The Winner of American Idol is… Another White Boy With a Guitar

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

2010

Abstract

son. He hasn’t aged a day and I freaking love this man.</p><p id="3cb3">There are also so many other genres of music to showcase besides country and pop, which the show fails to do every season. I loved contestant Jay Copeland’s performance with Earth, Wind & Fire during this season’s finale. His ability to hold his own with the band’s iconic high vocal range had my jaw dropping on the floor.</p><p id="b716">But he was voted out long before the finale. With his elimination, the top five contestants on the show were white, and <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/american-idol-fans-outraged-jay-192939446.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHrRMtQwAy236OvdW_u-3fkWmF1bYWbs8dFloraaW-MfX1f88_kSsvTAevwETbTB4RJEOtc82aTE1EvwKGYpzOEJnwBsb6tBKH3zZN68yTt5jZi1_FyKuU8qTPlhS72miF-HTybgqmdr8W6KHp2xgPBLbPWTbq-HC7N9yqKXv60L">people were not happy about it</a>.</p><p id="2a4a">The show’s prejudice probably isn’t intentional. But it does beg the question of who gets to represent American talent on an international stage. Black singers have rarely made it to the finish line in <i>American Idol</i>’s twenty-year history. My incredibly talented friend <a href="undefined">Gerald Sturgill</a> auditioned for the show four times, only to be turned away for not having “the look” they were searching for. You can read about his experience here:</p><div id="ef2d" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-experiences-before-and-during-my-first-american-idol-audition-in-san-francisco-e633bcba3778"> <div> <div> <h2>The Experiences Before and During My First American Idol Audition in San Francisco</h2> <div><h3>Recalling an exciting and nerve-wracking experience</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*tw1MAyxgffIIvH25Mnn

Options

phA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="a2b6" type="7">Will this singing show ever cease to become a popularity contest?</p><p id="56c0">To be fair, white boys with guitars do well in mainstream popular music and country music because they’re the epitome of what people desire to be. They’re good-looking, talented, well-liked. They have privilege, swagger, a charming smile. The show creators know that the winning formula of white boy + guitar will bring in viewers and votes.</p><p id="15f5">But <i>American Idol</i> has turned them into a forgettable monolith, and sadly, I think Noah Thompson will suffer the same fate. When all of your winners look and sound alike, a singing competition show can’t guarantee that their careers will all be successful.</p><p id="7709">The show also doesn’t wield the influence that it once did. Who needs a singing competition to discover new talent when new musicians can be found at the click of a button nowadays?</p><p id="30c3">While this season had its moments, I’m waiting for <i>American Idol</i>’s audience and producers to cast a wider net of talent to showcase on its stage. That would be something to sing about.</p><p id="b80c"><i>Speaking of talented singers who are POC, check out my review on the latest album from Ella Mai:</i></p><div id="6321" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/more-people-need-to-talk-about-grammy-winner-ella-mai-855c1901be5a"> <div> <div> <h2>More People Need to Talk About Grammy Winner Ella Mai</h2> <div><h3>She wears her “heart on her sleeve” with her sophomore release.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*ruaYMe2GfctKHmDvrrs1Ww.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

You’d think after twenty seasons on the air, the talent would be more diverse.

In case you haven’t heard, a white country singer from Kentucky has won this season of American Idol.

Noah Thompson is the latest to join the ranks of the show’s long history of forgettable winners who are white boys playing guitars. Not that those winners aren’t talented or deserving — but is that really all that American Idol can offer?

You can’t accuse me of being an American Idol hater either. I loved the show for years. I used to watch it every single time it was on without fail. American Idol will always hold a special place in my heart.

Out of twenty American Idol winners, eleven are white boys who play guitar. Author screenshot of Google search.

I know the public votes for the winners at the end, and often, America is voting with their eyes rather than their ears. Those white boys are pretty and they can sing — it’s a winning formula. But the winners often have as much flavour as an unseasoned tuna casserole.

I would argue that the show’s most memorable contestant is a person of colour – the iconic William Hung, whose rendition of “She Bangs” by Ricky Martin will forever be the best pop culture moment of 2003. His performance was so iconic that the show brought him back to perform it again this season. He hasn’t aged a day and I freaking love this man.

There are also so many other genres of music to showcase besides country and pop, which the show fails to do every season. I loved contestant Jay Copeland’s performance with Earth, Wind & Fire during this season’s finale. His ability to hold his own with the band’s iconic high vocal range had my jaw dropping on the floor.

But he was voted out long before the finale. With his elimination, the top five contestants on the show were white, and people were not happy about it.

The show’s prejudice probably isn’t intentional. But it does beg the question of who gets to represent American talent on an international stage. Black singers have rarely made it to the finish line in American Idol’s twenty-year history. My incredibly talented friend Gerald Sturgill auditioned for the show four times, only to be turned away for not having “the look” they were searching for. You can read about his experience here:

Will this singing show ever cease to become a popularity contest?

To be fair, white boys with guitars do well in mainstream popular music and country music because they’re the epitome of what people desire to be. They’re good-looking, talented, well-liked. They have privilege, swagger, a charming smile. The show creators know that the winning formula of white boy + guitar will bring in viewers and votes.

But American Idol has turned them into a forgettable monolith, and sadly, I think Noah Thompson will suffer the same fate. When all of your winners look and sound alike, a singing competition show can’t guarantee that their careers will all be successful.

The show also doesn’t wield the influence that it once did. Who needs a singing competition to discover new talent when new musicians can be found at the click of a button nowadays?

While this season had its moments, I’m waiting for American Idol’s audience and producers to cast a wider net of talent to showcase on its stage. That would be something to sing about.

Speaking of talented singers who are POC, check out my review on the latest album from Ella Mai: