Did You Watch?

   American Idol is back for a 13th season, and again with changes to the judging panel. Gone are Nikki Minaj and Mariah Carey. Back is Jennifer Lopez, who joins Keith Urban and Harry Connick Junior.
   The show has been struggling the past few years, with the number of viewers down sharply from past seasons. It's not the top rated show anymore. In fact, "The Voice" beat them for entertainment/reality shows last year.
   I will (not for the first time) NOT be watching. In fact, the only season I did watch was season 2, which was enough for me. In my view, it's become nothing more than karaoke night in America, with almost interchangeable contestants. And I'm sure the producers are just crying all the way to the bank with my decision.
   Another big reason I didn't watch is the fact that right now, I don't have cable TV right now. A service provider will be doing that at the end of this month. But I still won't be watching, along with an awful lot of other people. Even so, enough fans are still turning in to maintain the entertainment Juggernaut for at least a few more seasons.
   One very big plus this year is a 15 year old singer who auditioned this week. Tristan Langley made it through to the next round of the competition, even though only 2 judges voted for him. Tristan is the son of Nikki McKibbin, who finished third on season one.

TTFN