If Adam Lambert loses American Idol, it's because the show wants him to win too badly

If Adam Lambert doesn't win American Idol, it won't be because he's too theatrical. Or because it seems likely that he's gay -- though I'll talk more about that in a moment.

I'm convinced a Lambert loss may come simply because the show wants him to win so badly, disgusted fans may react by kicking him off.

Tuesday's show was one of the worst examples of Lambert cheerleading I've seen, with every judge predicting he would survive tonight's elimination episode to compete in the finale, and at least one judge already pronouncing him the show's winner.

Good as he is, Lambert's performances last night were hardly a lock. Danny Gokey's gospelized You Are So Beautiful and Kris Allen's acoustic take on Kanye West's Heartless were both electrifying, raising the promise of an amazing finale battle next week, no matter who lands among the final two.

Smelling the creation of a new star, the show has leaned Lambert's way for awhile, getting rare permissions for him to sing songs by Led Zeppelin and U2 (of course, judge Simon Cowell couldn't resist telling the story of getting permission from Bono personally for Lambert to sing One), and allowing him grand production gestures such as his walk down the white staircase during Rat Pack week.

 Lambert may also lose just because the teen girls who fill so much of Idol's voting ranks go for the puppy dog good looks of dark horse Allen, whose offhand manner and coolly compelling performances are a silent rebuke to the judges drawn to more flamboyant contestants.

Through much of Tuesday's show, I wound up wishing viewers could vote off the judges, who were left to kibitz with each other in increasingly distracting ways as the competitors piled up quality performances needing little criticism. 

I think it's in the final weeks that the four-judge format feels flattest -- by this point in the competition, judges mostly offer flattery, so one more person on the panel adds nothing but more airtime-eating platitudes.

Even the Dial Idol Web site, which claims a 97 percent success rate in predicting ejection this season, says the contest is too close to call. But with ratings sliding this season, its easy to see why Idol needs a singular performer like Lambert to rebuild its cred as a star factory.

So we'll see tonight if all the praise and support pays off for Lambert, or fuels a backlash that cuts his Idol dreams short.

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Comments

[Tim]

Hey, ATT helped the Arkansas people cheat. And those people were the fundie anti-gays who hate rock and roll. Poor old Chris; his "win" is forever tainted by this scandal. Cheating is cheating. Oh, they say it "didn't make any difference" but we all know better, don't we? Lying scumbags. It just tells you everything you need to know about American Idol and its business.

[Mileena Cabrera]

Adam definetely deserved the crown . He has originality, star quality, charisma, talent[i can go on forever] Kris is just normal. This is not an instrumental contest its a singing contest and i do declare that Adam Lambert deserved that crown for the finale. PERIOD

[lady in NH]

Hey Dawg , Hey Adam __It's a lot better to get second and have everyone say you "should-a-got first" __than it is to get first and have everybody know you "should-a-got second". Feel good babe . You were hands down number one. I'll be seeing you Sept 15 at the Verizon Wireless in NH. My ticket is already bought and is hanging on my refrigerator door. I see it everyday. See you in 3-1/2 months__ from a bIg NH fan.

[ann evans]

Reportedly over 30 million votes came out of Arkansas for Kris Allen Tuesday night pushing him over the top and making him this years IDOL WInner. The problem is Arkansas has a total population of 2.8 million people as of 2008. So what kind of ridiculous voting result was presented to the folks of America Wed Night? Who are you kidding Arkansas and American Idol ? Congratulations to Adam for having delivered the show and earned the applause and being my number one.

[Daphne]

I have faith America is always going to get something wrong, obsessed with its stupid underdog stories. F*** this show. I'm moving to Canada.

