This summer, illions of Americans watched the progression of "American Idol," the latest attempt at "reality" television, with an almost religious zeal. And last week's finale drew in the largest audience of any series broadcast this summer as Kelly Clarkson was crowned the official "American Idol."
For her victory, Clarkson will receive the essentials for a rising pop star: a recording contract, a concert tour and dozens of publicity opportunities. While the latter category included the expected appearances on "Regis and Kelly" and TRL, Clarkson also had the honor of belting out the national anthem on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Wednesday's September 11 memorial service. She stood on a performance stage graced by the beauty of Marion Anderson and hallowed by the power of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And not only did she perform under the shadow of such prior greatness but also in the context of September 11, one of America's greatest tragedies. And her presence there made perfect sense.
An immediate reaction to this might be outrage. For a newly manufactured pop star of moderate talent, questionable charisma and completely untested virtue, to be associated with such an opportunity seems out of place at best, irreverent at worst. But upon closer examination, there may be no other individual more appropriate for the task.
Kelly Clarkson's success is perfectly demonstrative of our current American society where the hero has been replaced by the celebrity. Intellectual, artistic, religious and otherwise inspirational heroes have, to some degree, taken a backseat to an army of idols, each with a gimmick with which to promote themselves. "American Idol" is the Miss America pageant for today's pop culture, where the prize is greater than a new car and a lifetime supply of beauty products. Clarkson will receive at least a few years of the superficial glory of popular media coverage. But on second thought, maybe it's not so superficial. America turns increasingly to pop culture as a common medium. It's a language that extends across race and class, and truly unites Americans. The demographics of "Idol" viewers were stratified by age, perhaps, but everyone from Jennifer Love Hewitt to the families of the TV show's most economically modest contestants were tuning in.
The world of "American Idol" is a democratic one. As its producers were quick to point out, its success is based on the fact that the winner is chosen entirely by viewer call-in votes. While other competitive music reality shows like "Making the Band" and "Popstars" barely registered on the TV guide ratings, "American Idol" had millions of Americans picking up their phones to cast their vote for who should win. As our hosts reminded us each week, each vote matters. Here is one contest where the little person's say-so has an unfiltered effect on an important outcome. Maybe they weren't choosing the leader of our country, but selection of a celebrity is something many feel more connected to and more qualified to select. The show embodies the democratic spirit, indeed the greatest American ideal.
"American Idol" embraces another admirable, American concept: the American Dream. On the small screen, we were privileged to watch the rise of the humble individual to whom we humble individuals on our couches can relate. We seem to find it more satisfying to watch a person rise to instant pop star renown, with little more than the luck of a lottery winner, than hear the story of talent and discipline earning recognition over many years of hard work. There certainly were less people watching the History Channel's biographies than Kelly Clarkson's down-to-earth Texan transformed into a small screen goddess with highlights. Although we may seek to decry "American Idol" for discouraging ideals of more hard-earned glory, its success is only proof of what we enjoy and value.
After September 11, Americans yearned for unification, something larger to stand by so they wouldn't fall to despair. Many rallied to the symbolism of the American flag. It proved to be a representation of our country and many intangible ideals and values that we all share as Americans. The American flag has far from outlived its usefulness, but it can't belt out "Oh say can you see" in a pair of high heels.
The popularity of the "American Idol" show and the widespread recognition of Clarkson confirm its current prominence in popular culture. Despite philosophical judgments about its depth or importance, it is still something we share as a society through our common knowledge and exposure to it, just as on a much larger scale we share September 11. Little could be a more appropriate symbol of unification for our country than something with which we can all identify. In next year's ceremony, you can bet that Kelly Clarkson will not be singing the anthem (we may not even remember who she is). But until something in our society can wield the incredible power of popular culture, the next "American Idol," official or not, will continue to be the most suitable figure. In a society that hails pop culture fads, let's unite under the most recently crowned.
(Kimberly Liu's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at kliu@cavalierdaily.com.)
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