It is true, some people in this world are embarrassingly bad singers and yet they think they are the second coming of Enrico Caruso. And since “Idol” was giving anyone who fit their requirements a chance to audition, many of these earnest but tone-deaf people showed up, hoping to wow the judges. And they did…in a spectacularly bad way. One of these people was UCLA student William Hung, whose notorious rendition of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” became a sentimental favorite. So much so, that he managed to get a record deal out of it. Though this surely angered many good musicians toiling away in nightclubs hoping to get noticed, it also helped pay credence to America’s long-standing fascination with the underdog. The execs at the WB network saw this, and came up with a truly…unique idea.

“Superstar USA” would essentially be “Idol” in reverse. Ostensibly a spoof of “Idol”, it would claim to be looking for the best singer in America, but instead they were looking for the worst. The show had all the elements of “Idol”:

Black record producer who says “dawg” a lot? CHECK, DAWG! (Rapper Tone Loc)

“But wait!” I hear you crying out as you reach for the barf bags, “Wouldn’t the audience have laughed at these singers, booed them out of the building, and tried to lynch the executive producers?” Yes…but it is here the “USA” earns the dubious honor of the most soulless TV Show ever made. See, Maury Povich might turn paternity tests into a quasi-game show, Jerry Springer might bring on his daily freak parade, And Howard Stern might have the mentally ill on his show to mock them for laughs…but they don’t hold a candle to “Superstar USA.” Why? Because in order to ensure that the audience wouldn’t boo at these kids, thus breaking the illusion, Producer Mike Fleiss went out on stage, and told the audience that all of the contestants were terminally ill, and that this whole contest was done by the “One Wish” Foundation to grant them the wish of appearing on “American Idol.”

For the record, the winner of this show was a young lass named Jamie Foss, who won a total of $100,000 in cash and prizes…which should just cover her therapy bills. Oh, and of course, just to twist the dagger even further, at the end, McFayden admitted that the whole thing was a joke, and that she was the worst singer in America. All class, those guys.

Listen, if you want to see a good spoof of “American Idol,” find a copy of the British mini-series “Britain's Got the Pop Factor, & Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice” by comedian Peter Kay. It brilliantly skewers everything about Reality talent contests, and gives them a good tribute as well. While you’re at it, if you can, make a donation to Make-A-Wish. They do good work.