The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

Do music competition shows launch careers?

With singing competitions on the rise, the question, “Do these shows really find America’s next biggest star?” comes to mind. The answer is a resounding “NO.”

In the last 10 seasons of “American Idol,” only three winners have won  Grammys, according to grammy.com.

That means that a show that allows its winners to be chosen by the fans has failed seven out of 10 times.

Yes, these winners have received $1 million contracts, but when those contracts are up, these “American Idols” crash and burn more than racers do at the Daytona 500.

After about a year, the winners of American Idol lose their hype and turn into “Where are they now?” stories.

The biggest argument against these shows is that sometimes the fans don’t get it right and people who were runner-ups end up being far more successful than the winners.

For example, Jennifer Hudson, who finished third in voting behind winner Fantasia Barrino, has gone on to win one Grammy and has won best supporting actress at both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes.

“The Voice,” which is on its second season, is another weak attempt to spice up the singing competitions by having judges pick a team of singers without seeing them perform..

While the process brings a little fun to the program, the result is the same. Last season ,winner Javier Colon’s hype died out before it even got started.

Colon has received a resounding one nomination for Breakout Artist at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards, which he lost to non-reality star Bruno Mars.

So if you’re looking for America’s next big thing, stop watching these over-the-top singing competitions and look somewhere else, you may have better luck.

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