Posted on 05/20/2009 8:54:44 PM PDT by CMoran325
Newsweek speculated that there was a Christian voting bloc that would affect the outcome of the American Idol finale -- and others pondered that there might be an anti-gay backlash against Adam. (Although no one but he knows for sure what his true inclinations are...)
I'm not going to suggest that there wasn't a whole bunch of conservative folks voting for Kris -- I'm certain there were, considering that Idol is one of the few shows that (for the most part) is family friendly and appeals to all ages. But honestly that would be a "Pro-Kris" vote, not an "Anti-Adam" vote.
Adam obviously was the more talented singer, with much greater range, and was more of a flamboyant showman. We know there is a contingent out there that likes that sort of performance -- David Cook was the more edgy performer and he prevailed. (Although that, arguably, may have been Revenge of the Rockers, inspired by the early exit of Chris Daughtry the previous season.)
But Kris was more universally appealing, and he also performed on both guitar and piano. When he was done with a song, everyone in the room could at least say -- well, that was nice, and often even more. With Adam, as much as I admired his vocal talents, I often fast-forwarded through the last minute of his performances. It was all too much, and I'm sure there were many others who felt that same way. And many were probably baffled by some of his performances. ("Ring of Fire" anyone?!)
But I truly believe that the tipping point for this contest had to be the female tweenage fans of the show. They were heart-broken last season when David Archuleta lost to the more talented edgy guy, and they were NOT going to let it happen this time! What else did they have to do last night? I would venture that many dialed, got through, hit flash, hit redial, got through, flash, redial, got through, flash, redial... For four... straight... hours.
In one way that bothered me this season -- that more talented singers were losing out to a teen heart-throb. But if that's what it took for the underdog -- the wholesome, came-out-of-nowhere boy next door -- to defeat the affectatious darling of the entertainment crowd and the media... Well, so be it. And maybe today's youth isn't as dumb as I thought.
Adam will still be huge. He didn't need to win. Plus, he can console himself: He never has to sing that "No Boundaries" song ever again!
Congratulations, Kris! May your career shine as brightly as your smile, and your life be filled with even more of the joy that is apparent with your wife and family.
He sung it well, but he should have picked something different. Then with the slow ones by Fuller and Kara, well, he really didn't go out with a bang.
On the other hand, Kris was in his zone. I said yesterday he was going to win. Adam pussied out.
Kris sang his first song well..but the other two were really not very good. Again, can't fault him for singing the original song that just plain out sucked from top to bottom. And tonight, when he and Adam sang together, you didn't even hear Kris...it was just embarrassing. And by the way, I didn't realize just how short Kris is...he makes Ryan Seacrest look like an NBA star..and that's pretty hard to do!
It will be interesting to see what Adam in particular comes up with when he starts recording his own material. With his voice he could do anything from opera to ballads, but he really seems to want to be a rocker.
That was why Adam was so great! He crossed every line...you know who really liked him?? BLACK WOMEN! Yes...He is the only one who hasn’t made his sexuality an issue. He has been gracious and professional this whole process. He deserves better than to be defined by his sexuality...
Please, as a mother and a devout Christian, give it a rest. Adam is an enterntainer first and foremost and a talented one at that. Liberace was a flashy singer and entertainer that many Christian grandmothers loved and watched. Adam will also be loved and watched by those same grandmas. Kris has his niche and so does Adam. Both showed class and both deserve the very best.
Great video, thanks. I love adoption.
And Kris knew it too.
Adam is amazing and will have a great career. I am sad and mad that he didn't win Idol but have nothing but respect for Kris. Both were very nice, respectful kids.
Too much information.
“Newsweek speculated that there was a Christian voting bloc that would affect the outcome of the American Idol finale”
Definitely not a gay voting bloc attemtping to fix outcomes either, I bet. *rolls eyes*
If the crowds were “huge” for Adam the camera didn’t show it.
Bottom line: Arkansas gave Kris 35 million votes, that was enough to put their hometown boy over the edge. If CA had done the same for Adam HE would have won.
Everything happens for a reason and perhaps Kris, the Christian clean cut happily married young man, deserved to win over the male kissing, eyeliner and earring wearing Adam. Singing is not just about singing: it’s about the total package. It’s about how you present yourself. Fact is that many people were turned off by Adam’s screaming and his strutting around the stage. Some people do not consider that true singing.
Kris was creative and turned in some excellent performances too. Like Kara said, “Judge Kris on the entire season, not just one song.”
Anyway, I prefer to listen to Kris rather than Adam, who was all along pushed by the judges.
He is gay. Stop kidding yourself.
Who cares if he’s gay? He never made it an issue. Everyone else exploited it.
I completely agree with you!
Also, there is something to be said about the power of the tweens. I remember back in the NKOTB days...as a girl, you imagine that the guys are singing the song to you. Once it became apparent that Adam’s sexuality was questionable, these young girls figured out that Adam might just not be singing the song to them. It makes a difference, as we saw in the voting results.
I’m not sure that Simon Cowell cares at all either way...little girls and their parents having a large market share of the buying power in the music industry...that’s why they let the country decide as they are the ones who will buy the music.
Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t make an issue of it while the show was still going on. We’ll see what happens now that it’s over.
Your statement is not true.
Unless you chose the right blush and lipgloss colors, you were just wasting your time with the eyeliner.
I have watched some seasons but lost interest over the last two years. At the urging of my sister I watched 3 minutes one night as Adam was singing..... he’s so pretty he doesn’t look real - he has an incredible voice but he just grossed me out overall - he looks so weird with the eyeliner and his plastic skin.
I just don’t know why everyone is do obsessed about it.
The theory floated last week after Danny lost, that those who used to vote for him would vote for Kris in the future, was a big reason Kris won. I liked Allison, who was voted off the week before Danny.
Not much surprises me, but last night when they announced Kris had won, I was very pleasantly surprised.
The Screamer was getting on my nerves. Adam would have served himself better to resist the urge to scream so much. One big screaming note per song would have been wiser.
During the finale, I was hoping he’d lose because he was screaming everytime they gave him the mic. Less is more Adam, with makeup and screaming.
This year on the show, I had no contestant that I picked from the audition phase as my favorite. I was able to pick Taylor Hicks that way. Didn’t watch the year Carrie Underwood won. I started watching after that year. But this time, no favorite, other than Allison who seems very gifted.
I remember being impressed with Adam after the top 10, but little by little he lost it, just too over the top.
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