If you've been following along with me for anytime now, you know that after last season I swore I'd never write another American Idol blog. I might have to tweak that a little bit and say that I definitely will not be writing a weekly (or bi-weekly!) Idol blog. Last year's mediocre season was frustrating enough without reliving it in print at the same time. Still, I felt the start of a new season was worth a word or three, and here they are: Stop The Insanity!

It is the curse of reality programming that its producers feel absolutely compelled to dwell upon its most hideous manifestations. As a result, we were inflicted with several minutes of a glitter laden, foul-mouthed Janis Joplin impersonator. Did we really need to waste all that expensive air time? This was the sort of evening that found me snuggled up with my mute button!

During the concluding minutes of this first round of auditions, held in Philadelphia, we were told that 29 people were good enough to be sent on to Hollywood. We were even shown snippets of several who leapt happily through the doors, golden ticket in hand. But we didn't hear many of them perform. Wouldn't you rather hear them than watch two idiots dress up like Princess Leia? One was spouting more rude language (in front of her grandparents!) and the other, was a man with far too much exposed (and quite hairy) flesh. I hope I speak for all of us (and Simon) when I say, "Ewww!" And no, neither of them could sing.

I may have mentioned...a few times before, American Idol holds a special place in my heart because I feel it is not simply reality programming, but, for the finalists, real life. The winners (and near winners) have a genuine shot at a life changing career, and they didn't win it with a lucky guess. They earned it with talent.

As Simon is so fond of saying, "It's a singing contest!" So how about a little more singing, and a lot less freak show? Please.