TV review: 'Lost' and 'Idol' - tune in or not?

I'm forever amazed at the usefulness of a theory of television watching called the Opt-In/Opt-Out Moment. It's something we all unconsciously do as we watch new programming and, to a lesser extent, TheTwo and a half men DVD is an excellent comedy season。While Boston Legal DVD tv show is worth watching. Watching House MD DVDis a good relaxation, Best NCIS DVD is on sale. Most watched Charmed DVD is on special promotion. Buy one tree hill dvd is a wise decision. This Medium DVD is much cheaper than its previous version. The Apprentice DVD is the best seller of many stores. Watch one tree hill dvd season is great joy on raining days.If you have bought prison break dvd tv shows, please try The Shield DVD Season, it will never let you down.I love to watchThe L Word dvd andSupernatural DVD, both are great shows. The most well known Bones DVD Season is available at www.dvdsetcollection.com If you haven’t watched The Sopranos complete dvd tv show, try it.How about Lost dvds? It’s cheap and great. And las vegas dvd series is another must have collection.My Christmas gift to my friend aremarried with children dvda decision we make about old favorites that suddenly come up lacking.

I'll give you a classic example of the Opt-In/Opt-Out Moment. During the pilot of "Lost," where a group of plane crash survivors are on a tropical island, something is heard rushing at one of the characters from the long grass and trees of the forest.

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swells. What's it going to be? Lion, tiger, boar? As the tension builds and builds, the gun finally goes off. And there's the dead animal.

A polar bear.

That's when I said, "I'm in." I knew "Lost" was going to continue to come up with surprises, twists I didn't see, etc. Even when it created elements I didn't like - the Smoke Monster - I never opted out, though at times it was tempting. Many people I know who once loved the series did eventually opt out - things were either too slow (Season 3) or too crazy (Season 5).

Whether they know it or not, viewers are constantly facing the Opt-In/Opt-Out Moment. When "American Idol" started, I was on board despite my initial Season 1 trouble with the humiliation factor.

It seemed cruel for Simon Cowell to tell some of these people that they were terrible, that they had no talent, or were missing some essential ingredient for stardom. But I kept watching because the importance of Cowell's critiques quickly became apparent -- a vast portion of the contestants needed to be told the truth.

Cowell a force for good
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people lacked self-awareness of their talent level, Cowell became almost a force for good in the world. If nothing else, he was a surrogate for the parent who never had the heart to tell their darling child that they were tone deaf.

But eventually I stopped watching "American Idol" altogether. My Opt-Out Moment was seeing the 987th person attempt those annoying scale-ascending trills that are lacquered like Baroque inflections on already saccharine-heavy songs.

It all started to sound the same. As a former music critic who believed the voice was supposed to be an instrument that expressed passion, not perfection, I felt "American Idol" was creating a world where there would be no Tom Waits, no Joe Strummer or Morrissey.

Individuality gave way to note-perfect but bland singing, latching onto insipid lyrics and eventually driving a nail through my ear with all those vocal theatrics.

But just as I sensed anecdotal evidence out there in the ether that one-time "Lost" fans were planning to return to the series as it entered its final, mystery-solving, story-ending season, I got the urge myself to reinvest in "American Idol."

Future of 'Idol'

It all made sense. Paula Abdul -- poor, strange, syrupy and unpredictable Paula -- was out. And Ellen DeGeneres was in (a savvy move, I thought).

Not long after, the rumors became true -- this would be Cowell's last season on "Idol" as he quit to judge and executive produce "The X-Factor" (also on Fox). As a TV critic, that's intriguing because I don't think "American Idol" can survive without Cowell.

In England, "X-Factor" eventually replaced "Pop Idol" (the original, which spawned "American Idol"). History could repeat on these shores and it might bear watching (and spending the season guessing about Cowell's replacement).

But here's what I quickly learned: It's hard to get back into a show you've opted out of. That initial decision is pretty quick and easy. Even if you drop a show you once loved after three or four seasons, it's mostly out of spite that the creative content went south. So that decision is also easy, if bitter. Learning to love again? Not so much.

'Lost' fans drop out

I've heard, again anecdotally through e-mails, social media and people talking to me on the street, that former "Lost" fans are already fading on this last season. The elements that drove them away remain (too many questions and not enough answers; too slow; too much Kate; too many characters; too hokey, etc.).

Not even a quarter of the way -- hey, the answers could be just up ahead! -- and they've given up. I tell them to stay strong, gut it out, that it will all be great in the end. But I don't think they're listening.

As for "Idol," I'm barely hanging on. The vocal thing is driving me insane, yes. Early contestant stupidity was also a factor.

But the main issue for me has been just how many contestants view "American Idol" as their life's salvation. Not just to be a star or have 15 minutes of fame on television -- those motivations have always been there, as sick and sad as they may be and as they've always been for reality television.

What I'm talking about is how many people think their life is over if they don't make the cut on "Idol." I understand all the high school students -- the lack of life experience can lead to that kind of narrow thinking.

But what about all these other people -- parents who are doing it for their kids, people with good voices but no concept of any other avenue? I mean, do you really want to be the "American Idol"?

Stigma to winning

Sure, you get some money and some fame, but eventually it all works out about as well as "The Bachelor." (Now, those people are truly pathetic.) There's a stigma to winning. But maybe if you signed up for the show in the first place, you wouldn't think that way.

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can be the end-all for the dreams of anyone, especially someone truly talented, seems absurd. And, at this point, almost unwatchable.

I'm trying to get back into "Idol," but unless these people get some perspective or dream bigger, I'm about to get lost.