American Idol Finale Upset May 20, 2009: What Went Wrong?

American Idol gave Kris Allen the season's win over Adam Lambert. After 100 million votes were counted, Allen won.

Watching the TV Guide Channel preshow, I noticed that almost everyone thought Adam Lambert was the better singer and that he would win. "Adam is vocally far better," was just one among many positive comments I heard.

Trouble is, with American Idol, there's a recurring problem. People who probably should win don't. Ominously, during the preshow Nigel Lithgoe, American Idol's producer until this season, said "Mistakes are made", referring to America's sometimes questionable choice of the winner of Idol. Yes, it has happened before. America has picked an American Idol contestant as the winner who probably should have landed in second place or worse.

Consider the cases of Chris Daughtry, Ruben Studdard over Clay Aiken, Bo Bice, or Carly Smithson. Even Allison Iraheta fell by the wayside much too early. But then, she's a rocker and probably too edgy for middle America.

Consider the following:

Adam Lambert has a greater vocal range than Kris. I doubt anyone would dispute that. He made the songs "his own" much more often than Kris. Adam was consistent. Adam wasn't "pitchy". Kris had more than a few pitchy moments this season. In fact, a panel of operatic judges reviewed Adam's vocals, and all were impressed. If opera people know one thing, it's singing.

Think back. Adam projected his emotions more than Kris through his singing, varied facial expressions, eyes, and even the staging that he himself brought to his performance. Adam has a background in theater, and he used that knowledge to enhance his songs. He himself designed the staging and lighting for his songs, and he says gratefully that American Idol indulged him. Some called all the lighting, stairs, staging, makeup, and clothing "theatrical". That wasn't theatrical. That was professional. Believe me; you haven't seen theatrical Adam yet.

Want a clear picture of the difference? Re-run in your mind the picture of Kris singing with Queen on the finale show. Kris was meek, barely audible - vs. Adam singing with Queen - strong voice, style and presence - a memorable performance.

In all fairness, I have to give Kris Allen his due. He is a good singer. Not outstanding and memorable, but good. Adam Lambert, on the other hand, will be remembered long after Allen's glow has faded. For Kris' sake, I hope not - but that's just what I feel will happen.

Maybe it is just as well that Kris won. He needed it. Adam didn't. Adam Lambert will go on to create an amazing career for himself, whether or not he won American Idol's "crown". Anyway, I'm beginning to wonder just what that crown represents.

Kris Allen is more conventional, predictable, clean cut, a Southern boy (five out of eight Idol winners have been from the South), more comfortable, non-threatening, and someone who would do well in a boy band or with Disney. It's acoustic guitar vs. electric guitar.

Adam Lambert is more edgy, revolutionary, exciting, electric, ahead of his time, unpredictable, has no one "look" but uses his style and looks to fit the song, and is someone who would do well as a solo artist or as lead singer in a rock band. Traditionally, rockers do not win on American Idol.

Regardless of style, this was a singing competition, right? Or maybe it wasn't. Perhaps there is a segment of the country that voted based on lifestyle. You know who you are. It's hardly a secret that there were photos on the web of someone who looked like Adam kissing another man. I have to wonder what would have happened if those pictures had not surfaced.

Those people who voted against Adam specifically because of his alleged lifestyle have to ask themselves some hard questions about why they really voted for Kris. Somehow, I suspect some people don't even realize that they voted based on lifestyle rather than singing ability. I know there are those people whose votes were tainted by prejudice or moral judgment. Bias in America is not dead, folks.

I should have known better. My brother, who passed away of AIDS a number of years ago, whispered in my ear tonight, "What'd you expect?" Apparently, I expected too much.

At least, I thought that judges were supposed to be impartial and maintain some distance from their audience and the contestants. I certainly never expect a judge to say, "Yes, everyone please vote for this guy because I think he is great". Thank God the Supreme Court isn't run like American Idol's panel of judges.

Imagine a Supreme Court judge telling everyone in America to vote for law such-and-such "because he likes it". If the law passes, people will say it's because the judge influenced the popular vote. If it doesn't pass, people will say it's because there was a backlash. Either way, the judge does not win, nor is the law in question voted on impartially by the public. Better for the judge to keep his mouth shut and do what he is supposed to do - judge, not promote.

I also wonder about the voting system itself. I sent out hundreds of text messages voting for Adam last night - correct cell phone, correct message, and correct text address. I made sure. And I received 0 - that's zero - confirmations that any of my texted votes went through. Could it be that the lines were so clogged with people texting votes that some got laid by the wayside? Or was there a glitch in the system?

(After note: Today I got one confirmation of a texted vote. That's one confirmed text vote out of hundreds that I texted.)

Could it be that Idol's phones were not picking up every vote? Of course that is true. I got a busy signal many times. That would be true for Kris as well as Adam. Plain and simple, not all the votes were counted, neither for Kris nor Adam. The system is not perfect. Not all votes were counted. I know, because some of my own did not go through. No telling how many other people experienced the same thing.

At the end of the final two's performance show on Tuesday, Simon Cowell said to Adam, "The whole idea about doing a show like this is that you hope you can find a worldwide star - I genuinely believe with all my heart that we have found that with you."

Simon Cowell is a television producer, music publisher, talent scout, and artistic developer. His professional instinct had picked Adam for the win, and yet Kris won. Isn't American Idol all about finding the next big singing sensation? The trouble is, they left it up to the voting public in America.

That public can be ill-informed, biased, a bad judge of talent and singing ability, and even vindictive and hateful at times. Hateful, you ask? Surely not, you say. Then you haven't been reading the forums I have, and some - I say some - fans have actually been openly hateful toward Adam, swearing they would work against Adam winning. I haven't seen even one of Adam's fans express such vitriolic behavior toward any other Idol contender, especially not Danny or Kris, not even now.

Overall, Adam's fans wish Kris all the best. Many of Adam's fans like Kris, just as Adam does, but they just thought Adam was the better singer and performer. And that he deserved to win. Rock on Adam!

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