American Idol: The Scripting, Pretaping And Sorority Girls

The tens of thousands of hopefuls who lined up last summer to audition for "American Idol" have been trimmed to just six aspiring pop stars, whose fate will be decided by the whims and loyalties of the more than 20 million people who tune in each week to the most-watched show on television.

Determining the winner is about the only part of "American Idol" left to chance. That was made clear during recent visits to Stage 36 in Television City, near Hollywood, where each Tuesday and Wednesday on Fox "American Idol" creates hopes and dashes dreams.

From the placement of local sorority members along camera sight lines to the instructions to the audience members about when to stand and how to wave their hands, "American Idol" is as scripted as a "reality" show dare be.

"At the end of every performance you will stand on your feet." That is one of the commandments offered by Cory Almeida, the indefatigable warm-up man who exhorts and instructs the audience for 15 minutes before each performance and during the numerous commercial breaks.

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Comments

[candice208]

He is playful,right? he is a hot member of the celeb dating club marrymillionaire.com.he has dated several hot girls on that club

[HeraOxEyes]

What is the point of this show, again? I've never watched it, but the premise is that the winner goes on to fame and fortune, right? So why is it that the media makes celebrities out of all of the rejects too? Doesn't that negate the validity of the winner? Just curious...

[GeoNorth]

It's television for christ sake! Even the news is choreographed. It had better be. It'd be pro-wrestling with out it. Oh, wait...

[hip dibler]

america idle


as it slowly disintegrates.

[slobone]

Only the Times could be surprised by any of this. A warmup man? Audience members told to act excited? Only since the earliest days of radio...

The only thing that surprised me is that they feel they need so many bodyguards inside their own studio. What do they know that we don't?

PS the mosh pit doesn't wave their hands during ballads anymore -- they were blocking the camera (not to mention annoying Simon).

[bmedich]

It would seem as if Mr. Wyatt had never been to a taping of a television show before. Was he actually surprised that the set's not as big as it looks on TV and that the audience is given precise instructions on how and when to react? It's not all some sort of evil trick; it's just how the puzzle of a television show is put together. It's not real then, you say? Well, of course not.

[ALMjr]

"bread and circuses"
...do your research.

[romerocker]

hang on a minute. Are you telling me that the shiny box in my living room lies to me? Next you're going to tell me that the nightly news is a farce too.

[kellygrrrl]

perfect!