This is based on news articles and I have not seen any of this show, I really can’t stand Idol.
As Danielle Berrin wrote this AM in the Jewish Journal:
here’s Lambert, 27, the avant-garde rocker from San Diego with clear-eyed ambition for Hollywood fame; and Allen, 23, an evangelical Christian from Arkansas who plays acoustic guitar and does missionary work….Lambert is the dark knight. Allen, by contrast, is clean-cut and pristine looking. He wears tshirts and jeans, sings sweetly and leads worship services at New Life Church back home.
In other words it was a real American rocker vs. a gay Jewish guy that loves musicals.
But CNN was stunned:
In a stunning upset, sweet-faced Kris Allen claimed victory over glam-rocker Adam Lambert in an “American Idol” showdown that received nearly 100 million votes from viewers.
Lambert, a 27-year-old former understudy in the touring production of “Wicked,” was heavily favored as the frontrunner throughout Season Eight.
Here is a little Lambert doing the Jewish thing. Both will have huge careers. Maybe Lambert will do Jewlicious Festival?
It was because it was so politically correct that I expected it to win.
As for the rock residence, I’d apply my ignorance on this topic to the fact that I ignore this competition. Just like I ignore American Idol.
Middle, Rybak came in first, but for all I could find out, he’s not Jewish, possibly not even patrilineal. You could have come here to watch the show; I’d prepared tons of delicious snacks and drinks.
Rybak owes a lot of his victory to the “awwwww, so adorable”-effect, not much to his performance. His singing isn’t great, which he admits to himself, and the song didn’t have much earworm quality.
Noa and Mira came in 16th; the song just didn’t go quite well in this huge pop-arena, also the audio settings weren’t in their favour, the melody hardly translated through the TV screens. Too bad for them; I think the other songs they had suggested for the Eurovision would have stood a better chance of winning.
Watch here:
Compare the 1979 (winning) entry:
TM, if you thought that politically correct peace song would have won, then you must have been living under a rock.
Princess, did Rybak beat out the Israelis? I thought that peace song would definitely win.
Poor Judy Garland is turning over in her grave.
Sashka!
I wish both could lose. Woe is me.
http://www.thejc.com/articles/he-won-eurovision-%E2%80%93-he-one-us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBFFlL58UTM&feature=channel_page Jewish guy won Eurovision 2009 Contest …+ he is Russian and Birthright eligible! 😉
The original (quoted) blog entry says that both contestants were dressed in regal white; white denotes purity to Christians – something not easily pulled off in combination with a desired glammy emo-rocker image – and mourning / death to Chinese.
Anyhow, I don’t really see that the decisions in such contests are a matter of religious adherence, ethnicity etc. (People in the US in general do not seem to object against Jewish musicians as can be easily seen.) They are a matter of what people actually call(ed) to cast their vote.
And besides the now moved-to-stardom Paul Potts, who – in contrast to what early bios tried to suggest him to have been – had had professional training in opera singing, I haven’t seen much actual talent at auditioning shows on either side of the Pond. It appears the really good musicians still take the traditional road of performing towards their goal of fame.
Kris Allen is great – huge kudos to him. That being said, I’m bummed Adam Lambert didn’t take the win. 🙁 You should definitely get him on board for Jewlicious Festival!