You've Gotta Be Freakin' Kidding Me

Okay, so here's the thing ... the other day I was watching an "Ellen DeGeneres Show" that I'd had buried on my DVR for several weeks, and one of her guests was then-recent "Idol" cast-off Alex Lambert. It was so much fun seeing and hearing him again, and of course I was naturally reminded of how bitter I felt the week that he and Lilly Scott were booted from the competition. I was also reminded of the teasing he got for his hairstyle of choice: the much-maligned (and for good reason) mullet -- although strangely it seemed to work for him, and in fact added to his charm, at least for me.

Now I'm feeling bitter all over again, with the far-too-early elimination of my favorite female contestant, Siobhan Magnus. And just as was the case with Alex, it's not only because I thought she was more talented than half the rest of the contestants, but I also can't help but wonder if she lost the votes because of her slightly offbeat appearance and personality. I realize that "American Idol" is about finding a pop star, and that looks have been inexorably tied to pop music for decades, but honestly ... do all pop stars have to be magazine-cover beautiful, with perfect teeth, perfect hair, and a perfect face? I for one don't give a damn what a singer looks like, I just care what they sound like. Indeed, the more attractive they are (or are made to be), the less interesting I tend to find them.

I'd be flat-out lying if I said I've never been drawn to an artist more for their looks than for their music -- probably all of us have been guilty of that at one time or another -- but that's something I outgrew years ago. I suppose the attractive ones getting voted through ahead of the musically talented ones is just a pitfall of the "American Idol" viewer demographics being what they are (the people -- usually teenage girls, at the risk of seeming prejudiced -- who value looks above musicianship), not that our obsession with beauty doesn't carry over into other areas of American life as well (How else can the success of "America's Next Top Model" be explained?), though that's a whole different subject unto itself.

Am I outgrowing "American Idol"? That's probably part of it ... and the fact that I've become a jaded listener in general lately, let alone to music of a highly-commercial pop bent, can only have added to my "Idol" melancholy. My enthusiasm for the rest of this season -- as well as the likelihood that I'll bother watching the next -- are dropping more and more each time that a hopeful with genuine talent, or at least the potential for it (Alex, Lilly, Siobhan), is passed up for one with fair but stagnant talent (Casey) or more looks than either talent or personality (Tim).

Having said that, however, I still have yet to tire of the music that's eventually put out by "Idol" alumni ... and not just the domestic product, either. Indeed, that's the subject of a series of posts I've got coming up, shortly after the current "Idol" season comes to an end. But I doubt I'll partake of "American Idol" Season Ten, especially since Simon won't be there for me to enjoy. After all, let's face it: listening to a 45-minute album of spiffy studio-recorded songs is one thing, but watching hours upon hours of contestants warbling their way through songs that other people made famous is quite another ... and can get awfully tiring, too.