Jan 10 – Canadian Idol

One thing that I’ve always never understood is Canadian Idol. It ceases to make any logical sense.

Why is there such hype for this capitalist exploitation of talent?

From my understanding, Canada is desperate for recognition and this is the best way it can do it. Through the imitation of America’s cultural industry, Canada really loses its place in authenticity. Television is a medium that is shallow in its representation of character and identity. Once this televisual apparatus denigrates the identities of individuals through programs like Canadian Idol, there’s a strange two-dimensional look to their character.

Canadian Idol seeks to turn performers into fast quick-cut collages of humour and ridicule. For example, when the performer takes the ridicule of bad jokes from beyond the stage and expresses it like an idiot on national television, the comedy of his/her rejection is clearly evident. We all laugh at them when they cry. It’s what the program is designed to do.  There’s really nothing entertaining about this particular broadcast. Moreover, is talent really on the way to being consumed and commodified? Canadian Idol appears to be the heart of talent in all of Canada.

Canadians are relentless in their pursuit of acceptance from Canadian idol judges. I know there are some really horrible singers and they ought to be ridiculed for even showing up on Canadian Idol, but couldn’t they just get rid of them before the audition? But I guess there’s got to be some entertainment involved. It certainly isn’t worth it if the people singing and dancing are ridiculed, is that what Canada is left to do with its time? Couldn’t Canadian popular culture make changes to its systems of influence and target other more poignant popular culture icons and traits to further their influence around the world?