Two hours tonight. Well, of course it is. The finale of American Idol must leave enough room for the hundreds of minutes of commercials in, what should be, the highest rated show this week, if not this very important ratings month. Check out Patrick's Place for a great explanation of the importance of May in the television industry, and he should know -- he's a part of it.
But back to Idol. Of course the highlight will be the announcement, which will probably occur at the 1 hour, 50 minute mark, after Ryan has annoyed us up to the point of bedtime with his "after the break" nonsense. (I really wish the writers would treat us as though we're not infants, but that's another entry for another time when there's no finale going on and I have nothing to write about and I'm bored and I just have to complain about something.)
But in the meantime, we have to fill space. Well, what's on tap? No one's is really saying too much, but we do know that Kelly and Ruben will be there. They have front row seats, and it seems inevitable that both will step foot on stage at least, if not perform. And Ruben will sweat. Clay will be on the show, but he'll be reporting "live and in person" from North Carolina where the Fantasia people will be assembled. And Kim Caldwell will be stationed in Atlanta to report on the frenzy called Diana. Tamyra will probably be somewhere prominent also, seeing as though she co-wrote the song that the Idol will record, in case you haven't heard that. Or have forgotten. Plus there will be the requisite famous faces with whom Ryan will chat and pimp throughout the program.
Also, the other ten are scheduled to perform. Now, while I am really looking forward to hearing from Amy, George and Jennifer again, I am not, under any circumstances, anxious to hear from either Leah or Camile. I've missed Matt Rogers' humor, and, believe me, I never thought I would say that. I've somewhat missed JPL's unabashed fun at just being himself, and I have thought about John Stevens from time to time. I hope John gets to sing something Big Band-ish, just because I think he deserves it after all the crap that was hurled in his direction. Jasmine and LaToya haven't been gone long enough to miss. I've been a very good girl, though, so I think that I do not deserve to have to listen to a group number or see one more cheesy commercial.
Now the producers have announced that the vote spread is just a tad over one percent between the two ladies. Very close tally, but not as tight as last year when the difference between Ruben and Clay was statistically insignificant.
To be honest, I am torn. Fantasia deserves to win this competition. She has been consistent throughout the season. She is unique. A one-of-a-kind. And on Tuesday, she left the stage with a clear edge. She had a disaster of a first song, but performed Summertime as well (and many people say, better) than she did during movie week. Diana performed her first two songs admirably, but crashed and burned in her third. So my best comparison is the interpretation of the song that each of them performed. While Diana was good, Fantasia was great. And if I have to hear that song over and over and over while shopping at the supermarket, I'd rather hear Fantasia's version.
And so here is the dilemma. I believe with everything I am that Fantasia should win tonight. But I cannot, nor should anyone, ignore or discount the growth that Diana has shown in the second half of the season. And she is so beloved and identified with by the teens and pre-teens that might be looking for another Britney or Hillary. (God, please help us!) And, while old people like me gave up dialing for bedtime, these middle-schoolers, have the energy and drive to keep dialing and texting. Over and over and over again. (I know...they should have been in bed. School night and all. But I remember being that age. A lot of times I should have been in bed too. But.....) Hell, I don't even know how to text, much less have the desire to pay for it. A 12-year-old does not pay for anything, so the financial restriction argument has no validity.
I will not be surprised either way. If Diana wins I will be happy for her, but I will feel sad for us and for this show. I will not feel sorry for Fantasia. She will be fine. She will record. She will be on the radio. If she has one twinge of sadness, all she needs to do is pick up the phone and call Clay Aiken. Being the American Runner-up hasn't hurt him any.
If Fantasia wins, I will be happy for her, and my faithin the integrity of this show and the voting decisions of the American public might be partially restored. And I will feel bad for Diana. She is, after all, only 16 years old. A little kid. And it will hurt. She might have some success in the short term, much like Justin, but I question her staying power. Her primary support group, after all, is young, and they will move on to the next Britney, the next Hillary, the next Diana. And so will their allowances. And the ones who replace them will be looking for the new Hillary, the new Diana. She's a talented young woman with a powerful voice. But she needs the time to mature. She needs the time to grow into the performer that Fantasia already is.
So I guess the bottom line is that I really cannot make a prediction who I think will win. I just can't. The voting is so fickle and so unpredictable. I guess I'll just wait and see like everyone else.
Buckle up kiddos.
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