American Idolatry

provided by

American Idol, which is wrapping up its season finale on May 22, is the most successful television show of this short century. Let that statement sink in for a moment. Yes, the show that gave us Clay Aiken and William Hung and Ryan Seacrest is the pop-cultural phenomenon of the post-9/11 world.

Idol launched in June 2002, and its first episode was watched by a mere 9.9 million viewers. But in time, the numbers would grow significantly—to more than triple that. American Idol is, to today's iPod-listening and iPhone-yapping adolescents, the equivalent of the Beatles, as painful as that might be for a certain generation to accept. On February 9, 1964, a reported 73 million people watched the Fab Four's introduction to America on The Ed Sullivan Show—like Idol, a top-rated variety program with some memorable acts and some not-so-memorable acts. That's one million fewer than the number of votes cast during the season finale of American Idol last year—not bad in an era when there are a zillion channel choices, not the three of Sullivan's day.

Yet in the beginning, plenty of television insiders, including executives at three major networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, all passed on their chance to buy the show. Rupert Murdoch, chairman and C.E.O. of News Corp., the Fox Network's corporate parent, said yes (though some have said it was actually Mike Darnell, Fox's reality chief, who gave the go-ahead). Now, in an era of endless cable stations and diminishing returns for networks, American Idol dominates television, and Murdoch's News Corp. reaps the financial benefits.

But ratings are down a bit this year, and Idol-haters are predicting the show's demise. Not Murdoch, of course, who last year said: "I think it's got years and years of life." Here's the tally on Idol to date:

• Total number of American Idol episodes since its debut in 2002 (as of May 19): 270

• Number of seasons American Idol has been ranked the No. 1 show on television: 3 (2005-2007)

• Value of the American Idol franchise, as estimated by Advertising Age: $2.5 billion

• Number of Oscar- or Golden Globe-winning performances by American Idol winners: 0

• Number of Oscar- or Golden Globe-winning performances by American Idol contestants: 2 (Jennifer Hudson, who finished seventh in season three, won both for her role in Dreamgirls)

• Worldwide box-office total for Dreamgirls: $154,852,975

• Worldwide box-office total of From Justin to Kelly, starring the first season's winner, Kelly Clarkson, and runner-up Justin Guarini: $4,928,883

• Total number of product placements during the 2007 season: 4,349

• Number of product placements during the first three months of the 2008 season: 3,291

• Estimated cost of a 30-second advertisement on the finale episode of American Idol each of the last three seasons: $1.3 million

• Approximate number of CDs sold by American Idol winners: 24.5 million

• Approximate number of CDs sold by American Idol runners-up: 6.5 million

• Highest number of CDs sold by an American Idol winner: 9,455,000 (Kelly Clarkson)

• Number of CDs sold by Justin Guarini, season one's runner-up: 143,000

• Number of CDs sold by William Hung, whose rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" was rejected during the audition phase of season three: 295,000

• Estimated number of viewers who watched the season premiere of American Idol on January 15, 2008: 33.2 million

• Percentage of decline this represents from the previous season's premiere: 13 percent

• Estimated number of Americans who watched the April 16 Democratic primary debate between Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama, the highest-rated debate this year: 10.7 million

• Number of votes cast during the season finale of American Idol last year: 74 million (Idol allows up to 10 votes per phone number)

• Number of people who voted for George W. Bush in the 2004 election: 62 million

• Percentage of Americans who believe their vote in American Idol is just as important as their vote for president, according to Fox News: 35 percent