American Idol: Season 6

Okay, okay, it's true. I am a fan of American Idol. This "cultured boy" has been sucked in by the American Idol vortex and I am not ashamed to admit it anymore. I don't wish to justify it. I will simply say that I am a critical fan of the show and there's nothing you can say to change that.

Being a fan doesn't mean that I don't have beef with the show or its judging or its contestants. Let's review my biggest concerns so far this season, and subsequent posts will include my own analysis of the previous night's performances, as well as my picks for the best of the night, who should go home, and who will go home.

So, up to the judging round (round of 24), here are my thoughts: We haven't seen much of the finalists up to this point. The auditions and Hollywood week focused mostly on obscure and odd contestants, and the drama of Hollywood week. The editing and production staff have kept most of the finalists in relative obscurity up until now. I would have preferred to see snippets of all the contestants who earned golden tickets, rather than all of the odd ball auditions. Some however, were rather hilarious and you know that they include them because there's an audience for it… an audience who will tune in just for that.

My biggest beef, however, came in Hollywood week, when the friend of finalist Antonella Barba declared that "God likes good people…" referring to herself! I'm so glad this girl got cut. By her own logic, it looks like her friend, Antonella, is the better person (and she was for keeping her mouth shut when a member of their trio got cut). Humility still has some value, thank goodness.

Okay, so with that said, let's move on to the finalists' performances. My criteria for analysis is simple: I look at the performance for that night and not previous nights, and I'll pick who I think was the best, who should go and who will go home.

I am also looking for any good places online that are doing their own polls. So far I have found:
Vote 4 Idol
Vote Fair