Friday, April 8, 2011

Are the girls...doomed?!

Bottom Three...
...and the lovely Pia goes home
Pia goes home?! Of the 9 contestants left, this lovely and talented girl generated the least amount of votes?!

Pia goes home before Stefano?!

Back in season 3, Jennifer Hudson's early exit (she placed 7th overall) got all the conspiracy-theorists talking. Why were all three of the "Duelling Divas" in the bottom 3 in the same week? Why was the country hating on the girls?!

In 10 seasons, we've had 4 girls win the title of American Idol - Kelly, Carrie, Fantasia, and Jordin. But the past three seasons have been boys - David, Kris, and Lee.

Pia's exit will inspire a lot of anger. Is the teen-girl voting block really the driving force behind the show? Are we always going to end up with the cute boy winning in the end, because that's who the prepubescent girls are voting for?!

In the end, I don't think there's a controversy here. I don't think our remaining girls - Haley and Lauren, are necessarily doomed. Think about it - last year's standouts were Lee and Crystal. Crystal made it to the finale, and although she didn't win, her talent drove her to the end. I think voters will vote for talent, whether it's male or female.

But how do you explain Pia? Whatever it is, I am bummed for her. Maybe she didn't connect with the audience. Maybe she was a little stiff, unapproachable, too perfect. Maybe her backstory isn't tragic enough... America loves a good, sad story to go with their Idols.  But she had the strongest voice in the competition. She is a classy, composed queen on the stage, and I felt that in her capable hands and voice, she'd only improve week after week. Maybe she lacked that stage-charisma that we wanted to see, but you definitely felt that she'd get there.

I wonder, do the judges regret using that one-and-only save on Casey?

(One last note: apparently, America looked at itself in the mirror and decided it didn't like its Idols to be preachy and self-righteous. We don't need another morality-barometer. We've got Fox News for that. Jacob, stick to singing, baby. It's what you do best.)

Until next week!

2 comments:

  1. I didn't get to watch it but heard the results on the radio. I did wonder, after this past week's performance, if she was going to hit it with America this week. I am surprised she's out. I don't think she belongs on Idol, and I mean that in the most complimentary way because she was far, far, far better than anyone else on the show.

    But to me, this is not new. Girls don't stick up for girls and America rarely gets the vote right...

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  2. Gillian, I think you're right on all counts. Pia is the high school cheerleader that the manic junior high voting girls can only abide so far. And those girls are the primary voting block for sure. (Who else has that much time to keep voting?) And they aren't voting for the most talented, they're voting for their fantasy TV boyfriends. UGH! Lauren will get the farthest, but I think Scottie or James will ultimately prevail because they're male. Sad but likely true.

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