Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Copyright 2007, Fox Broadcasting

Until this point in the sixth season of American Idol, there were few surprises, except for possibly how long Sanjaya avoided elimination.

But last night threw me for a loop. Melinda Doolittle, generally considered to be the strongest singer of all the finalists, went home, leaving Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis to battle it out.

So what happened? Clearly, viewers were looking for more than just talent, which is always a factor on American Idol. Was Melinda's shyness her undoing? Did people fail to connect with her personally? Perhaps.

I think it's also likely that viewers felt that Jordin was in more danger. She'd had a rougher night and wasn't receiving as much praise from the judges as she had been lately. People might have dialed their fingers off trying to save her. There's no doubt some vote splitting was going on, as Jordin and Melinda are similar singers. Anyone who was voting frantically for Jordin wasn't dialing in for Melinda, like they might have previously. After all, she was a shoo-in, right? She didn't need saving.

Some believe that a similar phenomenon contributed to the elimination of rocker Chris Daughtry last season, with people voting to save Elliott Yamin and figuring that Chris would sail through.

It's also a possibility that Melinda, simply didn't appeal to the right sorts of voters. Both Jordin, who is 17, and Blake, who sings more contemporary songs, are more likely to appeal to younger voters, who tend to dial religiously to support their favorites.

Does it mean Blake and Jordin don't deserve to be in the top two? Not at all. I think they're both incredibly talented, and I honestly like both of them. I'm just shocked that Melinda isn't going head to head with one of them in the final showdown.

On the positive side of things, Melinda might actually have lucked out. The winner of American Idol gets a huge spotlight shown on them, meaning there are high expectations for their first album. If the initial numbers don't measure up to Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood, you're written off as a failure. And yet, the albums tend to consist of safe, middle-of-the-road pop which often blunts the very appeal of the winners.

At the same time, the also-rans tend to get album contracts, as well, but without the added pressure. They also have more freedom to record an album that truly represents them. Coming in fourth didn't hurt Chris Daughtry at all. And nobody remembers exactly when Jennifer Hudson was eliminated any more, now that she's an Oscar-winning singer/actress.

So in the long run, maybe Melinda is better off. This might sound like sour grapes, but I truly think she has a long career ahead of her.

By contrast, I think that both Jordin and Blake are highly marketable in today's pop scene and both are likely to see great album sales, even if they're saddled with bland pop songs in their first albums.

More on American Idol:

Musings on American Idol Season 6 (2007)

Musings on American Idol Season 5 (2006)

Musings on American Idol Season 4 (2005)

Musings on American Idol Season 3 (2004)

This past weekend, I tried on a dress that I hadn't worn since the previous year, which is now big on me. This was something of a surprise because, if anything, the scale has gone up a few pounds. In fact, I currently weigh about six pounds more than I did on my sister's wedding two years ago.

The dress, a black Michael Kors halter dress with asymmetrical hem, was much bigger up top. In fact, I couldn't wear it because it now hung far too low, exposing my bra in the back. The dress was also longer than it had been last year.

I could tell, looking in the mirror, that I had more muscle tone than I'd had the previous year, so I guess that's got to be a partial explanation for the weight gain.

When I look at my measurements, I see some slight differences. Compared to December 2005, I've lost 3/4 of an inch from my neck, an inch from my bicep, one and a half inches from my chest, 3/4 of an inch from my waist, 3/4 of an inch from my hips and an inch from my thigh. This despite the fact that I currently weigh three pounds more.

Of course, I'd still rather see the scale go down than up, but I guess it's true that muscle weighs more than fat. I think, though, I'm going to officially join the Weight Watchers Online program, which should give me the extra boost to get in the best shape possible before my September wedding.

Copyright 2006 by Alyce Wilson

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