Coming off that last post, I hope I don’t sound cranky, but I’m pretty turned off the current “American Idol” craze.

Wait, I’ll rephrase that–I’m observing the “American Idol” craze, and here’s what I think.

While I’ve never made this ratings sensation our family ritual or something we Chatterings curl up before like a roaring hearth, the youngest Chattering came home from school this week complaining that everyone in his fifth grade class was talking about the program. He felt depressed by his inability to meaningfully participate.

So I was just about to cave and flip the TV switch, when ABC ran a “Good Morning America” piece that asked the question “Is This Season’s ‘American Idol’ Too Mean?” Apparently, some of the less talented people trying out for the show really think they can carry a tune, and the panel’s harsh critiques this past week made one guy cry, and others feel brutally humiliated. Some of the contestants even seem to me to be emotionally damaged already, impaired, or unstable.

So is being wickedly mean to peopel who are earnestly trying to show their talents something you want your kids to ape? Even if you, the parents, are there to watch and insert your comments, is this the best we can do for our kids?

Between homework assignments and Hebrew school there’s just no time anyway. It’s all we can do to sit down to a dinner and clear the dishes afterwards. If we do that much, we feel pretty proud of ourselves.

So you tell me, since I’ve really only seen “Idol” snippets, has “American Idol” served your family well? Do you find valuable lessons in it? Is it just entertaining and otherwise harmless? I don’t want to sound like a Chattering Nag.