I had a rather shocking realization recently. My parents were visiting, and after dinner I was fiddling around on this blog when my dad rather innocently asked if he could turn on American Idol. I was shocked. The last I knew my dad liked classic rock. What did he get out of watching Idol? My mom went on to explain that he watches it every week, without fail. He talks about it, and he is even concerned that one of his favorites is the winner. Though she insisted that she didn’t really watch the show, she knew all of the contestants and certainly had an opinion about who should win. I have spoken with others since this event who have had similar epiphanies about their own parents or friends. It got me thinking about the people and ultimately the market that is happily consuming what is in my opinion, total rubbish.
After performing an informal research project, my conclusion is that the music that most people seem to love comes from a developmentally important part of their lives ( youth, adolescence, college, birth of a child ). Although this thought isn’t terribly original I think it is a provocative idea that people make a connection to music that lasts throughout their lives. Some scientists believe that appreciation for music is something that developed during evolution as a way to create and maintain communities. In addition, there is evidence that music stimulates the same highly sensitive part of our brain that reacts to food and sex. It is easy to understand people becoming very attached to music given all of the biological and pyschological force that it carries. If Idol were about the music, then this might — might! — explain my parents strange behavior.
What are the producers behind a show like American Idol tapping into that is getting my dad to watch it? It is the complete package, it is reinforcing and creating community AND playing up the chills factor by having contestants perform already beloved songs. Original content is an afterthought because it is unnecessary and might actually hinder audience adhesion.
There is a life span on the fame that comes as a result of something like American Idol. The results are too immediate. Producers and record companies are tapping too directly into the ethos of the competition and the community; not capitalizing on new found talent. The interest and the talent lose their luster as the memory of the choosing fades from public consciousness. Ultimately, it isn’t about the artist or the music. It is about the temporary community which is created, and if the science is to be believed, viewers are acting out programming that was designed to encourage group understanding. The problem is the community that it is creating has no survival value and it is, therefore, a manipulation that shouldn’t be tolerated.
I wonder if my parents were to read this, would they even care? It seems likely that the, as Chialdini suggests, the commitment and consistency principles would have them defending the show. This despite the fact that neither of them have closely followed the career of their chosen Idol. The music is truly not as important to them as being involved in the process. Money has changed hands, however. After a little digging, I found past idol albums in my parents’ music library. I just never hear them play it.
