Pat Mcpail of Coos Bay, OR is an assembly line worker. He's clearly over qualified for his job and feels unappreciated at home, but he is excited about this years season of "American Idol." He states "I get a kick out of that Simon. He really tells it like it is," adding, "I think I would make a pretty good judge. People tell me I have a decent voice, and I know what people like, more or less."
Mr. Mcpail often watches the show with his children, whose constant diet of TV commercials leads them to expect a lifestyle he can't provide.
Lisa Lancer of Youngstown, OH echoes the sentiment. As an IT professional, she spends much of her day catering to the whims of an impersonal corporate structure that sets for her impossible deadlines. She says she can't wait for the new 'Survivor' episodes: "Just to see the same kinds of people doing familiar things in a standard setting will be a blast." She also is looking forward to the new show about dance crews. She boasted: "I'm a pretty good dancer myself. I'm interested to see what they can throw down!"
There is "reality" though in some of the viewers approaches. Dave Fellson, a customer service rep who gave up his dreams of becoming a professional chef at least four weeks ago, watches some of the cooking competition shows with a bit of skepticism. "Don't get me wrong, I get a jolt out of them, but the real deal is a bit different" he explains. "Working with cornmeal isn't as simple as it looks on TV. That's one of the things I know as a chef qualified to cook in a four star restaurant but who is currently working as a phone rep." He added that he doesn't mind his new job and wondered why there isn't a reality show about his profession. "You want characters? Spend a few days in my office!" he suggested.
Network execs, any takers?!