[ann]

For Adam coming in second to Allen may be the luckiest thing that has ever happened to him. Adam does not need the American Idol winner identity pinned to his shirt sleeve to move out and move up into the stratosphere of the recording industry. Perhaps that moniker would have always been a needless footnote to a name that needs no footnotes to proclaim itself. Just say "ADAM" Does anybody in the music industry (or out) not know who that is now? To the AMERICAN IDOL CORPORATION , You need to find a better way to get a more credible result with the voting. The fault lies with the way the American Idol voting is set up. The multiple votes from a single phone, the multiple Text messages from a single phone number, the busy signals. All of that is a crime in the making as was seen last night. I would say to AMERICAN IDOL CORP. WORK ON THIS so your results have a ring of honesty and credibility in the future. Find a way for one vote to come from one tele number. FIND A WAY TO ACHIEVE TRUTH IN ADVERTISING THAT THIS AMER IDOL CORP IS TRULY TRYING TO NAME AN AMERICAN IDOL. As a side note HOW do future contestants go forward with the assurance that if they perform well they will be recognized to the degree they deserve. If I were a young performer I would find another way or at least an additional way of getting somewhere in the music business. I would not count on American Idol.

[Cody Sarauer]

Adam is going to make millions whether he won or not because he is so good. Kris is a lesser talent that maybe needed to win to help his career. Adam wont need any help.

[sue wilding]

All I can say is...Adam Lambert got SCREWED because of prejudice and jealousy. Anyone who has followed Idol this past season knows that Adam far outshined everyone in the competition and people take confidence as being too self-assured and resent it. Well, Adam knows deep inside what a gift of voice he has and he , like Kris, knows that he ALONE is the true American Idol. Keep on rocking, Adam. You are superstar!!!!!

[Jim]

america as always, is filled with morons. adam is clearly the better talent, even if not your preference or style, you'd have to be an idiot not to see it

[bartacus]

Well it's done. This is reminiscent of the 2004 US election - never underestimate the American electorate, they will vote in an inferior candidate in a heartbeat. Kris has a great voice, no doubt, but at the end of the show, he clearly said 'this really belongs to Adam'. That's because he would have voted for Adam himself, because unlike the majority of people in the US, he knows to vote for the right person. Do you blame the bible belt? Do people really hate gay people so much they will deny them their right to win sometimes? It's pretty shameful - you can't blame AI - only America. Democracy can be so lame.

[bartacus]

Well it's done. This is reminiscent of the 2004 US election - never underestimate the American electorate, they will vote in an inferior candidate in a heartbeat. Kris has a great voice, no doubt, but at the end of the show, he clearly said 'this really belongs to Adam'. That's because he would have voted for Adam himself, because unlike the majority of people in the US, he knows to vote for the right person. Do you blame the bible belt? Do people really hate gay people so much they will deny them their right to win sometimes? It's pretty shameful - you can't blame AI - only America. Democracy can be so lame.

[Claude]

Those of you that are so jealous of Adam's talent that you look for excuses for him not to win are goofballs. Whether he wins or not he will be an international mega star and you will have no choice but hear him, so get your panties out of your crack, nutbags.

[Andrea S.]

Adam does not scream. He's got a remarkable and rare range. He is a countertenor. If you don't know what that is check out Steven Fudd's video on youtube: American Idol Singing Lesson at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVINMyxN9mk

[MarCanada]

THIS IS A SINGING COMPETITION PEOPLE! Kris hides behind his instruments. For Adam, his voice is his instrument and a superb one at that. Hands down, Adam has it all - and he's "fearless" as Simon says. And a sweet, humble guy. He's gotten to the finals based on his music and who he is - what about Kris's so-called fans, who are trying to devise a plan to cheat to vote for him? If Adam loses, it would be a tragedy! VOTE FOR ADAM!

[Anobog]

Proof Adam has been a professional since childhood.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1609895/20090423/index.jhtml

He was even a paid child star.

[Anobog]

Adam being in the competition is unfair. Adam is already a seasoned professional with years of experience under his belt. Some people who watch Idol are too stupid to see that Adam should never have been in the competition in the first place.

