A most sane idol

"Det e så sinnssjugt." This year's winner of Norwegian Idol is quite right.

Idol is over, and I'm already looking forward to the next season. My favourite won, so I guess I can live with a few Idol-free months. The sad thing about this concept is that it gets increasingly tedious and boring as the competition moves forward. I want to see people make fools of themselves, not watch two mediocre singers make perfectly okay interpretations of plain pop songs.

"Det e så sinnssjugt. Det e bare sjugt" ("This is crazy"). This seems to be the message Jorun had decided to use if she prevailed in the final. The excellent thing about Idol is that the tabloids feel they have to make a major story and quote the winners (and losers); it hardly matters if they say something quoteworthy. The Public Relations credo "Repeat your message frequently enough, and you will be heard" is well illustrated here. Let's make a cheap shot at a hypothetical interview.

Dagbladet: How do you feel about winning Idol?
Jorun: Det e så sinnssjugt.
Db: Did you deserve to win?
J: Æ vet ikkje. Det e så sjugt.
Db: What are you going to do now?
J: Sinnssjugt.

The front page headline next day? Hard to say.

The television audience love this entertainment concept: Common people rise to become stars, and WE get to decide who it's gonna be. Both the talentless and the talented are on display. We are amused indeed.