Art Imitates Life: The Idol “Mosh Pit” for sorority girls only, but AI has gone “green”

The New York Times delved into Idol realm this week describing what is, essentially the most “staged” of all reality TV. Big surprise, but here are a few interesting tidbits.

“At the end of every performance you will stand on your feet.” That is one of the commandments offered by Cory Almeida, the indefatigable warm-up man who exhorts and instructs the audience for 15 minutes before each performance and during the numerous commercial breaks.

The audience too looks expansive on television, but the hall includes only 12 rows of seats, four at floor level and eight in bleachers.

The perk is a recruitment tool for some sororities [at UCLA] as well. “We sometimes talk about this at rush,” said Courtney Lauwereins, a member from Laguna Beach, Calif. “Join Alpha Phi, and you might get to go to American Idol. ”

The show, of course, does not just throw a bevy of sorority women in front of the cameras and allow them to cluster as they may. Stage assistants choose specific women and place them where the hand-held cameras will swoop during performances.

Print journalists, are generally consigned to the back row of the bleachers, where, thankfully for viewers, they are well out of camera range.

I knew those chicks were all too blond and perky, even if it is Southern California. I’m just more frightened that college-aged girls are willing to cheer for The Chosen Eunuch. Oh, the things a person does for the slight chance of being on national television.

On a side note, American Idol is happy to announce (just in time for Earth Day), that they’ve gone green. Oh, I’m all for the environment but I’m so sick of this trendy little term. Besides just recycling tired old songs, Idol wants you to know that they use recycled paper products, make sure the lights are all turned out when nobody is in the building and naturally, are giving away a Ford Hybrid at the end of the season.

Wow. Sorority favoritism and environmental awareness. Idol’s just like college!