Gaming the Game

American Idol is almost over. Tonight, the winner will be between Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks. Jordin is the better singer. Blake, the better entertainer. American Idol has never been entirely about the best singer, especially when left to an audience to vote on it.

Why has American Idol fared much better than Star Search, its closest competitor? I think there are several reasons they improved on the formula. First, Star Search did all sorts of competitions and age ranges. Singing, dancing, comedy. It lacked focus.

Second, Star Search used a head-to-head competition. Thus, the winner would take on the next person. Eventually, you'd get tired of the defending champ, and someone else would be picked. American Idol presents everyone, and much like a party, you don't know everyone, but since the show lasts months, you get your favorites and track them each week. With a single challenger, you don't know the challenger at all. That makes the competition purer--theoretically, it's all about the singing, but people have no emotional ties to anyone.

And with repeat performances, you see if the person improves or not, which kinds of songs they do better at.

And, let's not forget Simon Cowell. The acerbic Brit lashes out at what he thinks is awful singing, and the fans, feeling sympathetic, don't like it, but he's key to the show's success. Without him making comments, daring to tell people they are bad, you don't have a bad guy.

And, of course, the audience votes, and they can really get into the show, week after week.

Although audience voting failed for Big Brother, because there was no need to be scheme to win, there is some gaming going on in American Idol. Blake knows his beatboxing was clever enough to give him a unique approach to winning. He's good looking enough that people (presumably teenage girls) will vote just on that. Blake uses it more some weeks and less other weeks realizing too much beatboxing is way too annoying, but in small amounts, it's clever and spruces up the song given his decent, but not great voice.

Jordin's taken a more straightforward tack to winning, just singing and being herself. Melinda would give the "aw shucks" attitude, and while that worked for a few weeks, overall, people don't like that kind of innocence. It seemed too put on.

In any case, even winning the competition isn't so important. Chris Daughtry, who was third or fourth last year, is perhaps the most successful of last year's group. The winner hardly sells albums.

It goes to show you that people listen to songs, not necessarily to singers. There are the diva crowd, who listen to Celine or Whitney or Christina. But plenty a group has only adequate or even horrible singing (Bob Dylan?), but what matters is the song.

Too bad song writing is so hard, because I'd like to see an American Idol do singer songwriting, with bands performing their own stuff. Alas, cover bands would work best because they can do so many styles.

Singing is, alas, the right way to go for this kind of competition.