I don't think it's "sick" to be entertained by a freak show. It's human nature--freak shows have existed in one form or another throughout recorded history. They persist because people ARE entertained by them. So I don't have any personal objection to these people being exploited or insulted by any part of the show. My only problem with it is that it seems to say that musical success means being trendy, good-looking, and sounding exactly like every generic pop star who's ever achieved moderate success. Oh, and musical success is also about popularity and how much money you can make your producer. Can't forget that part.

The freak show aspect itself doesn't bother me. A lot of these people are signing up so they can be on television (call it Jerry Springer syndrome--some people don't seem to mind being exploited if it means they'll be on teevee). And like I said, freak shows have a long and distinguished history. In this case, though, it's not an especially GOOD freak show (and I haven't found Simon's comments clever or witty enough to think much one way or the other about him). I admit, I've only seen bits and pieces of the show, so my opinion could change if I were able to force myself to watch an entire episode, but I think the only harmful thing about it is what it's trying to teach people about music.