Is the TV Show 'American idol' rigged? | Staged Reality TV Debunked

The tv show 'American Idol' is a reality competition that consists of young people competing for a music contract, with judges and viewers deciding the fate of the competitors. The first broadcast of the American Idol reality show was in 2002. The show features three prominent judges and a host who travel to audition cities in the United States to hold auditions at each stop.


Over the years, the show has had many conspiracies, including the auto-tune to improve contestants' singing; another significant controversy was whether or not the show is scripted. These and many other controversies have left questions unanswered. The idol fans take to their Twitter pages to damn that the show is rigged. The question, is the tv show American Idol rigged has been asked for more than a decade now, and we're going to find out if the show is rigged or not.

But is the 'tv show American idol rigged?

The answer is no. The many controversies about idol shows are typically brought up by people who think the reality tv show producers influence contestants' backstories before they come for their auditions. Some fans whose' favorites are eliminated believe that specific stories were already crafted to be playout or that judges got their hands on the votes.

In the 1950s, several TV shows such as quiz shows, games, and talent shows were found to have been staged, causing implications to those programs in the United States. Most programs will likely lose credibility and face federal investigations if their shows seem rigged or knowing the outcome in advance. In other words, rigging a show like American Idol implies producers and advertisers of this show are likely to lose a lot more than they would ever gain if caught.


The conspiracy stories about the reality tv show American Idol does not just seem to be true, not that they can't be, but the feasibility of producers getting their hands on all of their contestants' backstory before the audition process starts is minimal.

For instance, if producers had their hands on every contestant's backstory before auditions, the instance of a lady with a backstory of being abandoned by her mother was orphaned after her mother died would have been caught before the contestant ever took the stage. A fact that wasn't discovered until production had begun. Additionally, one of the contestants Corey Clark who hid his criminal record, was later disqualified by producers from the show, which, had it been known, it might have affected his participation in the show," the producers of Idol said" in a statement made during the contest in 2003.


While some viewers think the show is rigged, I think the judges' reaction influences the number of votes. Since the audience for the show is massive, one can only assume that many of the viewers are not vocalists, so whose judgment would you trust? The judges could just be fair, but people just have their favorites, and the feeling of frustration after their elimination is unavoidable.

The Audition Process for American Idol

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According to the American Idol official website, there is a long process to the auditions. The entire process begins with online registration with the American Idol before you are scheduled for a live or private audition and before uploading an audition video.


Most viewers think of American Idol as the contestant performing before the judges and the audience, but the show is about the audition process. It begins with auditions before the cameras are ever rolled out.


Suppose you are interested in auditioning with American Idol. In that case, you must follow a few steps, including sending a live video of your performance, answering a 500 questionnaire for a psych evaluation, and performing before different judges before ever making your way to the finalist.

Is the tv show 'American Idol' staged?

Some fans of American Idol were upset with the show after the fourth episode of auditions. During this episode, fans took to Twitter and Reddit to discuss what was happening and share their opinions that the show seemed to be staged. Some of their comments read, "Everything seems so staged," and another wrote, "more tears! Wow! How original," whether or not the show is staged or scripted is the most significant controversy about the reality tv show.


The controversy about the reality tv show being staged started when some contestants claimed they were offered contracts but were later canceled due to concerns over their personality. Other contestants claimed they were assured they would attain some certain rounds before they even performed their auditions before the judges. These and many similar claims made people think the show was staged or considered fake.

However, many other contestants have debunked these claims saying they were never offered contracts before auditions. To them, everything was so original, and contestants were chosen based on performance alone. Adam Lambert, American Idol season eight winner, debunked the statement. He said, "the show is not scripted, and everything is done organically through talent alone."

Are the Auditions Fake?

Since its inception in 2002, the American Idol show, with its outstanding performances, has left many people wanting more each week. The show was first broadcasted on Fox in 2002, but in 2015, Fox canceled the show after 15 seasons, only to be rekindled in 2017 by ABC.


Given the controversies about American Idol, it wouldn't surprise you that many reports have surfaced online claiming that the show was fake.


A former Idol contestant Joyner stated that the show was fake, manipulated, and was never a talent competition. Idol's former judge Mariah Carey said her time on 'American Idol' was never good. She described it as the worst experience of her life back in 2015. She said, "it's so boring and so fake."


In addition to this, there are a couple of reasons why American Idol might rig their voting system to make it look like it's not fake. For instance, if they let a specific type of people win-say contestants below 15, people could stop

watching their show. Instead, they vary the outcome to keep viewers captivated. There are instances where we see contestants who seem like sure winners being eliminated from the competition, making us think it was all planned or staged.

 

In Conclusion

Having all these arguments in mind, American Idol has had its ups and downsides, especially as the show's integrity is concerned. The allegations that the show is rigged cannot be underestimated, but it also seems that 'American Idol plans to keep their show as authentic as possible.

Header image source: NPR.org

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