L.A. Times: Carly Smithson Elimination Undermines American Idol

The most recent American Idol blog entry in The Los Angeles Times expresses shock and dismay over the elimination of Carly Smithson this week. Its general message:

It seems as though weekly performances don't matter at all. How else to explain Brooke White remaining on the show... despite having forgot the lyrics the night before? Here are excerpts from the insightful piece:

What we learned from this week’s results show isn’t pretty. The performances of any given week don’t matter on this season’s “Idol.” This is not, at this juncture, a singing competition. Nor does this season reward the virtues usually associated with champions -- courage, determination, a strong sense of self.

Carly Smithson’s booting is not simply unjust; it threatens to undermine the very premise of “American Idol.”

If this show is now officially about well-marketed personalities rather than vocal charisma or even dynamic performance skills, then why not make it a chronicle of the packaging of a pop star, more like MTV’s “Making the Band” or even (though I dread it) “The Search for the Next Doll”?

Read the complete article now - and let us know if you agree with it.