David Cook is the next American Idol!

Congratulations to David Cook on winning the title! I couldn't see the competition going any other way, and the judges said that the contest was more equally matched than they indicated on the performance night. It was an amazing season of talent and I hope to hear more from the contestants in the future as they pursue their music careers, especially Cook, David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado, Michael Johns and Carly Smithson.

American Idol Final Week

In the final performance of season seven, both contestants sang well but David Cook put more of his personality into the songs and showed more versatility. While David Archuleta sang mostly ballads Cook performed rock and slower songs. David Cook has the potential to be a varied and interesting artist and should be the next American Idol.

All David Finale!

The final week of American Idol season 7 on May 20 and 21 will feature David Cook and David Archuleta singing for the title. You know who I'm rooting for! :-)

American Idol Top 3

David Cook is a rock star! He should win the competition, and is already a star. David Archuleta and Syesha Mercado had some good moments, but also are less experienced. David Cook has the stage presence and singing ability to become a successful artist like Chris Daughtry.

American Idol Results

The results happened like I thought they would, with Jason Castro leaving the show this week. He took it well, acknowledging his inexperience compared to the other contestants and seemed to be having fun onstage. Elsewhere, the final four sang Steely Dan, played bullfighters in a Ford video, took in the Beatles Love Cirque du Soleil show and saw live performances onstage by Bo Bice and Maroon 5. While last week's phone calls reunited Simon Cowell with his first girlfriend, this week callers to the show suggested that he should be considered for knighthood and the role of James Bond! Well, maybe Dr. Evil (jk). But Austin Powers 2 was on the Encore channel just before American Idol, so coincidence or fate?

Good luck to the remaining contestants, Syesha, David and David. Next week each will sing three songs, chosen by the performers, judges and producers.

American Idol Rock and Roll Show Review

Last night's American Idol performance show had some mixed results as the contestants tackled the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songs. David Cook was the best suited to the theme, putting an original spin on classic rock songs "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Baba O'Reilly," which were the most memorable of the night. I agreed with the judges that Jason Castro was not successful at imitating Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" and Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", and should be the contestant to go home tonight. Jason didn't put his own personality into the songs, and had trouble remembering the words on the second song. David Archuleta displayed good singing ability on his songs, "Stand by Me" and "Love Me Tender." Syesha Mercado was lively and emotional on "Proud Mary" and "A Change is Gonna Come," showing that she is improving each week after her showstopping performance of "One Rock & Roll Too Many" in musicals week. The Davids deserve to be in the final two, as the most talented in interpreting their songs, and that would be an interesting showdown on finale night.

Popular Music on Television

The Doctor, especially in his tenth incarnation, is a fan of popular music. He attempted to take Rose Tyler to see Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956, dropped her off at an Abba concert while he looked for the Graske, and wanted to see Ian Drury and the Blockheads in 1979. The program itself incorporates tunes that express the personalities of the characters. Cassandra in the episode "The End of the World" taking place in the future plays what she describes as an example of classical music, Britney Spears' "Toxic" on her "iPod," the Master dances to "I Can't Decide" by the Scissor Sisters on the Valiant (Last of the Time Lords), and Jackie Tyler plays "Regresa A Mi" by Il Divo, promoted by Simon Cowell, to Elton Pope (Love & Monsters). Elton is named after the singer Elton John, and plays music from the Electric Light Orchestra with his fan club dedicated to the Doctor.

In a change of pace, consider why is American Idol so popular? We've all heard the arguments for and against reality television. But might it actually be beneficial for popular culture? In this article I argue that American Idol is part of a tradition that goes back to the early days of television in the 1950s, that makes music from different generations accessible to a wide audience.

I've been watching American Idol since season one and enjoy watching the drama of the singers coming from all over the country and world to express themselves through music, and learn from the judges' comments how to improve their performances from week to week. It's great to watch artists like Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and many more achieve their dreams of becoming successful in show business, after seeing how they started out on American Idol. In Britain where the format started out with Pop Idol, other shows like Any Dream Will Do with Andrew Lloyd Webber and John Barrowman where contestants seek a leading role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat help to bring new audiences to musicals. I like how John Barrowman is simultaneously an action lead in Torchwood and an accomplished singer, as Tallulah (in the Doctor Who episode "Daleks in Manhattan") would say, "into musical theater." The Doctor Who leads David Tennant and John Barrowman are multi-talented, can do drama and comedy, and are fun to watch in interviews as well.

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