On The Road To Fame, Humiliation Sells

Here's something that may say more about the State of the Union than the president's speech. Mr. Bush's audience — on ABC, NBC and CBS combined — wasn't nearly as large as the one watching wannabe singers face the music, CBS News correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports.

Fox's "American Idol" is the ratings king of a hugely popular TV genre you could call "Trainwreck TV."

On almost every channel, you'll find an exhibition of humiliation. On Fit Club, it's like being back in school, being teased, being scrutinized for being fat — with volunteer victims hungry for fame.

"Especially among younger people, the fear of humiliation is gone," says Michael Hirschorn, a top programming executive for VH1.

VH1, among other things, showcases faded celebrities who are fat.

"This current celebrity moment really favors people who are really willing to open a vein for the public, because then the public says, 'you're a person just like me,'" Hirschorn adds.

Why would anyone allow himself to be embarrassed in front of millions of people? A recent poll of 18- to 25-year-olds found that 51 percent of them said one of their most important goals is just being famous.

So in this new reality, anyone can be a winner, even the losers.

"Winners are always aerodynamically perfect. They're always pre-programmed for success. You always hate them. Losers are people like us," Hirschorn says.

The simple fact is: Humiliation sells.

Consider a young lady known as "New York," who just got her own show on VH1. Her claim to fame? She lost a contest to win a date with a rap star on another VH1 show — not once, but twice.

These days, it really isn't whether you win or lose. It's just that you play the game.