Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying American Idol, Season 8

Perusing the blogs, including my two favorites MJ's and Rickey, it is clear that a lot of American Idol fanatics are unhappy with the way things have progressed so far on Idol. Among the biggest complaints are:

* The judges' pimping seems to be out of control. First Danny, then Michael Sarver, then Adam, and perhaps Lil Rounds next week;

* The selection of some subpar singers like Nick Mitchell AKA Normund Gentle;

* The wild card format, which leaves a lot of good singers out based on one bad performance;

* The addition of new judge Kara, who does not seem to add much and makes the judging aspect a drag;

* The producers exploitation of Danny's story of his deceased wife.

While I agree that I am no fan of the aforementioned goings-on, I would like to defend the show by offering a different perspective.

First, regarding the judges' pimping, this is nothing new. This has been part of the show since Season One. Face it, this is not Star Search. The judges are human, and they have their favorites. Yet as we have seen, this does not always effect the outcome. For instance, Simon was no fan of Season Five winner Taylor Hicks, and after Simon told Season Four's Scott Savol to pack his suitcase, the contestant returned the following week. So yes, some are influenced by what the judges say, but at the end of the day, the better singer usually wins.

Second, the inclusion of Nick Mitchell is simply to have some comic relief. This show has always tried to have something for everyone. Some viewers like only the bad singers, and that is why we have had the likes of Kevin Covais, Sanjaya, and now Nick. As long as they do not win, it is not a huge deal, unless you feel that they take away spots from talented singers, which is fair.

As far as the wild card, come on. So far we've seen a lot of lousy singers. Now if some of the folks making the Top 12 don't deserve to be there, fine. Otherwise, what's the big deal? So instead of getting cut in Hollywood, they got cut now. Besides, every season there are singers who get robbed (Sabrina Sloan, A'siah Epperson, to name a couple), and that's just part of the show.

With regard to Kara, I think Paula is gone after this season, so this is a way of transitioning viewers for next year. I agree the chemistry will not be the same, but if Paula wants to leave, there's nothing anyone can do.

Finally, the back stories have been part and parcel of Idol for years, and Danny is doing whatever he can to make it. He is playing within the rules. If you do not like how the producers are handling things, then do away with the back stories altogether. But until then, it is fair game.