“American Idol” to Air Special Program

After spending a weekend retreat reading Plato’s "Republic" and Kierkegaard's "The Sickness unto Death" (condensed versions), “American Idol” producer, Rip-theme Offe, has decided to produce a special two-hour “Philosophy Idol” segment. “I was quite stricken,” Offe said, chocking back tears. “All that attention given to cleavage, supernatural hair, and shameless pop culture imitators... We need to get serious about the 'love of wisdom.’ That is what philosophy means, you know.”

Offe has not yet settled on a format for the “Philosophy Idol” segment, but is considering five-minute lecture competitions, interspersed with video clips from TV programs and special effects illustrating key points, such as “the good” (Plato) and “despair” (Kierkegaard). “We can’t break away from the old format entirely,” Offe admitted. “But we do want to add depth and reality to it.”