American Idol - And the Winner Is...

...No, I'm not kidding, but let me explain. The winner is Kris Allen, the "dark horse" contestant, who looks and sings like a skinny teddy bear. He is skinny, with bigish ears, and his voice is kind of fuzzy too, not in a bad way but it has a bit of raspy burr in it.

Yes, I started out this year by following American Idol. It sounds like a confession because Dumb TV is like buying a "People" magazine, something that generates a little bit of shame in me. Writers are supposed to write from 8 or 9 until midnight on weeknights, even after a Very Busy Day at work. But there I was curled up watching a snowy screen, after dinner, angling the antenna just so. Does everyone have the same kind of interest in witnessing a dream come true? Is this that why the show is so popular?

Here is my secret: when it gets boring I imagine the contestants as animals.

Guess what animal Adam Lambert is in my writer brain? Yep, an Orca Whale, one who is capable of flying leaps, dines on seals, and has accentuated eyes. Had I been of the voting kind, I would have gone with the Orca, in spite of the theatrical overblown style he had at times. I always liked listening and watching him perform because he had no fear of the stage, made me expect the unexpected from him, and god, what a voice.

But 100,000 million voted (100,000 million people!) and the preference was for a teddy bear. It doesn't matter in the end. They will both have careers to watch out for. And for those of us who sing only on the freeway when driving alone and even then it sounds scary, there is something inspiring by watching a person get up and sing his heart out in front of millions in a competition with an uncertain outcome, and still sound like a pro, stuffed animal or killer whale aside. Kudos to them both.