America Witnesses the Impossible, Part II
Although the previous article, ‘America Witnesses the Impossible’ (Part I) focused primarily on the injustice of The Powers That Be (TPTB) and their manipulation of Constantine, this article will focus on AI in a broader sense, and their treatment of various contestants. It is obvious that TPTB not only work against certain contestants, but work and promote their “Chosen Contestants,” even when America disagrees. The AI finale and surrounding events have further proven not only that AI is rigged, but that TPTB select their Chosen One from the beginning.
SIMON COWELL: MUSIC GENIUS OR FULLER’S PUPPET?
During the Top 11 performance, it became clear who the “Chosen One” was: Simon Cowell commented that Carrie Underwood would not only become the next American Idol, but would sell more than any previous Idol. This is a tremendous statement to make, especially when there are ten other contestants still on the show. Interestingly, the first part of Cowell’s statement turned out to be true: Carrie did win the title of American Idol. Only time will tell if the second part of his statement is true. Is it possible to predict the winner this far in advance? Is Cowell really that sharp? Is the forged relationship between Cowell and America as close as he claims? Although the answer could be ‘yes’, the most likely answer is a very definite ‘NO.’ This is an unpredictable reality television show, and it is highly impossible that Cowell would choose the right contestant during this phase of the competition.
Although Simon didn’t express directly to Carrie that he thought she’d win until the Top 11 show, he did push for her from the beginning. During the audition stages, he said in several interviews that a “blond country singer” was very good and would win the competition. When she sang ‘Could’ve Been’ during the Top 12 Girls show, Simon told her that she was “without question… one of the favorites to win.” Simon also stated that he was surprised no one had “discovered” Carrie yet, which is false; Carrie has been discovered to a certain extent, and there is no way that he did not know this.
A Reality TV Magazine article dated February 22, 2005 (http://www.realitytvmagazine.com/blog/2005/02/carrie_underwoo_1.html) describes Carrie’s professional music background which includes performing with The Starrise Band throughout the south, opening for “Diamond Rio”, “The Wilkinsons”, “Exile”, Gene Watson, Billy Hoffman and Earl Thomas Conley. She’s also recorded with Chuck Howard and John Guess in Nashville. Why was none of this mentioned on AI? Why were Constantine’s and Bo’s bands and professional background mentioned numerous times while Carrie’s was not? Carrie may not have “made it big”, but she was anything but undiscovered, as Simon claimed. At one point prior to being on AI, she even had a fan website devoted to her, which no longer exists. For some reason, TPTB wanted to portray her as an innocent, all-American farm girl with an undiscovered talent for singing. This portrayal is far from the truth.
THE UNEXISTENT ‘INDEPENDENT’ ARTICLE
An article released on May 22nd in the ‘Online Edition of The Independent’ by Jason Nisse named Carrie Underwood as the new American Idol, three days before she was actually announced as the winner (May 25th). Interestingly, ‘The Independent’ is owned by the same conglomerate that owns FOX TV. In listing the British business people who had been named among the “25 Stars of Europe” by BusinessWeek, Nisse wrote, “Among the more predictable names in the list are Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco; BT boss Ben Verwaayen; and Nigel Newton, who signed JK Rowling for Bloomsbury Publishing. More surprising are Andrew Black and Ed Wray, the co-founders of Betfair.com; and Simon Fuller, the pop impresario whose American Idol TV competition was won this year by Carrie Underwood.”
The beauty of this mistake is that it finally gave fans a tangible piece of evidence for something they’ve known all along but couldn’t prove: AI is rigged. Yes, it could have been a journalistic error, but if that were the case, why was there no piece about Bo? And why was there no retraction of the article? After much uproar among AI fans, this article simply vanished; no explanation was given despite numerous phone calls and e-mails to ‘The Independent’.
THE OUTSHINING
Assuming that TPTB had selected their "Chosen One," they naturally did not want her threatened by anyone. And if ever there was a threat, it was Constantine. Bohemian Rhapsody was a major turning point for the producers, for AI as a show, and for Constantine personally. Bohemian Rhapsody was a threat to the producers, because it awoken them, in a way, to his true talent and potential. It was through this performance that they realized he would outshine their Chosen Ones. It was a turning point for AI as a show, because it raised the stakes for the other contestants. As arguably the best AI performance of all seasons, the question is: could Constantine himself even top it? Thus, it affected him on a personal level as well.
