Maybe They Should Sing

By Miriam Schulman

The two front runners emerged from a large field of hopefuls. The candidates appealed to different demographics. The result was decided by a razor-thin margin. The 2000 presidential election? No, this week's American Idol contest, which crowned sweet mountain of soul, Ruben Studdard as the country's new pop icon.

While the highbrow may sneer at this songfest, as we gear up for the next presidential election, we might learn a few things from a contest that attracted 24 million phoned-in votes. Given the show's overall pitch to a young demographic (and Fox's leadership position with the under-50 set), we can assume that 18 to 24 year old American Idol viewers accounted for a large share of that audience. These are the same young people who only managed to cast 8.6 million votes in the last presidential election.

Granted, Idol carrier Fox TV did not tally how many of the show's votes came from separate individuals and how many were the result of people hitting redial, but the numbers are still massive. And the results
suggest some positive trends among voters.

From the jut-jawed marine Joshua Gracin, with his obvious country roots, to Diana Ross sound-alike Trenyce, the 12 finalists were an extraordinarily diverse group, both ethnically and musically. One might argue that viewers tuned in to support their own favorites, but then what attracted the 23.36 million viewers Nielsen counted for the penultimate contest, when there were only three singers left standing?

What seems more likely is that the show allowed musical styles to cross over in interesting new ways, producing a soulful "Imagine" and a country version of the Bee Gees. Viewers not only tolerated the range
but apparently loved it. If the video clips of viewers are any guide, supporters of the various contestants did not split along predictable racial and ethnic lines.

They also loved performers who, on looks alone, no Hollywood mogul would ever have predicted as American Idols. Cutesy Carmen Rasmusen and sultry Kimberly Caldwell fell by the wayside, leaving the rounder
Kimberly Locke as the third runner-up. Stylists may have transformed Clay Aiken, who was positively geeky in the early rounds, but the second-place finisher remained more elfin than studly. And the idol himself, Ruben Studdard, is a giant of a man.

Judge Simon Cowell, who will produce the Idol's first record, talked frequently about the contest as a triumph of substance over style. Hype? Maybe, but the show did demonstrate that many voters were able to distinguish between talent and show.

Is this a lesson we can apply in the political arena? Of course, one doesn't want to extrapolate too far from the data. But perhaps the show does indicate that average Americans, especially young people, are ready
to move beyond the old racial and ethnic categories. Maybe they are less focused on image and more on ability. At least we can treasure the hope that one day "looking presidential" will not be a primary qualification for a run at the top office in the land.

Finally, the American Idol process might have something to teach us about timing. The show managed to winnow the field of contenders from the original 50,000 who tried out to one winner in a period of less than
a year. That's a particularly impressive achievement as we loll in the doldrums of the long slugfest we call a presidential election campaign. Maybe somebody from the Federal Election Commission should give Fox a
call.

Or maybe we should just make the candidates sing.

Miriam Schulman is Director of Communications at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University.

May 2003

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