Dear Readers:
Ellen Sung, Dr. Ink’s former intern, turned Doc on to the Fox TV show “American Idol.” Transplanted from Great Britain, where it was called “Pop Idol,” the show pits young musical performers against each other and a triumvirate of judges. Each week, viewers phone in votes for their favorites. The performer with the fewest votes leaves the show.
As of this writing, four finalists remain, and Doc will grade them:
• Tamyra Gray: Doc’s favorite, a wonderful vocalist with a beautiful, elegant stage presence.
• Kelly Clarkson: Could pull an upset. Perhaps the best voice in the contest, but also the youngest. Lacks polish.
• Justin Guarini: Obligatory boytoy, with an annoying mob of curly hair, and nostrils that threaten to fly off his face at any second.
• Nikki McKibbin: Funky and punky, but with limited range. Perhaps the tongue piercing is affecting her.
Since this column is dedicated to journalism, Doc is required to make some applications to our craft. He thinks he knows why “Idol” has attracted an audience that generated more than 14 million votes last week.
• The show is a serial narrative with payoffs for the viewer each week and a big one at the end.
• It is generated by a simple narrative engine: Which performer will remain standing by the end of the series?
• It has an interesting cast of characters. Each one has a personal story and something important at stake.
• It has a great villain, tell-it-like it is judge Simon Cowell.
• It forces the audience to wait and wait with cliffhangers during and at the end of each show.
• It invites interactivity and the sense that viewers can affect the outcome.
By now readers know that Dr. Ink is a man of incredible range, moving easily between Shakespeare and professional wrestling. Exposure to low culture is not just a guilty pleasure. The techniques of telling effective stories, and drawing a significant audience, can be learned in the valleys as well as on the hillsides.
