I was reading the below article in Time Magazine which is a study that says why American Idol is so popular.  A few issues later, a reader purports to share his half cent worth:

“You don’t need two pages to explain why American Idol is a hit.  You only need four words. Americans have AWFUL taste.”

That remark, whether the author intended to be good humored or cynical, could not help eliciting some smiles.

Why American Idol Keeps Soaring | TIME

Theoretically, American Idol should not exist. It’s a broad-based mainstream hit when series like that are no longer supposed to be. It has gained viewers in its sixth season, a TV near impossibility. It sells albums, at a time when very little else does.