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The labels have no use for someone they can't immediately exploit full bore. Only established acts are allowed to take a break from recording and touring. They recognize that most acts have a very short shelf life, so they give them obscene amounts of exposure straight out of the chute. They expect the career to be short and intense.

In the past the public relations demands were much less. Elvis was huge, and he still didn't make the number of public apperances a relatively small act does now. Typically a young act will, if they are lucky, have 1 weekend off every 2 or 3 months.

American Idol's producers have been upset with Kelly Clarkson for how long it has taken to get her debut album out. Frankly, they expected her acreer to be flaming out right about now. Based on what I've seen, that movie she made should just about take care of that for her. She has been very busy, though. In fact, she hasn't been home more than 2 or 3 times in the last year.

For the concept of American Idol to work, the person has to be able to be available for non-stop PR and concert work. Josh won't be able to do that. Even a reservist has to be available 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks in the summer. An emerging act is not given that kind of free time. If he is given enough time off to go on a 50 city tour, plus the travel time, rehersal time and PR time that goes along with it, he will no longer be a Marine. If the cCorps keeps him in he will be a Marine in name only.

Frankly, I don't think the producers expected him to last this long.