Idol

Ah...that time of year again. The time when I shamelessly admit that I watch American Idol, and love it. Love, love, love it.

Love #1: it's fun to see those super talented young people who can really, 100% sing. You know the ones...they start singing and you get a little chill down your spine and you say "Jeeze, that girl can sing." Makes me feel happy to be human; happy to be reminded that I have a soul that can be stirred by amazing feats of sheer human talent.

Love #2: it's good to know that even when the producers try to stage the show so that all the weirdo goofballs get on there, we see through our meanness and still feel empathy. The other reality shows try that, but it doesn't work as well as it does on Idol. I think it's a numbers game. When you get 20,000 people showing up, there's room for all kinds of people, which means the odds of finding people that inspire true empathy are higher.

Love #3: it's fun to watch this show with my kids, and know that other friends and family will share the experience. It's unifying, in a way. It's way easier to talk about American Idol than to talk about politics. It's all about shared experience, really. These kids are the future of the next few months of tv, not the future leaders of the free world.

Rock on Randy, Paula and Simon. I will watch.