Theoretically,
American Idol
should not exist. It's a broad-based mainstream hit when series like that are no longer
supposed to be. It has gained viewers in its sixth season, a TV near impossibility. It sells albums, at a time when very
little else does. And by awarding a record contract by nationwide vote, it is dedicated to a heretical idea in the
niche-media age: that you can please most of the people most of the time.
But weirdest of all and I'm betraying my professional...