# Idol finale **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2009, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728 "2009-05-17T06:55:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/141 "2009-05-21T02:37:28Z")
No other explanation is possible unless America is a lot stupider than I thought. Kris is an utter mediocrity. Am I the only one here who knows anything about music? Bill O’Reilly did a segment a day or two ago about all the Christians voting for Kris, and how it was all a big “culture war” thing. I’ve disliked quite a few winners on this show, but this is the first time I’ve ever thought a winner was so inarguably undeserving. How anybody can say with a straight face that Kris is one tenth the performer that Adam is is beyond me. Have you people never been to a coffee shop? I think the winner should at least be better than _me_, for fuck’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![JayRx1981](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@JayRx1981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayRx1981)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/142 "2009-05-21T02:37:50Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Exactly. He would have done much better if he hadn’t incorporated an 80s rock scream into every single solitary song. I’m not even going to talk about his tongue. Personally, the tongue thing didn’t bother me at all (nor did Kris’ jaw sliding to the right whenever he went for a high note, nor did David Cook’s “comb-over” last season for that matter). The screeching though. I think the only song he didn’t screech in was Tracks of my Tears (which is only one of two songs of his I actually liked, come to think of it). > [@](#): > > Fundies didn’t vote against him. People who thought he was annoying as shit voted against him. Eh, I’m sure some Christians did vote “against” him, as did those who found him annoying–in so far as one can vote against a contestant on this show. But Kris did not (and could not, IMO) win on that vote alone–he won because he impressed the voters more than Adam did, myself included. Tough break for Adam, but as other posters have stated, he’s pretty much a lock for a record deal anyways and doesn’t have to make his first single that dreck of a song we heard last night. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/143 "2009-05-21T02:38:28Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Exactly. He would have done much better if he hadn’t incorporated an 80s rock scream into every single solitary song. I’m not even going to talk about his tongue. This is just wrong. Mad World? Tracks of My Tears? Please don’t misrepresent our Adam, this really irks me. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/144 "2009-05-21T02:40:29Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yeesh. I mean, I know it’s your name, but don’t be so…cynical and bitter. > > It’s not fundamentalists or mainstream Christians that decided it. It’s… everyone that voted for Chris. > > Your rage/frustration/anger is a very poor example of whatever position you hold. If you had said that Black People or White People or Jews or Gay People had ruined it, you might even get banned. > > Do you feel like you can blame/bash “fundies” more freely than Gays or Jews? Why? > I voted Adam, by the way. We;ve had this debate before on this board. Religious affiliations and ideologies are chosen. If you want to pretend that basing an ideology is the same as bashing a race, then we can’t bash nazis either. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/145 "2009-05-21T02:42:55Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Bill O’Reilly did a segment a day or two ago about all the Christians voting for Kris, and how it was all a big “culture war” thing. Bill O’Reilly. That bastian of reliable news reporting. Fair and balanced to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/146 "2009-05-21T02:44:37Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > The fact that the judges have been consistently pigeonholing him as a ‘rocker’ all season shows how utterly unaware they are of who he actually is as an artist. I’ll agree with this bit, but I think it’s selling him short to say he’s got a Broadway career ahead of him. Broadway would be a step down for Adam. That is, it’s fine for someone whose last job was the chorus/understudy in the L.A. production of Wicked, but not for someone who spent 12+ weeks as the favorite for the biggest talent contest in the world, establishing a fan base of millions. No one can say whether or not Adam’s album will set the world on fire, but if he ends up no better than Taylor Hicks or (Tony-nominated) Constantine Maroulis then it will be a complete and utter tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/147 "2009-05-21T02:45:49Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > Did you vote? I never vote. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/148 "2009-05-21T02:46:36Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > No other explanation is possible unless America is a lot stupider than I thought. Kris is an utter mediocrity. Am I the only one here who knows anything about music? America loves mediocrity. I’ve got a facebook “friend” who’s excited about a Kid Rock concert and a co-worker who’s psyched to have tickets to a Nickleback concert. NICKLEBACK for Og’s sake!!! ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/149 "2009-05-21T02:46:59Z")
