American Idol's musical overkill
There are few things more beautiful than hearing someone singing well. Unfortunately people increasingly think that this means cramming as many decorations as possible into short musical phrases.
Sometimes the ability to hold a note without decoration can be far more effective than jumping all over the place and vibrato-overload. Then, showing what you can do through well timed vocal effects will have even more impact.
NPR has a good article on the overuse of Melisma in today's Idol generation. Anthony Heilbut talks about the gospel origins of the technique, through jazz and into pop. He explains the correct usage of the technique and how to spot the faker from the practitioner. Read more about Melisma here.