American Idol Season 7 Winner David Cook - America FINALLY gets it right

Well I can't believe it! I tell you for the first time in 7 seasons my pick to go all the way in the contest won. CONGRATULATIONS David Cook. A REAL musician finally wins American Idol. I didn't see the show but I hear that Simon Cowell stopped to apologize for his comments last night. having had an opportunity to watch the show again and reflect on what he saw.

SIMON APOLOGIZED?!
That's the 7th sign of the apocalypse!

See ...here's the thing. Last night David Archuleta looked like a deer in the headlights as he came out to perform. The crowd at the finale is one of the biggest and I can imagine that the pressure to succeed is incredible for a regular person. And for "Archie" with his pushy Dad and the future of the whole family balancing precariously on his teenage shoulders it just looked like it got to him.
Not so much for David Cook.
While this guy is as humble as anyone I have ever seen on one of these shows, or for that matter anywhere, he looked like he was in his element from the start. I mean he looked like he was enjoying it, loving it really. He did his thing and by all accounts, and by the judgment of the voters, he did it well.
According to my source he won by 12 Million votes. Apparently he was overwhelmed when the announcement was first made and I gotta believe that this kid thought he was gonna lose. I am told that the judges were nodding in agreement with the decision and that Simon looked like the cat who ate the canary..prescient... considering his late to the party apology..but hey Simon's Idol's bad guy and David Cook has made him into a softie.

Simon's lost his Mojo. Someone look for Dr. Evil and the time machine..

On to the actual show
The red carpet featured past Idol contestants, winners, and was sprinkled with professionals from all forms of media as well. Now under most circumstances I would not care that I missed the show. I was only interested in the result and received that via text message, BUT....apparently I missed a hell of a show on lots of levels.

Ok so as usual I am told that the production was way to over the top, and cheesy but we are talking American Idol here. They cram as much shameless promotion into these Idol events as they can and sometimes it works...like mike Meyers plugging his upcoming "Love Guru" movie release, and the Dynamic trio of Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. doing an SNL style video spoof of Gladys Knight and the Pips "Midnight Train to Georgia" in promotion of their upcoming film "Tropic Thunder" Apparently David Archuleta is already starting to cash in as he apparently spoofed Tom Cruise in "Risky Business" for a Guitar Hero commercial all by himself. Graham Nash sang with whacko Brooke and I guess she kept it together, and the final 6 guys got to rip it up with Canadian rocker Bryan Adams. Not to be outdone David Cook strapped on his guitar and cranked out "Sharp Dressed Man" with ZZ Top. They Managed to dig up Donna Summer (just kidding...actually according to Club World Magazine she has a new dance album forthcoming) and of course what pop pimp fest would be complete without an appearance from the Jonas Brothers...AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH! (I've met these kids a couple times and actually they're really nice guys. I have some backstage footage from an event we did together that I should upload.) All in all it looks like the Idol producers have been hearing all the questions about whether or not the show still has it and pulled out all the stops to show that they could throw a great party, and attract some very watchable and even bankable celebrities. Maybe Idol isn't dead after all. Hmmmmmm.....
I am also told that George Michael was the final guest appearance and that despite his apparently odd appearance and case of gesticular turrets sounded amazing. Yes, Yes I know George is GAY and yes I know he's been caught doing some pretty vile stuff over the last decade but HEAR ME NOW...George Michael may well be one of the top 10 male vocalists of all time.

Yeah I said it...ALL TIME.

Name the top 10 best voices in your opinion and I can make a plausible argument for Michaels in comparison to most anyone. Now I am not saying best ever...just ONE OF the best ever. According to the American Idol website for the very first time in 17 years, George Michael is going on tour, including dates here in the US. No I won't be going to see him but I thought it was interesting.
Back to David Cook.....


So now there's the whirlwind of talk shows, late night appearances, the Idol tour and the album. I wish him all the best as he makes his way through the circus that awaits. Here's my favorite David Cook performace..Chirs Cornells arrangement of "Billie Jean"

Is this the LAST American Idol Finale?

I have to say that I have at best an off again/on again relationship with American Idol. I watched the second season in its entirety and have not seen an entire season since. The first season was such an annoying fad that I dismissed it right off hand and felt vindicated with the release of the Justin Loves Kelly movie. Clarkson subsequent success was what made me give the show another chance and I must say I enjoyed the second season.
Since then it seems the show has taken every opportunity to sabotage and mock itself. Winners (with the notable exception of Carrie Underwood) seem to fail miserably in the "real" world while top 10 finishers like Chris Daughtry and Kelly Pickler have gone on to phenomenal success.
Let's face it part of my problem is that the people who I have backed (backed meaning thought should win...I have never voted on the show) have always lost. That having been said with the singular exception of Bo Bice (WTF did you do to your career dude?) all my choices have been successful (yes I consider Konstantine's role on a soap opera to be success) in one way or another.
So here we are on the eve of another finale. Tonight David Archuleta and David Cook will once again take to the stage and tomorrow one of them will be the newest American Idol. My money is on David Cook. Oh ....not necessarily to win...just to have a successful career. I believe that Archuleta has the best shot at winning. The system favors him. he has a great voice and his youth is an asset. Cook however may be the most all around talented person to perform on Idol. He plays an instrument...something that until this year was EXTREMELY rare...he has the intestinal fortitude to choose bold arrangements (Billie Jean was brilliant) and he really seems to be taking things in and processing the experience.
So tonight I will be watching, and tomorrow we will see what the voters thought. But seriously, hasn't this thing played itself out? Is this the LAST American Idol Finale? No...FOX will ride this horse till its a bag of rotting bones. So the question becomes what should the producers do? I think perhaps its time for Idol to move to the CW or some other 2nd tier network. Perhaps FOX could send the show to their Reality Channel as an exclusive thereby keeping that programming turd from dying the death it so richly deserves. Let's see something new and interesting...oh and please send Paula Abdul to some nice quiet home in the country where she can slip GRACEFULLY into 80's pop memory. The woman needs a break...or maybe we need one. I can't tell.