Should American Idol Be Rated like the Movies?

American Idol is one of the more popular shows on television right now, especially among teens and tweens. And, judging from the shows performances of the last couple of weeks, it might be a good idea for the producers to have American Idol rated before the show, if for no other reason but to warn the parents that there will be content that some parents might find inappropriate for family viewing.

Last week Lady Gaga performed on American Idol. I had very much looked forward to the show because she is a good singer, and I enjoy listening to her music. I don't care if her outfit was designed by Giorgio Armani; that was one racy outfit, and I thought a bit too much for younger viewers. The more I thought about it, I decided it wasn't much more skin that the kids would be seeing at the beach; but that was the best part. The part I thought to be totally inappropriate was the choreography. It was totally inappropriate for young viewers, and came awfully close to soft porn.

If that wasn't bad enough; on last night's show the judges gave their assessment of the duet sang by Casey James and Michael Lynche, "Have You Ever Loved A Woman?" One of the judges remarked, "Well, yes I have."

Wrong! This is a prime time television show for family viewing. Previous to this the judges were joking back and forth about "Free Willy," and laughing at Simon because he didn't seem to understand about "Free Willy." Did these judges forget that there are children watching?

The purpose of the film rating system is to provide parents with advance information about the content, and to help them determine what movies are appropriate, and at what age. More and more it is becoming apparent, based on the last two weeks shows, American Idol producers might think about doing this. That way parents can make an informed decision on whether or not their children should be watching the show on that night.