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American Idol 2007: The question is moot!

Published Wednesday, May 23, 2007 by seanlmccarthy | E-mail this post

Blake or Jordin? Jordin or Blake? Let your friends debate that obvious question before Wednesday night's American Idol reveals its finale results. You can counter with an even better question: Who really wins Idol? (Last night, Paula Abdul tried to convince Ryan Seacrest that they're all winners) In the long-run, the champ isn't always the one singing the last song under fireworks and confetti.
To wit...

Season 5
Who won? Taylor Hicks
Runner-up? Katharine McPhee
Who really won? Chris Daughtry. Heck...the show last night even went long by three minutes just to feature Daughtry and his band's live performance. Only Daughtry got the offer to front an existing rock band (Fuel). He also got his hit song ("Home") on every episode of this season's Idol. And after 25 weeks, his debut CD remains near the top of the Billboard charts. Anyone heard from Hicks recently? Anyone want to?

Season 4
Who won? Carrie Underwood
Runner-up? Bo Bice
Who really won? Underwood. "Some Hearts" has sold six million copies. Has an NFL quarterback boyfriend (Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys). Slew of awards. Simon Cowell said she'd outsell all the previous Idol winners. So far, she's on the right track.

Season 3
Who won? Fantasia Barrino
Runner-up? Diana DeGarmo
Who really won? Jennifer Hudson. Barrino and DeGarmo have both made it to Broadway, but Hudson was this winter's golden girl, winning the Oscar and Golden Globe for her applause-breaking turn in the movie, Dreamgirls. Hudson beat out Barrino for the role. Barrino did win the part of playing herself in a Lifetime TV movie, though.

Season 2
Who won? Ruben Studdard
Runner-up? Clay Aiken
Who really won? Um...TBD? Studdard and Aiken both had hit debuts after the show, but since then, Studdard's popularity has waned, and no amount of "Claymates" could stop Aiken from one controversy after another (and let's not get started on last year's surprise Idol duet with his auditioning doppleganger, Michael Sandecki).

Season 1
Who won? Kelly Clarkson
Runner-up? Justin Guarini
Who really won? Clarkson. Hard to believe it now, but back then, just as many people thought that either Guarini would win, or that ousted contestant Tamyra Gray should have won. No one is saying that now.

Labels: American Idol, TV