William Hung

The guy who became famous for having a horrific American Idol performance now has his own record deals, fan clubs, and of course, web site. Overnight, he went from being a Civil Engineering student at Berkeley to a millionaire and trivia question. Whether he finishes his degree is irrelevant. Why couldn't I just once be rewarded this richly for failure?

Not to get deep, but perhaps the lesson is not that he failed, but that he stepped out of his comfort zone and tried something that he really wanted to do. He may have entirely expected people to recognize his unique "talent." Or, perhaps, our society loves to get a laugh at someone else's expense.