It was a personal turning point for Constantine in the sense that it was a nearly perfect performance: he was beautiful vocally and stylistically; it was the perfect mixture of true rock and sensuality, and arguably contained even some "crooning." This performance brought in many fans, and gave Constantine credibility in many people's eyes; there was nothing wrong with it. It showed his fans (and Constantine as well; he doesn’t seem to realize how talented he is) who he really is, and the endless possibilities he brings.
On a recent 'Loveline' interview, Constantine said everyone thought he was "crazy" to even attempt this song. But attempt it he did; he took on the challenge despite oppositition, and created a new, beautiful and sublime rendition of this classic song. With this performance he presented TPTB with a dilemma that could only be solved by dismissal.
WHY RIG THE SHOW?
Many have asked why the show is rigged and what the advantages of this kind of grand-scale public manipulation are. First, it must be remembered that the prized title and contract are given out by AI/Simon Fuller/19E. The contract and the American Idol belong to them, and they are not going to reward it to just anybody. The very nature of the show is to create a pop-music “Idol”; the producers need someone young and malleable, someone they can control. As this season proved, America disagreed with the Chosen One selected by TPTB. Thus, in order for their Chosen One to win, there must be some degree of rigging.
Other frequently asked questions deal with the voting system: Do votes really count? Is the voting process messed up because of a system flaw or because of manipulation? Why would a voting system be in place if votes don’t count? Assuming votes don’t count, is it right for Cingular to charge voters for text-messaging?
As TPTB won’t release the voting statistics, the public can only speculate. It is crucial to realize, however, that voting can, and does, serve important purposes other than determining the next American Idol. Other than actually deciding the winner, voting serves two primary purposes: causing people to invest personally in the show, which ultimately increases ratings and giving TPTB a general idea of who America likes. When people vote, they are investing themselves in the show on a personal level. Voting is proactive and thus causes people to feel more connected not only to the contestant they voted for, but to the show. Ultimately, this devotion will increase the show’s ratings and popularity. People like to feel as if they have a say in something and play an important role in something; this is the illusion that AI voting provides. Secondly, although TPTB ultimately determine the winner, tallying the votes gives them a decent idea of America’s favorite contestants. This data can be used to better manipulate the show and the public.
NIELSEN RATINGS
The following ratings were taken from TV Week’s website and represent the total number of viewers each week (http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=10). Notice that every single Tuesday night, from March 28th to May 1st, had more viewers than on Wednesday night. On three of the five weeks, Tuesday nights had over one million more viewers than Wednesday nights. In simple terms, this means that more people watched the performances and less people watched the elimination show. Interestingly, this trend reversed the week after Constantine was dismissed.
In the weeks following Black Wednesday (aka ‘BW’, the standard name for the Wednesday that Constantine was dismissed), there were more viewers on Wednesday nights, as opposed to Tuesday nights. This simply means that more people watched the elimination show than the performance show. Although this could be attributed to mere coincidence, it is important to note that many people lost interest in AI and even boycotted the show after Constantine left. His dismissal brought out many “closet fans”; once he was gone, people realized the important role he played in the show and how dry the show was without him.
As AI4 neared the finale, another interesting trend emerged: with each week leading up to the finale, there was a greater difference in viewers on Tuesday night verses Wednesday night. It seems that as the competition progressed, and as America’s favorites had more air time, more people would be interested in the Tuesday performances. This is not the case, however. During the week of May 2-8, there were .9 million more viewers on Wednesday night than Tuesday. The following week, May 9-15, had a 1.9 million difference. During May 16-22, which was the week before the finale, there were 3 million more viewers on Wednesday than on Tuesday. During the finale week, there was a 1.8 million difference between Tuesday and Wednesday, with more people watching on Wednesday. This indicates that there was an overall increasing loss of interest in the performance-aspect of the show until the finale.
Week of BW and before:
March 28-April 3:
Tuesday: 26.3 million
Wednesday: 24.9 million (1.4 million difference)
April 4-10:
Tuesday: 24.4 million
Wednesday: 24.1 million (.3 million difference)
April 11-17:
Tuesday: 25.6 million
Wednesday: 24.9 million (.7 million difference)
April 18-24:
Tuesday: 24.1 million
Wednesday: 22.6 million (1.4 million difference)
April 25-May 1:
Tuesday: 25.5 million
Wednesday: 24.4 million (1.1 million difference)
Post BW:
May 2-8:
Tuesday: 24.4 million
Wednesday: 25.3 million (-.9 million difference)
May 9-15:
Tuesday: 24.7 million
Wednesday: 26.6 million (-1.9 million difference)
May 16-22:
Tuesday: 24.9 million
Wednesday: 27.9 million (-3 million difference)
May 23-29
Tuesday: 28 million
Wednesday: 30.2 million (-2.2 million difference)
COMPILATION CDs
There’s an interesting trend in the American Idol Contestant Compilation CDs as well. In the CDs from all four seasons, the first two songs correspond with the crowned American Idol and the first runner-up.
