Sanjaya Malakar Performs with Joe Perry

Sanjaya Malakar video from the American Idol season finale. Here is the real winner of season six:
“In a world where men fade into obscurity, true visionaries seize the day. Men like John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Ghandi. Now another comes forth. One with the courage to embrace his destiny. One who stands firm in the face of adversity. There’s been hysteria, but never like this. He is in one word ‘Sanjaya Malakar.’ Sorry that’s two words. ”

Sanjaya Malakar

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I was mildly relieved to find someone working on this show possessed the insight and humor to develop this segment. It was fitting for the major amount of attention and media frenzy Sanjaya brought and still brings this season to the show.

"You Really Got Me" stands out as the point Sanjaya found his true voice and courage. I had been waiting for that moment, when he would emerge from that quiet shell and when he delivered, during his first performance of this song, it only confirmed my instincts and my initial impression of him. His incredible sly tongue in cheek (alas, Chris Sligh, you strove for that mark but Sanjaya hit it) sense of humor, indicative of Sanjaya's intelligence. I'm having difficulty now in referring to Sanjaya as a boy or a kid, as I have in the past after last night. He came across the television screen as older and wiser. Sanjaya had such a huge learning curve entering this show and he's learning in exponential leaps and bounds. Watching video of the red carpet interviews, he's handling press very well now. I am so proud for him.

It's the quiet ones you have to watch and Sanjaya entered this season a quiet lamb but he's exiting like a roaring lion. Last night the boy was brilliant - technically, the vocals do need a little work, but the presence is there, the attitude is there and he looks completely gorgeous on stage. I'm not sure if it was the whole hilarious spoof on his hair, with that wind machine blowing it about like Kelly LaBrock in "Weird Science", combined with his embracing all that he is, then adding in his wild abandonment during his performance, but I found Sanjaya electrifying. He took the finale by storm, give it life and brought excitement to that Idol stage. Joe Perry the Aerosmith guitarist, in an interview said he thought Sanjaya has star quality and will make it. He might know a thing or two about what he's talking about considering his experience.

Meanwhile Calvin Ayres' site, Gambling 911 gives credit for Sanjaya's performance saving the otherwise uneventful night writing, "Meanwhile, the real Sanjaya Malakar nearly stole the American Idol finale along side Joe Perry of Aerosmith.

While former "Idol" winners like Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks entered the Kodak Theatre to see who would win America's hearts and ears (see "Jordin Sparks Takes 'American Idol' Crown"), the hair-raising contestant garnered the most screams, wearing a printed white collared shirt with the top three buttons open and black pants. (Oh, and his hair was curly — no ponyhawk in sight.)" This is from their front-page feature discussing the recent controversial Sanjaya video in which he claims to be someone named "Bill Vendall".

The fact that Jordin Sparks was to receive the American Idol "crown" was inevitable and blatant to anyone watching this show with their reality in check. The show pretended for quite a while they loved Melinda Doolittle, she of real singing talent but bland personality, but good times come to an end and "it" began. The taking down of the perceived favorite. The judges were subtle, I'll give them that much - but it was obvious, just the same that time had come to take Mindy Doo down and build up the gal pre-picked to win this reality show.

Granted, they had a weak field to pick from out of the starting gate, but out of the pack, Jordin most likely the best choice for sales and marketing. I don't foresee her becoming another Kelly Clarkson but should she take the country route, with that slight twang she sings with - she could potentially sell some CDs. Carrie Underwood level - I think not, but that's the direction she should go towards, more of a Pop Country sound. I for one have no interest in buying any of her music, but wish the girl well in her endeavors.

Overall this season was one of the most boring in the history of the show and I thank Sanjaya Malakar for providing some of the only truly great times. Once Sanjaya was voted off (yeah, right) the show's ratings dropped along with my interest. I found the remaining weeks impossible to watch all the way through and grew to love even more my Tivo. Granted I could have not tuned in at all, but since I began watching this show since it's first season, it has become like an ingrained habit, I peeked in and out and tuned in for results.

Thank you Sanjaya for spreading your Universe via the Idol airwaves. See you on tour.

Jordin Sparks Positioned to Take the Title

Even though Sparks is not the best entertainer, she made the crowd cry, like Taylor Hicks did last season when he sang, "Do I Make You Proud". Of course Taylor was the rollicking favorite most of the season last year, and Sparks has been more of a slower climbing to the top contestant. Too, Taylor Hicks didn't join in on the water works like Jordin did. We do have to consider she's only 17...

