Audition programs are currently all the rage. The Fever which started after Superstar K on cable TV in 2009 catches people’s attention to make programs on DMB TV. The Fever of audition programs for only one winner through fierce competition, however, can’t last for a long time.

The main purpose of audition programs is to give talented people chances to achieve their dream. Because of internal fierce competition and external fierce competition with different audition programs, the audition programs decide their dropout ever more heartlessly. Dropouts that lose in one competition are eliminated from the tournament after hearing appraisals by examiners of the audition program and are perceived as weak. Also, audition participants become the sacrificial lambs in the program to be last winner with ailments such as vocal cord nodules because of too much practice by force in a short time.

Why are these programs growing more popular with ordinary people? Because the last winner of each audition program can arouse sympathy and give vicarious satisfaction to people who practice very hard to achieve their goals in a difficult society that values success and effort. This is a very important reason why the main characters of audition programs are just ordinary people like us. The everyday people on these programs can boost our confidence to practice something we want. People can identify with the success that is attained by individual effort and struggle, despite their tough background or social environment.

We always compete to get something we want in our lives. But life is not a sprint, but a long-distance race. If you lose just one competition, will you give up your whole race? Failure is also valuable for your whole race because we can’t win all competitions. If you can learn anything in the failure, the failure is not a failure! Audition programs which just emphasize competition and winning at all costs have to change. They need to reflect a more realistic view of humanity.

김대곤  rlaeorhs21@nate.com

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