American Idol: is America Deaf or is it Something Else?

I have always been a huge American Idol fan but this year I am losing my passion for the show. The politics surrounding the show and the contestants has left me annoyed, frustrated and my enthusiasm this season is waning. As a singer and music lover, I enjoy and appreciate the hard work, time and talent that goes into each song the contestants perform. There is a lot of work involved that goes on behind the scenes that none of us see and the contestants work very long hours to perform their 1 1/2 minutes on stage each week.

Singing is an art and there is much more involved than just opening your mouth and belting it out. The contestants need to make sure they are singing from their diaphragm, using proper breathing techniques and singing on key all while looking exciting, appealing and portraying an overall entertainer. On top of it all, the contestants then have to deal with the American Idol message boards that are filled with viewers tearing them apart, past behaviors drudged up by the media, and harsh critiques from Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul.

The viewing public is also harsh on Idol contestants who are overweight. Last year the message boards tore apart Mandesa because of her weight, even though she was one of the most talented contestants on the show. Again, it's a singing competition. What anyone weighs shouldn't matter. This year, the message boards criticize Lakisha for her weight when she is by far out singing most of the Idol contestants.

The ratings are down for this season, as one of the latest episodes only received 29 million votes as compared to over 35 million votes from a previous week. What's gone wrong? For one, the childish fighting and mudslinging that occurs between Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell is just plain ridiculous. Every week, the focus is taken off of the contestant who has just been critiqued as Simon and Ryan tear each other apart. If this is a rating's ploy, I don't think it is working. It's also not fair to the contestants who just sang. The attention and focus is supposed to be on them, not on the childish behavior between the shows host and shows creator.

I have a real problem believing this year that the voting is on the up and up. Either America is deaf, or they are getting on the Howard Stern bandwagon to destroy the show by having his listeners call and vote for the least favorite Idol contestant of many, Sanjaya Malakar. He looks like a sweet boy, but this is a singing competition. Many continue to vote for him because they like him but it's not a popularity contest! I about fell to the floor when Jason "Sundance" Head was eliminated, yet Sanjaya is still there? He should have been gone after the first week, let alone making it to the top twelve.

Some things are going to have to change drastically if American Idol wants to continue. They need to call me to be a judge. I would straighten them all out in a hurry!