Tonight is the finale of American Idol.
A handful of years ago, the finale was must-see TV.  Millions of viewers would tune in to see who America crowned as the next music sensation and the show delivered show stopping performances.   The show also produced superstars such as Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.  Now the stars do not shine as bright and the ratings are down.
Has Idol lost its way … or is the audience just moving on?    The winners are not superstars.  From David Cook to Kris Allen, the singers do not have name recognition and would be hard pressed to sell out a local ballroom in my hometown.
So what went wrong?  Here are a few of my theories.
1.     The judges are stealing the show.   For years, the focus was on the singing and the performances.  Now, the media focuses on feuds among the judges and who is the next big judge.   The judges are paid millions and use Idol as a platform to give their careers a boost.  It should be called “American Judges.”
2.    We are saturated with Idols.  The show has been on 12 years.   There are so many Idol winners, runner ups and also-rans that we are bored.
3.    We miss Simon.  Come on, we all have to agree that Simon told the truth but in a classy way with a beautiful accent.  He, in many ways, was the voice of America.
4.    The talent well is dry.  I threw this one in because after last season this seemed to be an issue, however, this year’s talent was overwhelming.
5.    Lastly, it has jumped the shark.  If you don’t know this term, it comes from an episode of Happy Days where Fonzie actually jumped over a shark while on water skis.  It is used when a TV show has reached its peak and is still on the air.  In my, opinion the audience can seen how difficult it is to become a singing sensation and Idol is just the beginning of a journey.  Mostly likely, we will not hear from the winner in years.   It’s boot camp for singers and not a launching pad for Grammy greatness.
Well those are my opinions.  Let’s hear yours!
Will Idol make a comeback or have we seen its glory days?