I promised myself after Season 4 was over that I would never again get hooked on “American Idol.”
That was the season that Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice, who is a native of my home state of Alabama, had one of the closest contests in the show’s history.
For those who are not “American Idol” fans, auditions are held at various sites throughout the country each year to find the most talented performers, bring them to Hollywood, and give them a shot at fulfilling their dreams.
I hate to admit it, but I was a bit obsessed during Season 4. If I wasn’t home to watch the show, I would tape it. When I was home watching it live, I would call family and friends, who also were faithful viewers, to discuss our views of the performances — like that was going to help the one we liked the best.
All of us Alabama folks stuck together that year. It was “Bo Mania.”
I even wrote a column or two on how much I loved that season and about my crush on Bo. I had one local reader who shared my enthusiasm for Bo, and she came by to visit one day just to chat about “American Idol.”
I look back at those days now and laugh. How could I have gotten so hooked on a television show and one performer?
I was so disheartened when Season 4 ended and Carrie nudged out Bo for the title. It was almost like my favorite football team losing a game I thought they should have won.
For more than two years I was able to keep that promise to myself of not getting reeled back in by the “American Idol” craze. However, I must admit that working an evening shift during that time helped me achieve that goal.
I probably caught a glimpse of the finale when Taylor Hicks, also from Alabama, won the competition a couple of years ago. But there was no taping the show or feeling like I had somehow let my favorite singer down by not watching or voting.
This year, with a much more normal schedule, I have fallen back into my old habits, but, thankfully, not to the same extent as Season 4.
It still amazes me that the show is averaging 28.7 million viewers in its seventh season. While that is down 7 percent from the 31 million who watched it last year, according to Nielsen Media Research, that is still a ton of fans who tune in every Tuesday night for the performances and every Wednesday night for the results.
It’s good to know that I am not alone in this addiction.
Because of a Business and Professional Women’s Club installation banquet on Tuesday night, I missed the performances of the final three – Syesha Mercado, David Archuleta and David Cook.
When I came home, however, I have to admit that I went to the Internet in search of news on how they each had done. It appears that my favorite, David Cook, was probably the top performer of the night, according to Simon Cowell, one of the most plain-spoken and sometimes most-hated judges of the competition.
For weeks, people who watch the show and many of the judges have predicted that it would come down to David vs. David, and so it has.
Syesha was sent home Wednesday night, pitting the Davids against each other in next Tuesday’s finale.
As Simon put it, next week’s show should be a “humdinger.”
I agree.
But the two are so different.
David Archuleta is a 17-year-old student from Murray, Utah. He has a crooner-style voice. He can sing almost any song, but I think he may still lack the stage presence to be the “American Idol.”
David Cook, on the other hand, stumbled into auditioning for the show. He went to the audition with his brother to lend him moral support, never intending to try out himself. But he did, and now here he is in the finale.
Cook, a 25-year-old former bartender from Blue Springs, Mo., has taken some chances along the way, and walks to the beat of his own drum. I like that, and I think that’s what you’ve got to have to achieve greatness.
So who will be the winner on Wednesday?
I hope it will be David Cook. He is the whole package. David Archuleta may be in a few years, but I just don’t think he is there yet.
In all honesty, though, it will come down to their popularity and fan bases. This is one of those years that it could go either way. I am not sure who has the edge here when it comes to their fans.
I guess we will have to be among the almost 30 million viewers tuning in next week if we want to vote and have a say in who will be the next “American Idol.”
