American Idol

Yup, I'll admit it. I am an American Idol fan, especially after my favorite won last year. This is the first year that I have watched it from the very first show. I don't think I watched any shows in the first two seasons. The third and fourth seasons I just watched them whenever I caught them, but did not make any special effort. Last year, I began watching American Idol after they were down to the final twelve and that was when I decided that I wanted Taylor Hicks to win.

My kids thought I was crazy, rooting for Taylor. And no, it was not because he was from Alabama. I know people who voted for Bo Bice (season four) solely because he was from Alabama, not because they liked his music. No, I liked Taylor Hicks because he did not fit the norm of what you would think an American Idol would be. He was not that great looking. He could not dance, even though he loved doing so. He was not even necessarily the best singer. He just loved his music and it showed. He was infectious (my children would say like a bad virus!) And he was not afraid to keep his hair it's natural gray. As someone who grayed early in life (too early), I found that admirable.

Who do I think should win this season? LaKisha Jones or Melinda Doolittle. My sentimental favorites are Lakisha Jones or Chris Sligh. But there is no telling who will win. The American voting public is an unpredictable lot. For example, this week two contestants that I thought should have been voted off were not, Antonella Barba and Sanjaya Malakar. And it looked like the judges agreed with me last night. But then, I guess I cannot complain about whom ultimately wins, since I am not yet hooked enough to actually vote!