Kris vs. Adam

Okay, non-hockey post, here comes a big ole' beef of mine.

The American Idol juggernaut of Fox has never been a show that I felt the need to follow. Perhaps because there's few things that I despise more than a bad cover song (though I really like good covers), perhaps because of the insane fanatic christening of winners from far too early on, I'm not really certain, all I know is I kind of don't care much.

However, the last two seasons I've gotten a tad interested as its dwindled down to the final two. And as I passively browse some of the "whose gonna win?" pages there's a lot of bashing on the two contestants. On one hand this is the tragic expectation of this variety of television show; somehow we seem to pick one side and start completely trashing the opposing side when obviously both contestants have to have a decent amount of talent to get to this stage. What's even more annoying about this is that half the people picking Kris to win are saying "its sad because the more talented guy is gonna loose, but its going to be Kris."

UGH, can we stop with the Kris bashing? I happen to like him more than dear anointed Mr. Lambert. That is probably because I like the singer/songwriter variety of songs far more than I like the 80s style rock songs. And, well, I melt in the gaze of the boy-next-door guy anyway. In my opinion, Kris's style of singing has a way of honoring the song and using his voice as a vehicle for the song, whereas Adam style feels more like the song is a vehicle for his voice. That makes me like Kris's covers way more than I like Adam's. I mean seriously, Adam's version of "Mad World" isn't haunting or particularly emotional which is what makes the song so powerful when Gary Jules sings it. It sounds like Gary is entirely vulnerable and his world is completely falling apart and he's helpless to do anything about it. Adam didn't capture that at all in my opinion. In comparison, Kris's version of "Ain't No Sunshine" is perhaps the best version of that song I've ever heard, he's vulnerable and aching entirely brokenhearted. And yes I've heard Danny Nozuka's version, he's another one that uses the song as a vehicle for his voice in that instance.

Plus really now, do we honestly think that no matter who wins that both aren't going to end up putting out a CD? Come on, if you want to look at American Idol trends, the last two both get contracts, someone else swoops in and signs the second place contestant. Really, what we're competing for is that HORRIFIC AI song the winner will have to put out first and overcome with their second single if they can ever get past it (seriously, can we let David Cook write some of his own music and put something else out?) With that in mind, I hope that Adam wins so we don't have to deal with Kris bashing through next season and Mr. Allen can get onto writing the kind of CD that he actually wants to put out that's not under the watchful eye of Fox executives.

That being said, I think Adam is a very talented musician who has impeccable control of his voice which is not an easy thing to accomplish and I wish him the best of luck in his career and love life.

PS...something that totally steamed me, though I'm not blaming Adam for it. I stumbled onto a blog where some chic managed to state that she fully believed the gay marriage decisions in Iowa and Vermont were because of Adam Lambert being so out in the public eye...shoot me in the face. Like the Iowa Supreme court happened to notice this flashy guy on television, decided he was gay and they all thought to themselves, "hmm...we should let this boy, who must be gay by the way he acts, get married in our state...oh and the rest of his kind can come too"...and in Vermont some senators kids were watching AI and they happened to just be inspired to run the next morning to introduce a bill into their legislative branch to allow gay marriage just for Adam...COME ON. These decisions were giant victories for the gay community who has been fueling a movement that really gained its first healthy dose of momentum in 1969 at the Stonewall Riots. The decisions came because some people presented sound logical arguments to a governming body and the body decided that the promise of their state in its non-descrimination articles must cover the right of same-sex couples to wed under civil law.

Enough of a vent for y'all? Hmmm. My phone interview was today...I think it went really, really well. I was told that if I check back in by the end of next week that I should have an answer, so that's what, 9 days? Nine days until I could possibly be turning my world upside down.