Worshipping the False Idols, Breaking a Comandment?

Although, I'm not an addicted viewer of the ever popular "American Idol," I do watch the programs on occasion since I do usually find them entertaining. In this episode, the four judges analyzed the performances of the contestants to see who would be kicked off the show, and who was deemed good enough to stay with it.

Many of the American Core Values can be taken from the show. Achievement and Success is the ultimate goal of the contestants as they work hard to try to win the competition. Progress is a frequently visited theme of "American Idol" since the host shows the change in the singers since their early days on the show. The judges often critique the performers on Individualism since oftentimes the contestants conform rather than doing what they do best. That brings me to the next point, which is Conformity, since the judging is will reflect whether or not the singer is too close or too far from the standard of conformity. Finally, Youthfulness is very important for the program to maintain viewership that wants to take part in an event full of so many young and beautiful people.

Although these values are present, the program influences the audience and its values. "American Idol" heavily glamorizes the youthfulness factor along with beauty. To win, beauty is almost necessary. As terrible as it sounds, it is one way to make sure that the program is honest because to be an American idol, one would most definitely have to be good-looking to gain the respect of a nation. Achievement and Success are displayed in the very setup of the show itself. The whole show is about winning and losing. It even allows the audience to partake in who wins or loses, thus forcing the value on the audience by merely allowing them to partake in the success or lack there of in each individual participant.