For such a breakout super-hit, it is strange that the critical community is not more in line with the impact of American idol. During its long run, the critics have disagreed with each other at every step. During the early years, American Idol was singled out for its blatant commercialism. However, as American idol continued, critics said everything about it, including that it was the most influential show in television history and that it was the worst thing to happen to art in a long time. The show has received near universal criticism from the music industry.
Simon Cowell has received his fair share of criticism, but it is no wonder that he was rated Number One on several lists of the most influential people in reality television “not just because he's a singular on-air talent able to captivate an audience in a way that no one has replicated,” but because he has warped the entire culture. After Simon became so popular for being mean, other reality shows instantly brought judges in to mimic his performance. His smart and mean personality caught fire in our culture and allowed mean to be an acceptable personality trait. Furthermore, Simon has been able to bring a sense of gravitas to the table. His reputation of telling-it-how-it-is, and being right, has made the judging an assessment that people trust.
As far as American Idol itself is concerned in general, it has been slammed over and over again for product placement. Furthermore, many artists, Sheryl Crow, attack American idol by saying, "Let’s face it, it undermines art in every way and promotes commercialism, I am sad people love it so." And people like Elton John talk about how the “only way to sustain a career is to pay your dues in small clubs.” These massive attacks on American Idol stem not only from the product placement, but also from railroading music stars. However, these criticisms are often made prematurely. Many critics do not realize that massive product placement was necessary to get the show started in the first season, since Fox would not take a loss on a summer series. Furthermore, many critics have voiced their support for the fast track musician selection. They contend that it allows musicians to bypass the music industry altogether, which often holds all the cards against new artists. Furthermore, they skip a lot of the production arm twisting that occurs throughout the process of producing a CD, auto-tune being one of the most infamous.
As far as the television industry is concerned, American idol is considered not only a massive bully, but also the most influential show on television. It has warped the season and forced each network to schedule their shows on days that do not compete with American Idol. Even Dancing With the Stars, a massive hit, was not willing to be placed in the same time slot as American Idol. Television executives have admitted that “Really, it doesn’t feel like a TV show sometimes. It’s like the Super Bowl” when it comes to scheduling against American Idol. Furthermore, American Idol has won Fox the most viewed television network. The massive numbers of people who gathered twice a week to view American Idol helped shows that came before and after the program, while delivering gigantic numbers for the season finale. This show has transformed the television landscape by providing a format that is intensely popular to the point where it greatly influences the decisions of each other network.
When looking at the other impacts that American idol has had on American Culture, it may surprise many to see what the show has actually accomplished. American Idol stars, even if they do not win, often have great success on Broadway. Their ability to revitalize the atrophied medium has given people a reason to hope that maybe Broadway is not ready to go right now. Furthermore, American Idol has had a gigantic impact on both record sales and the radio industry. Nielson has found that “A performance of a song on American Idol has a positive sales impact on the original for eight weeks,” “American Idol contestants have sold 42 million albums over the past 6+ years,” “and that “in 2009, they made up 1.5 percent of album sales.” This has provided the record industry with a much needed boost. As for the Radio industry, "American Idol has become a dominant force in radio” with over six million spins.
This assessment does not analyze the major spinoffs, such as Dancing With the Stars, or the massive impact that the show had on Text Messaging, that have gone on to make waves in the United States culture. However, even looking at a few of these industries, it becomes apparent that American idol has had a massive effect on everything from the way we view judges, to the way Radio and Music industries are run. The effects and criticism has changed over time, but no one can contest that American Idol has won itself a space at the top of the cultural hierarchy.
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