A New Kind of American Idol

By Jesse Carey
CBN.com Producer

CBN.com – On Wednesday night, millions of viewers tuned in to a primetime show—not just to see the latest from the world of entertainment and music, but to take part in a massive exercise of collective generosity. Idol Gives Back, the telethon-style special presented by the wildly popular American Idol, raised millions and millions of dollars for several charities including The Global Fund, Save The Children, Malaria No More and other humanitarian organizations. But juxtaposed between raunchy comedians, Hollywood moguls and celebrities big-wigs was the grand finale—all eight finalists leading America in a huge rendition of the modern worship classic “Shout to the Lord.” Hearing a staple of Sunday morning services and praise concerts around the world being sung on the television's biggest stage wasn’t just significant—it was powerful. And on last night's show, the crew did an encore of the song, and this time they sang the line that included "My Jesus" (which was replaced with "My Shepard" in the first preformance).

American Idol is easily the most-watched show in the country, pulling in tens-of-millions of viewers a week. In the last six years, the show has taken a handful of amateur singers and has turned them into pop superstars. But unlike the non-Idol crop of top-40 mainstays and radio favorites, American Idol uses the collective tastes of the TV-watching pubic to choose their next celebrities.

American Idol’s stage is more known for homegrown talent and Middle American humility than manufactured personas and Hollywood swagger. What started off as a post-modern version of Star Search, has evolved into a full-scale cultural juggernaut and a barometer of American values. Since it premiered seven years ago, a lot of shows have used the karaoke/reality show format, but Idol has continued to stand out. It’s an even more impressive accomplishment when you consider that we’re in an era when record sales continue to plummet and the music industry is seeming to flounder on which direction it is going next. So what’s the secret? What is it that is so endearing and addictive about American Idol?

What American Idol has managed to do is to put the power in the hands of viewers. And, to many entertainment industry watchers, something shocking has happened. Authentic young singers emerged, and many brought their Bible-belt upbringing to the Hollywood stage.

This season has seen performers regularly reference Jesus in their songs (not to mention Wednesday’s worship crescendo), and a quick Internet search finds that many of the show’s most popular contestants got their start singing in front of worshippers—not of American Idol, but of Christ. (Here’s a link of Jason Castro singing at church, Mandisa telling fans about her favorite Bible verse, Chris Sligh on the CBN NewsWatch and Melinda Doolittle singing at World Outreach Church). This month, season six winner Jordin Sparks will even be a guest on The 700 Club.

When Fox gave the American public power to choose what they wanted in their pop stars, they didn’t flock to movie star bad boys and scantily-clad girls; they favored the kind of kids they see in Church every Sunday—the kind that cut their teeth on Gospel classics as well as pop favorites.

And last night, the show’s charm didn’t just draw viewers—it moved them. What started off as a glorified karaoke competition is literally changing the world.

Hollywood executives who may have scoffed at the idea of “Christian” singers on a major primetime show, saw the same viewers who made the show a success give millions of dollars to charities that will help people in need around the world. Because of the compassion of American Idol viewers, children around the world will get medication they need, poor families will be able to send their kids to school and the arm of American prosperity will reach around the globe to share in hope.

Early on, American Idol may have been the victim of its own poor syntax. It begged the question: “What does America idolize?” After season one, it’d be easy to argue that celebrity or campy entertainment was the real idol of American audiences (who could forget From Justin to Kelly?) But seven seasons and millions of charitable dollars later, something new has emerged. What Americans “idolize” is more than just celebrity. What millions of Americans are voting for every week isn’t about creating a star … it’s about choosing one of their own. They’re not perpetuating the celebrity machine; they’re overthrowing it.

The show has let everyday Americans tell the world what they’re looking for in a celebrity. And they’ve picked individuals who represent their values. Right next to Ben Stiller’s raunchy skit, a collection of “secular” performances and Hollywood’s biggest stars, eight young people stood and praised God this week. American Idol isn’t about raising up a new celebrity anymore; it’s about redefining what it means to be one.

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