Why should this year be any different?
Wednesday night’s results were not all that “shocking.” Mildly surprising, maybe, but given the show’s track record, it wasn’t completely unpredictable. Every season, an exceptionally strong singer will get the boot in favor of someone with considerably less vocal ability.
I believe Melinda was done in both by her consistency and her demographic appeal. America loves an underdog, and Melinda was never that. She never faced anything more than the mildest criticism from the judges, which could also have lulled her fans into a sense of complacency. And as accomplished as her voice was, I never found her all that compelling to watch.
American Idol is a television show, and visual appeal and showmanship play a major part in why people vote. The “power voters” who are willing to spend two to four hours a week calling and texting are much more likely to vote for the cute boy or the pretty girl around their age.
Is it fair? Of course not.
But no matter what Simon Cowell tries to tell us each season, this is not just a “singing competition.” It is a quest to find someone marketable enough to have a successful career in the music industry. A large percentage of American popular music today relies very little on actual vocal ability.
The history of the show also makes it clear that with each passing season, actually winning the title becomes less and less important. Isn’t it interesting that this season has featured a “farewell song” by last year’s fourth-place finisher? And that last night the third-place finisher performed, while the runner-up, Kat McPhee, has been nowhere in sight, and the actual winner, Taylor Hicks, was allowed only a brief cameo to shill for “Idol Gives Back”?
Melinda Doolittle will be fine. In the long run, she may be better off as an AI runner up.
May 17th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
I do believe MeDoo will fair better not winning AI….She will have more control over her Album and who knows maybe she will have the song that everyone hears when they get the boot….
May 17th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
I haven’t been watching the show much this year, for life reasons as much as the fact that it’s pretty much over, but I read about it and you are the most astute pundit I’ve noticed. Of course if I looked, there are probably millions, but although it’s not saying much, you put the Washington Post, NY Daily News and Post to shame.They should pay you. It would be a major upgrade.
May 18th, 2007 at 5:48 am
Good blog francis. Melinda will certainly fair better than that flash in the pan Blake or his big sister, Jordin. Look for Melinda to have producers courting her for the next several months. I feel she will attain real longevity simply from the fact that there is nothing “trendy” about her. She is a classic right out of the gate.
May 21st, 2007 at 8:26 am
Agree that Melinda will have a long career. She has the type of voice and personality that lend themselves to longevity. While Blake may see some initial success, being ‘fresh’ is a sword that cuts both ways. If you’re ‘hip’ today, next week you can be last years news. Jordin has the potential to blossom into a great singer, but she’ll have to learn to do upbeat songs better than she has to date. The younger crowd she’ll need to appeal to will only tolerate so many ballads before they throw her to their rear-view mirrors.
I’d love to hear Melinda do a duet with her friend Mandisa. That could be a classic if ever there were one.