American Idol?

Thus far in their reality/entertainment history, American Idol has held their ground as a reality show capable of finding real talent and producing genuine super-stars. The latest season, however, has been facing a controversy truly capable of challenging the shows credibility. the name Sanjaya Malakar, quickly becoming household, has shocked the country week after week by somehow managing to make the top 10...despite his obvious lack of talent in comparison with other contestants. this is a problem for 2 reasons; 1. Precedents of American Idol talent are not factoring into Sanjaya's continuance on the show. the show is not being taken seriously and thousands of young girls continue voting to keep him on the show each week. Regardless of his actual talent, this creates potential for an American idol completely un-idol worthy. 2. contestants who really do possess talent are getting kicked off the show in order for Sanjaya to stay on. this takes away from the shows credibility greatly as now talent is no longer the focus, as it has been in the past. in reality, this season could make or break the future of the popular reality show. if the right man wins as usual, i see little change in the popularity and direction the show goes in, however as Sanjaya fights his way through elimination after elimination a new judging format may be necessary. it would clearly be a blow to the show if a less than extremely talented, teen heart-throb won based on popularity points alone. Maybe this is just a sign that the show has already reached its peak and viewers as a whole aren't taking it as seriously anymore. regardless, if AI hopes to remain on top they need to refine their judging strategies, maybe regulating viewer voting once contestants reach the top 10 to ensure those who make it are truly deserving and have a fair chance to win. otherwise, American Idol may have seen their best days and the time maybe have come for the country to move on to the next entertainment/reality show obsession.