‘American Idol’ viewers have one major problem with the show — and it’s not about the singing
It appears that 'American Idol' fans have no more tears left to cry! In April 2024, the viewers threatened to boycott the ABC singing show after being swamped with several emotional stories about every contestant. At that point in time, an annoyed fan took to Reddit and shared his frustrations about the show by writing, "I really can't with the sob stories anymore, especially with the 'sneaky' edits."
The viewer vented his emotions by saying, "I didn't want to be reminded of that pain while I'm just trying to enjoy a singing competition. This show is supposed to be a distraction from the troubles of everyday life, not make the viewer break down while watching." The fan stated that they know they can skip the parts that they don't want to see but also mentioned that the makers of the show are playing it sneaky and using all tactics just to boost their ratings
The user quipped, "I thought I forwarded through the sad stuff, began the song, and then WHAM! a recounting of a loved one's death and a reminder to me of my own pain. It's got to stop. I don't know how much more I can watch of this show if they don't get a new showrunner soon." Shortly afterward, many users stopped by the comments section to voice their common complaints regarding the show. One agitated fan went on to say, "It's not going to stop." Followed by another viewer who commented, "I agree it’s awful. I just want to see talented people perform." A user chimed in, "I can't handle the sob stories anymore…such a pain." Another internet user chastised, "I will only watch it by DVR or time-shifted, so I can FF through the blah, blah, blahs and voices that don’t interest me. I can cut an hour or more off the show. I don’t think I would watch the show otherwise.'"
Around the same time, the viewers also called out Katy Perry for making a contestant named Odell Bunton Jr. cry during a fake-out elimination. As per Unilad, while speaking about his family situation, Bunton Jr. said, "We got a total of 12 people living in a hotel room. Just two beds and a little kitchen area." Following that, Perry uttered, "You know, Odell, it's a lot of pressure, having a platinum ticket. I don't even know what the pressure is of having 12 people under one roof. [But] we have to make decisions that are hard. Even when life is hard. Unfortunately, this is as far as we can take you."
Then, Bunton Jr., who looked visibly upset, said, "Yes, ma'am." Soon after, Perry revealed, "It's going to be up to America from here on out because you're in our Top 24," which made Bunton break down in tears. However, fans weren't happy with Perry's move. An outraged fan said, "Katy I hate you for that #Top24 #AmericanIdol." Another person chimed in, "OMG!! My heart dropped for a second when Katy did that!!! Damn you, Katy Perry!! I'm sooooooo glad that Odell Bunton Jr. is in the Top 24!!! #AmericanIdol." One comment read, "OMG!! My heart dropped for a second when Katy did that!!! Damn you, Katy Perry!! I'm sooooooo glad that Odell Bunton Jr. is in the Top 24!!! #AmericanIdol."