The CD from AI1 was the only one produced after the show, and thus after the results were known. It was released approximately one month after the AI1 finale, which suggests it was mastered right after the finale. No blatantly obvious rigging occurred. The order of the songs on this CD is based on the contestant’s order of elimination. It begins with two songs by Kelly Clarkson, followed by two by Justin Guarini and one by Nikki McKibbin. The last single performance on the CD is by Jim Verraros, who was the first of the Top 10 to be eliminated.
The CDs from AI Seasons 2, 3 and 4 are a different story, however. The first two or three songs are also in the order of the contestant’s elimination, but the key is that the CDs were produced before the conclusion of the show. Is this a coincidence? Is this brilliant guesswork?
The first single on the AI 2 CD is by Ruben Studdard, and the second is by Clay Aiken. This is interesting because the CD was released at the end of April, which means it was probably mastered in late March or early April. Ruben wasn’t actually announced as the winner until May 21st. Is this coincidental, or were the top two already known in April?
On the AI 3 CD, Fantasia’s song is first on the list. Like the AI 2 CD, this CD was released in late April, which means it was mastered in late March or early April. Fantasia wasn’t declared the winner until May 26th. Again, is this nothing more than coincidence? Or is there something going on behind the scenes?
The AI 4 CD is interesting in that the first three songs belong to the top three contestants, in elimination order. Carrie Underwood’s cut is first, followed by Bo Bice’s and then Vonzell Solomon’s. The release date for this CD was May 17th, which means it was put together in mid-April, probably while the show still had six or seven contestants left. Again, either excellent guesswork has taken place, or something is going on behind the scenes.
It is highly unlikely that the TPTB could correctly “guess” the winner four times in a row, let alone who will come in second place, and even third place. Attributing this to mere coincidence is also absurd. The natural and obvious conclusion is rigging.
THE REVENGE OF THE SIXTH
Constantine’s recent post-AI performances have also been telling of his talent and popularity. During the Charlotte performance as well as during the Idol’s appearance on Nascar, Constantine is obviously out-shining everyone on the stage, and has had the largest group of fans. According to the show's outcome and "America's votes", he should be the sixth most popular contestant. He's clearly already moved up to at least the third position, however, because he has outshone contestants 3, 4 and 5 (Vonzell, Anthony and Scott). Will he continue to rise, passing even the two finalists? Only time will tell.
The upcoming tours will speak volumes, and this is where the public will have an even clearer picture of what really happened on the show, and the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of it all. Fox can control and manipulate America's votes, but they can't control the audience and which contestant's fans actually come to the concerts. This summer will be the ultimate test of who the true "American Idol" is.
STEPHANO POPODOPOLOUS: THE FINALE AND BEYOND
The fact that Constantine seemed to be show-cased during the finale also suggests that he was not voted off. It only makes sense to give the most airtime to the favorite contestants and the ones who were on the show longer. In the case of AI, this means that the top five contestants should have more camera time and larger parts in the finale than Constantine. This was not the case, however.
Constantine was definitely show-cased in the finale, which surprised many fans. Based on past actions of TPTB and the fact that they dismissed him, many assumed that he would be taken from the spotlight. But the exact opposite happened: not only did he have plenty of airtime, he even played a part in the skit (which no other contestants did). Why? If he was really the sixth favorite, then why didn’t Vonzell, Anthony or Scott play a part in the skit instead? Why didn’t they receive such prominent and center spots in the group songs? Wouldn’t America rather see and hear them?
No, Constantine did not win the title of ‘American Idol’ or a contract from TPTB, but he has clearly emerged as the top contestant and the winner this season. He doesn’t need to be tied down and put into a box that has been carefully crafted by Fuller to produce a perfect pop singer. Instead, he’s sparked the interest of true musicians, record labels and even television producers. He has the respect of Steven Tyler and Brian May; he recently recorded Bohemian Rhapsody for the new Queen tribute CD; he has been offered television and movie scripts; he has been on a variety of talk shows and radio programs. His future is bright, and this is still only the beginning for Constantine James Maroulis.
