WASHINGTON — Let’s not pretend.
Just because "American Idol" was a summer smash that will soon bring its fresh-faced contestants to a sold-out venue near you doesn’t mean the TV show wasn’t crass, shallow and cheaply manipulative. The series’ production values were mediocre, its authenticity questionable, its hairstyling horrific.
Yet I look forward to hearing Kelly Clarkson, winner of the Fox network’s talent search, belt out the national anthem at the Lincoln Memorial during a Sept. 11 commemoration — and not just because the girl can sing.
Smart people wonder whether the winner of such a witless, blatantly commercial venture should perform on such hallowed ground during this solemn occasion.
To which I’d respectfully counter: What could be more American?
What young entertainer better illustrates the nation’s resiliency than a winsome cocktail waitress-turned-recording star? Doesn’t a largely talent-free "talent competition" prove how wrongheaded pundits were to suggest that American culture would be less ironic after last year’s tragedies?
Clarkson singing free of charge at the United Day of Service commemoration — during which "tens of thousands of young people across the nation will perform voluntary acts of service in honor of Sept. 11," says event co-founder Melissa Helmbrecht — makes perfect sense.
So does the popularity of "Idol." For weeks, I resisted the phenomenon my 17-year-old had introduced me to. Finally, I faced facts: I was an addict. "Idol," whose producers say 16 million similarly addicted Americans voted Clarkson the winner over hip-swiveling Justin Guarini in the show’s finale, was irresistible.
Considering how God-awful the show could be, many would ask why.
Why did so many post-teeny-boppers — the show rated highest among 18- to 34-year-olds — get sucked into a series that Fox might better have called "American Idle"? If we were busier, would 22 million of us have blown a weeknight watching tone-deaf semifinalists plow through "Happy Together" while executing moves that were dated when the Jackson 5 performed them?
Would we have endured the show’s incessant hawking of its sponsors’ wares, Clarkson’s upcoming single, due on Sept. 17, and a Sept. 23 Las Vegas special?
Perhaps. But "if you were exposed to (‘Idol’), you had to watch it," suggests one mortified 50-ish fan. The show tapped into numerous American obsessions, including:
What else could explain gorgeous squawker Nikki beating out talented judges’ fave Tamyra Gray, unless it was …
Who knows? Some said "Idol" proved Americans’ ongoing prejudice. Others — pointing out that Guarini nearly won the whole shebang — said it proved how far we’ve progressed.
But the real fun was watching judges Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell attack each other like caged ferrets. A June Cleaver in spandex, Abdul never met a performer she couldn’t coddle. Cowell, the show’s acerbic breakout star, relished savaging her. Delicious.
Perhaps, in the context of the past year’s challenges, the flyweight "Idol" suggests nothing important about us. Can a TV show say whether we’re more or less upbeat, whether horror made us more sensitive to the world’s wideness or more wrapped up in ourselves?
Event organizer Helmbrecht saw last year’s tragedy as an opportunity: to persuade young people from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to spend Sept. 11 donating their time. Volunteers will spend the day supporting literacy, hunger relief, the environment, children’s health, and fire, police and rescue organizations.
Clarkson will sing the anthem because "the kids wanted Kelly," says Helmbrecht, 27, whose organization offers volunteering tips and resources at the group’s Web site, championsofhope.org.
"Every kid in America has the same dream — to be successful at what they’re talented at," continues Helmbrecht. "If Kelly volunteers on Sept. 11 and tells kids that’s the right thing to do, millions will listen. Using your position to make a difference — it’s very American."
She pauses as she considers the true American idols.
"A lot of the people who died that day were serving. I can’t imagine a better way to honor their lives."
Donna Britt can be reached at The Washington Post Writers Group, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071-9200.
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