What's the Secret Behind 'Teflon Tim' Urban's Smile?

Nothing drives American Idol judges like Kara DioGuardi and Simon Cowell crazier than trying to pull the strings of AI contestants who refuse to become their personal marionettes. Tim Urban is this year's object of frustration for the AI judges. Each week he walks out on stage and sings with the skill level of your average wedding singer, relying on his adorable smile and stage antics, such as his slide during his performance of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," to win over the crowd. AI judge Ellen DeGeneres finds Tim Urban so adorable that some AI viewers allegedly play a drinking game in which every time Ellen calls Tim Urban "adorable" they take a shot of their favorite adult beverage.

The lucky rabbit's foot that may have helped Tim Urban land in AI's coveted top 10, a feat that nabbed him a spot on the AI summer tour, is his adorability quotient (AQ). Considering that the most avid texters (hence, those most likely to vote) are teenagers, it is plausible that teenage girls vote for the cutest guy, regardless of singing talent. While Casey James is arguably the best looking of the male contestants this year, Tim Urban has a mop-headed boyish charm that younger teenage girls may find more appealing and less threatening as heartthrob material (think David Cassidy).

In addition to the texting teenybopper vote, a website called Vote For the Worst-the nemesis of true American Idol fans-has been encouraging viewers to vote for Tim Urban as a way to foil the show's aim of choosing the best singing and performing talent. As they did with Sanjaya from the show's sixth season, many AI viewers are now voting for Tim Urban, designated as the worst of the lot by the Vote for the Worst website, possibly tipping the scales this week in favor of keeping Tim on the show and eliminating rival Didi Benami. If, instead of the American public, ten random Martians had been asked to vote on which Idol contestant should be eliminated this week, the more gifted Benami would have likely beat out Tim Urban, although Benami took a nose dive Tuesday night with her flat line performance of "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted" (a song choice that ironically foreshadowed her fate and caused one to wonder what will become of Benami).

Vote for the Worst's recap of Tim Urban's performance Tuesday night highlighted just how much the AI judges disliked his performance and why the Vote for the Worst website has chosen him as their Sanjaya for the ninth season of American Idol: "His deer in the headlights looks are priceless....Randy says Tim reminded him of a singing waiter.... Kara says that it was Broadway and Vegas, took the soul out of the song, and made himself uncommercial.... Finally, Tim just starts laughing at the judges and Kara gets offended and asks why he's laughing. Simon says that it doesn't matter what he says, because the audience will vote for him (Tim) and he'll be around next week, so well done."

AI judge Kara DioGuardi seemed especially miffed that Tim Urban continued to smile despite his ameteurish performances and proclivity to turn a deaf ear to the judge's advice. She implied that maybe Tim didn't really understand what the judges were saying to him, as if English were his second language or he had the cognitive abilities of a six-year-old child. Rather than take umbrage at her patronizing remark, Tim Urban exhibited exceptional emotional intelligence when he explained the reason for his smile to the condescending Kara: "Every time I step onto that stage, I know it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." In other words, Who wouldn't smile given an opportunity to perform for millions of people and enjoy perks typically reserved for A-list celebrities?

Given the dexterity and strength of teenage girls' thumb muscles and the clout of the AI Vote for the Worst website, Tim Urban could be smiling for many weeks to come.

See also:
American Idol Season 8: What is Your American Idol Viewing Style?

Sources:
http://www.votefortheworst.com/blog/657973/top-10-recap-tim-urban-laughs-at-the-judges-simon
American Idol TV Show on Fox, March 30 and 31, 2010