Essay - Article Response: 'Slaves of Celebrity' Part I: Author's Thinking Purposes:...

Article Response: "Slaves of Celebrity"

***** I: AUTHOR'S THINKING

*****:

The purposes of the article include: to inform readers of the terms ***** the contract 'American Idol' entrants entered into; to persuade readers that the terms of the contract were unfair and ***** ***** production company 19 Group is exploiting the contestants; to persuade readers and ***** Idol' viewers not to support the program; ***** to ***** prospective contestants ***** ***** enter such contests.

ISSUE/QUESTIONS:

The article raises question about what the winner of 'American Idol' really gains from winning, what ***** purpose of the show's producers are, whether the contestants are being exploited and whether the one-sided contract is worth the exposure ***** winner receives.

INFORMATION:

The information provided *****s the following:

***** Clarkson won 'American Idol: The Search for a Superstar,' and has had her first single released.

All American Idol entrants had to sign a contract with 19 Group, which included 19 ***** owning the rights to the singer's name, likeness, voice, singing voice, personality, personal identification, life s*****ry, biographical data, situations ***** events.

***** contract also ***** that contestants disclosing any information ***** the show are liable for damages upwards ***** $5 million.

***** contract ***** included ***** ***** final 10 contestants were required to enter into agreements ***** 19 Group, giving 19 Groups the rights to recording, management and merch*****ising.

***** contract also included that the winner appear on the 'World ***** program, for a fee of $1400.

Excerpts from the contr*****ct are given, describing *****se requirements.

An article in the New Times reported ***** Clarkson wanted to withdraw from singing at a September 11 memorial. The same ***** quoted Tom Ennis ***** 19 Management saying she would sing. Clarkson did *****.

***** head of 19 Group, Simon Fuller, is also ***** creator and manager ***** the Spice Girls and S Club 7.

American Idol' began in the United K*****gdom as 'Pop Idol' with both sharing the same formula of mass auditions through to public voting.

The final for 'American Idol' had 22.***** million viewers, making it Fox's highest rating non-sports event ***** young adults.

A finalist on the U.K version, Jessica Garlick, had her option declined by 19 Group. *****he was selected as ***** U.K's entrant for Eurovision, had a single ***** that went to 13 on the U.K charts and has a contract w*****h anot***** management agency.

19 Group have earned a rumored $1 million per episode from Fox as well as money from the telephone-voting system and from sponsorship.

19 Group will also release an 'American ***** album, DVD and video, televise a special from Las Vegas on September 3 and have ***** finalists touring from October 8.

Clarkson's first single was written be songwriter, Cathy Dennis, who is managed by Simon Fuller.

***** Financial ***** has reported that the two 'American Idol' *****, Clarkson and Guarini, will appear in a film written by ***** Fuller's sister, Kim Fuller.

***** OF VIEW:

The ma***** point of view is that ***** ***** author,