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The Low-Rent Appeal of 'Stairway to Stardom'

Wayne Rubin performs his stand-up comedy routine
SharpeWorld.com

Wayne Rubin performs his stand-up comedy routine in a 1983 broadcast of Stairway to Stardom.

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May 23, 2006

Back in the 1980s, a public-access television channel in New York City aired Stairway to Stardom, an amateur talent show many see as a low-rent precursor to American Idol.

Thanks to the dedication of a few die-hard fans, Stairway has now become an Internet cult hit. One of the program's devotees, Mitch Friedman, shares his thoughts about why this ultra-low budget talent show has such long-lasting appeal.

 
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