American Idol

American Idol has proven me wrong for years. I keep on cranking about it, but I end up sitting next to Mrs. PFOS and watching some of the shows. Sometimes I use it as an excuse to go do something else, but other times it's pretty entertaining. As for American Idol's commercial success, Kelly MyLifeWouldSuckWithoutYou, and Carrie Underwood, stunning to see and hear and the youngest performer ever invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, are proof enough that they find performers with this show.

This year's crop is pretty talented, though there are some unusual participants.

As I'm writing this last Tuesday, I've so far seen Snoopy the American Slum Dog and Megan Joy. Snoopy --ok, I'm insensitve, his name is Anoop --seems to have ridden the Slumdog popularity to get this far. I'm not saying that he's not good, I think he is, but in the past there hasn't been a lot of buzz or tolerance for singers of Indian ethnic origin. I thought he was OK tonite, but the Gang of Four drilled him.

Now this Megan Joy girl, she's amazing. She displays the body rhythms of dancing Elaine Bennis and, prior to tonite, Holiday Inn Lounge singing ability. Tonite she sang a Bob Marley song and I liked it. The G4 absolutely assaulted her; I thought she would break down in tears.

Third up was Danny, the guy whose wife died. Every time I've seen him, and there haven't been many, he seems to be talking about his emotions, their emotions, old emotions, new emotions, gak, he's like a singing chick flick.

Fourth singer was Allison, who is 16 years old and is going to be a big star. She looks like a combination of Charo and Wendy the Hamburger Girl. She's a prodigy and she's gonna make piles of cash.

A word about the Gang of 4, the judges, here. Paula is more bizarre than ever, like somebody's weird aunt who's always trying to show how hip she is. Simon is funnier than ever. Randy is pretty irrelevant, and Kara is getting bored, although I'm sure she's pulling down enough cash with this gig to assuage the tedium.

The blind piano player guy is singing now. I like this guy. He sings great, and he is a pro level piano player. A bit more of my insensitivity, for a blind guy he handles himself on stage with great physical grace.

Next up, some guy named Matt proving he's not Cold Play. G4 ain't buying, either. Following is Lil with the big voice singing a Celine song. She sucks and G4 makes a lot of excuses for her, just like they did the last time I saw her. Except Simon, who says she screwed up. Lil's kids are in the audience, and the whole show is taking a weird, uncomfortable turn.

Adam Lambert is next and he is doing the best "Play That Funky Music White Boy" I have ever seen. Each of his performances that I have seen has screamed star quality. I would bet on this guy.

My investment partner informed me that there are Vegas odds on this show, seriously. Adam Lambert is even money as of right now. Compare that with Snoopy at 20:1 and Megan at 60:1.

A nice guy named Kris Allen sings next. The G4 likes him a lot, blah blah blah.

We just found a casino that's giving 3:2 for Adam Lambert, and we've found a new reason for American Idol to exist.

In the time since this was written, unusual Amy Joy was voted off the island ( whereupon she started flapping her arms and cawing like a crow, what was that!? ) and there is a new round of sing for your supper coming tonight, and Sparty got steamrolled and I'm not wealthy and basking in the glow of winning. Congratulations to Two Gun Pete, my investment partner, who had NC.