Is American Idol a Sham Show?

This will be hard to swallow for some of you.  Especially if you are a die-hard fan of American Idol.

But, after watching American Idol last night (something I have refrained from doing since voters chose  Ruben Stuttered (who?) over Clay Aiken), I am once again convinced there is something inherently wrong with the voting system.

The claim is that boy-crazy girls are the ones who are choosing your next American Idol by voting multiple times.

Read here about how a city with 2.8 million inhabitants produced over 30 million votes for Kris Allen (WHO?)!

I will no longer waste my time watching Idol’s sham show. I haven’t been able to bring myself to leave the TV channel on Fox since 2006, after Taylor Hicks (again, who?) triumphed over Katharine McPhee.

The voting process is ridic, so I refuse to take any part in this show’s musical talent competition charade.

Now, I know you’re thinking I’m sour grapes because I’m from San Diego, and the loser, Jessica Sanchez, is also from my hometown.

Let me assure you, you are wrong.

The only reason I was compelled to watch AI this season, was precisely because of Jessica Sanchez. Her petite size and huge voice reminded me of Christina Aguilera.

Admittedly, there aren’t many with Aguilera’s talent in today’s music industry, so I was confident Sanchez would be the one to fill this sound void.

But, perhaps the teenager’s appearance, or ‘star quality’ (yes, she could use some braces), and age may have been a deterring factor with voters. But her booming voice is undeniably as unique as they come.

I have nothing against Philip Philips, benign looks aside.  I just couldn’t manage to sit through one single (monotone) song coming from his all-too-familiar sounding voice reminiscent of many already out there.

So, here we go again.

Will PP (he, he!) rise above the powerhouse of talent that JS harnesses in that small frame of hers?  Or will his fate be the same as the last few AI winners who have struggled to remain relevant in the entertainment environment which has already proven that voices like Studdard’s, Hicks, and… (who won over Adam Lambert?) don’t have staying power?  

Well, we’ll likely not have to wait too long to see the Chula Vista resident (hello, Mario Lopez!) belting out her songs again.

Perhaps even alongside Kelly Clarkson in that new show Duets!  (I can’t imagine Philips trying to push himself to raise his voice box to the level of the dynamic duo that Clarkson and Sanchez would make, can you?)

Until AI finds a way to limit the voting system to one each, whether it’s one or a combo from texting, the Internet, or a phone call, ONE vote from each should be the limit.

And then maybe, just maybe, I might find my TV set fixed on Fox again to see a true winner emerge as the true American Idol.