American Idol - Turning 20 Seconds Into 15 Minutes

It seems the original concept of American Idol was built around this great prize, a 1 million dollar record contract. Yet, with each passing season, it seems that prize has less and less importance, with the bigger prize just being the great worldwide exposure. While the Idols were clamoring before to make the top 10 to get exposure by going on tour, more and more people are getting their fifteen minutes of fame based on being seen in the auditions for just a few seconds.

Only the contestants themselves and the people directly surrounding the production of the show know at this point who the final 24 will be. Yet, not everyone, it seems, was sitting around waiting to make it. Some were already taking their exposure from the auditions and turning it into something else.

The American Idol judges seemed to give many chances to Jason Rich during his audition in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the young farmer who couldn’t remember the lyrics for the life of him. Simon gave him one last chance, and he failed again, yet seized the day anyway, and started again, this time remembering the words. For whatever reason, they sent Jason to Hollywood, despite it being the one place they seem to be the most stickiest for lyrics.

Interviewed recently, Rich of course can’t confirm or deny anything that might have happened in Hollywood, yet he has hired a manager, and admits to being offered several different gigs since his audition appeared. The 21-year-old is a part-time farmer at his girlfriend’s father’s farm, as shown in his intro piece, yet more than that, he’s a contemporary Christian artist. He passed up the chance to attend college on a vocal scholarship, though, in order to become a worship leader at church. Nevertheless, he has recorded and released music both as a single artist and in a group.

Rich has used his time as a worship leader to others’ benefit during his time on American Idol. A fellow contestant shared with him her desire to become a Playboy model, and after getting over his initial shock, he convinced her this wasn’t the right path for her. I hope American Idol shows this side of him in a positive light, instead of making a mockery of it.

He isn’t the only on the parlay his audition success into something more. After an appearance in the auditions, one of his fellow contestants in Hollywood reported 4,000 hits to her MySpace. He has also heard a rumor of someone else getting four national television interviews after an initial appearance in the auditions.

It seems like Rich is headed for big things in or out of music in his near future, and it only goes to prove how much being on a popular show like American Idol can change your life, if you play your cards right.

For more information on American Idol, see SirLinksalot: American Idol.