Our New Idol is...

I must be a glutton for punishment, 'cause I'm actually gonna sit through the whole two-hour season finale of "American Idol". Well, I'm still gonna partially distract myself with putzing around on the computer, like I've regularly done with the results shows this season ... although that's got its risks too, as I want to carefully avoid any page displaying news feeds which could spoil the results of the finale thanks to the east-coast telecast three hours earlier. But, the way I see it, I won't be able to think about anything else anyway, and I don't want to chance losing track of the time and let those last 15 minutes of the show slip by, so I might as well make it an "Idol" night.

Oh, how I hate the opening group numbers ... not so much for the songs themselves, but for how cheesy it makes the contestants look (and probably feel). But this one was tolerable, partly 'cause it's one of my favorite Motown hits, plus it reunites the whole Top 12 ... nice to see some of them again!

Hey! It's Seal!! I'm not a huge fan of his, but I'll pay attention to him when he comes around. Great duet with the wonderful Syesha ... and I bet she had a blast getting to do a duet with him!

You'll notice that I'm not mentioning certain parts of the show ... you'll find out why in the near future....

A much more cheesy medley comes along ... obviously a shameless promotion for Donna Summer's new album. Sheesh ... poor Amanda Overmyer looks like she'd rather be having a root canal than be prancing around in these group numbers. (I'd love to hear what was going through her mind before and during tonight.)

Now here's a nice duet ... Michael Johns and Carly Smithson! You know, I'm starting to think they oughta put out an album of studio versions of these performances.

Then again ... there are numbers like this Bryan Adams medley ... yawn. (Not that I have anything against the guy ... he's perfectly okay.) The only thing tolerable about this medley was getting another performance by David Hernandez and Chikezie. Damn, I didn't realize how much I've been missing some of these guys!

Now, I bet David Cook is seriously digging this ... getting to jam with ZZ Top!! I'm kind-of glad the voting stopped with last night's show ... 'cause I'm starting to wish I'd voted for him! (Hey, in an hour, we might find out that I didn't need to...?)

Oooh ... talk about another Idol Top-12'er who's probably loving it right now ... Brooke White performing side-by-side with Graham Nash! She sure looks like she's beaming, doesn't she?!

Have I been missing such a good finale each year on "American Idol"?!?

Hey! The Jonas Brothers!! Too bad the audio mix sucked eggs ... could only hear half the instruments and half the guys' vocals. Oh well, it's a good thing we already know how great they are.

Oh my god ... that's it -- the show can now officially be declared worth watching. IT'S RENALDO LAPUZ!! You just have to wonder if there'd be any more war if the world would just listen to his message: We are indeed brothers forever. *sniffle*

Okay, now seriously ... this DEFINITELY makes the show worth watching ... OneRepublic performing "Apologize" ... with DAVID ARCHULETA!!! I loved the song already, but now...! Okay, "Idol" people ... you really need to think about releasing studio recordings of these performances ... like, NOW.

Okay, a minor electrical problem with my computer's power strip caused me to miss what looked like a funny routine with Ben Stiller and Jack Black. But everything appears to be working now. If you don't hear from me shortly after the envelope is opened, you'll know I've had further problems....

And now, time for another cheesy medley, this time of George Michael songs. At least they decided to feature a couple of artists tonight who didn't have new albums to promote (at least, as far as I know).

The judges' final thoughts were nice to hear, and right on the money. And, most incredibly, Simon Cowell actually admits to a nationwide TV audience that he was too harsh in his judgment of David Cook! Will wonders never cease?!?

And now, ladies and gentlemen, here come the results. Are you as nervous as I am? Granted, we're probably not as nervous as the two Davids are. Here we go....




Okay, sure I'm a little disappointed ... but even I got a little teary-eyed right along with him. Imagine ... the guy auditioned on a whim because his brother egged him on to do so ... and he ended up beating out thousands of other hopefuls. Not only that, but said brother has had a recent bout with brain cancer, which could only have made this victory all the more meaningful for him. Congratulations, David Cook ... you've earned it!!