The number of people showing up at American Idol auditions keeps going up year after year, up to 100,000 for the current season. How can the AI judges, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, along with a rotating guest judge, possibly audition so many people? Simple, they can't. For one thing, those numbers include singer's families and others who accompany them to show their support.
The AI judges put in 12 hour days with two minute auditions and still can only see about 700 people per city. Hopefuls are pre-screened by production assistants to send the best and the worst through to the judges, apparently in the belief that people embarrassing themselves publicly makes for good TV programming. One does have to wonder, though, at the level of delusion in which some of these participants live as they deliver excruciatingly awful performances, and then react with disbelief when told to hit the road. Begging and tears are commonplace reactions. So are anger and vulgarity. Sometimes people will make a scene and have to be escorted out by security.
At the other end of the spectrum are those who have had to overcome incredible adversity to be there, like Dave Pittman, whose Tourette's Syndrome doesn't manifest itself while he sings. Andrew Garcia is a second generation gang banger, but now that he's a father, he wants a better life for his family. Chris Golightly grew up in 25 different foster homes. Especially when they've got the goods, it's easy to hope that American Idol can bring positive changes to the lives of these people.
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