Idol time is joy quadrupled

by Alison Lebovitz

This is a historic time for our nation. This is a season like none we have ever seen before. There have been times when we have sought greatness, and found it, but this time, it’s different. It’s special. This time our expectations are even higher; our hopes are even greater. This is a time when young people across the country realize that they can achieve anything and that dreams really can come true.

That’s because THIS is American Idol.

I have been an Idol worshipper for years now, and have proudly watched the show since its very first season, when a then-unknown Kelly Clarkson was thrown into the Simon’s den and emerged as a star. I was immediately hooked. Since then, I have rooted for Ruben, ached for Archuleta, and been stupefied by Sanjaya.

So recently I decided to foster a new generation of American Idol fans: my children. And I must admit, these past few months I have been happier than William Hung in a karaoke bar.

My reason for exposing our young boys (ages 4, 6 and to this prime-time practice was admittedly self-serving at first. My husband hates watching the show, and since it’s always more fun to watch it with someone else, I found not one, but three willing parties who were up for the challenge. And each of them has his own reason for watching. The 8-year-old is fascinated by the people on the show and loves finding out the back story on each contestant. The 4-year-old is convinced he is going to be a rock star one day and has been living vicariously through the competition. The 6-year-old, the consummate clone of my husband, actually thinks the show is pretty stupid, but is willing to watch it if he gets to stay up an extra hour.

Over the past few months, American Idol has become the perfect American pastime in our home. It is a weekly forum that gives us a chance to listen to, laugh with and learn from others. It has sparked conversation and controversies amongst the four of us that I never could have imagined or anticipated. And it has given me a new personal perspective on American Idol that I will carry to all future seasons.

The first few weeks of AI—during the auditions—was an eye- and ear-opening experience for all of us. As contestants often painstakingly made it through their songs, the boys constantly turned to me and asked, “Is he a good singer?” or “Do you think she’ll make it?” At which point I had to assume they were either desperate for my approval or were outright tone deaf. At first I answered with a curt, “No way,” or a pleasant, “Definitely awesome!” Until I realized that a more constructive answer was actually a question in response, such as “What do you think?” or “Does it sound good to you?”

After just a few episodes, the boys finally started making their own judgments, and also stopped agreeing with me on everything. Even the 4-year-old was especially quick to pick up on the subtleties of not only the singing, but also the editing, and by the second week of auditions could very early and accurately predict the outcomes. He would often say, “Boy, does he stink,” or “Mom, I think he’s going to Hollywood!” and he would be right.

When Hollywood week finally came around, I realized that even the 6-year-old was starting to have a personal stake in the series and the contestants. And even though comments such as “I think Simon is really cool, because he wears black t-shirts,” seemed to pepper every conversation, there were other, more insightful comments that balanced those out. Like when my 8-year-old said one night, “Oh, I love this guy. He’s the one who takes care of his mother because she is really sick. I really hope he wins.” Which prompted me to ask, “Do you want him to win because he’s a good singer, or because he’s a good person?” And he immediately responded, “Both.” It’s those American Idol moments that would make even Seacrest shed a tear.

Now that the competition is in full force, we each have our favorites. My 6-year-old likes the guy with the black hair who screams, I like the guy who looks like a young Robert Downey Jr., and my 8-year-old still likes the guy who takes care of his mother. My 4-year-old, of course, is quite convinced that he will win American Idol.

And even though in the end, we know there can be only one winner, and it most likely will not be my 4-year-old, we also know that this inevitable conclusion is nothing compared to the journey we are taking to get there. And even though we may not always agree on which contestant we like, we can all agree that we love American Idol.

We also agree that Simon is really cool, because he wears black t-shirts.