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American Idol on Fox

The American Idol juggernaut has apparently hit a few speed bumps.  The ratings for the finale which aired on Wednesday, May 20^th at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT, were the lowest in the show’s history.  Still, almost 29 million viewers tuned in to watch, many of them with their families.  Unfortunately, the show ended on an off-putting low-note.  For airing foul language and a provocative strip tease during one of the most watched events on television, the May 20^th finale of American Idol has been named Worst TV Show of the Week.

As per usual, the show’s finale featured performances by well-known artists and appearances by former contestants.  Within the first hour of broadcast, The Black Eyed Peas performed their chart-topping single, “Boom Boom Pow,” which contains profanity that the artists muted in performance.  Here’s a sample of what they weren’t saying:

I'm on the supersonic boom

Ya'll hear the spaceship zoom

When I step inside the room them girls go ape ____ [muted “shit”], uh

Y'all stuck on super-8 ____ [muted “shit”]

That low-fi stupid 8-bit.

Though one could applaud the performers for self-censoring where Fox apparently was not inclined to, you have to question the wisdom of choosing to perform a song that required the edits.  The show’s true low-point, however, occurred immediately after the Black Eyed Peas’ performance when host Ryan Seacrest announced the nominees for the Best Attitude Award.  Katrina Darrell (aka, “Bikini Girl”) was the first nominee.  During her audition she tells Judge Kara DioGuardi that her demonstration of Mariah Carey’s “Vision of Love” wasn’t any better.  Kara rises from her seat and says, “Hold on a minute, ____ [bleeped “bitch”].”  Kara sings the song again to show Katrina what a real voice sounds like.  The second nominee, Alexis Cohen, attempts to keep her composure while the judges reject her, but ultimately she can’t contain herself.  “I don’t know what else to do,” she says, “but give you the finger.”  Alexis flips off the judges and both of her middle-fingers are obscured.  As she storms out of the room, she spouts, “Thank you.  You’re an ___ [bleeped “asshole”].” 

Of course, Katrina ultimately wins the Best Attitude Award (any excuse to bring back “Bikini Girl.”)  She strides across the stage in her uniform - a skimpy string bikini.  It is immediately apparent, though, that her breasts have been augmented.  Ryan quips, “I was gonna ask you what’s new, but I think I know.”  She is given the opportunity to sing once again.  So she takes center stage for one more stab at “Vision of Love.”  Midway through her rendition, Kara emerges from backstage to show her up once again.  The coup de grace comes at the conclusion of the song when Kara rips her dress open to expose her own string bikini underneath.  Ryan explains that the impromptu strip-show was part of a bet they had made with Kara.  For flashing her skin, money will be donated to her favorite charity. 

Charitable giving aside, this provocative display crosses the line for a show whose success is built upon the millions of viewers that tune-in for wholesome entertainment.  Families expecting a clean show were blindsided by this shameless stunt. 

Given the dip in ratings, the show’s producers might resort to even more salacious content in next season’s American Idol, further eroding its audience base.  Hopefully, though, the show will stay true to the millions of families that have made it such a huge success and leave the smut for Fox’s other shows.

For airing foul language and racy content when millions of families tune in, the finale of American Idol has been named Worst TV Show of the Week.