Postmortem on American Idol

The latest season is over. Phillip Phillips is the new American Idol. Jessica Sanchez is first runner-up, the also-ran. That means she lost. That means she did not get enough votes from viewers to win. Not all the campaigning, magic jacks and nonstop texting by Pinoys everywhere were enough to make the young girl whom they perceived as this country’s entry into the competition win the contest. Many around here were understandably saddened by the results. 

Now had the finals been about singing alone, I believed that Jessica, who is really a vocal powerhouse, could have won easily, but it is not. By the time the contest gets to the Nokia Theater on the big night, the fight had already switched into the search for the total package. That means not only singing prowess but also commercial appeal. And in the case of AI, that means being liked immensely by the viewers who will spend time and money to make their favourite contestants win.

And who are those viewers? It has been said time and again that these are mostly females, young and old with a negligible middle ground, and they are most inclined to vote for young, guitar-toting crooners. This is the reason the contest has been won by young guitar-playing males for five consecutive years. The grandmothers vote for them because they remember Elvis Presley. The mothers think of Don McLean. And the teenyboppers see their older sisters liking John Mayer or Jason Mraz and they want somebody who look like they might be in a boy band. Phillip is all those things. 

Those who are involved with the music business might admire Jessica but they watch the show looking for what will sell. They want marketability and that means the male contestants. It is an established fact in the field of entertainment that boys sell more than the girls. This has been so since Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and down to Michael Jackson. This is the reason why every generation picks out a boy band to idolize. Tell me, have you heard of any big girl bands lately or even 10 or 20 years ago? Having Whitney Houstons and Adeles is great but they are few and come far between. So this means that Phillip wins again.

And then there is America itself. This is a huge country where music tastes vary from state to state. What sells in Oregon will not sell in Florida. What is good for New Jersey is not the same as what people listen to in Las Vegas. Jessica might have carried the California vote but what about the other areas? What about New York where the sound goes from hip-hop to club? And what about that huge country territory like Tennessee, Alabama, Kansas, etc.? Remember they gave Scotty McCreery the American Idol crown last year? I suppose it was also easy for them to do the same with Phillip.

Honestly, I am happy that Jessica got this far. One does not really have to win to succeed. Look at Chris Daughtry or Katharine McPhee or Jennifer Hudson. American Idol may be dwindling in viewership but it is still the best stepping stone to stardom for young singers in the US today.

Jessica is going on tour this summer. She might soon get an album deal and there will be other bookings and lots of exciting things to look forward to, like even a Grammy. She is only 16 years old but she already has her career path charted and moving on the right course.

As for those disappointed Pinoys, I see no reason for you to diss Phillip. It is not the guy’s fault that he is cute, likeable and can sing. Besides, the new round of auditions for the next American Idol season is starting soon. Given how great Pinoys are with singing, I won’t be surprised if at least one or two will make it to Hollywood next year. Why, you might even get a purebred Pinoy next time. Just don’t count too much on his winning as Americans do tend to vote for their own.