"The Essence
of Karaoke"
The Way I see It

By Richard King

What's the deal with all these karaoke singing contests? I mean, let's get real here people. If you win one of these contests, does it make you better than someone else? I don't think so. It might give a person a temporary ego boost. A pat on the back, so to speak, but little else.

Karaoke is for the public benefit, not scrutiny. It's the only venue I know of where the average person can do his or her thing and shine for a night. And this is a good thing. A real good thing.

The only people who benefit from all these karaoke singing contests are the nightclub owners. Contests only create animosity between the singers who compete. There can only be one winner and that's the problem. Karaoke was never meant to be about the "one". Karaoke is about all of us - we are the stars. It's our moment in the sun,. Our 15 minutes of fame. To compete in a karaoke singing contest is to miss the whole point. The essence of karaoke is FUN!

Nothing more, nothing less.

If they applaud you after you've finished your song, then you're a winner each and every time.