There's Less To This Than Meets The Eye

The first time I watched American Idol was a few weeks before the end of the season that Carrie Underwood won. I love Carrie Underwood and always have. In subsequent seasons I have watched, devotedly, cheering singers who would invariably get voted off, changing my favourites to suit whomever was left to accept my cheers. I loved Chris Richardson and he got the boot; but I was lucky because I also loved Blake Lewis. He didn't win either. Now the winner of that season has had some accident with her voice and I hear she may not sing again - if they don't fix things right.

It's all drama.

It's all tv entertainment.

I was a little interested, though, in something that Pat read in PEOPLE magazine about how this season has had a dip in the ratings because there is nothing exciting happening...no raw talent for the show to mold. Ah ha. Is that it? Because, yeah, I felt it too. Don't get me wrong: I loved this season's performers - almost every single one of them - to varying degrees. I was, though, irritated to hear (a few weeks ago) that some of these performers already have cds out. Huh?

Now, not having been on the AI bandwagon from the very beginning, maybe I missed out on this - but I thought this was an amateur contest. Maybe I am mistaken.

That's the thought I had when I read that some of the performers had cds, Broadway (and other) acting credits, that one had won a nationally televised talent contest; in short, that these were seasoned pros (and, no, stripping in a gay club doesn't count). I thought they were taking raw talent and turning it into the next big star. Guess I had that wrong.

That's one of the reasons I liked Kristy Lee Cook... Each week she got better and THAT is exciting to watch. She, though, was really the only one to grow in that manner - a manner that makes a lot of people tune in to something like this. The same can be said of Dancing With The Stars... remember how Kelly Monaco and Jennie Garth (in their individual seasons) just kept getting better? Cameron Matheson? Yeah. That's what it's about.

But then I read this blurb in PEOPLE magazine that echoed my thoughts. These are seasoned pros - there are no surprises. Well. No wonder it's been anti climactic. After all, from the outset it looked like Archuleta's prize to lose. He captured, immediately, the hearts of the judges and of America. Then, one by one, more seasoned pros have been picked off. Ah well.

I, too, love Archuleta. He has the voice and the face of an angel. He has been touched by God and I hope he appreicates it. I did NOT like David Cook at the onset - but I have learned that it is because I did not like his horrible dyed-red hair. Once they fixed his look and I was able to concentrate on his performances and talent, I realized he is an astounding singer and sexy as all hell. I always liked Jason Castro but he has stopped stepping up to the plate - it's the same thing every week and, frankly, the last three weeks he seems to have stopped caring and last night proved it in a big way. Then we have Sayesha, the last woman standing. From the first time I saw her, I liked her. Liked her and her singing.. but once they got into competition mode, I got bored by her. Brooke had more sincerity, Carly had more talent... Syesha just seemed to be coasting by on something - most often, though, she did boring copycats of great divas like Whitney Houston.

So last night the final four came out and what surprises were there?

The judges didn't like what Jason did and, boy howdy, neither did I. The judges loved what Archuleta did, and I thought he was simply heavenly. The judges split on the Cook performances and I was with them.

Then there was Syesha, who split the vote on her PROUD MARY but who really delivered on her Sam Cook song. Paula and Simon thought so. So did I. Finally, after weeks of dismissing Sayesha, I found myself crying because of this performance. She really moved me - and maybe it is because I am not, greatly, familiar with Sam Cook's work (or this song) and I could sit back and really enjoy her performance. Also, though, I saw what I have been wanting to see: Syesha. She became a diva and a person all at once. I got a glimpse into her. It really changed my perception.

So, as a pretty surprise-free American Idol goes in to the home stretch, I find my thoughts on the show to be changing. I thought it would be the battle of the Davids; now I find it could be one David against one Diva.

Finally, it gets interesting