Tuesday night the "American Idol" final six took the stage to attempt selections from guest mentor Shania Twain's catalog, begging a number of questions: Since when does Shania Twain have enough songs to constitute a catalog? How does she keep her skin looking so absurdly smooth? Why, on a show where the judges are constantly telling contestants to be "relevant" and "current," do producers think that a Shania Twain theme night is good idea for anyone involved? And most importantly, who still watches "Idol"?
At best, "Idol" registers on the radar of most Dartmouth students as that show on before "Glee." For the majority of the series' run, this attitude ran contrary to the rest of the country's obsession with the show. But now the show's power is fading.
To be fair, fading is a relative term, and "Idol" remains a big pop culture force. Last week's "Idol Gives Back" raised nearly $45 million, and former contestant Adam Lambert's guest performance helped his single "Whataya Want From Me" go from 23rd to 10th on Billboard's Hot 100.
Still, ratings are down and "Idol" has recently been knocked from its position as America's top-rated reality show by "Dancing With the Stars." Moreover, neither Lambert nor last season's winner Kris Allen has had the kind of stellar record sales that were once expected after a successful run on the show. This suggests to me that, even if people still watch, they're not as invested in the post-"Idol" careers of these vocalists as they used to be.
The current crop of Idols widely considered the weakest ever certainly isn't giving viewers much reason to watch. When I think of the performances so far this year, I go back to Shania: "That Don't Impress Me Much." (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Voters haven't helped matters, as a number of the strongest singers in the competition were voted out early on. Although there's no way to prove this theory, I would guess that, as "Idol" has begun to lose some of its cultural relevance, the pool of those who actually bother to vote is increasingly comprised of power-texting teenage girls. This might explain how Tim Urban made it to seventh place based solely on his flowing hair and nice smile.
Worst of all, Simon Cowell is leaving "Idol" after this season. Paula Abdul is already gone, Randy Jackson hasn't made a useful comment since 2003 and new judge Ellen DeGeneres, as lovely as she is, seems incapable of being critical and discriminating. Kara DioGuardi has improved her critiques, but Simon is still the show's anchor. It is hard to imagine how the show will continue in his absence.
So who is watching "Idol?" For now, more than 20 million people each episode. But if the show can't reinvent itself in its post-Simon existence to attract stronger talent and differentiate its fan base from Justin Beiber's, it will continue to lose its audience. And if you're curious, Shania apparently has 50 songs, though I have only heard of seven, and she uses a Vaseline designed to keep cows' udders from chapping to keep that skin so silky. The more you know.
