Many people enjoy watching TV programs in which ordinary participants compete against each other by showing their talents. I agree that these shows are amusing. However, they are not a efficient way to scout potential super stars.
Talent shows are attractive because the audience can watch a random person, instead of a renowned star, do high qualify performances on the stage. For example, Susan Boyle used to a worker in a small village before she won a prize thanks to her beautiful voice in a TV show in the UK. Even some contestants fail to perform up to the standard, the audience will still regard this part of the show funny.
This kind of shows gives people the hope that as long as we stick to the activity that we love, we have a platform to showcase our abilities to the world. However, talent shows are not efficient in screening talented people. There are thousands of people go signing up for the competition at the beginning of the show. In the end, however, only a few names can be remembered by the public. In addition, several years later, these winners do not become the top performers in their respective fields – most of them are even disappeared from the public.
In conclusion, talent shows provide the opportunity for ordinary people to show their abilities, but these abilities are limited below the professional level. In my view, the major function of these programs is still to provide contents for TV watchers to pass the time happily.