Article by Mary Elizabeth in Austin, Texas (aka Medea); send all e-mails to onyxmedea@yahoo.de; updated 6/10/2005.
SIMON COWELL: MUSIC GENIUS OR FULLER’S PUPPET?
During the Top 11 performance, it became clear who the “Chosen One” was: Simon Cowell commented that Carrie Underwood would not only become the next American Idol, but would sell more than any previous Idol. This is a tremendous statement to make, especially when there are ten other contestants still on the show. Interestingly, the first part of Cowell’s statement turned out to be true: Carrie did win the title of American Idol. Only time will tell if the second part of his statement is true. Is it possible to predict the winner this far in advance? Is Cowell really that sharp? Is the forged relationship between Cowell and America as close as he claims? Although the answer could be ‘yes’, the most likely answer is a very definite ‘NO.’ This is an unpredictable reality television show, and it is highly impossible that Cowell would choose the right contestant during this phase of the competition.
Although Simon didn’t express directly to Carrie that he thought she’d win until the Top 11 show, he did push for her from the beginning. During the audition stages, he said in several interviews that a “blond country singer” was very good and would win the competition. When she sang ‘Could’ve Been’ during the Top 12 Girls show, Simon told her that she was “without question… one of the favorites to win.” Simon also stated that he was surprised no one had “discovered” Carrie yet, which is false; Carrie has been discovered to a certain extent, and there is no way that he did not know this.
A Reality TV Magazine article dated February 22, 2005 (http://www.realitytvmagazine.com/blog/2005/02/carrie_underwoo_1.html) describes Carrie’s professional music background which includes performing with The Starrise Band throughout the south, opening for “Diamond Rio”, “The Wilkinsons”, “Exile”, Gene Watson, Billy Hoffman and Earl Thomas Conley. She’s also recorded with Chuck Howard and John Guess in Nashville. Why was none of this mentioned on AI? Why were Constantine’s and Bo’s bands and professional background mentioned numerous times while Carrie’s was not? Carrie may not have “made it big”, but she was anything but undiscovered, as Simon claimed. At one point prior to being on AI, she even had a fan website devoted to her, which no longer exists. For some reason, TPTB wanted to portray her as an innocent, all-American farm girl with an undiscovered talent for singing. This portrayal is far from the truth.
THE UNEXISTENT ‘INDEPENDENT’ ARTICLE
An article released on May 22nd in the ‘Online Edition of The Independent’ by Jason Nisse named Carrie Underwood as the new American Idol, three days before she was actually announced as the winner (May 25th). Interestingly, ‘The Independent’ is owned by the same conglomerate that owns FOX TV. In listing the British business people who had been named among the “25 Stars of Europe” by BusinessWeek, Nisse wrote, “Among the more predictable names in the list are Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco; BT boss Ben Verwaayen; and Nigel Newton, who signed JK Rowling for Bloomsbury Publishing. More surprising are Andrew Black and Ed Wray, the co-founders of Betfair.com; and Simon Fuller, the pop impresario whose American Idol TV competition was won this year by Carrie Underwood.”
The beauty of this mistake is that it finally gave fans a tangible piece of evidence for something they’ve known all along but couldn’t prove: AI is rigged. Yes, it could have been a journalistic error, but if that were the case, why was there no piece about Bo? And why was there no retraction of the article? After much uproar among AI fans, this article simply vanished; no explanation was given despite numerous phone calls and e-mails to ‘The Independent’.
THE OUTSHINING
Assuming that TPTB had selected their "Chosen One," they naturally did not want her threatened by anyone. And if ever there was a threat, it was Constantine. Bohemian Rhapsody was a major turning point for the producers, for AI as a show, and for Constantine personally. Bohemian Rhapsody was a threat to the producers, because it awoken them, in a way, to his true talent and potential. It was through this performance that they realized he would outshine their Chosen Ones. It was a turning point for AI as a show, because it raised the stakes for the other contestants. As arguably the best AI performance of all seasons, the question is: could Constantine himself even top it? Thus, it affected him on a personal level as well.
It was a personal turning point for Constantine in the sense that it was a nearly perfect performance: he was beautiful vocally and stylistically; it was the perfect mixture of true rock and sensuality, and arguably contained even some "crooning." This performance brought in many fans, and gave Constantine credibility in many people's eyes; there was nothing wrong with it. It showed his fans (and Constantine as well; he doesn’t seem to realize how talented he is) who he really is, and the endless possibilities he brings.
