In a way, I'm shocked and surprised by the outcome last night of "American Idol." I was sure that El Archuleta, with his babyface and sheepish ways, would seal the deal and walk away the next American idol. But I also knew that Idol had already had a really, really young winner last season, Jordin Sparks, and they were unlikely to repeat that outcome in back-to-back seasons.
Last night's "Idol" show milked their advertisers for every penny they were worth, dragging out what should've been a half-hour song into two, extended, bloated hours of melisma, showtunes, wailing and a buttload of guest singers. They brought out George Michael, ZZ Top, Bryan Adams, Gladys Knight and Donna Summers, to name a few. (My favorite was definitely the Gladys Knights bit with Robert Downey Jr., Ben Stiller and Jack Black playing the Pips.) Check out the smorgasbord of divas and divos for yourself.
After all of the glitz and glam of the finale was over, both Davids were surprisingly sober about their future stardom and careers in show business. Both Davids said bluntly that fame from the show wasn't guaranteed and they hoped to succeed but were fully aware they could end up being nobodies. Smart guys. They've seen what happened to Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard and Constantine Maroualis, i.e. Not a DAMN thing, so they know that "Idol" is no guaranteed formula for success. You've got to earn it. You hear that, Blake Lewis? Watch the Davids' reactions below.
