Reality show American Idol hasn’t been honest about its contestants. Perez Hilton’s blog reported that many of its 7th-Season contestants have had recording contracts in the past.

American Idol rules state that contestants can’t be under a current contract to compete but it says nothing about a past one. The Internet is buzzing with complaints because many people watch the show to see the journey of rags to riches.

 This is the perfect example of the need for transparency in a company (or TV show in this case).

If the show had been honest from the beginning, that not all contestants are starting on the same level, then its fans would be more understanding. Now, viewers feel like they’ve been lied to this entire time. They’re going to wonder, “what else are they lying about?”

At a time when American Idol is losing its credibility (remember Sanjaya?) for cranking out “the one American Idol” every year, it should be more careful to practice good will. If the show’s main objective is to give the undiscovered star a chance, then they have to follow through.

Viewers are putting time and effort (voting and watching) into this show and they’re not being told the truth. I don’t know if American Idol thinks now that it has the viewers in front of the TV, it can do whatever it wants with the viewers’ time. There are too many shows out there, especially now that the Writer’s Strike is over, to think that viewers have to be loyal to your show.

To make matters worse, representatives are keeping mum on the issue. In a USA Today article, producer Nigel Lythgoe said “the flap ‘is a storm in a teacup. … Let’s just let the stories unfold.’ He reiterates that show rules require only that contestants not be currently under contract. ‘We’re looking for ‘great,’ and, yes, those people in all likelihood have had dealings with the industry before.’ “

Once a company (or TV show) makes a mistake, there needs to be a sincere apology. That goes without saying but it’s obvious that a show with high ratings may not think it should apologize. That’s where their PR rep comes in. They need to be the voice of reason that tells them what they did wrong and they can’t be silent about it.

American Idol logo courtesy of www.katyjack.com

Sanjaya Malakar photo courtesy of www.msnbc.msn.com