Some 'Idol' musings on Kelly Clarkson bio

Some 'Idol' musings on Kelly Clarkson bio

With one week (and four hours) of "American Idol" under our belts, we've now devoted more time to watching auditions good, bad and deranged than it would take to screen "Gone with the Wind" or "The Godfather, Part II." That's just something to think about in the weeks and months ahead as the "Idol" hours pile up.

For those who can't pass a single evening without "Idol" stargazing, there is a "Biography" (9 p.m., Biography) of Kelly Clarkson, the very first "Idol." I'm always amused by "Biography" profiles of the overnight sensations, particularly when the sensation is entirely manufactured.

"Biography" returns to Clarkson's hometown of Burleson, Texas, where the future singer of "A Moment Like This" spent her pre-fame years working as a cocktail waitress and vacuum-cleaner salesman. Or is that salesperson?

After "Idol" she would leave the bags of dust and lint and the town of Burleson behind and go on to sell more than 16 million albums.

As a critic of television and not pop music, I'll leave it to others to judge the quality of Clarkson's voice or her chances for pop immortality. But the sound of her voice and the insipid nature of songs like "A Moment Like This" make me thankful that I am a TV critic. To indulge in a cliche, I'm not sure I could listen to Clarkson even if they paid me.

It remains to be seen whether the presence of celebrities on "The Apprentice" (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14) has halted the slide of that reality franchise into oblivion. It debuted to healthy ratings but faded last week when faced with airings of new episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" and "CSI."

One thing is certain, however: Gene Simmons all but eclipses Donald Trump as the most vulgar cartoon character on the show. While both the brash New York developer and the Kiss legend appear to be playing well-rehearsed parts, Simmons takes the role of the self-assured, poker-faced, misogynistic pig to a new level.

Tonight, The Donald puts Simmons in charge of the winless women's team in a contest involving a mobile-printing facility. Let's see what develops.

"Police Tech: Stolen Cars" (8 p.m., National Geographic) looks at the new gadgets intended to reduce the number of auto thefts in America, now running in excess of 1.2 million cars per year.

source: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/