Susan Boyle

Entertainment Weekly has an excellent post up today: 15 Ways to Fix American Idol.

While I agree with all of their suggestions, I think there are some even better ideas that didn’t make the list. Perhaps this is why some ideas were overlooked:

CAST A MORE DIVERSE GROUP OF SEMIFINALISTS
Considering the stunning success of season 4’s Carrie Underwood, it’s baffling that Idol has done a lackluster job of casting country-oriented females in five subsequent seasons (not counting season 8’s tragically overlooked Mishavonna Henson, that is!).

Carrie Underwood is not the reality contestant turned superstar that should be used as the model to revamp Idol. The producers captured lightning in a bottle that season. A beautiful young woman with flawless vocal control and a clear understanding of who she wants to be as an artist? If it was as easy as an open casting call to find more like Underwood, there wouldn’t be a conversation about fixing Idol in the first place.

But there is an artist that could teach both American Idol and Nashville record executives three big lessons: Susan Boyle.