aureantes | Why yes, I /do/ watch American Idol..... (Reply)

...afterall, I am a singer myself and have a solid grounding in music overall...musical family, classical voice training, a bit of musical theatre and a lot of concerts, plus rather eclectic listening and singing/composing tastes...

Actually, I was considering auditioning for the show myself about four seasons back, but I didn't feel like dealing with their stupid guys-'n'-girls-categorical crap (which they were still doing up to last season in the starting eliminations, I think, and which still shows in the group numbers and the crappy Ford music videos) and having to controversially blaze a trail on even somewhat shaky-ground.

Anyhow, that said, I was gratified last season to see David Cook win over David Archuleta, because it was refreshing to see the scruffy-looking guy with the experienced musicianship and raw vocal/emotional power win out over the pandering bubble-gum-pop teen prodigy. (This was second only to my elation at the presidential election results, by the way.) And so this year, I want to see Adam Lambert win.

So I'm sure some of you are wondering, why the hell do I care who the fluck wins this thing, when it's technically only a popularity contest and some people even think it deserves to be undermined relentlessly as having any objective validity whatsoever as a singing competition? Afterall, the "Vote For The Worst" contingent voted out the charismatic Constantine Maroulis in favour of the execrable Scott Savol in Season Four, and then the American public chose (safely and oh-so-predictably) blonde country/western gal Carrie Underwood over the scruffy, innovative and intimidating-looking Bo Bice -- the first contestant ever to sing totally without accompaniment in the live competition, which was a damn bold move. And for quite a few years I've been jaded off and on and right down to the final results, knowing that the American TV-voting public is shallow, undereducated and easily impressed, and figuring that it's best not to tamper with the sociological experiment but rather to let the guinea pigs do their thing without my contribution. Some seasons I barely watched it atall.

But dammit, this guy is incredibly, blazingly good, and having had it happen once -- once! -- so far that I really felt that the official winner was the one out of the dwindling pack who clearly deserved to win, I do think that the phenomenon ought to repeat itself. Adam Lambert has a few cards stacked against him in some people's eyes, being both non-straight (as opposed to virtuous Christian widower Danny Hokey -- oh shit, I meant Gokey...I really did...*facepalm* -- with his church music director job and in-your-face "inspirational" song choices) and already a professional musical theatre actor (as opposed to everyone else left, who hasn't had as much public/onstage exposure, despite that they're all equally qualified so far as recording label virginity).  And, let it be understood, he is flamboyant and dramatic and sometimes perhaps a bit unnerving in his performance choices. But he has a riveting stage presence, he's collegial rather than cutthroat, and he sings like nobody's business, with total vocal mastery and flexibility. He's the best, if you care about voting for the best, regardless of age or human-interest backstory or who you think just deserves a break 'cause they're the least-likely but really likeable. Believe me, Allison Iraheta is not going to disappear into obscurity if she doesn't win the title, and neither are Kris Allen or Danny Gokey, assuming that they really have the mettle for musical stardom.   If anyone does have it right here and right now, though, it's Adam.

Which isn't to say that I'm either oblivious to (obviously not) or indiscriminate regarding the "culture war" angle to the predicted Adam vs. Danny final showdown -- I don't want Christian-music lovers, cultural conservatives, bigots and Religious Rightists to flood the phonebanks, sweep the numbers and then claim it as some sort of cultural mandate to go forth and proselytize with music (or anything else, by the way...), or to claim, as this is a national competition, that the United States therefore really is a "Christian nation."   On that angle, I want them to get their asses kicked -- and isn't it great to have a contender who really can kick ass in all the controversial directions?

But yeah....even without that added edge of cultural division, he'd still be getting my endorsement -- because he's the best, dammit, and I believe in voting for the best. So deal.

_