brent johnson posts the final american idol blog for the year on the site …
Something felt different as Ryan Seacrest opened the envelope Wednesday night and revealed the name of the next American Idol. In years’ past, I widened my eyes in excitement as I learned the news.
But Wednesday, for the first time since I started watching this show, I didn’t care.
I honestly wasn’t invested in the idea of either Crystal Bowersox or eventual winner Lee DeWyze strutting across the stage, singing their — as always — lame victory song. I just didn’t care.
I’ve felt that way a few times this season. Briefly, I was captivated by the off-kilter cool of Siobahn Magnus. But like everyone else this season, even she got annoying. The talent pool was shallow. The personality pool was almost completely dry. And even Simon seemed disengaged.
In fact, now that Simon is leaving the show, I think this may be my last season watching Idol. To me, Season 9 marked the death of the show. Ellen’s occasional jokes were far outweighed by her awkward critiques. Kara’s criticisms weren’t any less grating — no one enunciates words quite as annoyingly as she does.
And the excitement that long surrounded the show — i.e., Taylor Hicks letting his cheeseball flag fly — somehow disappeared just one season after the gripping eyeliner vs. hair gel combination of Lambert vs. Allen.
Wednesday’s finale proved it to me. All the nostalgia showed Idol for what it once was: Simon’s biting metaphors, Kelly Clarkson’s pipes. By having all the former Idol winners trot out on stage — except for David Cook, who was apparently too busy pumping out mediocre rock to join in — the show’s producers might as well have said: Look at what we used to be.
I’m sure Idol will go on for another few seasons. And on a small scale, it’ll be intriguing to see how they replace Simon. But the days of me being glued to the TV set, wondering who the hell could possibly go home this week, seem so far away.
Surprise Brent I concur. Good take.