Now, let me preface this post by saying that I don’t actually watch American Idol with any sort of regularity. It’s one of those shows that I’ll have on if there’s nothing else. I only voted once, in the season two finale (Ruben over Clay, please). I read recaps of it, and will youtube performances that sound interesting, just so I can kind of keep up with it. But Idol is not one of those shows I watch religiously.
So with that said, what’s the big deal about Danny Gokey? There have been a large number of problems with recent seasons of Idol: that the judges’ pimping has become beyond blatant, that backstory has become more important than singing on the show, that, according to Simon, artistry has no place n the show, that Paula is seemingly significantly less looped on booze and painkillers recently. So I guess this is where my not understanding Gokey comes from: he kind of seems to embody all of these (save the Paula one).
I mean, yeah, the guy is a good singer. But isn’t everyone on the show? From the performances that I’ve seen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta are better, and can command a stage more. Even for, you now, how much she just didn’t fit the show, Megan Joy had an interesting vocal quality. But I just don’t get why Gokey is this season’s Idol Chosen One. He’s not the best singer, he doesn’t seem to have the best personality, he ain’t all that endearing, and he is kind of schlubby looking (sadly, a factor on the show). He actually seems to be kind of a douche, with his mocking of Matt’s awful performance of Viva La Vida by Coldplay. I’m gonna lay out an argument here though, which, even though it’s logical (and thus has no place on a show that tells people they would have fit in perfectly at Studio 57- Good Job Kara!), seems to really make me question Idol’s general policies: I get that you have a significant financial stake in the winner, and thus would lie to pick someone you think will do well, but, if America is the one who is buying your winners CDs, then shouldn’t they pick the Idol they want without you telling them which Idol to pick? I just… don’t understand. Can you explain this one to me readers?
