This Is A Teaching Moment

I saw this pic on twitter. I have no idea what the textbook actually says about social perception. I want to talk about how we perceive things we see on TV and how that perception is crafted by the producers of American Idol.

Adam recently told an interviewer that the judges don't actually have much to do with choosing who makes the show. They of course comment, but the producers "cast" the show.

And they cast the show with a pre-conceived formula in mind.

Did you know that Adam originally auditioned with a Michael Jackson song? It didn't air. They had him do a second song: Bohemian Rhapsody - because they wanted a rocker. And he had the voice and experience to "be a rocker." Despite his talent, if he had not had such a wide range of prior singing experience, he may not have made it through.

And Kris Allen was clearly chosen as "cannon fodder." In Star Trek terms, he's the nameless crewman in the red shirt. Once he got into the top 5 or six, they finally had to acknowledge his presence. Then he became the "aw shucks" southern Christian.

Danny Gokey was pimped and pushed like the genuinely nice widower he is. Very little was ever said to criticize his vocals, because really, who doesn't like a widower?

And Allison Iraheta was repeatedly told that she had no personality. (Dude! She has magenta hair! No personality?) (BTW, I bought her CD and it is fantastic. Give it a try on iTunes. In truth, it may be better than Adam's. Maybe.)

None of these things have anything to do with how well they sing, what type of music they sing best, or what kind of performer they are or will be. It's TV, people.

And they do a good job. Can you look back and believe the whole "Is Adam gay or not?" drama and keep a straight (pun intended) face? Duh! He was pictured tongue kissing another guy! That's kinda the definition of gay! Yet they perpetuated this drama the entire season.

No one on that show is ever what you perceive because we are only given a caricature. That doesn't make it evil or sinister, or even bad TV. But it is TV. Not real life.

Kudos to the contestants who take the opportunity to build a fan-base and launch a career.

Also, I commented on Twitter that they also used a pic from AI9 in the school book, but the chapter was titled "Combating Monotony: How We Deal With Boredom."



Producers kinda missed the boat last season. *yawning*