American Idiot?

By: Jordan Rowe

American Idol has been without a doubt the most successful television show the 2000s. Idol is the #1 TV show in the Nielsen Ratings and is one of only three that have been #1 for five consecutive seasons, along with All in the Family and The Cosby Show. And though the show is beginning to see some wear (ratings were down about 8.4% in Season 8), Idol’s power is undisputed in American television. We know millions of American’s are watching the show each year, but does that necessarily mean the show is favorable? In communication circles, many media critics often equate big media audiences with the so called “lowest common denominator” of taste. They link bad taste with mass audiences. Thus, widely popular shows are not necessarily good because they have big audiences. They have big audiences because they are simple and easy to follow. But, does American Idol adhere to the “lowest common denominator” of taste?

Pew Research Center did a study on Idol’s success in 2007 titled, “Who’s Watching American Idol?” In spite of the fact that Idol has been at the top of the television ratings, three-quarters of the public play little to not attention to the show (11% say they're not following Idol news too closely and 66% say they're not following it at all). Pew Research also found that college graduates are less likely to be following what's going on with the show than are those who have never attended college. The percentage of viewers also declines as age increases. Thus, more sophisticated viewers are less likely to watch Idol than mainstream audience members. Proving the point that American Idol’s “cult like” following and massive ratings cannot necessarily be attributed to the fact that it’s a good television program. Which raises the question…American Idol or American Idiot?