Person of the Day: Ryan Seacrest

Sure, he has the ability to be the most annoying man on the planet, but he's also better at what he does than nearly anyone else in the business, and for that reason American Idol host Ryan Seacrest is today's Idol Thoughts Person of the Day.

It is easy to take Ryan's skills for granted -- after all, what does he really do besides make unfunny jokes to and about Simon and introduce the contestants? It is how easy he makes it look, though, that testifies the strongest to Ryan's abilities.

Ryan is responsible for hosting a live show, which means he has to juggle performances, judges' comments, clip packages, musical guests, and much more. He does so without breaking a sweat -- in fact, he makes it look easy. He keeps the show moving at a brisk clip, he rarely stumbles over his words, and he always appears relaxed and as though he is having fun. Sure, sometimes he is like that annoying brother you want to punch in the face, but be honest -- can you imagine American Idol without him?

All of these things that he does may not seem that special -- unless you've watched one of the 15 other reality television shows on the air. No one can do what Ryan does with such ease. Not Tom Bergeron or especially Samantha Harris (hate her!) on Dancing with the Stars or Cat Deeley on So You Think You Can Dance or Brooke Burke on Rock Star; in fact, only Jeff Probst on Survivor, which is not live, comes even close to rivaling him when it comes to hosting skills.

And consider what Ryan's day is like -- he hosts a radio show in the morning and America's Top 40 on the weekends; he works for and hosts E! News, and then, for 5 months of the year, he records voice-overs, interviews people on the street, and hosts the show. And lest we forget he's Larry King's sub on CNN and is Dick Clark's replacement on the New Year's show. He is, literally, the busiest man in show business.

So, while Jordin basks in being the new American Idol, and Simon gets the spotlight for his always incisive commentary, today I salute Ryan Seacrest, a very worthy Idol Thoughts Person of the Day.

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