Jessica Cunningham Odds to Win American Idol

After getting cut after the Hollywood Week group round on American Idol 9, Jessica Cunningham has reportedly come back and advanced to the Top 40 for the 10th season of American Idol (this spoiler rumor comes from JoesPlaceBlog). In the ninth season, Jessica was in the group round with Paige Miles, Thaddeus Johnson and another contestant. Although she made it through the group round, Cunningham was cut before the voting rounds.

She has reportedly returned for another shot. Generally speaking, if Idol brings back a contestant that has made it this far, that contestant usually makes the voting rounds.Thus, there is a good chance we will see Jessica Cunningham on the live voting shows for Season 10. But her success will almost certainly be short lived even if she makes the voting phase of the competition.

Jessica appears to be classic cannon fodder. She is very attractive and has a seemingly bubbly and outgoing personality. In the real world, she may well be marketable. But Jessica seems to be almost completely lacking in singing talent. She lacks virtually every talent-based quality that you would expect in an American Idol winner.

This show loves to put people in the voting rounds that have virtually no chance of winning. It's almost like (and may actually be) that the producers are stacking the deck to give their own favorites a better chance of getting to the finals. More than likely, though, American Idol is attempting to please multiple demographics - some talented contestants, some high-energy contestants, some bombshells, etc. For example, anyone who thinks that Becky O'Donahue was picked for her voice is just lacking all sense of reality.

Because no performance (either her group round on TV from Season 9 or any performances online) seems to show anything but a very average and generic voice, it is stupidly clear that Jessica Cunningham has made it to the Top 40 based on a combination of looks and personality. Based upon Idol history, it seems like she will make the voting rounds. But Jessica cannot and will not win. Period. Only the most infatuated or image-centric fanatic could think otherwise. She simply needs a miracle.

Resources:

JoesPlaceBlog Spoilers

Jessica Cunningham MySpace