5/26 Season 9 Finale Part 2 *Spoilers*

[Jexter]

Someone somewhere had the best line about this show. I wish I could remember it because it was spot-on.

The gist is that the show has regressed in to a television show for bubble-gum blowing 8-year old girls - the winners of which are sure to grace the cover of Tiger Beat magazine post-show.

Kris over Adam? Lee over Crystal?

Don't get me wrong...I like both Kris and Lee....In fact, I'd bet money on the idea that I'd like them better in real life than Adam and Crystal (they both seem like very, very nice guys). I just think they shouldn't have come in first.

[jammyjoe]

Now that two of the main characters in the show are gone, maybe AI producers will see the light next season. They might limit the number of votes cast per person and not get into the hulabaloo of how many votes were cast. This way they will get who the real winner is. It has been controlled by the tweeners for two consecutive seasons now so definitely it's losing its ratings. Adults just don't vote as much as kids but no matter how many votes you cast in the end you only buy their CD once. That's why Adam Lambert is more successful than Kris Allen.

Speaking of Lambert, maybe Alex Lambert will be more successful than Crystal or Lee. He seems to be on his way to making it on his own with this new web reality series "If I Can Dream", which is an American Idol meets Big Brother kind of show.

[RealityLovesMe]

I guess the rumors about Adam were true. He was supposed to perform but he didn't show up to rehearsal. Producers thought he might be planning some surprise and decided he couldn't perform tonight. Ouch.

Christina Aguilera was absolutely amazing. She really has too much talent to be so classless in her videos. What a talent.
The women this season were terrible. When I heard Lacey sing, I really wanted to rip my ears off. And then Didi began to sing. Worse! I remember thanking God when I heard Katie Stevens. Paige was the other good one of the night. Crystal and Siobhan were awful tonight too.
Casey wins for best duet of the night. Bret-freakin-Michaels? What an honor! Bret risked his life to sing with Casey. He probably should stop doing that.
I loved all the idols coming back together to send off Simon. I noticed Cook was missing right away. Disappointed! But it was great to see our babies return. I don't know why Jordin wore white though. It looked good on her but everyone else opted for black. That was an amazing moment.
I can't believe Ian Bernardo ruined the segment of the show! Boo! I really wanted to see what they were going to do!
Janet has a lot of body! Wowza!
I loved seeing Paula come back. She got through it! Simon and Paula seem to have a really genuine relationship. That was really missing from the panel this season. I am sure Randy and Simon are good friends too but they sit on opposite ends of the table.
Lee wins! I always love the winner's moment. Crystal was kind of looking at Lee like she knew. It reminded me of Clay and Ruben. Lee had a nice reaction. Maybe I am a softy, but seeing his reaction made watching this torturous season worth it. I always get a bit teary-eyed (except when Taylor won).
The worst season of American Idol is over. I hope and pray they correct the problems for next season!

[MsDiva2007]

I agree when you have the tweens and sites that want you to vote for the lesser singer things need to change. Idol is now less about talent and more a high school popularity contest with the power voting that is allowed.

[TeacherLady]

Lee is the first winner in AI history not to deserve the title. Even singing tonight, he paled in comparison to Crystal and Casey, and Lee could not front the band Chicago to save his life--he was swallowed up by the whole process.

In past years, I always thought that the winner was talented, even if I had voted for somebody else. Lee does not deserve to stand with the other winners on that stage.

Crystal will do fine. It's American Idol's credibility that I'm worried about.
==

My apologies to Lee's fans, but I have to agree with you. Back in 2003 and 2009, I favored Clay and Adam, respectively, to win -- and was very disappointed when it went the other way. But in both cases, my consolation was that the person who did win was also a very talented singer, artistically creative, articulate and personable, or some combination, with the "very talented singer" part a given.

I don't feel that way this time.

Here's another quote I'd like to respond to, from Ellen:

I'm not surprised. Bland won last year, too.

