Jason Castro Finally Voted Off American Idol

At long last, Jason Castro was voted off the seventh season of American Idol on May 7th. After weeks of lackluster performances and poor song choices, Jason has sung his last song.

I have been completely baffled that Jason has stayed in the competition this long. He is not up to the caliber of any of the other American Idol contestants. While he has a nice voice, he has a very limited range in the type of music he can sing, and it all belongs in coffee houses.

The only reason Jason wasn't voted off sooner was the extraordinarily large number of teenage girls who, inexplicably, find him "sexy". When I look at him, I see a dorky kid, not a rock or pop star or even a stage performer. He doesn't have the stage presence you would expect in a concert in a venue that holds more than about twenty people.

On May 6th, Jason chose to sing "I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley and "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan. Both performances were absolutely abysmal. The first was some kind of pathetic attempt at imitating Bob Marley, and while the singing was OK on the second, he forgot some words. How do you get to the top four of American Idol and forget your words? That's a cardinal rule of American Idol: Don't forget the words! All three judges agreed the performances were far below par for this stage of the competition. Simon Cowell told him to pack his suitcase, and he called it correctly.

Jason Castro's departure from American Idol leaves three contenders: David Cook, David Archuleta, and Syesha Mercado. I have been predicting for some time that the two Davids would make it this far, but I have been surprised each week that Syesha survived.

I do have to say, Syesha Mercado has surprised me in the past few weeks, coming into her own and blossoming as a performer. While she has a beautiful voice, she used to basically stand there and sing, inspiring me to fall asleep and forget she ever existed. Lately, she's been choosing songs that suit her and allow her to have fun and as a result she's showing a lot more personality. She still insists on choosing songs that will cause listeners to compare her to the great singers-last night's unfortunate choice was "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner, complete with dancing. That was a bad move-all anyone can think about when she does that is that she's not Tina Turner. Had she changed the song and made it her own, it would be easier to stomach. Her second song, "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke, was much better. I still don't think she can stand up to the two Davids and will be the next to go.

David Cook and David Archuleta should be the final two, with David Cook taking the title of American Idol. He has the makings of a real rock star, where David Archuleta will be best singing ballads and Disney songs or making guest appearances on Sesame Street and Hannah Montana.

The important thing is, Jason Castro is finally gone. Goodbye, Jason Castro, and good riddance. American Idol you are not.