The William Hung phenomenon
To be honest, I have not watched American Idol, and thus have had to learn about William Hung's fame through friends and the newspapers (which is hard to miss, especially since he's given front-page prominence). However, it speaks a lot about how far and wide his fame has spread, when even people who have little interest in the entertainment scene (such as me) are acquainted with his existence. Having said that, I still do not intend to watch American Idol, and I hope my friends / newspapers will keep me updated on anything "interesting" that happens again. :D
It is interesting how the William Hung phenomenon has become so large that almost everyone in the developed world knows about him now. For a person that has been accused of being "unable to sing and dance", why is he so popular? Perhaps it is because most people feel that they are, in some way, real or imagined, better than William. In a society that rewards only winners, people want to see a "loser" win. It helps fulfill the self-delusion that one possesses some sort of unfulfilled potential, i.e. "if I had attempted it, I would have been able to achieve as much, or even better".
It reflects well on William that he is able to accept such criticism with grace and stride. Perhaps his Asian heritage had a part in it. Despite William's current popularity, becoming the next commercial "American idol" would most likely be elusive for him. Not because he is inferior to other people (which he certainly is not), but that is just the way the system works. Once the excitement dies down, the masses will simply forget about him, as they move on to the next sensational piece of news. Afghanistan is still in trouble, but it is no longer on people's minds. What is hot now is bird flu, the American election, and to a lesser extent, Iraq. The media has a very short attention span, and so do the masses. Still, until the next winning "loser" appears, William will probably continue to remain at the pinnacle of his fame.
It is interesting how the William Hung phenomenon has become so large that almost everyone in the developed world knows about him now. For a person that has been accused of being "unable to sing and dance", why is he so popular? Perhaps it is because most people feel that they are, in some way, real or imagined, better than William. In a society that rewards only winners, people want to see a "loser" win. It helps fulfill the self-delusion that one possesses some sort of unfulfilled potential, i.e. "if I had attempted it, I would have been able to achieve as much, or even better".
It reflects well on William that he is able to accept such criticism with grace and stride. Perhaps his Asian heritage had a part in it. Despite William's current popularity, becoming the next commercial "American idol" would most likely be elusive for him. Not because he is inferior to other people (which he certainly is not), but that is just the way the system works. Once the excitement dies down, the masses will simply forget about him, as they move on to the next sensational piece of news. Afghanistan is still in trouble, but it is no longer on people's minds. What is hot now is bird flu, the American election, and to a lesser extent, Iraq. The media has a very short attention span, and so do the masses. Still, until the next winning "loser" appears, William will probably continue to remain at the pinnacle of his fame.
