What Makes American Idol So Popular?

American Idol is the most popular reality television show ever produced, and as it enters its sixth season, there are no signs of slowing down. For this season, more than 100,000 people audition for the right to be crowned America’s Next Idol and stand alongside Taylor Hicks, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard and Kelly Clarkson.

Last year, American Idol was the most watched show on television. But what makes it so popular? The reasons are many, but they can be summarized in two different categories.

First, we love to see people bomb in a big way. For the sheer entertainment factor, there’s hardly anything more interesting than watching someone who’s sure to be the next Idol face a good dose of reality. We all think, “Why didn’t someone, somewhere along the way, sit down with this person and tell them they didn’t have what it takes?” Usually it is left up to the Idol judges and especially Simon Cowell to give them the bad news. And although Simon says some outlandish things, much of what he says must be said.

It’s also fun to see the truly weird and every season on American Idol we have a full exposure to the weird. We certainly wouldn’t vote for someone dressed as Apollo Creed, or having their face painted, or who seems to have invented a strange new dance like the next Idol, but we found great entertainment value in the circus side of the show.

The second and most important reason why American Idol is so popular is because we, as an audience, can choose who has the talent and wins our hearts. There’s nothing better than watching someone like Kellie Pickler’s bad luck story and then being a part of it and witnessing her rise to stardom. Who was untouched by an ordinary, unassuming boy like Elliott Yamin, whose amazing voice and devotion to his mother enchanted us all and created an incredibly loyal fan base. And of course, let’s not forget winners like Taylor Hicks who attended her interview with the top 12 playing the harmonica or the excitement and thanks of Carrie Underwood the night she was crowned American Idol.

Throughout the idol selection process, we develop relationships with our favorite contestants. One night we favor someone because they sang our favorite song, then next week our choice doesn’t work out so well and we feel their pain. We can even switch allegiance in the process because we see the character revealed during the grueling rise to stardom, a character we don’t particularly like.

However, the bottom line is that the winner of American Idol is America’s choice, not the choice of a boy band producer, a greedy agent, a radio station, or any other bogus deal. There is nothing fake about American Idol. There is nothing false about unknown homeless living normal lives who suddenly become household names.

There’s even the American Idol counterculture that takes idol wannabes like William Hung and makes them famous or takes people like Jonathan Jayne and Kenneth Briggs and cheers them on as they gain popularity after a particularly rude comment from Simon. This is the Idol process and we can all participate in it.

The only thing left to determine is, who will be the next American Idol?