Oh... And just to put this out there...
As for "Grease..." and "American Idol": People - like DR Jennifer (and I'm not singling you out, DR Jennifer) - have complained that some contestants get more air time than others. Consequently, you - and "America" - do not get a chance to know them.
What one has to keep in mind is that those contestants do have a lot of control over what gets on camera. And what does not. They choose which parts of their life they wish to talk about. Or not talk about. Conversely, their parents, brothers, sisters, friends, teachers, coaches, etc., also have a choice as to whether or not they want to be on camera (they have to sign a release), and as to what to say about the contestants if they do choose to be on camera.
There are some private people out there. People who do not want their face plastered over millions of TV sets. People who do not want to be put up for some admiration and/or ridicule - most likely ridicule.
So, just because we don't see and hear about a particular contestant and their background doesn't necessarily mean that the producers of the show may not have totally made that decision. The contestant may have simply chosen not to be so open and forthcoming about their background. And there's nothing wrong or right about that.
In a "real Broadway audition", when someone walks into a room, all the people behind the table have to go on is a picture and resume, and the song(s) and monologue(s) that that person presents at that time. -And, yes, we go by their reputation - good or bad - too. We do not know whether or not they were fat when they growing up. We do not know whether or not they had just recovered from some disease. We do not know that their parents are praying for them. All we know - and all we want to know - is how talented they are according to how they came across in their audition. -Hearing about the tribulations and triumphs of their life comes after the fact, if at all.
What has really gotten to me about shows like "American Idol" and "Grease...." is that people are judging these contestants on parts of their life that may or may not have any bearing on just how talented they are. And the shows are set up that way. There is manipulation going on from every side - including from the contestants. Does telling America that you came from a small town in the middle of nowhere a pre-requisite for having a beautiful voice? Does telling a panel of judges that you LOVE singing and dancing mean that you can do eight shows a week? Does knowing that you have a child mean your album will go right to #1? No.
Unfortunately, I have a sense that some contestants may have been penalized in a sense by choosing not to be so open about their life. And/or having friends and family who did not want to be put into the public eye.
Is there anything wrong with wanting and choosing to be primarily judged/chosen based on your talent alone?
