AMERICAN IDOL IS MY CRACK

sad, but true. it's auditions month, so i get to watch twice a week, lucky me. i only like specific parts of the show, though, so i end up watching only 20 min. out of each 2 hr. episode. TGFTivo. i fast forward through all the crazy bad auditions, past simon rolling his eyes, past the singers' backstories about sick relatives, unusual jobs, or the six times they've auditioned for AI in the past. what i crave is when someone gets a golden ticket, which admits them into the next round of auditions. the cameraguy waits with a person's family outside of the judges room, as they all look expectantly at a big door. maybe they make a few comments about how much their person deserves to be on AI. then their person bursts through the big door waving their golden ticket and everyone goes crazy, jumping and laughing and crying and hugging. there's lots of screaming.

i love that part.

it's like how i like watching ppl arrive at airports. again, you have ppl milling around a big door, waiting for their person to show up. a constant parade of ppl files out of the walkway, and then suddenly there's screaming + hugging as someone is spotted and ambushed and welcomed back into the arms of friends/family.

both situations involve celebrating a long-awaited arrival. at the airport, it's a physical arrival that was anticipated, but for AI contestants, it's the arrival of a moment that was in no way guaranteed. for one moment, they have what they wanted. never mind that there are a gazillion more rounds of competition ahead of them, for one moment they feel completely happy with what they have. and their family and friends surround them, screaming. in perhaps as few as 5 minutes, the joy will become tainted by the nagging discontents of life- where did we park the car? do they really charge $10 for every 15 minutes of parking? who's watching the baby? how long will i keep my job? how long will this car keep running? how am i going to afford a new car? what was johnny's teacher calling about? what will we do if his grades don't improve? why can't i remember where i parked the car!?!!