Let me christen the first "American Idol" 2008 thread

But the advertising, Tony. Think of the money they rake in with this.

 

Creepy guy reminded me of someone who would post regularly on this board

 

Better yet, Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 24 minutes on Cinemax.

 

I fully understand that. It's a huge ratings winner for Fox so they want to spread it out over 20-some weeks. But if America wised up and refused to watch the 85% trash they expose you to in the first weeks, maybe they wouldn't do it. You get the entertainment you put up with.

 

If there are any unsolved murders or rapes in New Hope, Pa., I think the police can now close those cases. Wow, that guy who sang his stalk song to Paula was the epitomy of creepy. That was extremely disturbing.

 

How's this for irony? The woman who follows that guy -- Name: Beth Stalker.

 

When that dude said Peter Falk, he won huge points with me. I would have sent him through to the next round. They were a little abrupt with him. I thought it was pretty clearly a ruse. They acted as if he was dangerous.

 

Star Wars girl!!!

Hottttttttt!

 

If I were Paula I would file for a restraining order right away.

 

That girl with the handicapped mom was so sad for reasons beyond the obvious.

How do people get snookered into believing American Idol is their ticket out of unhappiness? The odds are so incomprehensibly long for people who CAN sing. How do those who can't sing end up deluding themselves into believing they are the one?

 

I can only think of one answer: No one has told them the truth their entire life.

 

It's the saddest kind of sad. These are people for whom there is no hope. To find a shred of it in something like American Idol is like a bright light in their dark worlds. Reality be damned. Part of me is sickened to see Fox exploit some 16-year-old girl who will probably be on the streets in two years. But part of me says it's a true reflection of America, perhaps a truer reflection than we'd get almost any other way. We see people from all walks of life united by the same dream.