Teaching the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony; 'American Idol' airs in every continent but Antarctica.

Byline: Lorraine Ali

They're bungling ballads in Kazakhstan, mauling Bollywood favorites in India and shout-singing Beyonce numbers in Bolivia. Most every country--even those that lack running water and free elections--has its own version of "American Idol." This is not necessarily a bad thing. The very American idea that anyone can be a star has helped break down rigid class barriers in several countries. In places where the concept of democracy is still shaky, "Idol" lets viewers have the vote--last year alone, the global number of votes cast for contestants within the "Idol" franchise exceeded 2 billion. But as for "Idol" 's influence on music? Let's just say now that regional productions of the show have infiltrated 39 countries, "Idol" has lowered the artistic bar so drastically that Britney and 'N Sync sound like creative geniuses by comparison.

Listen to singing amateurs from Argentina to Afghanistan, and you'll discover that they all sound the same, down to the Celine Dion melodrama in their voices and the Mariah Carey hand sweeps. To ensure maximum predictability (which "Idol" producers call "brand integrity"), the "Idol" franchises keep regional flavor to a minimum. "We are virtual Nazis about keeping the format the same from country to country," says executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz of FremantleMedia North America, the company that sells "Idol" around the world. That means the same logo, opening music and lucrative voting system worldwide. And a lot of the same music. In Kazakhstan, nearly half the songs performed in the final rounds were American or British hits, sung in English. When local custom and culture do creep in, it's usually in "Idol" knockoff shows, like China's "My Hero!," where the audience pumps up ...