A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

AND THEN, AFTER ALL THE NONSENSE AND THE BIKINI GIRLS AND THE NORMAN GENTILES AND THE DAWGS OF 'NOOP, FINALLY, FINALLY THERE WERE TWO: Let us discuss whether America got it right.

rev'd.&.ext'd: It did, but you knew I was going to say that. The Lambert and Gokey parts of this are easy to discuss -- Lambert came in as a natural talent, was a bit show-offy at times but luckily had his most questionable performance early on ("Ring of Fire") back when there was plenty of chaff to thresh. (Seriously: Michael Sarver, Scott Macintyre, Jasmine Murray, and Megan "Caw Caw" Joy Corkrey were in this same competition?) Danny, on the other hand, had his clunkers late, and never seemed to progress beyond where he started -- talented at the adult contemporary stuff he does, but that was it.

As for Kris, when he first appeared during the second semifinal week, I called Kris not very memorable and "a lesser Chris Richardson"; Kim said that she "happen to have really liked [him] - I love Man in the Mirror, and it was great to hear it sung without the MJ stuff. But he can't make it through." Both of which was wrong, but at least less wrong than Our Friend Dan Fienberg's comments:

Who? How did this guy get into the Top 36, judges? This is embarrassingly middle-of-the-road, karaoke, talent-show. It's less than middle-of-the-road. At least Nick Mitchell was joking and found ways to get away from his vocal liabilities. Kris just sings earnestly, without distinction or self-awaress, blending into the background before my eyes. Generic. He couldn't make the Top 12 on "Canadian Idol."

(Talk about a stacked week -- Adam, Kris, Allison and three other finalists, plus the Norman Gentile "And I Am Telling You". In retrospect, a semifinal even more talented than the Clay-Ruben-KLocke group in season two.)

So what happened with Kris? I think it's a combination of earnestness, a strong sense of what arrangements work for him, non-threatening-boyness, and his being absolutely contemporary in his choices. He has delivered time and again -- not only with performances of "Ain't No Sunshine," "She Works Hard for the Money," "Falling Slowly" and "Heartless," but also by creating an artistic persona through his choices of being The Good, Empathetic Guy. (Granted, with the exceptions of "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" and "Come Together".) He's not strutting or preening; he's just a modest guy singing heartfelt songs, and he does it well. He is far from the most gifted singer we've ever seen, but he is an outstanding performer.

I am excited for next week's finals.