"Invention is a Sudden Cessation of Stupidity"

Scientist Edwin Land made that statement, years ago and it is as profound then as it is now. But is there room for invention in areas like mainstream media where we have mass democratization? If we all decide things by committee, will what we vote on be original or merely acceptable enough? American Idol hardly produces the next Aretha Franklin or John Lennon, and Nielsen metrics keeps shows like Fear Factor on the air, so are we to expect more of the same?

Most marketers already know that people really can’t articulate what they want, largely because we’re not really sure of what we want until we see it. So if the truly new things never make it past the vote, will they ever be unique enough to delight? Do we stand the risk of living in an over homogenized world? A world that ironically enough, we didn’t vote for?

How about instead of asking for votes, we gauge by the discretion of people who are accountable and original by qualification?

Or even if the situation calls for public opinion, instead of asking multiple choice can we not ask by selecting pictures that represent the voter’s feelings? That way we’re not deciding upon finite uninformed responses, but rather a deeper reflection of our subconscious psyche that reveal closer to what we really feel. And thus what we will ultimately feel about receiving the experience in question. An example might be something like:
Check out this car. Does this make you feel "yellow" or "blue"?
I’d vote for that, how about you?