A month ago, Idol was shaping into a clash of the divas Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones, but in recent weeks, thanks to some overpraising of pleasant performances (and criticism of the frontrunners) from the judges and unfortunate song choices by the competition, it's looking more and more like the next American Idol will be the seventeen-year-old football player's daughter who's big enough to play linebacker herself (Oh, grow up! The girl's a giantess--she towers over Seacrest!).
Which is what brings us back to January, before the season launched (but months after the auditions), when Entertainment Weekly quoted judge Randy Jackson "cryptically" predicting the winner will be ''someone with curly hair."
And then there were the auditions in Seattle, where Jordin's inclusion, how she arrived there-- and the reception from judges-- raised a red flag when the auditions aired:
Until now, the Seattle auditions-- the last ones for the season-- were memorable for Blake Lewis, Sanjaya Malakar, the Bush Baby-- and the accusation that a "ringer"-- a professional-- was planted among the contestants.
That was Tom Lowe, a flamboyant British boy band singer who was once signed to a label that employed Simon Cowell, and profiled in the version of Idol that was shown only in the UK.
But the real ringer of the Seattle auditions may have turned out to be Jordin Sparks:
The morning after the show aired, TV critic Melanie McFarland wrote about it in the Seattle-Post Intelligencer:
"... one shining star stood out: 16-year-old Jordin Sparks from Glendale, Ariz. She's beautiful, has a smile that can light up L.A., and tore apart Celine Dion's 'Because You Love Me.'
"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
"Seeing her is supposed to drive home the reason we keep running back to Idol. Young, ambitious and undiscovered, she embodies the dream of Idol, the idea that someone with small but bright embers of talent can, within the space of a few months, shoot from obscurity to superstardom.
"Except that's not exactly the case with this young woman.
"Out of nowhere, Abdul says she recognizes Sparks' name-- and Sparks reveals she is the daughter of former New York Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks. What a coinky-dink!
"And that's not all! Jordin Sparks has an exhaustive Wikipedia page, where you can find out interesting facts such as: She was the Coca-Cola Rising Star in 2002. Coca-Cola, of course, being Idol's major sponsor. She also appeared in America's Most Talented Kids in 2004, toured with Michael W. Smith and sang in Alice Cooper's Christmas show. Winning Arizona Idol netted her a Ford Fusion and a trip to Seattle. Wonder if she had to wait in line?"
So... the sponsor's favorite gets a trip from Arizona to Seattle for an eleventh-hour spot in the final, controversial audition session. Randy predicts a winner with "curly hair" (a clue that many mistook as pointing to Chris Sligh)-- just as his executive producer promises (accurately) Entertainment Weekly that Sanjaya Malakar won't make it through. The judges begin to heap extravagant praise on the young girl with the beauty pageant-High School Musical talent. She begins to overshadow her more gifted opponents.
Is her victory fait accompli?
Hey, Jordin could be eliminated tonight. Stay tuned.
(Read Flipit's hilarious recap of last night's Idol here.)
Comments (6)
Jordin is HAWT!!!!!!!!
1 of 6 | Posted by Brian | Posted on May 9, 2007 1:40 PM
And she's a damned fine singer...Very Idolishous!
2 of 6 | Posted by Bobbie | Posted on May 9, 2007 3:36 PM
I don't think TB said she was exactly fat. She IS a giantess. She's of amazonian proportions. But a very pretty girl, as well.
3 of 6 | Posted by lesfull
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Posted on May 10, 2007 6:42 AM
Thank you, anon (#3) -- that's exactly what I was going to say. Seacrest *is* a pixie and very tiny. Jordin is a normal sized and beautiful teen.
Her voice will be stupendous once she matures and benefits from extensive coaching.
I truly thought Kiki deserved to win. My metaphorical money is now placed on Jordin.
4 of 6 | Posted by Donna Martin Graduates!
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Posted on May 10, 2007 6:04 PM
RE: #7
I think the point is more just that she got better treatment than every other person who showed up to the auditions.
5 of 6 | Posted by Rock Star
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Posted on May 10, 2007 9:45 PM
You Guys, Vote for Jordin like you've never voted before!! okay? :]
6 of 6 | Posted by This is an AI fan | Posted on May 12, 2007 9:56 AM