Media Mix

American Idol 

Yes, I watch American Idol. I tend not to advertise that in mixed company, but I don't care anymore! I love that show and I will hold it in no longer!

I recently made a friend of mine watch American Idol against her will, and during one of the more embarrassing performances she asked me, "Why do you watch this show?"  I turned to her and said, "I do NOT have to explain myself to you!"

But then I started thinking about it... Why DO I like Idol so much? It's not like I have ever listened to or purchased an idol winner’s album. So, it’s more than watching to hear talented singer’s perform and see who wins. It's these four things that make me tune into Idol each week:

The judges

They're an eclectic group and sometimes more entertaining than the contestants themselves. I love when Paula and Simon tell each other to be quiet, or Randy name drops about working with Whitney Houston or talks about being in Journey. The new judge, Kara DioGuardi, is holding her own at the table, but she hasn't been on long enough to reveal any quirks.

The interesting contestants

I was disappointed when the comedian in the sweatband and shiny shirt wasn't voted into the top twelve this season. Okay, maybe he wasn't the best singer, and maybe, during his two-minute performances, he momentarily turned the show into a joke. But at least he was fun to watch.

Guest singers

It's always interesting to see which guests they pull in during the later part of the season and how well the contestants sing the guests’ songs. For example, 17-year olds singing Manilow? Now that's good TV.

Random celebrities in the audience

Remember two years ago during the finale when the camera cut to David Hasselhoff in the audience? And he was crying?  Idol is full of golden audience moments like that. So far this season we've seen Neil Patrick Harris and Ted Dansen sitting together – random!  It's fun to see who else will show up for a split second.