American Idol's Fake Rejections Leave Fans Feeling Sorry for Contestants
Some judges will do anything for show.
We love television for the opportunity to witness hundreds of other people's lives and stories as they unfold before our eyes and sympathize with them whenever something bad happens.
However, it's not unusual for a TV reality show to inflict misfortunes on its characters for the sake of adding more drama.
American Idol is a singing competition with a long history. It has seen many contestants and judges over the years, and one of its most alluring qualities is that it's a reality show in many respects — and just like any other reality show, it needs drama to survive.
Sadly, this drama comes at the contestants' expense most of the time. And the show's fans don't seem to like it.
The recent episode of American Idol made the fandom feel sorry for the participants once again when the judges mockingly rejected several of them — only to correct themselves and say that they actually passed. Fans were outraged with these weird antics, and some viewers couldn't help sneering at the fake rejections, cliff-hanging pauses, and subsequent congratulations on coming through.
'You suck.....ceed at going to the next round!' one of the fans joked on Reddit, mocking the judges.
Other viewers ranted and raved about the devastation such seemingly innocent jokes cause the contestants.
Zachariah Smith seemed none too happy when he was told he was going home — pause — to pack his bags (to get ready for the show's next round). American Idol's fans didn't appreciate the humor either.
Some people recalled that, in season 20 of the show, the judges pulled a similar prank on Fritz Hager, which also caused the contestant (and viewers) tons of distress and anguish.
Just imagine how heartrending it is to hear that and start to accept your failure only to be 'surprised' a moment later! And though this may be a relief, the situation still leaves an unpleasant aftertaste in both the singers and the audience.
While such suspense and drama are key for reality TV and have been part of American Idol since its inception, fans don't want to see these cheap tricks that often. Hopefully, the rest of this season's episodes won't be as toxic drama-wise.
American Idol episode 11 is arriving on ABC on April 16, 2023.