hating (but understanding) american idol

Thomas de Zengotita's excellent piece on the allure of American Idol comforts all of us who hate that show by agreeing with our complaints. Yes, it is a phony way to make the spectator think he is just as important as the performer. Yes, it does further emphasize the mass worshipping of pop musicians over everything else, such as being politically active.

But he also nicely explains why music holds such sway over us:

[T]astes in pop music go right to the core of who you are, with a depth and immediacy no other art form can match. Music takes hold of you on levels deeper than articulated meaning. That's why words, sustained by music, have such power. There is nothing like a song for expressing who we are.