I did an interview last week with Gil Kaufman from MTV about the number of Christian contestants on this season of American Idol. Later that same day, I talked to a reporter named Derrick from the Associated Press about the same topic.
I’ve been covering the Christian contestants on Idol ever since the show first mentioned Danny Gokey’s story about his wife’s death; they said he was a church music teacher, and knowing that would immediately connect with Christian viewers, I set out to find out a little more about him.
Week after week I noticed more and more Christians getting through to the next rounds, until we were at the Top13, with 6 contestants with ties to Christian music.
Regardless of where you stand on the issue of Christianity, you have to admit that that’s a lot of Christians on one season. We’ve had Christians of various denominations before on the show – from Jordin Sparks to David Archuleta – but as far as I can tell never so many in one season.
So I thought I’d look at some reasons why there are so many Christians on season 8 of American Idol:
1) Churches have long been a training ground for singers. My friend Tricia Whitehead mentioned this out to me, and she has a great point. From Whitney Houston to Evanescence to American Idols, many singers, with and without any current claim to Christianity, started singing in church. For some, it was the gospel choir. For others, it was a praise band in youth group. That doesn’t mean that they went on to become preachers or Christian artists. But that experience as youths offers them a chance to sing in front of a crowd, to get some direction on how to sing properly, and build confidence. While some kids are playing in a garage band with just the family dog for an audience, others are on church stages with professional sound and lighting systems. You can’t discount that kind of experience.
2) Christians are loosening up. There was a time when a worship leader peforming on a show like American Idol would have caused Christians to label him a sell out or to question his faith. But with the culture of celebrity becoming more common within the Christian community (yes, we have Christian celebrities, whether we admit it or not), the idea of a Christian making it big in the mainstream isn’t so distasteful any more. For some, they see it as an opportunity for a talented artist to be on equal footing with other artists. For others they consider is a mission field where they can be a Christian example to the world. Either way, churches are supporting their worship leaders on the show, and Christians are glad to see them, too.
3) The biggest reason that you’re seeing more Christians on American Idol is because there’s money in it for the show. Most viewers don’t take time to think about the dollars and cents of television, but the reality is that a show needs to make money to stay on the air. And I have a hunch that the producers of American Idol have noticed that Christians spend their money where their faith is. I don’t think that’s always a good thing, but let’s face it, it’s the truth.
Most of the world has no idea that there is a separate Christian music industry, for example, where artists are reaching gold and platinum status just like mainstream artists. Christians have their own TV stations and radio stations and book publishers and bookstores, and alternatives to just about every consumer product you can think of. It’s a bit like living in an alternate reality. (OK, it’s a lot like living in an alternate reality and not always a good one, but I digress …) There’s a reason stores like Walmart and Target now carry an extensive line of Christian music, and why stores like Barnes and Noble prominently feature Christian authors: it’s good business. If producers of shows like American Idol know that Christians will tune in, then they’ll play to that audience.
See, TV is all about money. And it’s become apparent over the last few years that the Christian marketplace is thriving; while Christian album sales declined last year, for example, they declined less than the overall music industry. And they started declining later; when album sales started falling in mainstream, Christian sales were still climbing. And let’s not forget that over the last 10 years, the number of contemporary Christian music radio stations have doubled, making it the second most popular radio format in the US, behind Country. Ka-ching!
4) And the last reason: The Christians on this season are really good! You can’t deny that Danny Gokey and Lil Rounds both have great voices, or that Kris Allen and Matt Giraud are talented artists. In the end, it is a singing competition, and whatever their faith, they deserve to be there as much as Adam Lambert (who, in my opinion, has a fantastic voice but is much better suited to front a rock band than be a pop singer) or Allison Iraheta (who is amazing).
My advice? If you’re voting for an American Idol contestant because of their faith, you should probably not vote at all.
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MORE AMERICAN IDOL POSTS
Tension At The American Idol Judges’ Table: Is The Honeymoon Over?
American Idol: Is This The Season of the Worship Leader?
American Idol’s Jamar Rogers and Frankie Jordan – BIG BIG NEWS!
American Idol Contestants With Ties to Christian Music – Round 2 & Updates
American Idol Season 8 Contestants With Ties to Christian Music
American Idol’s Felicia Barton a Worship Leader at Freedom Fellowship in VA
Breaking American Idol News: Joanna Pacitti Ineligible; Replaced By Felicia Barton
American Idol Contestant Ryan Johnson Performs Tonight with Christian Band Instereo
Is Jesus at American Idol’s Hollywood Week?
