Can American Idol Ever Be Stopped?
Short answer: No. Longer answer: Sorta. The New York Times ponders the important question today, as the singing competition show’s ratings drop but its revenues continue to skyrocket.
They toss out horrifying figures, just to show how indestructible this Megalon truly is:
In the 2003-4 season, the first in which “Idol” was the top-rated prime-time series, its lead over the second place show was about 7 percent. That margin has grown every year since and this year is 66 percent.
Including revenue from “Idol” programming in other countries, from music sales related to all the “Idol” shows and from “So You Think You Can Dance,” also on Fox, 19 Entertainment produced revenue of $US223 million last year, up from $US151 million two years earlier.
Worst of all:
“We have learned the lessons of the sports leagues in that they have all these ancillary revenue streams,” said Robert F. X. Sillerman, chief executive of CKX Inc., the parent of 19 Entertainment. “And frankly, we’re just beginning.”
Aieeeee!!
The thing, though, that reporter Edward Wyatt might be overlooking is that when something begins to get so top heavy—when the core product beings to dwindle and the ancillary revenue star begins to burn dangerously white hot—it’s usually an indication that the whole thing is soon to collapse terribly (terrifically?) on top of itself. (See: NBC) These sort of hollow beings may seem pretty looming, but they’re mostly hot air. They’re blowfish, basically.
Looking at the swirling menace from that angle, maybe there’s light at the end of the shimmer-tunnel after all. And it’s pink.
american idol
and you shall know it by its trail of gays
good luck with your hell series
money
night terrors
ratings
reality tv
- Next Post: Valentine’s Day: What He’s Just Not That Into You Hath Wrought »
- « Previous Post: Spend Two Hours In A Car With Justin Timberlake And The Dude
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
@DahlELama:
It's not just AI. A student once asked me to raise his grade so he could get a better auto insurance rate.
That was a no-go.
@ArmCandy: Ugh, people on AI do things like that all the time. "My Dad died yesterday but I KNOW he'd want me to come audition!" It makes me cringe to no end. And while I hate to judge how people grieve, I absolutely can't picture how either he or America finds his behavior acceptable.
DahlELama
"Robert F. X. Sillerman" ... srsly?
@mattchew03:
Only 11 more steps to go. You'll find a sponsor.
@Banjo-Sea Kitten: TWIST! Randy Jackson is coming out with his own line of eyewear.
ArmCandy
@DahlELama: I just heard today that she died three weeks -- not three years, as I assumed -- before he auditioned. Shouldn't he still be crying in his bedroom?
ArmCandy
@mattchew03: I thought we were calling him Lenscrafters Conspiracy now. (This is a plausible theory.)
Banjo-Sea Kitten
As much as I want to say that I'll stop watching the show if Deadwife wins this season, I know I won't.
@youngmarblegiant: although, thanks to you, Richard I can only see Gokey as a cartoon vegetable now. Friendly, smiling celery that the kids will eat. Come to think of it, he has all the pizazz of celery...
Banjo-Sea Kitten
@mr_mr:
The end may be when a Law and Order episode is made about a post-Gookey guy who has his wife killed to get sympathy votes.
@mr_mr: If Taylor Hicks winning and Clay Aiken losing didn't kill this show nothing will.
The only thing that will kill American Idol will be if Danny "Ookey Gookey" wins this season. As this would be a reflection of America (which is ever more tarnished with this KFC fiasco), I'd consider relocating to Mexico (even with the swine flu/murders).
mr_mr
I see the words "American Idol," and I think "you effing bastards let that dead-wife-peddling, awkwardly goateed failure at life beat out the magnificently talented Allison Iraheta and now I want everyone who has anything to do with this show to die."
Sorry, what was this post about? Ah yes. Chilling.
DahlELama
Thank god you're back, Richard. No more vacations, unless they are working ones.
In our market we have "community auditions" which totally rules over AI. It feels real and is decided in 30 minutes.
Queen of the Passive Aggressives