Grace Said.: And The Winner Is..

Kris Allen. This has probably been the biggest upset in American Idol history and many from the blogosphere are fueled with rage, disappointment and disbelief at the results.

I personally don't watch American Idol except for the Finals. However, I did watch the very first season when William Hung was famous for his signature "She bangs" move. After which, I just felt that this whole entire idol stuff is just boring. Come on, who can honestly remember the other American Idols that won the past few seasons? And what happens when an Idol is crowned? Wouldn't he be forgotten when the next season of American Idol comes up?

But before American Idol fanatics start throwing eggs at me, let me digress and perhaps point out some facts as to why Adam Lambert didn't win this season's America Idol.

1. Blame the judges.

Just like it's now bad karma to be the front runner in the Oscar race (as Frost/Nixon can tell you) or the presidential election (as Hillary Clinton can tell you), it also doesn't help if you're the foregone winner of Idol long before the season is over. And here is where the judges didn't help Adam's case. Week after week, they didn't just praise him; they declared him THE GREATEST SINGER EVER IN ALL OF HISTORY. Yes, he's a rock god, but when there's a preconceived notion that you've got the Idol crown in the bag, it makes your fans lazy and you lose votes. Kris Allen, on the other hand, consistently delivered solid performances and received mildly positive reviews from the judges. His fans felt like they had to fight harder to keep him in the contest.

2. But you should especially blame Kara DioGuardi. The new judge hasn't been getting much love from the blogosphere—especially after her gaffes involving "Studio 57" (she meant "Studio 54") and "Saturday Night Live" (she meant "Saturday Night Fever")—but she really proved to be the Joe Biden of Idol after she co-wrote the worst coronation song ever, "No Boundaries." The last song is usually how Simon manipulates America into voting for his favorite contestant, by unleashing a parade of superlatives. Not this year. "No Boundaries" was such a train wreck that neither of the contestants could pull it off. It literally left all the judges speechless, including Kara, who said she wasn't going to judge Kris based on her own song. Huh? In the end, the confusion was good for Kris. The judges weren't able to make one big last push for Adam.

3. Did we mention that Adam is a rock god?

Idol has always favored syrupy balladeers or pop singers. It doesn't matter how well you can rock out—ask Chris Daughtry or Bo Bice or Carly Smithson or even Allison Iraheta. Rockers don't win American Idol.

4. The Christian factor.

Last week, I wrote about how Adam (who hasn't spoken about his religious beliefs on the show) might be hurt by the fact that he was going up against two devout Christian finalists, Kris and Danny Gokey. Most of Gokey's fans probably ended up voting for Kris over Adam, giving him the boost he needed to win. You could say—as many of you have in the comments—that religion is an irrelevant criterion for judging a singing competition. But the fact remains that Idol is one of TV's most family-friendly shows, and it draws a large number of Christian viewers. Five out of seven of the past Idol winners have been very vocal about their Christian faith. Kris Allen had the edge here.

5. The gay factor.

Adam Lambert hasn't talked about his sexuality publicly, but TV Guide reported that he was "openly gay," Perez Hilton reported on his (alleged) boyfriend and there are photos circulating online of someone who looks like him kissing another guy. This shouldn't be an issue in 2009. But if you've read any of online chatter about Idol this year, you know that sadly, there's still plenty of hate out there. Adam has millions of fans, and it looked like he could strike an emphatic blow against homophobia, much the same way that Obama broke through the race barrier when he became the country's first black president. But his ambiguous sexuality still cost Adam votes.

6. The youth vote.

Remember last week, when they played footage of Kris and Adam visiting their hometowns? Both were met with adoring crowds, but only one was greeted by wailing tween girls who looked like they were in the presence of a long-lost Jonas brother. Kris was the heartthrob who covered Kayne West and dressed like Chace Crawford. Lambert was the Broadway kid who sang Aerosmith and wore eyeliner. The girl vote went to Kris, an important victory—tween girls are the diehards who stay up for hours after the show texting and calling in their votes.

7. Adam Versus Kris

In the end, Adam was the better singer, but Kris might have been the more unique artist, despite what the judges said. Don't believe me? Prior to the finale, here are the Adam performances I most remember: "Black and White," "Tracks of My Tears," "Mad World," "If I Can't Have You." Here's Kris's list: "Ain't No Sunshine," "Falling Slowly," "She Works Hard for Her Money," "Heartless." Which songs are you more likely to have on your iPod? Kris beats Adam on mine. They're both terrific guys who have great careers ahead of them. But maybe Kris is the more deserving American Idol after all.

(Source from here)

As mentioned, I didn't catch every episode of this season's American Idol and so I am not in any position to agree or disagree on the above.

But I did get a peek on a little of Adam's and Kris's performance a few episodes back, and at first glance, I thought that Adam was more good-looking as compared to Kris. On top of that, Adam had this confidence and assertiveness as his sang. Combine that with strong powerful vocals that he already had, I thought that he would have easily won this season's American Idol easily.

However my impression start to fade when it was confirmed that he is gay. And as if that's not good enough to make me root for Kris, I was absolutely terrified when I saw his performance with KISS.

Ok I did have some knowledge and understanding that Adam is a ROCK GOD from his dressing, make up and voice I've seen and heard from some of the episodes earlier on. But I had absolutely no idea that he was that Rock and Gothic.

You could say that I was stumped and terrified when I saw him perform in that Gothic outfit, super high platform shoes, together with a bunch of people with painted faces and weird outfits. This might just be my own bias view against the Rock culture, but I know that this would certainly paint a dark picture for Adam supporters who don't like Rock either.

Enough of talking about Adam's downfall and his genre of music. Let's continue to explore the potential influences he might give if he wins. Well, he would definitely be on posters, advertisements, his rock/gothic influence would hit the youths real bad as he becomes the 'fashion example' for them to follow, homosexuals might quote him as a reason to be accepted, and the list goes on.

With these thoughts in mind, I was glad Adam didn't win because I strongly believe that he doesn't need to be crowned an idol to prove that he is good. I know he is good, even Simon Cowell thinks that Adam's going to be an International Star. But for what he might influence others to follow or become, he should not win.

That's just my 2 cents worth. Further more the results are out and there is no point talking about it further or crying over spilt milk.

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