when picking on him becomes a trend

Is it just me, or have we been enduring Idol rather than enjoying it for the last couple of weeks?

For some reason, there seems to be this strong feel to it – almost a tragic one – that has shrouded the show since after Michael Johns’ elimination on the week of Idol Gives Back. (Read: My mouth was agape when Ryan announced that we are saying goodbye to him that night. I was shocked and partly scandalized. But after much thought and downtime, his so-called early exit might work out for him in the long run.)

Has American Idol become the ultimate endurance test above all else?

Positive. In fact, I can say it is an overlooked possibility. Instead of push-ups and running laps for weeks, 17-year olds and twentysomethings are subjected to Nigel (Ever tried singing a song composed for a cat?), Randy (Commenting that he’s a beautiful guy won’t make up for anything, dawg.), Simon (His bags are packed, come on. He has a grand homecoming next week, remember?) and Paula (How did Jason do on his other song? Wait, what? No, the third one, how did he do on the third one. Huh? There was no third song? My gosh, I thought he sang thrice! Didn’t you?).

Sarcasm and hilarity aside, Mariah Carey was right. American Idol is the “boot camp of all boot camp”. They put 24 people who are very talented, albeit utterly distinct from each other with their unique artistry, in a competition that aims to find the perfect fit to their oh-so perfect Idol mold. Remember that toy that comes with blocks of different shapes and sizes, and a larger piece with the big holes meant for every shape to go through? I think AI only has room for a small triangle, and they are trying so hard to fit circles, squares and pentagons of various sizes into it.

Sarcasm and hilarity aside for real this time, I will not forget to recognize the fact that without American Idol, we would not have been introduced to talents such as Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Elliot Yamin and Chris Daughtry. Without American Idol wanting to discover the most undiscovered singing talent in America (Read: Jason Castro, the drummer), the likes of David Cook, David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado, Brooke White and Jason Castro would not have been brought to the attention of the general public.

But wait, I spot a fallacy.

Are any of you familiar with the fallacy of hypothesis contrary to fact?

I do not intend to sound like a member of the academe here or what, but I believe it is important for us to be aware that American Idol has played a very important role in the career-building of these Idols. However, saying that Chris Daughtry would not have a musical career had it not been for Idol would not only be fallacious, but also insulting.

“If Madame Curie had not happened to leave a photographic plate in a drawer with a chunk of pitchblende, the world today would not know about radium.” (from Love is a Fallacy by Max Shulman)

Maybe, maybe not. She might have discovered it at a later date given a different circumstance, or another person from a country far away would have discovered radium and called it… Bob Marley.

Maybe Chris Daughtry happened to have auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance, got cut and went out to record an album just for kicks and then became famous. An unlikely story, but hey, it could have happened too. (Read: I’m not picking on Daughtry or anything. Fans out there might get that idea because I used him as an example. Why him? Well, his song, Over You, is still stuck in my head after I heard it on TV last night. Loved it, by the way.)

Going back to Bob Marley, how funny was it when Simon, who was dead serious in critiquing his performance, asked Jason “What were you thinking?”, to which he replied:

“I was thinking Bob Marley! Yea!”

Wouldn’t it be funny if the radium we know now really had been discovered by a different person at a different era and called it Bob Marley?

Anyway, sarcasm and hilarity aside (I’m trying. I really am, but I think my insides are laughing with me at the Bob Marley response. After all, Simon, you asked…), it seems that fans and non-fans alike have been speculating on whether or not Jason Castro really wants to in the running still.

My advice: Don’t over think it! Follow his example. When someone asks you what you were thinking, don’t debate with yourself on which response will get you more positive feedback. Answer the question; say what you were thinking. Bob Marley! (Okay, I really have to stop that… Bob Marley!)

Claim no. 1: In his top 5 video, he says things are getting pretty lonely.
Color it obvious: The people who understand what you are going through – the ones who are going through the same thing as you – are going home one by one. Wouldn’t that be lonely?

Claim no. 2: He made a comment along the lines of “I’m ready to go home.”
Color it obvious: As he should be. All of them should be ready to go home, especially at that point of the competition. No one is safe anymore. Even David Archuleta, an early favorite, has expressed a similar sentiment. I think it was Brooke who said it is better to be surprised that you’re staying than to be surprised that you’re going home. We don’t want Idol castoffs to just randomly drop dead on stage, do we?

Claim no. 3: He flubbed his lyrics on purpose, as if sabotaging his own performance.
Color it obvious: Who knows?

Claim no. 4: He was mouthing “don’t vote” when Ryan Seacrest was giving out his numbers.
Color it obvious: Some interpret is as him saying “vote, vote” or “go vote” after the first song, and simply “vote” on the second song. It can go either way.

Claim no. 5: At the end of the show, he already made the saluting gesture as if bidding adieu to the Idol stage.
Color it obvious: That’s Jason for you. He mimics Ryan, twirls in line, tips an imaginary cowboy hat, makes goofy faces about making goofy faces, and the list goes on and on.

Claim no. 6: He doesn’t seem to be taking the competition too seriously.
Color it obvious: Gray area – once again, maybe, maybe not. Nevertheless, if you take that kind of a competition too seriously, even throw your life away for it, you’ll die early. Again, we don’t want them randomly dropping dead on stage.

There are a lot more gray areas at this point, simply because we don’t know what’s going on in his head. His family may not know the exact thoughts he’s having. Heck, maybe even he hasn’t quite put a finger on the string of sense and nonsense plaguing his own thoughts.

In the kind of environment reality TV breeds, collecting one’s thoughts may be a difficult feat… for the contestants and the fans.

It was a moral struggle, they say. Should we, as fans, vote for him because we enjoy his music more than anyone else’s in the show, or should we stop voting for him because it would attract more negativities on his part?

Individual fans, individual choices.

If he is safe this week, I am looking forward to a stellar top three performance, preferably one with the raw passion he has injected in Hallelujah and the Latin-lover-esque rendition he has brought to Fragile and I Don’t Wanna Cry (the former being the studio version, which is, in my opinion, brilliant beyond reason).

If he will be going home this week, my heart goes out to him. I’m not saying he brought a new meaning to a ‘bad performance’, but I think he is better than what he has been showing us lately. He is capable of much more. I believe he has the makings of greatness in him, but he has got to take the helm and chart his own course. Stick to it, no matter the squalls! (obviously from Disney’s Treasure Planet)

Bob Marley! Whoop!

*Maybe I should join the Jason bus and sign-up as a fan? Hm, just a casual thought.