Singing for your next meal - American Idles!

APPARENTLY, one of the easiest things to do in America is to join the American Idol auditions. Hey, that was some time ago. By the time, you have read this blog, you are too late, brother!

Judging by the number of participants who cramped the stadiums across seven US cities, you have a fairly good idea, how many youngsters out there are hungry for fame and fortune.

OK, everybody wants to be famous, rich and have more than a million bucks. That's the trouble with society. They all want to walk down that instant road to fame.

The hitch is only one get to sit on the American Idol throne. The rest are what you call "also-rans". But still, that doesn't stop thousands of people from trying their luck.

I am amazed on a weekly basis by the amount of passion and confidence that so many contestants have in themselves. There's nothing wrong with having self-confidence but when you have it in spades and up till your eyeballs, that's where you get separated from reality.

If you think you are good, that's one thing. If many others think you are atrocious, that's quite a different story. Even the best does not get chosen. It could be due to a combination of factors.

American Idol contests run on a chain of selected criteria that are determined by the television head honchos. Of course, they won't tell you what they have already pre-determined. Hey, that's showbusiness.

If they are going to share their secrets of success, there's not going to much a pie to share around.

Anyway, it's nice to know that people have ambitions, maybe ridiculous at times, but ambitions nevertheless.

This week, I believe, will show the last of the auditions. After this, it will be a straight, wide road to Hollywood where lives are altered in a big way, or ambitions crash and burn.

For every thousand hopefuls, there are about three successful candidates. The others will have to take a raincheck on success. Life is not built on one single American Idol platform.

If San Antonio, Texas reflects generally what has already taken place in other cities, then we are in for another two-laughs-a-minute episode. I know it's cruel to laugh at others but most of us cowards can't help it.

We know we don't have the voice even if our IQ was last measure at 160 (that's genius level, by the way, or close to it). If it's any consolation, voice isn't everything. There are other ways to be successful.

When you have reached your fourth decade on earth, you will realise that there are other important things that you have overlooked.

I won't tell you about them here because that will spoil all the fun.