Why American Idol Sucks

I know the pain of not getting into see a favorite show. Each year I would enter the Saturday Night Live lottery for tickets, and each year would never get in. Nothing. Not even the dress rehearsal, which by the way is actually the show you want to see because you get to see more stuff, and you decide what the rest of the country sees. It took years and years and years, and I never got in the regular way. I didn't have the patience to stand outside and hope to get in. Each Saturday people would line up to try and get in which was only possible if the lottery winners didn't come and if you got in the line about 18 hours before showtime. I did finally get in to see the show one year, but it was through the musical guest. A couple of us sat there in the audience for the dress rehearsal and for the show. Because of me, a couple of people in the standby line who had been waiting for 18 hours didn't get in to see the show. I feel guilty now.

I got an e-mail from someone last week, and I am going to take out all the identifying information, although I will say they do comment all the time.

I GOT AMERICAN IDOL TIX!! IT ONLY TOOK A YEAR, but I finally got them. Will see the taping and not the rehearsal!!

Pretty cool huh? Think they were excited? I was really happy for them. It is so cool when people get that excited about something.

Here is the e-mail I got today from the same person.

Didn't get in last night -- they had more vip's than anticipated so they bumped the back 1/3 of the line.

The back 1/3 of the line? So, American Idol let me get this straight. You have people who have been waiting for a year or more to get tickets, and have in some cases planned vacations around these tickets when they finally get them, get bumped because VIP's who could not even get on the Surreal Life are crashing the show?

Kids are left crying, the ones in the wheelchairs rolled home, just so some guy from the first season of Temptation Island can score with this girl he has been trying to date. I understand how the ticket system works at American Idol. No one is guaranteed to get in even with a ticket. I understand that. However, the vast majority of people when they are notified by American Idol to be at the show on a specific date after a year or more of waiting think they are getting in.

I understand about slightly overbooking the show because some people are not going to show up. But overbooking by 1/3 is outrageous. "Sorry folks. Head back to Kansas or wherever you come from. We'll put you back on the wait list and maybe you will get in next year. Don't care if you hate us or are mad at us or even watch us again. We are television Gods and don't need you. Now make way for the judge from Celebrity Boxing."