Yes, I do like the show, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm obsessed. Well, okay, maybe a little. :-}

Though I agree, the first couple of episodes where they're sorting through all of the terrible, terrible singers who think they're superstars can be pretty nasty- it'd be very easy just to tell those people "you're not what we're looking for" and leave it at that. But hey, they're doing the show to make money. And the general public, annoyingly enough, finds too much amusement in seeing other people get made fun of.

However, having watched much of the first season and much of what has been aired so far of the second, there are some good points. For one thing, they're being much more diverse this time around. Of course, since Simon there is the one who's putting out the money to give the winner a recording contract, he's obviously going to prefer those people he can sell to the public. And the public these days wants sex symbols, and not much else. But if you take a look at the 32 semi-finalists, about half of them don't fit the typical pop-icon-sex-symbol stereotype. And I think that's promising.

I think, though, the biggest reason I like the show is because I look at these singers and think, hey, I'm a whole lot better than a whole lot of those people auditioning. It's neat to see somebody going from a nobody to a somebody, doing something they've dreamed of doing, and it's fun to indulge a little what-ifs of your own.

If they happen to do a third season, watch for me, okay? I've already got my audtion piece picked out. :-}

~Mina "hopefully not the worst singer in the whole world" moon