[Merle]

C'mon people, make America proud that we can vote for the most controversial and original talent to come along in years. Are people voting against Adam because the judges say he's great? SO!!! What are they supposed to say--he stinks. Vote for the unbelievable talent that IS Adam Lambert Tueday night. He shouldn't be punished for being so brilliant. He deserves to win!!!

[Saph]

I think when people refer to Adam as "screaming," they mean that he belts out the high notes (while in tune, btw).
People. Screaming is what Danny Gokey did for "Dream On." I laugh every time I think about that last note....

There has been no doubt since...I don't know, the Top 13, 11, 10 (or something like that) that if the competition were to just skip ahead the way it was SUPPOSED to go (meaning the people who were eliminated were the people who performed the worst that night), Adam would win. Every performance, he sings with amazing talent and attracts the viewers to him automatically.

Don't get me wrong. Danny and Kris are great singers too, but the problem is that there are just too many of them. You could get a sound-a-like for either of them. Adam has been described as a hybrid of sorts. I've heard of stuff like Elvis-Zac Efron-(insert other people who are great singers or have charisma)

So yeah.
Adam should win.

(BTW, Simon probably pushed for Adam because, since it's likely that it will be his last season judging on AI, he wants it to end right)

[Edie]

I wonder if the show is using reverse psychology to get people to vote for Kris. I don't know what their motive would be but who knows about show business. I know that if any other contestant had been bashed as much as Adam they would be long gone. Only Adam's incredible talent has saved him. He must have increased AI's viewership tremendously. I know he drew me in.

[MCH]

This is the first season I watch AI. If I am on board of 19-Entertainment,I would also want to bank on Adam and take a short year ride on Kris. Unfortunately, I agree with your conclusion, they (and many media) wish too hard. There is no doubt Kris sings well(but not exactly in the top league) but he is no way measured up to Adam's singing capabilities. Those who just know the word "scream" or alike (Adam hits every single note and always in tune in ALL the performed songs!) to describe Adam's sing, should go to take a singing or music lesson 101 first.

Many of us would not be surprised if Kris will get more votes and gets the title. I believe if Kris is truly a honest guy as he comes across, then he should know himself that Adam is better.
Adam will be successful with or without the title. The title does not guarantee success, and possible even hinder his vision and career. It will be the loss of 19-Entertainment,the contract is not as "tight" for the runner up. And I can assure you that top notch manager would love to be Adam manager

[Dans]

Should be in the final volume Alysson are very strong and people are listening to the spirit of a very sympathetic and very natural one himself

[michelle]

Katy Perry LIKES Adam. It has NOTHING to do with the judges or the show! They've known each other before Idol and she just likes him. Period. She's entitled to her opinion just as any other person out there, including those with flashy fan signs in the audience. Katy's fan sign just happened to be her cape. She's daring and she's cool, so quit the whining!

[Ann-D]

Tonights AI was soooooooo biased. I mean Katy Perry wearing a cape with Adam Lambert's name? Can the show be any more prejudiced towards Adam. Give me a break. All Adam has done lately is screech and scream. Let's hear some singing..

[K]

Adam Lambert deserves to win. His ability to move an audience is amazing. Kris is canned and boring, and belongs on nickolodeon. Adam Lambert is an original.

[melinda]

i am so tired of the judges saying that adam is going to win. its really unfair how they are practically already crowning him! i think that danny and kris are better than him and that adam is just being favored. i couldnt be happier if he got booted off tonight because im tired of hearing his screaming that he thinks is music!

[IAMX]

*overall

[IAMX]

Adam fell prey to godawful sound mixing last night (he looked so miffed when he yanked out his earpiece) but the guy is incredible. I'd love a Kris/Adam finale but Kris will probably win if that happens so maybe a Gokey/Adam finale would be better? I think Adam 100% deserves to win on basis of overa;l body of work (including all the varying studio recordings), star quality, personality and talent. Good luck to the 3 amigos tonight.

