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A Laker-girl has-been, a nobody with famous kin and a boorish limey, mixed with an overabundance of out-of-tune contestants, apparently warrant prime time. Each decade is defined by fashion and entertainment. The ‘80s generated Perfect Strangers, The Cosby Show, Corey Haim and jelly bracelets. The ‘90s produced Saved by the Bell, 90210, Jennifer Love Hewitt and animal print. And the 21st century manufactures reality TV shows such as Anna Nicole Smith, The Osbournes and American Idol; we're stuck with Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson and tube tops. Unfortunately there is an evident imbalance.
I am fascinated with the amount of attention this horrid excuse for entertainment, "American Idol," receives. The judges are a joke. The contestants are a joke. And the audience and viewers should "just say no." Why would anyone take these judges’ opinions seriously? They are a ridiculous slate to begin with. Honestly, the facts are that Paula Abdul created Vibeology, Simon Cowell has a website titled "Simply Simon" and Randy Jackson's rise to fame is due to the fact that his cousin is Samuel L. Jackson. And yet viewers and contestants take their snide comments to heart.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, but maybe the only reason anyone in his or her right mind watches this series is to obtain satisfaction from the obvious humiliation taking place on stage. Either the contestants really think they can sing or their masochistic tendencies are fulfilled by verbal abuse from out-of-date "B list" celebrities. Anyone that performs the "Chicken Dance" on stage is displaying some form of fifth grade lack-of-attention temper tantrum. Our normalcy is confirmed by this bizarre behavior.
Just to randomly note the political incorrectness of the phrase “American Idol” - the word idol is defined as “an image of divinity used as an object of worship.” The contenders and judges are far from worship status and the fact that producers even use this terminology is a display of blasphemy. What surprises me is that the doomed fate of fabricated talent from reality TV shows, such as Making the Band and American Idol, is reiterated every season. What happened to Making the Band’s O-town, Eden's Crush and even last years American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. I guess once the show has completed its season with satisfying ratings, one-hit wonders are acceptable. It seems everybody needs their five minutes of fame - even if it's a feature appearance on the hit television series "Where Are They Now?”
Have you ever believed in something so strongly that you would starve yourself to prove a point? March on the steps of the White House so someone would hear you? Risk your life for what your heart said was right? Most people can't say yes to any of these questions because most of us don't really believe that we can make a difference. Why don't people think that their opinion can change a little part of the world? Today, we leave everything up to chance, or to the government, and most of us sit back quietly and watch. We hardly ever speak up because we have conditioned ourselves to think that we don't really matter.
In my Contemporary Moral Issues class, we had a discussion on relativism which asks the questions: Can one person really make a difference? Is everything really relative? Does talking about controversial issues really accomplish anything, or are we just wasting our time trying to make this world a "better place”? Of course, everything is relative and people's opinions can make a difference. We have been raised to live our lives the way our parents hoped we would. The morals and values instilled in us at such a young age reflects how we perceive the world today and how we treat the people in it. If, at the tender age of 11, a child has racist views, I can guarantee that it is not because he truly understands his feelings, but because he has been taught how to react to someone who is different. Discussing issues can only open someone's mind to the possibility of something greater than their own judgments. It can also change the way they treat other people or better certain values they pass on to their own children, affecting future generations.
One voice can make a difference, and history has proven this to be true over and over again. Abraham Lincoln was one voice who spoke against slavery, and he changed the face of a nation. Gandhi took a stand, which he called Ahimsa, and in 1947 one voice gave an entire country its independence. Rosa Parks became a national heroine when she stood up for what she believed in; she was one woman, one voice. In seventh grade I saw a poster which made such an impact on me that I remember it to this day. It read, "Stand up for what you believe in, even if you are standing alone."
In our personal lives, as individuals, and as a country, oftentimes we come to a fork in the road and don't know where to turn. It is times like these that we speak up in hope that we will be heard. Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Million Man March and picketers wanting to help the people of Palestine are men, women and children who realize that they have been given a voice for a reason. To be given a voice and not use it is almost like self-enslavement. It blows my mind how some Americans who are of age don't vote. I think in our own little way we should try to better the world, because in our own little way, we can. One single person may not be able to end world poverty or hunger, but it's a start. It lays a foundation for others to walk on.
Today, as America is on the verge of going to war with Iraq and Korea, we are again seeing anti-war and peace demonstrations. We are constantly coming to a standstill when it comes to debating issues like abortion, the death penalty and stem cell research. People will continue to have their own opinions on science, religion, racism and homosexuality. It is not our goal to change their minds by expressing ourselves; it is only in the hopes that people will gain tolerance for one another, if not acceptance. My hope is that people understand that it only takes one person to touch the lives of others. My uncle once told me, "A forking in history is the time of instability. It is the time when the solitary effort of a lone man or woman can change the path of destiny."
Site created and maintained by Linda De Rosa.