歌唱選秀節目，是近10年來電視台為業餘者打開大門的節目型態之一，在電視及音樂產業面臨挑戰的產業危機背景下，以明星夢調和了觀眾參與電視的慾望，並創造跨媒體整合的獲利模式。當電視台變成「明星夢工廠」，選秀過程就被組織成一場具挑戰性的競賽遊戲，讓自願參賽者在遊戲中發揮生產力及創意，也在比賽過程中再生產了志願性順從，掩飾了被剝削的生產關係，以及衍生大量用過即可丟棄的15分鐘名人現象。本文指出，選秀節目招募業餘者的免費勞動，是在某種同意、志願性順服之下的甘願勞動：以投資自己為名，自願付出金錢、汗水及淚水，換取成為明星／歌手的交換價值。這種業餘者自願被剝削其創意及勞動力的現象，可說是媒體文化產業所特有、具剝削性的工作條件，也是傳統媒體娛樂產業中高度階層化權力關係的縮影。

Talent search shows have been quite a hit over the past decade in Taiwan. Against a background of industry crisis with both music and television industries facing severe challenges, TV stations set up a new profit model via cross media integration, and function as ＂star factories＂ for aspiring amateurs. Like all reality TV shows with audience participation appeals, these programs attract the willing contribution of amateur contestants, who, with pop star dream to realize, patiently and obediently endure the whole process of ＂talent search＂ game while assiduously investing their time, energy, money, talents and creativity. This paper explains how these amateur aspirants are actually being exploited as acquiescent labors, and then further degraded into the status of dispensable celebrities with a mere 15 minutes of media spotlight. The author argues that, behind the flamboyant stardom suggested by talent search shows, there is the disguised recruitment of free labor for calculative profiteering. Amateur aspirants are actually coaxed into willing cooperation and obedient dedication in the name of self-investment. To conclude, the author points out that, while it is very characteristic of the media industry to engage amateur contestants in such an exploitative relationship, the phenomenon is but a miniature of the highly hierarchical power structure typical of the media entertainment industry.