‘The Voice’ & ‘American Idol’ Don’t Make Stars—They Make the Already Famous Bigger
The year is 2005. Carrie Underwood is the winner of the fourth season of American Idol. Kelly Clarkson has three songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. And Jennifer Hudson is on the road to win an Oscar for her role in the movie adaptation of Dreamgirls.
The time was different. American Idol was one of the most watched shows on primetime. It had ratings comparable to Friends, ER and The West Wing, and it was a bonafide starmaker that turned virtual unknowns into household names. Fast forward to 15 years later, and American Idol is far from the ratings behemoth it used to be. The judges have been replaced by Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, and the show has moved...
