'American Idol' shows signs of becoming flat

Since the best singer was kicked off "American Idol" early, there's a question more pressing than whether Jordin or Blake won the top prize.

Is this the season when TV's favorite talent competition hits the skids?

Of course, some fans asked that question last year, when rocker Chris Daughtry was sent home three weeks shy of victory.

Some of us remember back to "Idol's" first season in 2002, when the fourth-place finish of vocal powerhouse Tamyra Gray, who is black, brought charges that the competition was not picking the best singer and might even be racist.

But the evidence of "Idol's" decline this year is tough to ignore. Recent episodes have garnered the lowest ratings of the season -- a still-impressive 23 million people, but down from an average 30 million last year with a bump last week when front-runner Melinda Doolittle was ejected.

Critics have complained that the 2007 contestants were weak. Standouts such as Doolittle, Jordin Sparks, Blake Lewis and Flint's LaKisha Jones, the top four finishers, dominated from the beginning.

"Idol's" problems coalesced in Sanjaya Malakar, both the show's biggest asset and its worst problem. The vocally challenged sprite's continued success kept the public buzzing, even as he ripped apart the thin contention that "Idol" is a serious singing competition.

It's hard to escape the feeling that "Idol" is a roller coaster passing its biggest peak as a cultural phenomenon, headed for decline into just another hit show.

"There's so much of the show out there, you can't turn around without reading or seeing a story about 'American Idol' and how wonderful it is," said Andy Dehnart, creator of the reality TV-focused Web site RealityBlurred.com. "And especially when the TV show that's on doesn't seem to be mirroring the coverage, that's a problem."

As Doolittle learned the hard way, great vocals take contestants only so far. Building an emotional connection with the audience, making them care about you the way they cared about the coolest kids in school, is the real key.

"One of the inherent properties of reality TV is that the people who don't deserve to win are often the most interesting," said Robert Thompson, head of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. "If we judge 'American Idol' by asking, 'Is the show finding the best musical voices of their generation?' the answer is absolutely not."

Another long-standing argument among "Idol" fans and critics is whether the show's lackluster roster reflects the state of pop music these days, or encourages it.

On the plus side, among the show's alumni are platinum-selling recording artists, Broadway stars, Grammy-winning singers and an Oscar winner.

But only two of the series' five previous winners have maintained "Idol"-level performing careers (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood), with other high achievers such as Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson outperforming those who beat them in their competitions.