todd55devoe's blog: "american idol"

Semifinals Results

Melinda Doolittle was my favorite.

She was Simon Cowell's favorite.

Both of us can't be wrong!

But evidently, the voting viewers of "American Idol" have other ideas. In a telephone and Internet poll that registered about 60 million votes, Doolittle, the little lady with the big voice, was voted off. Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks will face off in the final showdown next week.

Sparks is clearly deserving. Lewis-

But about Melinda Doolittle. She showed greater versatility and musicianship than any other contestant. She could sing any kind of music, and she did so without fear and with few missteps. What went wrong?

I'm thinking-Simon.

Maybe Cowell put a hex on Doolittle when he announced that she was his favorite. A lot of people don't like Simon. That could have cost Doolittle support. It's a flimsy theory, I'll admit-

Then again, maybe singing ability is beside the point. It could be that in the dollars-and-cents, public relations world of the pop impresario, Doolittle couldn't be the winner.

Let's face it: it's easier to promote Jordin Sparks as a pop idol for the brutally simple reason that she's younger and prettier than Doolittle. Blake Lewis is also a more cosmetically salable commodity. Doolittle - and LaKisha Jones, for that matter - bear the burden of having great voices in a music world that also demands pretty faces and hot bodies. I'm sure I don't have to name names to support the argument that a centerfold model can find success as a singer easier than the other way around.

It's unfair. It also does a disservice to Jordin Sparks, whose physical beauty is attached to a genuine musical talent with real star potential.

Then again, as others have pointed out, at this stage of the competition, winning or losing "American Idol" is irrelevant. Doolittle, Sparks and Lewis have all received enough national exposure and built a fan base to put pop stardom within reach. The winner is guaranteed a recording contract, but history has shown that the others probably will also find deals, and soon.

We'll be hearing from Melinda Doolittle. With that voice, it's unavoidable.