I couldn’t really be considered a fan of American Idol, but every year I simply can’t resist watching the first few shows. In these initial episodes, thousands of want-to-be idols wait in line for hours for a few precious minutes to show Simon, Randy, and Paula that they have the raw talent and stuff of magic that superstars are made of. That should make for stirring portraits of hard working, long suffering artists finally getting a chance to shine. But for the most part these first few episodes are just funny. I hope I’m not alone when I admit that I think it’s funny when a singer looks into the camera, summons every ounce of artistic depth and intensity they can muster only to sing so badly that the lyrics are the only clue to the true identity of the song. The guffaws and snickers of the judges only echo what is happening in living rooms across America.

But what is more tragic than funny is the outrage and absolute indignation that these same performers have when the judges only state the obvious: “That was simply dreadful” as Simon Cowell often puts it. Contestants burst out of the room in tears and run into the arms of friends and family. Some shout vulgarities and make obscene gestures at the judges. One even dowsed poor Simon with water—though that was pretty funny, too. Is this a put on? Did they really think they were good singers?