America’s “˜Idol’ frenzy

Cost for one 30-second television advertisement during this
show’s season five finale: $1.3 million. Number of viewers
for said season finale: 36.4 million. The pride the average Joe has
in being a terrible singer on an episode of the show:
immeasurable.

“American Idol,” the nationwide television
sensation, returned last night for its sixth season on Fox and the
Office of Residential Life is taking part in the action. Tonight at
8 p.m., ORL will be hosting viewing parties in De Neve Plaza and
Rieber Vista for the second half of this long-awaited season
premiere.

In partnership with Fox, UCLA joins other universities across
the country hosting viewing parties to celebrate the two-night,
four-hour season premiere. Just as UCLA’s own Rose Bowl
played host to season six auditions this past August, Seton Hall
University, New York University, University of Washington and
Trinity University’s college towns were home to season six
auditions as well.

Fans are ready for the return of a show that spawned both
Clay-mates and “Soul Patrol”: hilariously horrible
auditions, knockout performances, high-profile guests, and anything
but kind words from snarky judge Simon Cowell.

With this unique recipe for success, “Idol” has
moved to the forefront of a prime time schedule increasingly
cluttered with reality TV. At a time when many reality shows, such
as “Survivor” and “The Apprentice,” are
losing their status atop the Nielsen ratings, “Idol” is
gaining momentum every season.

“It has become more of a bandwagon show in the last two
years with so many new fans,” education graduate student
Natalie Elliott said. “After the phenomenon of Kelly
Clarkson, Americans realized that they have the power in their own
hands to create the next superstar.”

This upcoming season will mark the third year in a row that the
show will hold the most expensive advertising rates on TV.
“Idol” was also named the most-watched program of the
2005-2006 television season.

The British import has come to play a much bigger part in
television than anyone expected when it debuted in 2002 during the
normally lackluster summer TV season.

Elliott, a devoted “Idol” fan who has attended the
official American Idols Live! Tour every year since its inception,
said it’s the success of the program’s top contestants
and the marketing behind the show that has kept old fans coming
back for more and drawing new viewers every season.

“The show does a good job of keeping in the spotlight even
in the off season,” she said. “The top 10 tour
throughout the nation, (many) release CDs, and they have Broadway
shows and movies coming out soon after.”

Television Professor Vincent Brook of the UCLA School of
Theater, Film and Television noted the “convergence of
platforms” as a reason for the show’s success as
well.

“It ties in to the industry in a synergistic way to have
them succeed on a wide variety of platforms,” Brook said.

The influence of “American Idol” is hard to escape.
Last March, Shakira took to the “Idol” stage to perform
her newest single, “Hips Don’t Lie,” from her
album “Oral Fixation, Vol. 2.” Previous to the
performance, the album had only gone gold in the U.S., but after
“Idol,” “Hips Don’t Lie” hit No. 1 on
the Billboard Hot 100 that June and “Oral Fixation, Vol.
2″ went platinum.

With its impact and large audience in mind, “Idol”
has even directly hit scripted television shows such as
“Lost,” which due to a drop in audience this season
will move to 10 p.m. on Wednesday nights in February, due ““
at least in part ““ to avoid the “Idol” results
show at 9 p.m.

Brook traces much of the show’s success back to historical
television success stories.

“The show does have a history to it,” he explained.
One popular format of early television was the game show,
considered taboo for many years after the “Quiz Show”
scandal of the late 1950s.

Also popular were amateur performance shows. These shows played
a big role during the transition from radio to television in the
early ’50s, although performers never met the type of success
“Idol” stars meet today.

“Normally they were there just to win a few bucks and gain
notoriety. It was not so much of a stepping stone then,”
Brook said.

Success has hardly been elusive for those talented enough to
grace the “Idol” stage. First season winner Clarkson
has sold over 5 million copies of her sophomore album
“Breakaway,” as has season four champion Carrie
Underwood and her debut “Some Hearts.” Season four
contestants Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson have found great
crossover success, with a hit Lifetime movie and a Golden
Globe-winning performance in “Dreamgirls,”
respectively.

Echoing Elliott’s sentiments, Brook also listed the power
of the voting component of “Idol” as a large
contributing factor to the show’s popularity.

“It’s the participatory format and the grassroots
(aspect) that keeps people interested,” Brooks said.

“There are so many aspiring people who think they are
going to be the next Kelly Clarkson,” Elliott said.
“It’s so difficult to make it big, it makes the
auditions realistic. It’s a reality check on how hard it is
to make it in the entertainment industry.”

No matter what the future holds for the show, the phenomenon
holds strong as the search for the next American superstar begins
once again.

“”˜American Idol’ is a way of life,”
Elliott said.

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