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'Idol' worship: Apathy may be the winner |
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Written by Randy A. Salas, McClatchy-Tribune
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Monday, 02 April 2007 |
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AMERICAN IDOL
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday (EDT); results 9 p.m. (EDT) Wednesday
Where: Fox
Theme: American classics
Guest: Tony Bennett
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Lost amid all the hype over whether "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar is turning Fox's top-rated singing contest into a freak show is an increasing realization for this longtime observer: The current finalists simply aren't as compelling as in seasons past.
At this point, the competition appears to be among only four people — Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks. That's out of nine contestants left.
Although I originally pegged Lewis and Sparks as the dark horses, I now hope that the final choice comes down to the hip beat-boxer from Washington and the vibrant ingenue from Arizona. Lewis isn't necessarily the best singer, but he's a top-notch entertainer and has a knack for making even old songs sound new. The fresh-faced Sparks started strongly and seems to get better every week, with a command of the stage that belies her 17 years.
Jones and Doolittle remain incredible singers, but their song choices tend to be predictable and safe. And their most recent performances can best be described as solid, if unspectacular.
I couldn't imagine buying an album by either one of them, because I still have no idea what it would bring.
Rocker Gina Glockston, who delivered last week's best performance with a song by the Pretenders, actually is the most marketable on a music scene where similar singers, such as Avril Lavigne and Pink, continually score hits. But her inconsistency will probably catch up with her, as happened with last week's viewer-voting casualty, Chris Sligh.
The remaining contestants — Phil Stacey, Haley Scarnato and Chris Richardson — are one big shrug. They all have had their moments but are unremarkable. I can't recall when so many singers at this stage of "American Idol" generated such apathy.
Which brings us to Malakar. Some pundits and Web sites would have others believe that the bizarre, weak-voiced singer is being kept on the show by mean-spirited voting campaigns intent on propping up the worst contestant. But he has many fans who like his hairstyles and sweet demeanor — just check comments online, such as at www.rickey.org/?p=2862 — and they seem even more motivated by the negative publicity. But he won't be around much longer, either.
The next four weeks should bring the ouster of Malakar, Scarnato, Stacey and Richardson, which means April would be one big snooze until May comes around. Maybe we should call that time period "American Idle."
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Randy A. Salas:
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