hooray, your writings on theater and writing much missed!

It's so strange to watch American Idol and not have the same baggage I used to have to carry around in order to watch this show. For instance:

• I don't have to care about Simon Cowell anymore. Simon was like a breath of stale air when he sniped his way into the American pop culture landscape and I felt compelled to be interested in him, like it was my duty. People were sure he was the glue that held that titanic together. They couldn't have been more wrong. Ryan Seacrest is that glittery glue. I'm fairly relieved to now be watching a better show and Simon laughing his way to the bank in the sunset. Syonara, you little minx!
  
• I don't have to care about Paula Abdul anymore. Let's face it, I never really did care for her. Otherwise I wouldn't have prayed for her to fall off the wagon every week (cross that off the list too)
  
• I don't have to care whether Paula and Simon slept together. The show kept trying to sell us that story line. I wasn't buying it; she's way too old for him.
  
• I don't have to care about Randy Jackson anymore. He's so far in the background now as to be inconsequential. We've got the scene chewing Tyler and the mesmerizing Jennifer Lopez. Randy who?

I am hopeful that AI has turned a corner from that snot nosed punk of an upstart show to a young adult living on her own in the city for the first time kind of show. There seemed to be far less time spent in these early episodes on the mentally ill and far more time spent on people you might want to learn more about. Someday. After Hollywood. 

Right now, I'm tuning in early and am buoyed by the lightness I'm feeling, having sloughed off layers of bullshit armor that I had to don to protect myself while I hoped that maybe I would bear witness to Something Great. 

I'm pretty sure I'll be sorry I watched at some point. But I hope those moments aren't in the majority. I'm not asking for too much, am I?

******

Edited to add: The title of this post is from a nice spammer who comments here regularly. It's something I'd repeat if you would post something new, Dale, Marni, n.v., Melinda June, Coaster Punchman, Amy, Bluez, Bubs, Jacob's Mom, Nurse Ratchet and Valerie.