In the spring of 2009, I won the Liberty High School award with many chances of becoming the next American Idol. Receiving the award-winning t-shirt in front of the entire graduating class was a great honor. However, I never imagined reality TV in my future; especially not a show featuring the idle insults of judge Simon Cowel. Fox's American Idol phenomenon is still at the top a decade after it first premiered in 2002. It remains popular even with Cowel in retirement. 29.3 million viewers, 21% more than the previous season, tuned in to hear Ryan Seacrest announce the winner of the tenth and final season of American Idol. Viewers of the show wax and wane from year to year, but for eight consecutive seasons it remains America's favorite evening entertainment (Bauder par 3, 10). Viewers never seem to tire of the audition episodes that air at the beginning of each season. Through learning a contestant's life story and hometown viewers connect with their future American Idol. In addition to showcasing contestants with extraordinary talents and touching stories, they also feature an assortment of the crazy, wacky, and just plain weird. It's easy to enjoy these people when you watch from afar. However, if you stop to think of these exploited contestants as real human beings, you can imagine how embarrassing it must be to be portrayed as crazy on national television. The owners and producers of the American Idol brand exploit and control their contestants, finalists and winners in order to increase viewership and therefore increase profits. Idol brand owners increase their wealth every year. Simon Fuller, British talent scout and manager of the Spice Girls, and Simon Cowel, director of the BMG recording studio, founded the UK's Pop Idol in 2001. Together the two Simon...... middle of paper..... .wireStory?id=13734902&singlePage=true>.Flint, Joe. "Even in decline, 'American Idol' can't be bought for one song." Los Angeles Times 06 July 2010. Web. 02 June 2011..Franck, Egon and Stephan Nüesch."Avoiding 'Star Wars' – Celebrity Making as a Media Strategy."Kyklos 60.2 (2007): 211-230. Print.Maloley, Curtis. “The “American Idol” Attempt.” Crackling culture. 6th ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. Print. "The Truth About the American Idol Auditions." Votefortheworst.com January 11, 2007. Web. June 4, 2011. .Wyatt, Edward. "'Idol' Winners: Not Just Fame But Big Earnings." New York Times February 23, 2010. Web. June 4. 2011. .