Abstract
Since American Idol, aspiring singers have viewed television singing competitions as a way to bypass playing in bars to achieve success in the music industry. Many musicians define success in the music industry as obtaining a record contract. As the reigning singing competition on television, ABC’s The Voice positions itself as a way to “coach” singers to become celebrities. Through a cultural study of the show, legal documents and news reports, Arditi argues the show advances ideology about record contracts while it exploits contestants. Whereas contestants labor for up to eight months without pay, show executives and coaches earn millions each season. Meanwhile, the show seduces viewers at home who come to believe the show provides a pathway to musical success. This affects the attitudes viewers and aspiring musicians have about the recording industry, allowing industry executives to perpetuate the exploitation of musicians.
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Arditi, D. (2020). The Voice: Popular Culture and the Perpetuation of Ideology. In: Getting Signed. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44587-4_7
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