewonderer

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Comments

I see some resemblance, but

TheWonderer - Sun, 2006-3-12 6:09 am
I see some resemblance, but I don't think Bandstand took itself as seriously and I know the rest of the world didn't. Shows purporting themselves to be newsshows stopped covering news to cover the weekly developments on American Idol. ps - no, I don't consider them news shows anymore, regardless of what they call themselves.

http://www.xomba.com/user/thewonderer

American Band Stand Idol

Sue Stone - Sat, 2006-2-12 4:28 pm
Hmmmm...I thought American Idol was like the New American Band Stand. Dick Clark - Ryan Seacrest? Musical performances, dancing, teens watching, teens voting, American as apple pie....anyone else see the resemblance?

Thanks Les - we're on the

TheWonderer - Sat, 2006-2-12 12:11 pm
Thanks Les - we're on the same page.

http://www.xomba.com/user/thewonderer

I was really dull, I guess. I did science.

Les Porter - Sat, 2006-2-12 9:49 am
You can tell how old this sounds. Great comment and great assessment. I hate to admit it but I almost watched an early edition of the Idol show; and might have except the little britsh twerp (the shows owner) is a sick joke. My stomach can take a lot, but ... (Like to have him in a room, open his mouth to me, he would not walk out; oh is that figuratively, or literally?) So I have never seen a single Idol show, if it is on, when does it come on? and don't tell me cause I just don't care? Johnny Carson old days did the good stuff. So did Ed Sullivan, and recently? comedy hour? Of course I recall Jack Benny, Arthur Godfrey, and Art Linkletter, before Cosby even Jack Paar before the tonight show ... in base 2, 1 + 1 = 10 0 = 0 1 = 1 2 = 10 3 = 11 4 = 100 5 = 101 remember 1+ 1 = 10 nice byte

Gong Gone Wrong

LadyPeninhand - Mon, 2006-27-11 2:25 am
I loved your "When did it's?" As sad as they are, I found them humorous!! And if we don't find some humor somewhere in this mess, then what the hell are we to do? No matter how you look at it, 1 and 1 equals 2!! But when you are out-voted you got to be able to laugh about it! This article made me laugh about it!! Thanks! Lady:P

Lady:P

'I sleep naked.'

Gong!

Joe Snare - Mon, 2006-27-11 12:23 am
I won't gong you for this post. As I try to find a common thread of your "when did...?" questions, it seems like a lot of it has to do with dis-empowering ourselves. For a nation that threw off the yoke of royalty, we sure like to entrust our lives to authority, don't we? www.joesnare.com

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