That said, I think Jordin Sparks will receive the golden ticket to the American Idol Crown this year. I'm not saying that I think she was the best last night, in fact I was driven to be even more soured on this show by the massive false pimping and freaking weird emotional mess-ness of it all - and for no good reason. Coming through my sound system she sounded off-key and screechy much of last night. The winner's song, blecht, (excuse me) sounded like more of the same crap that the show churns out year after year. Unknown songwriters my ass, OK maybe unknown but ties to the show, maybe... my last word on it - that is one smecky song. No doubt Blake absolutely cringed the first time he read the lyrics, my impression at least, form the way he sang it and the way he looked afterwards, like he'd just eaten something really awful. Most likely he's dreading the thought of actually having to record that schlock and go down in the annals of music history as that being one of his singles. Man, he should have just gone wild and wacky with it, beat boxed it just to see the shock and indignation of those hapless songwriters. That would have at least brought some real entertainment to the fake festival of last night's show.

Scanning through the crowd, too the cameras just touched on the side of Sanjaya's hair. Dismal finale made even more so without seeing that sweet Papaya. Well, tonight's show may see him playing a bigger role, more than a quick glimpse of his hair - that's one bright spot to look forward to.

I predicted Jordin to win this dismal season last March - and my run down for the finals went like this:
1. Jordin Sparks - to win
2. Blake Lewis
3. Melinda Doolittle
4. LaKisha Jones
5. Chris Sligh - that was relatively early before Sligh showed he was not such a Sly one...
6. Chris Richardson
7. Sanjaya
8. Gina Glocksen
9. Phil Stacey
10. Haley Scarnato
Seven out of ten correct, that's not too bad considering how this season went. I'm just glad it's over, the past several weeks have been almost unwatchable yet there I sat, tuning in and out. It's been more out of habit than desire to watch since week seven's elimination of Sanjaya.

Sanjaya's Time and Bo Bice's Glory

Sanjaya Malakar hits # 3 on Time's 100 on-line poll. Dedicated fans voted and voted for days to show their support and appreciation of Sanjaya.

Here's a Bo Bice video from "Blades of Glory" to honor the boy.


I love the subtle humor. Bo Bice sounds amazing. Nice tux, reminds me of the one my date wore in 19** LOL to our senior prom. I made him wear it - matched my dress.

Idol Eliminations Since Top 10

This week, good-bye Phil(Pheratu) Stacey and Chris Richardson (no relation). The boys had a good run, and their careers as potential performing artists - or at least being able to add 'Past American Idol' contestant to their names, a reality.

Taylor Hicks, remember last season's winner... right? He was finally allowed to make an appearance this season via a brief and previously recorded video message to plug "Idol Gives Back". It may have been brief but the Soulman looked amazing... *snap* Perhaps Taylor, due to the time factor, I mean the show was only two hours long, could not be fitted into last week's Velveeta spread. Seriously, with the show being overrun with noteworthy guests such Ben Stiller and a CG Elvis 'appearing' with Celine Dion in their "history making" (not my words) duet, only so much time.... and Fantasia, also in the almost ran club made her plea for donations last night too. Fantasia is a darling lady, but as my daughter pointed out, her mouth is one third of her face. Little Daughter has recently been introduced to the world of fractions in school and likes to show off her newly discovered mathematic skills.

Down to the final four and soon this strange little season will trudge to the bitter end. Several weeks back, March 23, I submitted a little story to my favorite site, blogcritics.org, following my sweet Sanjaya making it through to Top Ten. At that time I predicted these results:

Jordin Sparks - to win
Blake Lewis
Melinda Doolittle
LaKisha Jones
Chris Sligh
Chris Richardson
Sanjaya
Gina Glocksen
Phil Stacey
Haley Scarnato

When I wrote it Chris Sligh had not yet fallen out of favor with the American Idol viewers, favor that may still be plummeting, (he's continuing to suffer from foot-in-mouth disease) and Stacey hadn't really begun to show his real vocal talents. I think this top four is the way it should have turned out because, O Yea I picked them, and I love to be right, but now I'm wavering somewhat in my assessments over who will win. Blake pulled a pretty good move this past week with coloring his hair (the Sanjaya factor) and demonstrating some mad creative skillz with music mixing. Beat boxing not a favorite art form of mine, but I will admit B-Shorty worked some magic. This combined with Jordin experiencing her worst performance of the season, a performance preceding the previous week's at-times-screechy completely overly pimped and erroneously deemed, "Best Performance in the history of Idol", by Randy Jackson. I'm thinking Jackson may have been sipping from Pauler's cup. Too, Jordin is starting to reflect an increasing ego and that often sits sour with the A.I. viewing audience.

Add to that mix, Lakisha Is back and did a beautiful job - bonus Slimon planted a big kiss on her after she sang. Kiki was my original favorite of the show in the very early days and the lady is making a "I'm a Contender!" comeback, rather than some of her previous endeavors which were more like "I coulda been a contender" ala "On the Waterfront". She showed fight and spunk this week, and I certainly love that quality. Go LaKisha!

Groove on.