The Downfalls of Being an American Idol Contestant

American Idol is a nationwide craze. Little did anyone know the proportions it would reach, unlike so many reality television shows that fizzle out after only one season. Others have tried to duplicate it's superstardom like "So You Think You Can Sing?" and others that we'll never remember the names of. However, we have all come to see that being an American Idol contestant isn't a walk in the park. Heaven forbid you have any skeletons in the closet if you were to make it on the show. They will all be hung out to dry at one point or another, which can either skyrocket or put a regretful end to your career in the business.

Take Antonella Barba from this current season of American Idol 6 for instance. All of a sudden she's on the show and provocative pictures of her came to the surface. According to Barba, the pictures were personal and never intended for public viewing. She does not want to be portrayed that way now and never will want to be. American Idol tries to keep a squeaky clean image but it becomes more and more obvious every season that this is not just about the music.

Even more so, the contestants are picked based on their talent and individuality. However, once they get into the top 12, they are forced to fit into box when they have to choose from a list of Diana Ross songs to perform. Now for someone whose specialty genre is rock and roll, how do they win votes with a song that they're not passionate about, like per say, a Diana Ross song?

The contestants are made to sing different genres and artists that they are not well versed in throughout the season. Would Van Halen be caught singing country music? Or would Tim McGraw sing death metal? Or would you find 50 Cent jammin' to the stylings of big bands? Look at American Idol 6 contestant, Blake Lewis, the infamous beatboxer. Did you see him try to perform to Diana Ross? It was not his style and his performance was terrible. Now would you accredit that to him or the fact that he had to sing to a style of music that he had no passion or rhythm for?

There are a few Idol contestants in the past that managed to break free of the cookie cutter image. Take Chris Daughtry for example. He has now sold millions of albums and is reaching superstardom. On his run with the show, he never compromised his style of music that he was compassionate about. Every song he sang, even if it was meant to be a sugary Motown hit, he managed to make it rock.

Even Carrie Underwood, who is now famous in country music, had to perform some racier songs that had nothing to do with country music, even though that was her passion. But she smiled and sang those songs anyway, always doing her best. It was her great talent that won her the title as American Idol.

But so sorry for some hopefuls who just cannot do well outside of their comfort zone, you probably won't win. The winning American Idol has to do well in all genres and styles, even though most of it is not what we will be hearing on the radio. It's a shame. Current musical superstars never had to sing anything other than what they were good at, but to be an American Idol, you have to fit into a cookie cutter.

I find it hard to watch American Idol lately. It's heartbreaking to see people whom were really great leave due to a rumor or scandal, or because they simply weren't good at a certain style of music. I hope that the nation can pick wisely for American Idol Season 6. I have seen a lot of talent that does not get showcased properly because of the type of music they are singing. And we may have not seen the end of the scandal for this season so far. Those things have a funny way of coming to the surface as you get more and more well known.