AI:6 - I was right

May 17, 2007 · Filed Under popmedia

Not to say I told you so, but… I told y’all so!
Mindy-doo got sent home, and we got the Blake/Jordin finale that AI so desperately needed.

We’ve also started to see the oh-so-predictable hue & cry that folks are shocked (Shocked!) & outraged that Melinda is out. Please…

Melinda can sing. Melinda is classy. She will (most likely) have a very nice career. But Melinda is not the best/ideal winner for this contest.

She is just not the right demographic for what AI purports to be — i.e., the creator of contemporary pop stardom. For all intents & purposes, only two previous AI winners meet that criteria: Kelly & Carrie. The other significant successes (Clay & Daughtry) didn’t win. The AI franchise needs to have a winner this year that is also the breakout star of this season, at least if it is to have any continued credibility as a pop-starmaking-machine.

Jordin & Blake both could deliver those goods. Melinda cannot, not with the target demographic that dictates pop (super)stardom.

I will also say again that last night’s results really shouldn’t shock anyone, at least anyone who is serious about looking at the demographics & voting blocs involved in AI.

First, Blake was really a pretty sure bet. He was/is unique among the top 4, and he also benefited from the single-week ousters of Phil & Chris, as I would wager that most all of their voting blocs moved (largely intact) over to Blake.

The only question this past week was just who Kiki’s voters would swing to - Jordin or Melinda? I had a sneaking suspicion that more (for whatever reason) would swing to Jordin’s way. And that certainly seems to be the case. Combining that with the fact that Jordin’s voting bloc probably trends both younger and more willing to vote early & often than Melinda’s, and it suddenly seems much less “shocking” that Melinda got to sing us out last night.

Voting bloc demographics also led me to believe that whichever girl made it into the finals would/will become the next American Idol, as the eliminated contestant’s voters (who still care enough to vote after their disappointment dissipates) will most naturally swing to the remaining girl’s camp. Such a likely swing will make it pretty safe to state that the remaining girl will then beat out Blake.

Thus, what I’ve been saying for a while now will come to pass:

Jordin Sparks will be the next American Idol!

I like being right…
-ghp