It was Beatles night at American Idol. At least, that was how a recent episode was billed. But sometimes it looked more like Apple night. Or maybe Coke night. Before Ryan Seacrest introduced a contestant warbling Lennon and McCartney, he cradled an Apple iPhone and, for nearly a minute, waxed on about how perfect it was for voting the guy off the show. The judges seemed to approve of Seacrest's Apple plug because when he was done, they raised red Coca-Cola cups in salute. Seven years into a monster ratings run, Fox Entertainment's American Idol has become as much a marketing showcase as musical slugfest. Contestants cavort in rock videos to pitch Fords, troop off to Apple to record iTunes tracks, and answer questions brought to you by AT&T. Now, as America's top show reveals mounting signs of weakness-ratings before the May 21 finale were off about 10% from last year-it seems fair to ask: Will product placement kill the video star?rnO.K., so Idol is hardly dying.
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