Participating in Singing Contests like American Idol is Free, Right?
American Idol, the reality show has come to define how singing contests are supposed to be – super energetic, super mean, funny and addictive. Even if you never watched the show regularly, and you don’t know Steven Tyler from Randy Jackson from Paula Abdul, you have to admit that the premise of the show is complete magic – walking in off the street, putting your talent out in front of a panel of gurus and then walking out having made it in life. However, is it really that simple? Do singing contests like American Idol really ask nothing more of you then an ability to display solid talent? Let’s take a closer look.
In the beginning, while the creators of American Idol were pretty confident that they had a cash cow of the concept on their hands, they weren’t really sure that they could attract plenty talent for their first episode. They went all out advertising for singers, handing out flyers and doing all those things that desperate organizers do. These days, however, the show, as everybody knows, is totally inundated with singers seeking their big break – some of them talent-free and hilarious, and others, very talented – but both kinds completely essential to the success of the show.
The problem though is that all those hundreds of people that show up and form a line that snakes around the block outside the studio, have invested quite a bit of money in attempting to make it on American Idol. People crisscross the country flying on their own coin to distant cities to participate in the auditions. Every time, they make it passed a round of auditions. They need to go to the next. Sometimes it pays off. For most people though, trying to participate in singing contests means investing a couple of thousand dollars of their own money in the travel, the grooming and anything else that goes with trying your luck in a distant city. If you notice, the singing contests usually haven’t just the contestants showing up, but the contestants’ entire families as well. They participate by appearing in cheering the wannabe singer on. And American Idol does not pay for their travel expenses. Those can end up being pretty big-ticket.
Through the first round of auditions for American Idol, it’s probably easy for anybody watching at home to see that the participants just walk in with her street clothes on. As the contest progresses though, the clothes become more and more glamorous – as they have to for a prime-time show. But who precisely pays for that wardrobe? On paper, American Idol pays for it – every contestant gets a fashion consultant and something like $450 a week to spend on their wardrobe. However, how far can a few hundred dollars go in Hollywood? Here are these people who have quit their jobs to come further shot at stardom. When they have so much on the line, they aren’t about to risk alienating their fans by dressing poorly. A lot of these contestants spend thousands of dollars on their own wardrobes.
But it isn’t all bad. An Idol finalist after a year of hard work, does come by that million-dollar paycheck. They all get to do ads for Disney and forward. They also get to go on a summer concert tour that pays $150,000. And really top contestants like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood make more than $10 million. That’s the dream.
