It is patronizing, but people don't realize they're doing it. They feel sorry for him because of the sob story (I guess it's true in this case, but that doesn't matter), and then they feel good about themselves for having so much empathy.

This smugness then affects their judgement, turning a pretty average performance into "OMG, it's the most profound thing I ever heard! It makes me feeeeel so much!".

Yup, you feeeel Self Love, and it's not the enlightened kind either. Your Ego loves to see itself as being GOOD, caring for the disabled and whatnot.

Nothing wrong with caring, but it's disgusting to see it exploited like this by the TV channel. It's not the guy's fault, he just loves to sing, but the fact is he's getting showered with attention and fake appreciation because of his handicap. I'd hate to be him for this reason alone, perhaps even more than I'd hate being crippled.