Well, there were probably a lot of non-fans of the reality television genre breathing huge sighs of relief this past week as yet another season of American Idol wrapped up. Survivor Tocantins also ended last Sunday night, but on a very different note. Both shows went out in gala style. However, one was a shocker and the other was pretty much a given.
I personally don’t care so much who won what on the reality shows I watch. Sure, there are folks like delusional Ben “Coach” Wade whom I want off my TV set the moment I see them. But my criteria for a good season always remains … was I entertained? Regarding Survivor and American Idol, yes. Yes, I was very entertained.
That was the week it was
I’ll touch on the Survivor finale first just to get the old news out of the way. As usual, we had the three-hour night of the show — two hours of gameplay, then the live reunion show. I always wish that The Amazing Race would put on something similar to the reunion show during their finale. Phil Keoghan could definitely do a Jeff Probst kind of interviewing session with the cast. No, I don’t think Julie Chen could handle that sort of show with Big Brother as she often seems oblivious to what’s been going on. But, just as Jeff is perfect to grill the castaways, so could Phil.
The fact that JT won the season and that it was unanimous when he was paired up in the final two with Stephen came as no surprise to me. I think JT would have won over anyone. Perhaps if Taj had been in the final two with him, she would have gotten some votes. Surely, he would have won anyway. I’m satisfied with the winner — he excelled in many areas.
Could he have done it all without Stephen and Taj? I don’t think so. I think, had they not been at his side in the alliance, he would have been targeted. I enjoyed watching all three of them take over the game. I only wish that Stephen and JT had taken Taj to the final three instead of Erinn. That was just wrong.
The Survivor finale was nothing compared to the season finale of American Idol this year. Before I even mention the winner, I have to say that the finale show itself was one of the most entertaining shows I’ve seen in ages. Usually I’m not so keen on the AI finale, but I have to give ‘em kudos for the array of artists involved. I mean … we’re talking Steve Martin on banjo, Cyndi Lauper, Jason Mraz, Carlos Santana, KISS, The Black-Eyed Peas, on and on … and on. What a spectacular event!
As for the season itself, I think most of the Idol-wannabes were of a higher caliber than in previous seasons. There were no Sanjayas in the final bunch. Sure, Megan Joy Corkrey could be a bit iffy at times. But, overall, there was a huge amount of young talent this year.
The controversy over why Kris won runs the gamut from the anti-gay vote to the pro-Christian vote to the Danny Gokey exodus vote to the judges pushing an Adam vote and beyond. I noticed that the teenybopper girls went crazy for Kris, so that’s sure to be a factor, too. It really doesn’t matter. The show opened doors for both Kris and Adam. Now all they have to do is pursue their dreams in music — they both have built-in fan bases to support them. May they live long and prosper … or something like that. It was a good season for the show. Let’s see ‘em top it next year! (It’s so much better than a Reuben Studdard stand there and sweat although possessing a decent voice win!)
On the Dancing With the Stars finale, it was Shawn Johnson and Mark Ballas for the win. I should note that at 17-years-old, Shawn is the youngest competitor ever on the show. Her Olympic gymnast background definitely gave her the grace and discipline for DWTS. Congratulations! I think of her and newly 17-year-old American Idol contestant Allison Iraheta, then think back to what I was doing at that age. Um, well. I was in college then, but doing a lot of things I shouldn’t have been doing!
This past week started the new season of So You Think You Can Dance. While I’ve never been a big fan of Dancing With the Stars, I’m practically rabid over SYTYCD. Don’t ask me why. And, no. I can’t dance. I can’t sing either. I’m glad these shows weren’t around when I was the age for contestants. Back then I thought I could dance and sing. Thankfully I never embarrassed myself on national (international these days) television. Now, if there was a show called So You Think You Can Hole Up in Your Apartment Alone for a Month and Read Books … that I could win. Once we get through the audition phase and into the real show of SYTYCD, I’ll be entertained once again. Until then, I might read some books.
Clacked by Jackie Schnoop 
on May 25, 2009 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
