The problem with American Idol and other shows like it

[Brem]

American Idol was (I think it still airs today), a popular music competition show where people compete to win a contract. There are many variations of the Idol show, as many other countries have their own version. There's also shows like America's Got Talent, The Voice, etc. But American Idol back when it originally started, was far worse. In that it showcased great singers, don't get me wrong, but it also showcased the really bad auditions too. And they often liked to make fun of those singers by adding funny sound/screen affects, and more. Now days the show only shows the good auditions, but early on in the shows infancy, it was all about showing both the good and the bad.

And I loved that stuff growing up. I loved laughing at people who didn't know they were bad at singing. But the problem comes in when you realize that some of these people likely have issues, maybe mental health issues. I think a lot of the people featured were autistic or had a mental issue similar to it. And all of those people got made fun of a majority of the time. Looking back, I don't get why I thought it was so funny, because this show likely hurt many people, and some people were probably taken out of context, and that further tarnished their lives.

What did you think of competition shows like American Idol that made fun of the bad auditions? Do you think this affected a lot of people's mental health?

 

[arunima]

I have seen that these shows to get their popularity and to get their rankings and ratings would go to any extent. And unfortunately, many will laugh as they are not aware of the hurt it might be giving to such people. Many mental illness are laughed at and bullied in life too in the day to day places like work and school. Unfortunately, they are not called out. And TV and reality shows can stoop to any level to get audiences