Is American Idol Influencing the Voting?

I am not talking about Simon Cowell's surprising endorsemet of the Tories in tomorrow's elections in the United Kingdom.

I am not the biggest Frank Sinatra fan, but I wated to watch last night’s American Idol to see if the judges would keep up their advice to make the classic songs the contestants are forced to perform contemporary ad commercial I today’s market. Thankfully, they did not. Mercifully, they did not. Hardly any of the five remaining contestants looked comfortable or competent.

I have wound up watching more episodes this season than any since 2006 or so Perhaps I am looking at the show with a more skeptical eye than before, but are the judges blatantly pushing certain contestants to the finish line? At first, I thought their favorite was Crystal Bowersox. Now I think it is Lee DeWyze


Up util about two weeks ago she could do no wrong. No wrong even though she turned every song into something you would hear from an indie street performer or coffee shop performer. Keep in mind the judges simultaneously criticized contestants Casey James and Andrew Garcia for adapting every song to suit their strongest musical style. The judges’ hypocrisy was blatant.

Lately, that has changed for Bowersox. The problem is more than the themes forcing her out of her comfort zone--I actually thought her alt-country version of Shania twain’s “No one Needs to know” was top notch--but the judges have at best killed her with faint praise and at worst, outright scolded her for disappointing them.

Now they have turned their attention to DeWze. He has been great lately, do not get me wrong. But the judges have begun planting seeds in the audience mind thathe ought to win it all. Ellen DeGeneres ad Kara DioGuardi came right out and said so last night. Tonight on the results show, they separated him from the rest of the group early as if to note he was not only safe, but the top vote getter.

what gives/ is there a fear of a repeat from last year when the less exciting Kris Allen defeated Adam Lambert to everyone’s surprise? Lambert has certainly gone on to attract more attention than Allen post-AI and even served as a mentor a couple weeksago. It is no secret the powers that be preferred he won.

Truth be told, AI winners do not have a good track record of being commercial anyway. Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Uderwood are the only winners who have truly made it while a number of cast offs have done much better for themselves. I doubt this current crop can eve pull that off. A couple have had some bright moments, but nothing I would ever pay to hear. Considering the ratings downturn, I am not alone.

So what is the point of manipulating the results? It is not making the competition more exciting. Winning does not guarantee commercial success. I am stumped at the game the judges are playing. Are they just bored?