The next 'Idol': Fantasia or Diana
It was a television marathon last night. How would The West Wing wrap up its fifth--and weakest--season? (Pretty badly, despite potential Josh-Donna progress.) How would my beloved Timberwolves fare in their first game seven? (Well enough to win and move on to face the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, thanks to the MVP.) Would Jasmine Trias finally go home to Hawaii? (Oh, yes!)
At long last, American Idol is down to its final two. Only four more hours for Fox to stretch the limits of the advertising to programming ratio, though at this point I think we've learned that the limit is 1.00, since the entire show is dedicated to selling something, whether it's the new Tamyra Gray CD--didn't she knock it out of the park, by the way, on "Raindrops Will Fall?"--or the upcoming debuts of the two finalists. The only time during the show and the commercial breaks that isn't meant to sell a product is time spent selling other Fox programming. By the way, that four hours only includes the performance and results shows, while Fox is running two more hours of audition footage tonight and an hour special Sunday on the "Idol phenomenon." Maybe they really didn't learn anything from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
But I digress from the more important point: This competition should now belong to Fantasia. I don't know the format of next week's competition--last year it involved picking songs out of a hat and singing the new single, but who can guess how they'll fill two hours?--but knowing that Fantasia gets to sing last means I know she has the chance to bring the house down, and after the way she stepped up this week, you've got to believe she'll come through on Tuesday. I know there are all sorts of demographic reasons why Diana can win, from the fact that she's a bubbly teen to the disdain Fantasia's supposed arrogance inspires to the concerted effort by the Christian Right to prevent a teen mother from winning the competition, but I've got to believe that America as a whole is a place that recognizes and rewards talent and excellence. This season has had bumps--it should be Jennifer or La Toya facing Fantasia in the finale. Here's hoping Simon's final comment to Fantasia proves prescient, though.
Simon: "What does it say behind you?"
Fantasia: "American Idol."
Exactly.
2 comments:
You and Brian think to much about how "good" the west wing is. I am wondering if you can sit down and enjoy it? Yes this has been a weak season but i believe it will get better, they need to work some stuff out. Like fire the writers
When I say that I thought it was bad, it means I thought it wasn't very enjoyable. When the plot sags more than an old lawn chair under the weight of the proverbial fat lady, it's hard to revel in it. All that's left to enjoy is the fact that the plot revolving around characters that I care about is moving forward; the way in which it's moving forward is so unsatisfying it makes me cringe. I want to know what happens to all of them--but I wish, like you, that the words they said were still being written as well as they were a few seasons ago.
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