American Idol Scam

OK, now we know. Adam was cheated out of winning American Idol by the show's corporate sponsors.

The NY Times is reporting it today that there were some shenanigans afoot, power texting in apparent violation of the rules. Remember that little print at the end of every show, about certain voting practices being prohibited?

Somehow, despite everything, Kris Allen prevailed. The biggest upset, etc. As it turns out it wasn't an upset. It was corporate robbery.

Well, they won't have to vote as many times next year to railroad whoever they're for in, because they won't have my votes to compete with. One person with a cellphone voting the normal way. There's no reason to even watch a show that's a scam.

Time For Bed

I was up and busy all day. I got up, like always, at 5:30 a.m. And it's been pretty much non-stop. One thing after another.

And I'm tired ... and cranky ... after American Idol. I think it's very likely, though, that one good side effect of this is to save me plenty of time next season. I'm not one to make a lot of "idol" threats -- but even when I'm enjoying it I'm still thinking, I could be reading or something.

I've had the ones I liked lose before. But they weren't as brilliant as Adam Lambert. Nobody is. The guy is definitely one of a kind. And what do we get, the kind of guy who's a dime a dozen. Indistinguishable from millions. This is one we don't forget.

I missed the first few seasons of American Idol and didn't feel like I really missed anything. So all I might be doing is reverting to my original intent, that I have plenty of other things to keep me occupied. We'll see what January brings.

Kris and Adam

I don't know if the foreordained-to-win Adam has it in the bag. I hope he does but I'm a natural pessimist when it comes to stuff I want. It takes some of the fun out of watching it. I prefer things after they're over and we've got the results.

But it seems to me that people would prefer Adam, generally. He's got super looks, a dynamic attitude, a great voice, etc. He's a knockout. I remember when I first saw one glimpse of him, I said I like that guy. And I haven't shifted from that for one second.

Liking someone so much, just like I said above, takes the fun out of watching it. Because it automatically made everyone else on the show, even from the beginning, a second class citizen. All I could see or hear in their performances -- not 100% of course -- was that they weren't as good. So you have a perfectly good guy, Danny Gokey, with a great family, a great voice, all the rest. And I wasn't able to warm up to him in the slightest because of this.

Even Kris. People talk about how "awesome" he is, and I'm like, What? Awesome? No way. But I guess he is pretty awesome, in a way. He can sing in a way that pleases people. He seems real good at playing instruments, the piano, the guitar. He has confidence to be out there. And somehow he ended up in the final two, so he's no slouch. Maybe I will grow to like him after this is all over.

But for now, it has to be Adam. Get him in there as the winner, then we can go back and like these other guys too.

Now, about Katy Perry, I thought that was stunning, the way she came out with the cape with Adam's name on it. I don't know how fair that was precisely, probably not very. I liked it -- don't get me wrong -- but you'd think American Idol the show would at least try to regulate too much favoritism.

All in all it was a beautiful thing. I loved it.

Too Close For Comfort

I didn't see it coming that Adam Lambert would be, apparently, in the bottom two last night. I saw some speculation that no one actually said (like Ryan Seacrest) that he was in the bottom two. And that American Idol might've been yanking everyone's chain. But still it didn't look good to have him with the (hopefully) also-rans.

This guy needs to win. Or something will happen. Volcanoes will destroy cities. Trenches will open up and swallow continents. Mark my words. Mark them but don't test them. Certainly American Idol will lose one viewer, me. And that's a promise from me, the most trustworthy person you'll ever meet in this world or any other.

I wasn't overly enraptured by his song on Tuesday. So I was just hoping. Then when it appeared he was in the bottom two, I thought maybe a lot of other people thought the same thing.

He'll probably come in first next week, because people will be voting for him like crazy this time. No complacency!

Adam Lambert Last Night

Adam did "If I Can't Have You" for disco night.

He didn't do it with the usual disco style, but did another of his 'standing in one spot with the lights all subdued, with funky anguish' for his style.

I love the guy. And I was glad the judges loved the performance. But I didn't love it. It's good though if it gets him through. I prefer liveliness and not anguish.

Missed American Idol

Boo-hoo. I had another appointment, social responsibility to tend to tonight, so I missed my weekly fix of American Idol.

We still use a VCR -- and something funky happened to the soundtrack, so that's no good.

I've already read a few recaps of it and I was home in time to see the final performance (Kris Allen) and the tiny snippet from everyone's song.

I backed it up and watched Adam and heard him a little bit, the sound wavering in and out of audibility. That sucks.

I checked his performance out at You Tube. But the good video of the performance didn't have sound, because of some alleged copyright violation. And there was one that was just a still picture of him that had good sound. So, if somehow I could put those together, I'd have it. I tried but it didn't match up. Better than nothing!

He did a knock out job on the song, even though I don't care for the song. But it gave him a chance to stretch out and let it rip, so that was good.

Hoping he goes all the way. It sounds like there was enough bad ones, or ones that got negative remarks from the judges, that we'll have a nice elimination tomorrow. Megan perhaps.

Adam's Motown Recording

Here's a story on the American Idol Motown recordings, available at iTunes.

I only have and only have heard Adam Lambert's song, "Tracks of My Tears." So I can't judge the others. But I see the author of that column distributes grades from A to D, with an A for Anoop and D's for Megan and Scott.

The different thing about these recordings is that they used the original Motown backing tracks. I don't think that was a good idea, because it'd be good to refresh them at bit. At least that's my criticism of the Adam track. It sounds like it could use an updated arrangement for his massively good vocals, jazz it up a bit.

I like his singing -- rock solid -- but think he's being held back too much by the backing track that's like a straitjacket. (It also sounds, on my Ipod, like there's some small amount of distortion on this recording.)

Adam's Song - "Ring Of Fire"

I had to miss much of American Idol last night. I came in just as they were giving the judges' feedback for Scott McIntyre. So I saw live everything that followed that.

That meant that I missed my favorite, Adam Lambert. But I backed up the recording later and watched his section. It was "Ring of Fire," since it was country week. This is a song that we all know as done by Johnny Cash. I would've preferred he had hewed a little closer to the line on this one, but he jazzed it up with some Middle Eastern flare. I thought it was nice but it didn't blow me away.

I was daydreaming about how he could have done it. Like with an actual ring of fire around him, diving through a ring of fire, something like that. Or wearing big wide cowboy chaps and holding a lasso. Almost looking like a plastic man doing two or three alternating poses, kind of like a flashing neon light. That'd look cool. But maybe that's a little wild for live TV.

I figure he'll make it through tonight and be back on top of the world next week. (I don't think he did bad, mind you).