[Chrystal K.]

I really miss Allison; I wanted her to be in the top two. I actually looked forward to her perfomances and now there is less to look forward to. Not to say that I don't like the three remaining men, in fact, all three are amazing in their own ways. I can't wait until the show is over and they can all get started on their careers in the music industry.

[ciera]

adam is amazing yeah some of his performaces are not perfect but there still great because hes original and he makes some one elses song his own and thts y he deserves to win more than kris or danny if i had to pick the finale i would say i hope its down to kris and adam and i pray to god that adam wins idol cuz he deserves it so so so much hes the most outgoing talented performer idol has ever seen

[Kelvin]

More and more, it's clear the judges don't know what they're talking about. Simon was right to shut Kara's complaints about how Kris should have done the song differently -- a song that she herself chose -- but ALL of them harp on song choice far too often. The issue should never be why didn't you sing something else, but how well did you perform the song you DID perform.

[sarah]

Although Danny has a very nice voice, the song that he choice was a 40-year old ballad. Clearly he sees his future, or lack of, as an adult-contemporary easy listening sort of artist. Fine for him, but please don't vote him to be represented as our American Idol! Adam Lambert is the exciting, innovative rock star whom deserves to be our American Idol! Vote for Adam!!!!!

[Lilly]

Adam SHOULD win because he is by far the most talented singer Idol has ever had and Kris and Danny don't even compare. It's not that they're not nice singers..they are, but....they're the type of singer I would take a break from reading my book at a coffee shop to listen to them strum a guitar and sing a song. They have zero star, charisma qualities, especially Danny. And for those of you who complain about Adam's so-called "screaming", most of you probably don't have much of an ear for music or what incredible ability it takes to sound like Adam and be pitch perfect. Adam has been electrifying the WHOLE season whereas Danny and Kris have had an occasional ok performance and more not so good ones. At this point, it really doesn't matter if Adam gets voted off (which is certainly a possibility considering the bone-headed population out there who voted Allison off instead of Danny last week) because Adam will be VERY successful as a singer and performer. He wants to win and I wish him all the wonderful luck in the world and hope people vote for him and realize the enormous talent and joy this guy brings.

[MYD]

Before the show, I just prayed to GOD to let them all sing their best and ask GOD to let the most deserving win.
Because talent, charisma, artistry, stage presence, sex appeal, magnetism, IT Factor and all over excellence and the ability to give joy, to thrill, to excite and to electrify the audience are all GOD given gifts and blessings.
So, I leave it all in GOD's Hands.
That this AI show will deliver what is fair and what is just according to GOD's Will.
May GOD bless us all with His Gift of the whole package to entertain us in this global depression and crown the deserving as The AI. Amen

[neli]

I think Adam is the most talented performer and best singer. I know that he would give a great concert and great CDs. My only complaint, is that I wish he would tone his singing down a bit. Make it more mellow so that we could hear the words as clearly as he used ot sing, before the judges started encouraging him to belt out the music . Less screaming. Cuz Adam is amazing, way above the others. I would have preferred it be Adam and Alysson in the finale!!

Go Adam, but please tone it down a bit. What a voice!!

[Jen Worick]

I am so sick of the judges sniping at each other. It DOES take up airtime that they could use for critiques. More on my rant here: http://tinyurl.com/pgpdfz #idol

[Angie]

I like Adam but I am a little tired of all the screaming. I really like Danny I think he has great stage presence as well and hes different.

[Victoria]

Hopefully Adam was not penalized for the dopey judges, and he is rightly in the finale!

Agree with your idea to vote off the JUDGES!! well at least Kara.

[Rene]

I couldn't be happier if Adam gets the boot tonight. Although I do think he is talented, I am so incredibly sick of listening to the judges gush over him. I honestly thought Gokey and Allen had much better vocals than Lambert last night. Lambert simply screams his high notes. I totally don't get the infatuation from the judges.