"American Idol" Finds Post-Show Life Online

No other reality show engages fans quite like American Idol, both on air and off. I realized this when I tuned in to Tuesday’s Top 12 performance show and discovered my cable was out. Left with no other option, I searched the Internet for alternatives -- videos, blogs, news stories -- whatever I could get my hands on. I discovered enough information to both enhance and replace the twice-weekly American Idol television viewing experience.

Hours before Tuesday’s show aired, TMZ leaked what the contestants would be singing hours before the show as well as inside info on how the new studio looked. Even more amusing than the posts themselves are the laugh-out-loud-funny comments. One commenter named Jayne said, “Who cares about the contestants?? I just want to hear Simon's accent!!! Simon, you are HOTTTTT!!!” Another commenter named Fern said, “This show should have only had one season.”

YouTube videos of the performances began popping up during the Top 12 telecast. Though the quality of the videos left a lot to be desired, they were enough to find out who sang what and how well they did. By Wednesday morning, more polished versions of the performance videos were available at AmericanIdol.com. MP3 versions and videos were also available for purchase oniTunes.

In addition to videos, you can find blogs, live blogs and video blogs that recap the episodes as well as generate lively and often entertaining discussion. On YouTube, you can watch 29-year-old Joe from Greensboro, NC, give a weekly recap of the performances. He says in his YouTube profile description, “I'm a very, very lazy person, and I do not like to type. Hence the videos as opposed to a text blog.” Lucky for Joe, lazy people also prefer to watch blogs rather than read them.

The most popular location for post-show chatter remains within the official MyIDOL community on AmericanIdol.com where fans can discuss the show on forums, browse photos and post or comment on blogs. As a pseudo-social network, MyIDOL community members can also create their own profiles, make “friends” and send and receive messages. Fans also have the added incentive of having their opinions voiced on Fox affiliate stations during local news coverage of the episodes.

American Idol audience interaction advanced once again during last night’s results show, as fans were invited to call in to ask the contestants live questions during the telecast. One fan wanted to know when Ryan and Simon would finally “throw down.” Another asked Simon if he thought American or British singers had more talent. For the record, Simon said he felt American singers had more talent while the Brits took the cake when it came to the judges table.