Recently, Fox wrapped its seventh season of "American Idol." Seven seasons - does this seem outrageous to anybody else? It begs the question: What does America idolize?
Let me begin with this disclaimer: I've never really watched an entire episode of "Idol," so I could be just one of those outside cynics too prideful to embrace this wild, overly popular game show.
Even though I did not follow the latest season of "Idol," being a Utah native and fellow Mormon I could not avoid hearing the innumerable exaggerations about the wonderment that is David Archuleta, the recently declared runner-up. I admit I see his charm and understand why America loved him enough to vote for him.
In fact, Fox proudly declared that there were over 97 million votes in the season finale. Let's put that into presidential voting perspective. Barack Obama recently proudly announced that he reached just over 1.5 million donors since his campaign began, which is an obscene number for a presidential primary. Or on the night of the last Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton boasted about her roughly 18 million voters during her un-concession speech.
Pick your favorite ratio 97 to 1.5 or 97 to 18; either is disturbing.
I know this comparison is a little apple-orangey (votes vs. donors), but the difference is staggering. And yes, I know "Idol" does not have any restrictions on the number of times a voter - of any age - can vote. But, 97 million in one night compared to a combined 36 million from over 16 months of campaigning? That is a serious social commentary.
Is voting for "Idol" on a comparable voting-value scale as voting in a political election? And which voting voice is more democratic?
I cannot help but think of our democratic predecessors, the patriots: Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Franklin. How would these great minds of the enlightenment view the voting phenomenon we know as "American Idol"? Would they consider this text messaging, obsessive fan culture as the true offspring of their revolutionary designs?
There are many more things at play in this simple and strained comparison, but the situation demands us to confront certain realities: which contest more acutely epitomizes democracy?
Even though I often vocally decry "Idol" and most other reality TV shows, I can't help but wonder if there is something inherently American about it (please try to forget that we stole the show's premise from the British). Think about the essence of the show - families and friends banding together to fight the good fight and cheer on their standard-bearer. It's intrinsically American and democratic.
It's clear that from our nation's founding, Americans have thrived in environments where opinions are debated, common aims decided and actions deployed. This is the definition of democracy, a system where opinions are translated into action both great and small from the Boston Tea Party to text message voting during prime time television.
As an organization, we the people of the JACL are vulnerable to this democracy. From our own founding, we have been driven by the people, of the people, and most definitely for the people. We have both the responsibility and privilege to define and decide what we are and what we will be as an organization.
I recently finished reading "The World Is Flat" by Thomas Friedman who convincingly describes the flattening of the world as globalization plows forward. He speaks of flat platforms in businesses, communities, and nations. The JACL too can excel by harnessing the flat platform approach by enlisting and empowering the members to define who we are collectively.
This is the truest sense of democracy. And we should embody it.
It is in our purview to discuss how we will handle the next great epoch in our organization's history. As JACL membership declines and we look to save this great organization, we need to debate our opinions, find common aims and demand action that will allow our JACL to stay buoyant for those who will follow.
We need to ask ourselves: what does JACL idolize? It may not be as easy as a text message, but it will be as simple.
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