Yeah, you said it, Ellen. I agree. But I thought Kris was way better of a "consolation prize" than Lee is. I've grown to appreciate Kris's talent more over this past year. Who knows? Maybe that'll happen to me with Lee. Even though I disagree with last night's results, I have no disrespect for Lee's (obviously) very many fans. Seems like a nice guy. But I just don't see what all the shoutin's about, metaphorically speaking...

Besides, now I'm probably gonna fall off the bus in the AI Prediction Game. I was Number 6 until I predicted Crystal for the win...

[OriginalSinner]

First Kris, now Lee. Idol is losing me.

[french dip]

Incidentally, about the absent idols, I wondered why Cookie, Adam and Clay were missing, but I believe Diana D was there. She looks a little different.

Thanks for picking up that Diana was there. I didn't notice her.
Clay wouldn't be caught dead on Idol. He has pissed them off too many times so I doubt he will ever return. Which is fine by me.

After seven seasons, one person I'd love to see return is Josh Gracin.
Even when AI2 toured they never mentioned him, not even in his hometown of Detroit. It's like he fell off the planet or something. I do think he performed once during a very early round....but I'm not 100%.

[sukee]

What I find ironic is that the news here today is making a bigger deal out of Simon leaving than who actually won...

[french dip]

I think 19E is probably GLAD when the actual talent comes in second. Why? So they got "two for the price of one".

Consider this. If Kris Allen didn't have the boost of being an Idol winner, if he was the 2nd place behind Adam Lambert, would anyone give a crap about his bland bland @ss? Probably not. Whereas with Lambert in the #2 slot, he won't really be affected by the lack of the title. He doesn't need the boost.

And so we get the same thing again. As it is, in a few years Lee will probably be playing honky tonks, or dinner theater, or Branson or off-off-off-Broadway. The kind of hanging on by his fingernails stuff Taylor Hicks is doing right now. But there's a chance for the Idolmeisters to sell a few downloads and CDs while he's the "reigning champ". Then he will go away and Crystal will have her great career. Just like Lambert is doing now, while Kris is mainly appearing in car commercials (that's a nice paycheck for him, I bet, but it won't last).

How do you explain David "Kermit the Frog" Archuletta?
And my ears would much rather listen to Lee and Kris sing anything off-key than to Adam's "cat-killing" screeches.
And Kris is probably under contract by Ford (since he WON) to sell Fiestas or Focuses or whatever. Can you just see the white-collar execs at Ford letting Adam do their commercials? Not I....
It won't last, but that's okay because he is an artist and song-writer, just like Lee (and Crystal) and as long as they are making music and performing....whether it be in Branson or on the Grammy stage...they will be happy.

[Misty8723]

My apologies to Lee's fans, but I have to agree with you. Back in 2003 and 2009, I favored Clay and Adam, respectively, to win -- and was very disappointed when it went the other way. But in both cases, my consolation was that the person who did win was also a very talented singer, artistically creative, articulate and personable, or some combination, with the "very talented singer" part a given.

I don't feel that way this time.no

I would just like to say that in 2003 I also favored Clay, and for me Ruben's voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I didn't dislike him personally, but I just couldn't listen to him sing and would have to leave the room when he came on. I saw contestants I considered way better singers being voted off while Ruben got all the pimpage. So, to me, that year was a case of what the heck are people thinking voting for this guy?

I am a fan of both Lee and Crystal. They're both talented individuals, and I've voted for each of them on different weeks. Crystal has a performance advantage because she's been doing this longer, and honestly was already a pro when she tried out for the show. I love her folksy stuff, but not so much when she gets into the screechy range. I also love Lee's voice, and I guess I don't have an ear for what is off and what isn't, because he usually sounds good to me.

I think people make way too big a deal out of who wins and who doesn't. I have been guilty of that in years past, having the "ha ha my favorite is doing better than the winner" mentality. Now I just believe they're all winners, and it basically comes down to what they make of the opportunity.