First of all let me say that I'm obviously a big fan of American Idol since I created this blog. I love all parts of the show and I don't care what the producers do to make the show successful (unless it involves being mean to a person with a disability and then showing it on TV). With that being said, and apologies already taken place I think everyone should go ahead and get over that whole ordeal. Overall, it's up to the parents to educate their children on the American Idol audition process and to make them understand the whole situation.
American Idol is in its 6th season and they've done the same thing every year and with the success that American Idol has now, I really don't think they are going to be changing their formula anytime soon. I know you all have heard this throughout the week and probably would rather not hear it again but I'm talking about it anyway.
Being a parent myself, I wonder why the parents of those untalented singers who auditioned for American Idol were even allowed to do so. What were the parents thinking? Were these parents just as deluded as their child or did the parents just think of it as possibly a fun learning experience for their child?
Sure, when we are interested in something we should try but when it comes to national TV, in my opinion, only bad things can come of it. And, who’s to blame when your child is hurt from being told no or ridiculed in front of millions of people? Of course, you are. I’m not saying that we should not encourage our children to try out for things. My specific concern is when “trying out” is in front of millions of people rather than a few judges or classmates. There is a big difference here.
It is the responsibility of the parents to set limits for their children under certain circumstances. A line has to be drawn somewhere. No matter how much we want to think we can do anything sometimes that’s just not the case. We all want to tell our kids that “the sky is the limit” and that all their dreams can come true if only they believe and set their mind to it but in reality some dreams just don’t come true. I hate to say this as a parent but there are some limits in life. There are some things that just aren’t going to go your way. Such a small percentage of the population becomes a pop star, actor, or a professional sports player.
I love to sing but I don’t think (besides the whole I’m too old thing) I’m American Idol material. The only place I’ll be singing in the near future is in my shower or to my kids. The average person should do the same rather than get on TV and make a fool of themselves…unless that’s their form of entertainment. Singing is fun. Singing is cathartic but singing in front of millions of people is NOT for everyone.
Furthermore, I just don’t get this obsession that everyone has with wanting to be famous even at the cost of being made fun of. Is that the direction we really want our children to go in?
In the end, we all just want the best for our children. We want our children to be happy, successful, and we want them to go through life without needing therapy.
Also, I’m not saying American Idol is wrong nor am I saying auditioning for American Idol is wrong but I do think kids need to be educated on what’s involved when it comes to auditioning for a TV production. That has nothing to do with American Idol or it's producers and everything to do with the parent.
My final comment on this is a question(s).
Would you give permission or encourage your child to try out for American Idol if you knew for sure that they could not sing well enough to be on the show? Why or why not? I’d love to hear some opinions on this. What if your child was over the age of 18, who at this age can obviously make their own decisions, would you try and talk them out of it or give them advice? And, kids, if you wanted to try out for American Idol but your parents said no what would you do?
*USA Today's Idol Chatter has some really good food for thought in their comment section. Check it out if here you havent already.
Tags: American Idol Season Six Audition parents
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