American Idol has taken over. I must be the only person not living in a cave in Afghanistan that is not on board the American Idol juggernaut. 

According to Nielsen Media Research, nearly 43 million viewers tuned in to the last half-hour on Wednesday night to see if Taylor Hicks or Katherine McPhee would be crowned the new AI and receive a mandatory 15 minutes of fame.   Forty-three million is just a few million short of the audience that tunes into the Oscars, which is the most-watched television event of the year behind the Super Bowl. 

By chance, is there is someone else out there besides me that preferred to watch NBA MVP Steve Nash steal a game from his former team, the Dallas Mavericks? How about the last episode of Lost? If you were one of the 11 people that missed American Idol, read a hilarious recap at TVgasm.

The Washington Post called it,'Idol' Finale: Awfully Irresistible (or Irresistibly Awful). While it is not my cup of tea, I have to accept its power. The show’s fans cannot be contained and they get out and vote. Approximately 580 million total votes were cast during this season.  On American Idol, voters can vote as many times as they like. Compare that to about 120 million Americans that cast ballots in the presidential election of 2004. Maybe presidential candidates will take note. After all, political candidates are often amateurs desperately seeking 15 minutes of fame.

So can someone help me understand what the American Idol schlock factory has going for it that is so appealing to everyone but me? Is this part of the transformation of media? Why does a show that features amateurs performing mildly popular adult contemporary songs send everyone from tweenage girls to adults into to such a frenzy?

A column in the Boston Globe posits that it is a return to high school and a popularity contest but you get to determine the winner. I have to admit, there is something genius about getting talented people (albeit amateurs) to perform on your show and then inviting millions to feel like they are also part of the team. Free talent, a community of viewers, participation. It is new media and it is obviously working.

``The show obviously has become a national phenomenon, beyond a television hit," said Mike Darnell, head of alternative programming for Fox. American Idol has spawned American Idol Underground, which claims it is an online community where emerging artists get their music heard and fans discover new music. That sounds like traditional media trying to capitalize on an asset. Too bad myspace.com does this naturally without the forced American Idol branding.