American Idol & How People Vote

Immediately after the surprising win of Kris Allen over Adam Lambert in the finale of American Idol Wednesday night, speculation began as to whether questions concerning Lambert's sexuality cost him the victory. Early on in this season of Idol rumors began to swirl on the Internet about Lambert. He has chosen to remain silent on the issue and feels that his ambiguity on this issue likely cost him some votes.

While I'm sure that this issue affected Adam in the eyes of some viewers, I think it was far outweighed by his musical style. American Idol is and always has been a pop music contest. Those that have come from other genres have consistently struggled to find a spot among the finalists. Even those with immense talent like Chris Daughtry or Jennifer Hudson failed to advance to the final stage of the competition because their styles were rock and R&B, respectively.

It is evident that Adam has a lot of talent and will likely continue to find success in the entertainment field. His flair for the theatrical and his vocal range is admirable. But in my opinion, his singing style harkens back to the 80's hair bands like Cinderella, Ratt, or Warrant. I don't know about you, but I could totally see him singing with Stryper! Rockers generally have not received the same kind of votes that the pure pop-driven contestants have.

Kris Allen is good-looking, has a likable personality and although he doesn't bring a lot of energy to the stage, he is a talented singer and musician. And, yes, I think the fact that he is a Christian who is a worship leader at his church certainly helped him among evangelicals. Once Danny Gokey was voted off, I think it clinched it for Kris. He probably carried the Christian vote and likely received the bulk of the votes from the teenage girls that vote en masse for this show.

Although it bills itself as a singing competition, American Idol has never merely been about singing talent. Personality, likability, potential for radio stardom, etc. all play a role. If American popular music was only about singing talent, none of us would know who Madonna Ciccone was. But on a competition like Idol, other factors come into play and people are going to vote for not only who the think is the best singer, but also who they most identify with.

Do we really expect the friends and family of contestants to not vote for them if deep down they don't feel like they're the best singer? Is it not okay for people from a finalist's hometown or home state to vote for them merely because they grew up in the same place? Of course not! So if we are to fault those that didn't vote for Adam because they believe him to be gay, then we would also need to fault those in the gay community that voted for him simply because they think he is. On the other hand, could we also determine that many that voted for Adam voted for him because they didn't want to vote for a professing Christian like Kris? I don't think it's fair to assume that.

Ultimately, there a number of factors that contribute to who wins on Idol each year. It would be difficult to single out one factor as to whether that is what made the difference. And just because the media fawns over a certain singer doesn't mean that's who the American public will vote for. My prediction is that Kris will record a pop album or two with limited success and eventually find a place in the Contemporary Christian Music market. Adam, who is probably best suited for the stage and live performance, will star on Broadway and make some pretty cool videos for his first studio album. Both these guys are extremely talented and I wish them all the best.

Lionel Richie and a Really Bad Sculpture

My family is sitting here watching the American Idol finale thoroughly enjoying the parade of music superstars that have joined the contestants for the final episode of the season. Idol typically does up the finale in grand style and it is clear that singers, both old and new, want to be on the show.

KISS just performed with Adam Lambert and I was reminded of how I was Gene Simmons for Halloween in the first grade. Sorry, Mom, but I'm just keeping it real.

Shortly before that, Danny Gokey sung the moving ballad "Hello" by Lionel Richie. Immediately, I thought back to the classic video for the song. I asked my wife, Lori, if she remembered it. And of course she had not since she did not have MTV or VH1 growing up. So every time I get nostalgic and say, "Hey, you remember that video for...?" she always responds, "No, honey, I don't remember any videos from the 80's."

Anyway, the storyline of the Hello video was that Lionel was a music teacher and was falling for this blind girl (Note: It was a seeing actress that was trying to act blind.) She makes a sculpture of him to show how much she cares. The sculpture (see above) is revealed and...looks nothing like Lionel Richie! There are three thoughts that come to mind when I see this sculpture (and none of them have anything to do with Lionel Richie):

1. Ch-ch-ch-chia!
2. "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."
3. "Hey, isn't that Dan Dierdorf's bust from the Football Hall of Fame?"

If you'd like to see the complete video you can see it below. The sculpture shows up close to the 5:00 mark. Click here if the video player doesn't show up.



I don't know why but I really feel like dancing on the ceiling!

The Dangers of Reality Television

I have a bit of a confession to make. I'm kind of a big fan of reality television. Since we don't have cable T.V., I'm fairly limited on the number of shows I can watch, but I do enjoy the genre. Going back nearly twenty years ago with the first season of MTV's The Real World, I've probably watched dozens of seasons of reality shows over the years.

I love watching real people in real situations (I also watch a lot of documentaries) and reality shows give a glimpse into the lives of everyday people. I know that since the cameras are present that it's not really that "real", but it's the closest that we can get on T.V.

Even though I enjoy reality shows (Survivor and American Idol are the only ones I watch regularly these days), I've had a growing concern about the shear number of these shows and the effect that it has on its stars and the viewing public. After the immense popularity of the initial season of CBS's hit show Survivor gave life to the genre, there seems to be reality shows that cover nearly aspect of life. What seemed like a fad has become a staple of television.

Unfortunately, a limited number of these shows have much of a positive effect on its viewers. For every show that inspires and gives hope (like an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), there are probably a handful more that cater to our basest desires. Furthermore, the price that some of these participants pay as a result of starring in these shows is evident. Especially when it comes to marriage and family, starring in a reality show may not be the best idea.

The recent tabloid accusations concerning the marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin (stars of TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8) demonstrate the stress that living life before the cameras can place on a couple. Although the Gosselins were not famous before the popularity, it would be hard to argue that their show hasn't contributed to their martial strain. Among those that were already celebrities, the list of failed marriages shortly after the success of reality shows seems endless -- Nick & Jessica, the Hogans, Carmen Electra & Dave Navarro, the Barkers, Britney & Kevin and on and on.

Although some of these marriages might have been considered on shaky ground even before their lives were put on display for everyone to see, I doubt that being on T.V. helped matters. As one that truly values the sanctity of marriage, I have to wonder whether I'm contributing to the problem by watching some of these shows. Granted, the reality shows that I watch don't revolve around family life but, still, I have watched some of these in the past.

It's easy for us to cast stones towards those that willingly sacrifice marital and familial stability for fame and fortune, but none of this would happen if we didn't tune in. As long as there are viewers, we will still be offered fare that has the potential to put families at risk. It's up to us as viewers to support the shows that are positive and ignore those that aren't.

As a point of application, I'm curious what your favorite uplifting and wholesome reality shows are? Feel free to comment...