I must say, I’ve liked Kris more over the last few weeks. Adam is a better singer but I’d rather listen to Kris. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/150 "2009-05-21T02:48:14Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > We;ve had this debate before on this board. Religious affiliations and ideologies are chosen. If you want to pretend that basing an ideology is the same as bashing a race, then we can’t bash nazis either. But Nazis chose to be Nazis (in a significant number of cases). You lump all Christians together (including me and a large number of Dopers) into fundie jew bashing God whoring Bible thumpers. You do not know (and in fairness, you cannot know) that for many of us, our faith is not a choice. If you believe that faith is a choice, then you should be able to choose to have faith in God. Can you? ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/151 "2009-05-21T02:50:03Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I think everyone can at least agree that he did not remotely deserve it over Adam. Unless I was hearing things, Kris said, “But Adam deserved it!” Which was sweet. I was surprised at the result. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/152 "2009-05-21T02:51:25Z")
> [@Rachael\_Rage](#): > > I’ll agree with this bit, but I think it’s selling him short to say he’s got a Broadway career ahead of him. Broadway would be a step down for Adam. That is, it’s fine for someone whose last job was the chorus/understudy in the L.A. production of Wicked, but not for someone who spent 12+ weeks as the favorite for the biggest talent contest in the world, establishing a fan base of millions. > > No one can say whether or not Adam’s album will set the world on fire, but if he ends up no better than Taylor Hicks or (Tony-nominated) Constantine Maroulis then it will be a complete and utter tragedy. I think the “Broadway” label is a misreading of Adam as well. He’s at his absolute best with a theatrical rock style, not with real theater. He sounded outstanding with Queen tonight. He could absolutely nail a glam rock sound and really work the act on stage. He’s in the David Bowie/Freddie Mercury mold, not the Clay Aiken mold. ETA, he needs a good sonwriter, though, not fucking Kara. The one good thing about his loss is he doesn’t have to record that coronation song abortion. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/153 "2009-05-21T02:51:39Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I must say, I’ve liked Kris more over the last few weeks. Adam is a better singer but I’d rather listen to Kris. It’s kinda like Michael Jackson is a better singer than Bob Dylan, but I’d rather listen to Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/154 "2009-05-21T02:52:53Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I think the “Broadway” label is a misreading of Adam as well. He’s at his absolute best with a theatrical rock style, not with real theater. He sounded outstanding with Queen tonight. He could absolutely nail a glam rock sound and really work the act on stage. He’s in the David Bowie/Freddie Mercury mold, not the Clay Aiken mold. He always reminded me of Elvis. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/155 "2009-05-21T02:57:17Z")
In retrospect, there’s no real surprise in the result. I’ve yet to hear anyone say that they really can’t stand Kris – he’s the likable fellow playing some pretty good music. Adam was polarizing – he was much more popular than Kris, but much more hated as well, so Kris gets the anti-Adam votes while are aren’t any anti-Kris votes. I’d have rather seen Adam win it, but what the hey – three years down the road he’s certainly going to have a _much_ bigger career than Kris. All in all, it’s 19 Entertainment who really won big tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/156 "2009-05-21T02:57:47Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > But Nazis chose to be Nazis (in a significant number of cases). And fundies choose to be fundies, that’s my point. ideology is not comparable to race or gender or sexual orientation. > [@](#): > > You lump all Christians together (including me and a large number of Dopers) into fundie jew bashing God whoring Bible thumpers. No I didn’t. I said the ones on the internet who _talk_ that way are like that. I never said a word about “all,” and I’d have thought you knew me well enough by now to know I don’t think that way. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/157 "2009-05-21T02:59:48Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > I must say, I’ve liked Kris more over the last few weeks. Adam is a better singer but I’d rather listen to Kris. IMO, this the real reason he won. Kris was on his way up, Adam was on his way down. Adam was nearly two months away from his most astounding Idol moment (Mad World) and his most recent great moment (Feeling Good) landed him in the bottom two and his kick-ass rock moment (Slow Ride) gained more love for Allison than for him. It was quirk of timing. If the vote had been a few weeks ago, it would have been Adam by a mile, but Kris funked out Heartless, and Bob’s your uncle. But whatevs, I’m happy for Kris, and you can’t beat that acceptance speech: [QUOTE=Kris] Adam deserves it. Sorry. [/QUOTE] So I’m not THAT upset, but I _really_ wanted a gay Idol! _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/158 "2009-05-21T03:00:03Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > He always reminded me of Elvis. Elvis was theatrical too. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/159 "2009-05-21T03:00:15Z")
When I’d watch Adam, I’d be somehow reminded of Queensryche (don’t know how to do the umlaut over the ‘y’) Kind of the prog rock kind of stuff like that… ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728/160 "2009-05-21T03:01:02Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > ETA, he needs a good sonwriter, though, not fucking Kara. The one good thing about his loss is he doesn’t have to record that coronation song abortion. Hear hear! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idol-finale/496728.md?page=9)