March 7, 2012
Singing competition showdown
'American Idol' vs. 'The Voice'
Courtesy photo
"American Idol" judges (from left) Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson with host Ryan Seacrest (second from right).
"The Voice" coaches (from left) Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green with host Carson Daly (second from left).
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Nowadays, singing talent can be found on many different reality shows, such as "American Idol," "The Voice," "America's Got Talent," "The X Factor," "The Sing Off" and more. The two most popular of these are "American Idol" and "The Voice," both of which are on the air right now. ("American Idol" is on at 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays on Fox; "The Voice" is on NBC at 8 p.m. Mondays).

But what do teens think of them? Would they rather watch "American Idol" or "The Voice"? What aspects of the shows do they like?

Scott High School freshman Hannah Chapman prefers "The Voice."

"Showing the face of a singer versus not showing the face causes a major outcome [influence]," she said. "Showing the face of a contestant is like judging a book by its cover. They put it away if it doesn't look good.

"'The Voice' is a more fair reality talent show," she concluded.

Sophomore Brittany Whitt disagrees. The show choir member said, "'American Idol' has been around for [a long time], and every year the show produces a fantastic singer, so even though it may not be fair, it is still accurate."

 "American Idol" began in 2002, based on the British show "Pop Idol." Created by Simon Fuller, it's a yearly competition that attracts thousands of people from around the United States, who test their voices in front of judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. (In the past, judges were Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.)

In the audition round, singers must get at least two out of three votes to receive the golden ticket to Hollywood that they all dream about. In Hollywood, contestants are tested by singing individually and in a group. The judges decide who will stay and who will go home.

If they're lucky enough to make it past all that, then they go to the main stage to perform live each week. That's where episode to episode a contestant is picked off -- based on voting from viewers -- until a winner is chosen.

"I watch 'American Idol' for the sake of hearing good music that the participants share," junior Ashley Johnson said. "But the judging isn't fair because the contestants are judged by their looks."

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