"...Starry, Starry Night..."

The results of this year’s American Idol came as a shock to a lot of folks.

But I suspect they didn’t come as much of a surprise.

At least not deep down in that place we all have that nods our head and purses our lips as we hear a little voice saying “yeah…I kinda had a feeling that’s what was gonna happen…”

That same little place that knew that Bush was going to be re-elected in 2004.

And that O.J. was going to get away with it.

The first time.
Not the second.

And while I stood right there next to those pretty much betting the farm that Adam Lambert was going to “beat” Kris Allen for the title, I was totally aware of the nodding head and pursed lips and little voice that were telling me that Kris Allen wasn’t the sure bet, but he was the smart bet.

There were several obvious signs along the way.

But the sign that should have sealed the deal for all of us was when Gokey got the boot.

And it was about that time that I started verbalizing my bottom line two cents about what I have long suspected.

Randy, Paula, Simon and that songwriter girl who has lucked into a weekly infomercial for her work all go, at one time or another, to great lengths to say that “this is a singing competition….and (INSERT YOUR CHOICE OF NAME OF CONESTANT HERE) you just sang (INSERT YOUR CHOICE OF HYPERBOLE HERE) tonight…”

This year, once and for all, Kris Allen helped prove two things.

First, American Idol is not a singing competition.

It is a popularity contest.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Second, Kris will be my first witness when I stand before the court of cultural commentary and present my argument in the case of SEP v. the Conventional Wisdom.

Your honor, it is my contention, which I will prove beyond a reasonable doubt (and with an occasional pie chart and/or bar graph thrown in for shits and giggles) that despite the blurring of the lines between the two for, literally, centuries, but most egregiously in the past eight years with the advent of the television program American Idol, the true and irrefutable fact of the matter is…

There are winners.
There are stars.

And the two are not necessarily one and the same.

Proving the point would, I think, be a slam-dunk just by invoking the names of Clay Aiken, Daughtery, Taylor Hicks ”et al in the proper order of who won and who didn’t…oh… and, crap, I can’t remember her name…who was that brunette chick that sang “Over The Rainbow” like six weeks in a row and was the “next big thing.”?

But I also offer, into evidence, historical precedent for my assertion that who places first and whose career lasts aint always one and the same.

Exhibit A.

Assorted winners of the Best New Artist Grammy Award.

1963. Winner: Robert Goulet. Nominated: Peter, Paul and Mary.

1971: Winner: The Carpenters. Nominated: Elton John.

1973: Winner: America. Nominated: The Eagles.

1979: Winner: A Taste Of Honey. Nominated: Elvis Costello.

1980: Winner: Rickie Lee Jones. Nominated: Robin Williams.

1993: Winner: Arrested Development. Nominated: Billy Ray Cyrus. (Okay, he’s getting a bye cause of Miley…but what the hell…)

2000: Winner. Christina Aguilera. Nominated: Britney Spears. (Grimace if you will, but I haven’t seen any E! True Hollywood Stories on Christina of late…)

And here’s the smoking gun, your judgeship…

2008: Winner: Amy Winehouse. Nominated: Taylor Swift.

I’d likely rest my case here.

Not so fast, legal eagles.

Here’s the closing argument.

I would submit to you that out of the millions of people who watch(ed) American Idol this season, a massive majority would, put on the ole polygraph, fess up that they understood, even accepted, at some primal level that Adam Lambert is the superior “talent”.

As in the case, for example, of Van Gogh and Norman Rockwell.

Norman had some admittedly solid chops.

Van Gogh was in a league by himself.

But if the two had appeared on “American Artist”, I’d bet the house I cant come close to affording that Norman would win the title.

Because he was skilled…and safe.

Van Gogh was a wack job.

And a star.

Seriously.

Why do you think Don McLean’s song doesn’t go “but I could have told you Norman / this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you?”

We admire and envy and are attracted to wack jobs.

But we don’t give them awards.

Amy Winehouse notwithstanding.

Because wack jobs are scary people.

And we simply don’t have the emotional spine to reward those who frighten us by coloring outside the lines.

Kris is skilled…and safe.

Adam is a wack job.

But let’s meet back here three years from now and see which of the two is painting masterpieces…and which is painting houses.

Kris is a winner.

Adam is a star.