American Idol: Gift Or Curse?

It has been debated about whether American Idol is considered a gift or curse for the music business. On one hand it gives artists who are just waiting for their big break a chance for great exposure but on the other hand it can stifle creative growth for an artist if they happen to make it in the later rounds of the show. If an artist makes it to the top five(someone correct me if I'm wrong) gets a deal with a label but the downside to that is you can't release your material until the winner and runner up do so. Therefore you will lose steam and then you will be rushed to get your album out before the new season comes out. While the show has proven to be a cash cow for Fox, it hasn't done enough to stop the internal bleeding in the music industry. At the end of the day it all depends on the artist and whether or not they want to ride the slippery slope which is American Idol.