American Idol is giving them something to talk about

American Idol kicks off every year with a different start, and a different debate. Classmates, co-workers and chat-room regulars around the country will wage war over that performance of "I Will Always Love You" was over sung or amazing, that dress was hideous or gorgeous, or those dance moves were embarrassing or actually pretty good. The Simon haters will lash out at the Simon lovers, grandmas will rush to the defense of the sweet schoolboy with a heart of gold, and teenage girls will thoroughly discuss Ryan Seacrest's hair now vs. season two.

Then of course, there's the actual matter of who will win, who should win and who should've won but was voted off three weeks ago because the phone lines were down. Week in and week out, AI is a factory for debate feed, so it makes sense that the show itself has triggered one of the most disruptive ongoing debates in the music industry: Is American Idol hurting or helping the state of popular music today? Ask artists or executives, producers or journalists, and the answers will vary widely. Some love it, some hate it, and some are still debating in their own minds whether this pop-culture phenomenon is the beginning or the end of music as we know it. The loudest argument in support of Idol is that it's giving music some much-needed attention. Supporters also contend that the concept behind AI with America choosing a singer to win a record contract, brings a welcome balance to an industry where a handful of execs-mostly older men, pick the artists we hear on the radio and see on TV anyway. We are just giving them...