On a recent 'Loveline' interview, Constantine said everyone thought he was "crazy" to even attempt this song. But attempt it he did; he took on the challenge despite oppositition, and created a new, beautiful and sublime rendition of this classic song. With this performance he presented TPTB with a dilemma that could only be solved by dismissal.
WHY RIG THE SHOW?
Many have asked why the show is rigged and what the advantages of this kind of grand-scale public manipulation are. First, it must be remembered that the prized title and contract are given out by AI/Simon Fuller/19E. The contract and the American Idol belong to them, and they are not going to reward it to just anybody. The very nature of the show is to create a pop-music “Idol”; the producers need someone young and malleable, someone they can control. As this season proved, America disagreed with the Chosen One selected by TPTB. Thus, in order for their Chosen One to win, there must be some degree of rigging.
Other frequently asked questions deal with the voting system: Do votes really count? Is the voting process messed up because of a system flaw or because of manipulation? Why would a voting system be in place if votes don’t count? Assuming votes don’t count, is it right for Cingular to charge voters for text-messaging?
As TPTB won’t release the voting statistics, the public can only speculate. It is crucial to realize, however, that voting can, and does, serve important purposes other than determining the next American Idol. Other than actually deciding the winner, voting serves two primary purposes: causing people to invest personally in the show, which ultimately increases ratings and giving TPTB a general idea of who America likes. When people vote, they are investing themselves in the show on a personal level. Voting is proactive and thus causes people to feel more connected not only to the contestant they voted for, but to the show. Ultimately, this devotion will increase the show’s ratings and popularity. People like to feel as if they have a say in something and play an important role in something; this is the illusion that AI voting provides. Secondly, although TPTB ultimately determine the winner, tallying the votes gives them a decent idea of America’s favorite contestants. This data can be used to better manipulate the show and the public.
NIELSEN RATINGS
The following ratings were taken from TV Week’s website and represent the total number of viewers each week (http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=10). Notice that every single Tuesday night, from March 28th to May 1st, had more viewers than on Wednesday night. On three of the five weeks, Tuesday nights had over one million more viewers than Wednesday nights. In simple terms, this means that more people watched the performances and less people watched the elimination show. Interestingly, this trend reversed the week after Constantine was dismissed.
In the weeks following Black Wednesday (aka ‘BW’, the standard name for the Wednesday that Constantine was dismissed), there were more viewers on Wednesday nights, as opposed to Tuesday nights. This simply means that more people watched the elimination show than the performance show. Although this could be attributed to mere coincidence, it is important to note that many people lost interest in AI and even boycotted the show after Constantine left. His dismissal brought out many “closet fans”; once he was gone, people realized the important role he played in the show and how dry the show was without him.
As AI4 neared the finale, another interesting trend emerged: with each week leading up to the finale, there was a greater difference in viewers on Tuesday night verses Wednesday night. It seems that as the competition progressed, and as America’s favorites had more air time, more people would be interested in the Tuesday performances. This is not the case, however. During the week of May 2-8, there were .9 million more viewers on Wednesday night than Tuesday. The following week, May 9-15, had a 1.9 million difference. During May 16-22, which was the week before the finale, there were 3 million more viewers on Wednesday than on Tuesday. During the finale week, there was a 1.8 million difference between Tuesday and Wednesday, with more people watching on Wednesday. This indicates that there was an overall increasing loss of interest in the performance-aspect of the show until the finale.
Week of BW and before:
March 28-April 3:
Tuesday: 26.3 million
Wednesday: 24.9 million (1.4 million difference)
April 4-10:
Tuesday: 24.4 million
Wednesday: 24.1 million (.3 million difference)
April 11-17:
Tuesday: 25.6 million
Wednesday: 24.9 million (.7 million difference)
April 18-24:
Tuesday: 24.1 million
Wednesday: 22.6 million (1.4 million difference)
April 25-May 1:
Tuesday: 25.5 million
Wednesday: 24.4 million (1.1 million difference)
Post BW:
May 2-8:
Tuesday: 24.4 million
Wednesday: 25.3 million (-.9 million difference)
May 9-15:
Tuesday: 24.7 million
Wednesday: 26.6 million (-1.9 million difference)
May 16-22:
Tuesday: 24.9 million
Wednesday: 27.9 million (-3 million difference)
May 23-29
Tuesday: 28 million
Wednesday: 30.2 million (-2.2 million difference)
COMPILATION CDs
There’s an interesting trend in the American Idol Contestant Compilation CDs as well. In the CDs from all four seasons, the first two songs correspond with the crowned American Idol and the first runner-up.
