I was amused by this email pitch about American Idol from a professor saying that the show has a negative effect on kids. Here it is. Judge for yourself:

NEWS SOURCE

TOPIC: Media Expert Weighs in on Implications of American Idol’s Staggering Ratings

SOURCE: Dr. Rob Williams, professor and history of media studies at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt.

Last week ratings for President Bush’s State of the Union address narrowly surpassed those garnered by FOX’s powerhouse American Idol. And the show isn’t just popular with adults: Media Life Magazine reports that AI was the most widely viewed show by viewers in the 2- to 5-year-old market.

Rob Williams, media literacy advocate and professor of history and media studies at Champlain College, argues that while competition in a real, everyday sense has proven to be healthy for myriad reasons, “shows like American Idol ultimately have a negative effect on kids. Media-constructed competition-in this case a carefully manufactured stage show for corporate profit—is something very different. So many so-called reality shows are built on the premise of competition. Viewers are often surprised when the layers of that reality are revealed—scripts, production techniques, coaching behind the scenes, etc. Ultimately, we live in a 24/7 commercial media spectacle, and American Idol is a classic example of that. The bottom line is that this is about ratings and profit maximization, and where we stand as individuals or as a culture does not matter.”

Prof. Williams can also discuss:

The importance of media reform and the need to re-regulate media policy to decentralize power away from the massive conglomerates that sell sensationalism as news;

Why and how our culture of media spectacle is internalized by children and adults alike, and how lifelong media literacy education provides the tools for intellectual self-defense;

How to talk to our kids about the media and encourage them to think critically about the media they consume.

Rob Williams holds a degree in U.S. history from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in U.S. Western and U.S. history from the University of New Mexico. Currently a professor of history and media studies at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., Rob is also a historian, writer, and musician. He serves as a Vermont-based media literacy consultant, runs a film production company, and is board president of the Action Coalition for Media Education (www.acmecoalition.org), a nonprofit educational coalition devoted to media education, independent media production, and grassroots media reform and justice initiatives.