American Idol Judge Kara DioGuardi Gives Contestant Some Solid Advice
American Idol Contestant Kristen McNamara & L.A.U.G.H.
More on American Idol contestant Danny Gokey and wife Sophia
posted March 16, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Just a spelling correction – it’s Archuleta (one T).
posted March 16, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Good catch, Violet! I fixed it!
Thanks so miuch!
Joanne
host of the GS blog
posted March 17, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I agree with your #3 that American Idol takes into account the money they make by appealing to its viewers. That is also why I think they try to sell themselves as a family friendly show. Get the younger teens to follow the show and dream about being the next idol. Even Kara reminded the judges and Ryan a few weeks ago to watch what they were saying as it was a “family show”. Since the contestants are screened and expected to behave with decency while on live tv, I think the Christian artists feel a comfort level representing themselves both as Christian and as an American Idol contestant.
However I have to say that I am concerned at the wardrobe Paula has been wearing (or should I say barely wearing) as the season has progressed. Last week my husband wondered if she had a shirt on at all. I say it was close to a wardrobe malfunction! Christian or non-Christian, she was dressed R rated not G or PG and that is inappropriate for this show.
posted March 17, 2009 at 3:48 pm
And Kara, too. There was on show during the auditions where Kara’s shirt was so l low it was almost like not wearing one. I was stunned they let her wear something that revealing!
Joanne
host of the GS blog
posted March 17, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I heard that Matt Giraud produced a Christian CD also. Would like to hear it one of these days. I agree about the music training. I remember Clay Aiken talking about how he would practice every week at church to perfect his singing. So there is an advantage to being in the church choir…lol Because there is nothing but practice, practice and then practice, plus you sing in front of large crowds and get confidence.
posted March 17, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I heard even Katy Perry started off by singing in church.
posted March 17, 2009 at 5:51 pm
You can get Matt’s CDs on amazon.com, actually. This season, Danny Gokey, Kris Allen, Scott MacIntyre, and Michael Sarver are all worship leaders or sing in church. Matt Giraud is a Christian artist, and I’ve heard Lil Rounds also sings in her church. And those are just the ones in the Top 11!
Joanne
host of the GS blog
posted March 18, 2009 at 10:12 am
Reason #2 focuses on a particular kind of Christian. There are an incredible variety of Christians many of which have no problems with their worship leaders or musicians participating on American Idol. Many of these might view it as a form of prosletizing and others that don’t think that’s necessary.
posted March 28, 2009 at 10:39 am
I’m sure there are plenty of Christians who won’t vote for Anoop Desai because he might be a Hindu, just as I’m sure there are plenty of Christians who wouldn’t vote for a Jew (when was the last Jew even seen anywhere near Idol?).
posted March 30, 2009 at 5:46 pm
It would be fascinating to see the percentage of artists who developed their musical talents inside the church. Even more interesting would be to discover the “tipping point” at which artists made a conscious decision in their music career to walk away from any kind of fun, moral or innocent message that would have been compatable with Christianity and instead intentionally chose to promote sexually provocative lyrics, cursing, etc.
Is the music industry in that much trouble that this one-track, group-think solution is the only respected antidote to weak sales? I get tired of people asking the Jonas Bro.’s when they will “mature to more serious work.” They make great music that the whole family can enjoy. Why does “maturity” = “immorality” & “vulgarity” in the music industry?
posted April 3, 2009 at 7:54 pm
You can’t just seperate Christians like that. If we did that then there would have to be an American Idol show for each religion and race. Black people are going to vote for black people. Indians are going to vote for Indians. White people are going to vote for white people. Hindus for hindus. Jews for Jews. Thats just the way it works (for the majority anyways) We vote for them because 1) they have amazing voices 2) we know they are already going to be positive influcences and most likely won’t contribute to the junk that exists in the world now. 3) they do what they do for God and not themselves.
ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY CHRISTIANS MADE IT TO SEASON 8:
***********************IT WAS GOD’S WILL!****************************
posted April 14, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Adam Lambert, the best of the bunch, is JEWISH!!!!!! And I, for one, am beyond proud!!!!
posted April 14, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Oh, and to the poster who called the Jewish people, JEWS..the Jew, etc. Nice. Not. “When was the last Jew even seen on Idol?” Anti-semitic much? Again, Lambert…amazing, glorious, mesmerizing talent. JEWISH!!!! And, if you’re voting primarily because of religion…sad for you. Oh, and “whites for whites,” Jew for Jew…news flash!!!!! Jewish people are caucasian! And, there are plenty of Jewish celebrities you don’t even realize are Jewish in your stereotypical mind. Try the gorgeous actress Scarlett Johannsen, the ever-popular teenage heartthrob Zac Efron and too may others to mention. LOL…sad….
posted April 15, 2009 at 12:59 am
I think that Christians watch american idol because it is a wholesome show. So many shows out there are horribly bad programs with no morals, while american idol focuses on the positive. I also think that churches spawn a lot of really good singing talent. I agree with that point. =)
posted April 25, 2009 at 9:15 am
If there is an A.I. contestant whose performance I really enjoyed, then I try to find out more about them. If they are Christian than that is potentially a bonus for me. What contestants seem to care about, value, and do with their lives matters to me (eg. Kris Allen’s been on many mission trips, and Danny runs a charity).
Christianity influences who a person is and who a person is influences what they do & what music/lyrics they produce – which in tun influences whether I will buy it or not.
I don’t think we can ever say A.I. is only about performance. If it came to light that a forerunner contestant had recently seriously assaulted his wife I think he would lose popularity quickly and there is no way he would win, even if he was the best singer by a mile.
I think Adam Lambert & Allison Irehart are truly great performers and nice people (they are the people not identified as Christian out of the final 5). I hope people don’t vote for Christians simply because they are Christian. Overall this is a singing competition. However a contestants’ personality, attitudes, ambitions, passions, actions all influence voters to some degree – and should do so.
I liked Kris Allen to begin with (before knowing anything about him). Learning more about him solidified my love for him. In one online blog it says he gave away his new $700 guitar (a gift from his parents) impulsively on one of his mission trips to Thailand when he saw that the worship leader of a small church had very sad guitar (with only 4 strings). Actions of contestants that show their true characters are infinitely more important to me than whether they identify as Christian or not.
posted April 25, 2009 at 9:20 am
If I really enjoyed an artist who was Christian on A.I then I might vote for them, hoping that at the end of A.I some of the music that they produced would be Christian. We need more good Christian music, there is very little that I like.
If I know that I would value and buy a particular Christian idol’s future CD’s over the CD’s of other Idol contestants, then that is a good reason for me to vote for them.
posted April 26, 2009 at 5:46 pm
well news flash to you… everyone is sterotypical to some degree. it’s just a matter of whether or not you act upon it. and duh jews are caucasian. what was meant by whites for whites Jews for Jews was that people are going to vote for people who relate to themselves. For example Anoop Desai is Indian. most of the people at my school all thought that he was not very good, but if you talked to any of the Indians at my school they all thought he was absolutely amazing and they all voted for him.
and it was never said that there was anything wrong with Jews. Jews were not the focus of the post. it was just an example. you clearly love adam lambert and love the fact that he is jewish. that influences your opinion about him. so you too are basing your vote off religion to some degree.
and there is nothing wrong with that. I like kris allen and danny gokey because i know that they will put out Christian music or even if they don’t it will still be positive music unlike most of the junk out there now. and i absolutely love their voices. adam lambert has an amazing voice but from what i’ve read and heard about him i dont believe he is going to put out positive music. so i would much rather vote for someone who will make positive music (like kris allen who travels around the world to help underprivaleged kids and takes the oppurtunity to make a change in the world) no matter if their talent is better or not. (and even though adam has a ridiculous range, kris has better musical skills)
no matter what AI has never been JUST a singing competition. people like people who are like themselves so whoever they most closely relate to is who they are going to vote for. and wake up to reality cause the reality is that people are all prejudice or sterotypical in some way. its human nature. but its controlling it that proves your character. i have absolutely no problem with other races and religions, but since Christianity relates to me im going to vote for it. if people are saying to not vote for contestants because of their religion, then dont vote for them based on their race. dont vote for them based on how attractive they are. dont vote for them based on their age. dont vote for them based on what type of music genre they will sing. vote for them purely on their ability to sing.
reality check…that won’t happen. so don’t judge people who vote for the Christian AI contestants.
posted May 20, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Hi, Just a thought,if these So called Christians are that dedicated to their beliefs,then why didn’t they sing Gospel Music????? Why, because the other Music will be bought more by the Younger Generation. I’m a 68 Year old Christain & Adam Lambert is By Far the best singer & all around Performer.If Kris is voted in on His Christian Values,then why did He not sing Gospel? After all its a Talent Contest,not to see who the best Christian is.If Adam doesn’t win it will be a big mistake.I just hope Adam is the Winner.