American Idol
The All American singing competition has seen so many seasons that new professional singers emerging onto the music scene literally cut their teeth on or grew up watching the show. Part of the appeal is dreaming of making the big time as a performer. Viewers are led to believe that this entails a lengthy audition process that is nerve wracking and tedious just for a chance to get chosen to be ridiculed by the judges. In reality, contestants have to endure several rounds with producers before they even get to go in front of a judge. Sometimes, the contestant is even scouted online directly from the producer skipping all of the anxious wait.