During the winter is the best time to watch the hit TV singing show “American Idol.” Many viewers of all ages turn on their TVs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to watch the many hopeful contestants of this year’s show. Whether or not people just tune in for Simon’s hurtful criticism or their love of the show, it makes no difference; whatever the reason many people every year watch and love the show. Whether you have watched the show every season and never missed an episode, or you are watching for the first time, you may still wonder what happens once contestants have made it to the show. Are they treated differently? Do they have certain privileges? Are there rules they have to follow? I’ve decided that I’m tired of wondering, and I am going to figure out what really happens once a contestant has made “American Idol.”
Some may think once someone has made “American Idol” it’s smooth sailing from there, but that means many people are wrong because I have figured out that it’s not. I have gotten most of my information from interviews with former “Idol” contestants. They all say that probably the easiest part was the auditions. After that, they had to pick, learn and practice their songs, get their pictures taken, rehearse, do interviews and act in Ford commercials.
As a result of their success, the contestants gain certain privileges. Some of the privileges are that they all get their own cell phones, and for the first three seasons the contestants also lived in a four-story mansion on Mulholland Drive in Bel-Air. The house was located right next to Jennifer Lopez’s and was reportedly owned by an Indian Princess. After those first three seasons contestants stayed in private condos with a pool, spa, and concierge service. There were two contestants to a room, except during season five when Paris Bennett’s and Lisa Tucker’s moms stayed with their daughters because they were the youngest in the competition that year. Starting after season three, the contestants were given stylists and clothing allowances, not to mention gifts from designers. During seasons one, two and three the contestants had to do their own shopping for clothing and accessories and had to use their own money. Obviously life has changed since season three.
On the other hand, contestants have to follow many rules. For instance, they have a curfew of 11:00 p.m. during the week and midnight on the weekends. They are not allowed to leave the condos with anybody, but many contestants sneak out anyhow. Many of the male contestants go out to restaurants, and Katherine McPhee spent the night at her boyfriend’s house many times during the competition. Everywhere the contestants go bodyguards go with them, and even if they want to go somewhere alone, they have to have a bodyguard accompany them. The contestants are not allowed to drive anywhere while they are on the show. Season one’s seventh-place winner, Ryan Star, remembers, “We rode around in one big van that smelled really bad!” As a result, the days are very long for the “Idols.” Kimberly Caldwell from season two reports, “It was like boot camp: all we did was practice. We worked our butts off, from five or six a.m. to ten at night.”
The life of an “Idol” contestant is a very different life and often leads to odd behavior. Tuesday nights are all about the voting. People call up the designated number and the certain extension for the singer. Every contestant votes for him or herself many times using the cell phones that the show provides. “I remember sometimes being in the apartment after the show was taped, with everyone voting for themselves on their cell phones,” says Vonzell Solomon. The contestants admit that they would watch the show and make fun of each other for the funny things they did. The contestants also played pranks on each other, like the time some of the guys put plastic wrap on Anthony Federov’s toilet seat or the time the guys stole the food from the girls’ dressing room. There has even been a romance on the show, too. Season three’s Jessica Sierra and Nikko Smith dated, and their relationship continued into the tour but has now ended. Furthermore, during season three some contestants didn’t get along. Jessica Sierra says, “I’m not going to say we all got along, because we didn’t. Constantine [Maroulis] was very competitive and cocky; sometimes that really got on people’s nerves. It’s not all one big family like people say.”
Because “American Idol” doesn’t give its fans any information about what goes on behind the scenes, many people are left with a lot of questions. I decided not to wonder anymore, so I did some research. I discovered that the “Idols” endure many hardships but are also granted many privileges. Many of the contestants claim that the “Idol” life isn’t what everybody thinks it is, and if I hadn’t researched it, I would have continued thinking that “Idol” life is great. Now that I know more about what goes on behind the scenes, I realize that I am glad that I did research because if I had tried out for “American Idol” before I knew all this information, I might be regretting it now.