The CD from AI1 was the only one produced after the show, and thus after the results were known. It was released approximately one month after the AI1 finale, which suggests it was mastered right after the finale. No blatantly obvious rigging occurred. The order of the songs on this CD is based on the contestant’s order of elimination. It begins with two songs by Kelly Clarkson, followed by two by Justin Guarini and one by Nikki McKibbin. The last single performance on the CD is by Jim Verraros, who was the first of the Top 10 to be eliminated.
The CDs from AI Seasons 2, 3 and 4 are a different story, however. The first two or three songs are also in the order of the contestant’s elimination, but the key is that the CDs were produced before the conclusion of the show. Is this a coincidence? Is this brilliant guesswork?
The first single on the AI 2 CD is by Ruben Studdard, and the second is by Clay Aiken. This is interesting because the CD was released at the end of April, which means it was probably mastered in late March or early April. Ruben wasn’t actually announced as the winner until May 21st. Is this coincidental, or were the top two already known in April?
On the AI 3 CD, Fantasia’s song is first on the list. Like the AI 2 CD, this CD was released in late April, which means it was mastered in late March or early April. Fantasia wasn’t declared the winner until May 26th. Again, is this nothing more than coincidence? Or is there something going on behind the scenes?
The AI 4 CD is interesting in that the first three songs belong to the top three contestants, in elimination order. Carrie Underwood’s cut is first, followed by Bo Bice’s and then Vonzell Solomon’s. The release date for this CD was May 17th, which means it was put together in mid-April, probably while the show still had six or seven contestants left. Again, either excellent guesswork has taken place, or something is going on behind the scenes.
It is highly unlikely that the TPTB could correctly “guess” the winner four times in a row, let alone who will come in second place, and even third place. Attributing this to mere coincidence is also absurd. The natural and obvious conclusion is rigging.
THE REVENGE OF THE SIXTH
Constantine’s recent post-AI performances have also been telling of his talent and popularity. During the Charlotte performance as well as during the Idol’s appearance on Nascar, Constantine is obviously out-shining everyone on the stage, and has had the largest group of fans. According to the show's outcome and "America's votes", he should be the sixth most popular contestant. He's clearly already moved up to at least the third position, however, because he has outshone contestants 3, 4 and 5 (Vonzell, Anthony and Scott). Will he continue to rise, passing even the two finalists? Only time will tell.
The upcoming tours will speak volumes, and this is where the public will have an even clearer picture of what really happened on the show, and the legitimacy (or lack thereof) of it all. Fox can control and manipulate America's votes, but they can't control the audience and which contestant's fans actually come to the concerts. This summer will be the ultimate test of who the true "American Idol" is.
STEPHANO POPODOPOLOUS: THE FINALE AND BEYOND
The fact that Constantine seemed to be show-cased during the finale also suggests that he was not voted off. It only makes sense to give the most airtime to the favorite contestants and the ones who were on the show longer. In the case of AI, this means that the top five contestants should have more camera time and larger parts in the finale than Constantine. This was not the case, however.
Constantine was definitely show-cased in the finale, which surprised many fans. Based on past actions of TPTB and the fact that they dismissed him, many assumed that he would be taken from the spotlight. But the exact opposite happened: not only did he have plenty of airtime, he even played a part in the skit (which no other contestants did). Why? If he was really the sixth favorite, then why didn’t Vonzell, Anthony or Scott play a part in the skit instead? Why didn’t they receive such prominent and center spots in the group songs? Wouldn’t America rather see and hear them?
No, Constantine did not win the title of ‘American Idol’ or a contract from TPTB, but he has clearly emerged as the top contestant and the winner this season. He doesn’t need to be tied down and put into a box that has been carefully crafted by Fuller to produce a perfect pop singer. Instead, he’s sparked the interest of true musicians, record labels and even television producers. He has the respect of Steven Tyler and Brian May; he recently recorded Bohemian Rhapsody for the new Queen tribute CD; he has been offered television and movie scripts; he has been on a variety of talk shows and radio programs. His future is bright, and this is still only the beginning for Constantine James Maroulis.
Article by Mary Elizabeth in Austin, Texas (aka Medea); send all e-mails to onyxmedea@yahoo.de; updated 6/10/2005.
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