Is it fair of ‘American Idol’ to let pros compete?

And those are just the ones who made it to the voting stages of the show. One of the singers cut early in the Hollywood rounds was Jory Steinberg, a child star in her native Canada who had a song on the soundtrack to “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” There are undoubtedly others who were never on camera long enough for their professional resumés to come to light.

Does that turn “Idol” into a lopsided competition? Perhaps. But more to the point, so what? If the show becomes overrun by pros, then maybe the amateurs should consider honing their craft instead of waiting for a singing competition to save them from having to pay their dues. For people who do nothing but dream about a career in music, the shift towards contestants with professional backgrounds might well be a valuable wakeup call.

And for those with the talent to hold their own against singers with far more experience, “Idol” could very well be far more valuable than ever before.

Take Rogers. Even if his professional experience couldn’t keep him in the contest for very long (or from losing his place in “You Can’t Hurry Love”), it served him well in his jovially resigned acceptance of his elimination. He smiled, he thanked everyone for the opportunity, he apologized for not doing his best. In short, he treated it as a failed audition and simply steeled himself for the next one.

It was a nice object lesson for those poor eliminated singers who must face Paula Abdul chirping that they should hold onto their dreams and keep at it. Until now, they might not have known exactly how to go about doing that. Heck, Paula may not have known either.

But Doolittle, Rogers, Sligh and others offer up solid examples of how these singers can shape their careers and build on the show's momentum. Because on one level, the show is right: “Idol” is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Nobody else is going to give them such a fast track to stardom. And once it’s over, it’s time to work.

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