ladies and gentlemen, brooke white

During the first Beatles night, Brooke White performed Let It Be, earning rave reviews from all three judges. But seriously, who cares what Randy’s 8-ball thinks? This is my favorite performance of hers all season primarily because it felt, as David Cook described it, organic. Brooke seems to be most comfortable sitting in front of the piano, hitting the black and white keys with such intense emotion, and stepping on the pedals barefooted. Everything about that moment felt right to me (and apparently, to a lot of people too, seeing as Let It Be has made almost all top how-many lists of best performances in season seven), and her breaking slowly into tears at the end only made it more endearing than it already was. Oh, she looked awesome that night too!

every breath he drew was hallelujah

I had every intention of writing a blow-by-blow recap of the American Idol finale, squeezing in together the performance night and the official season finale itself. However, after watching the show, I do not know how I was supposed to pull-off a commentary for each of the performances, when there was but one performance that captured me in all ways possible.

Yes, congratulations to David Cook for winning the title of American Idol. The moment Simon apologized to Cook for his comments the night before, I think we all knew who the next American Idol was. I mean, hey, that was such a dead give away. I love how Cook said that he didn’t think the apology was necessary because he did not feel like he was disrespected at all. All things considered, I’m not sure what Simon did to disrespect Cook that night. Maybe there were disrespectful snags here and there, but nothing as overt as Paulagate *ahem* where he said an apology was unnecessary.

Congratulations, too, to David Archuleta for making it this far. (But seriously, did we ever doubt he’d make it this far? *crowd shakes heads furiously*) I believe he did well come Top 2, and I’ll deal more with that soon.

So, Jonas Brothers aside, about 25-30 minutes into the show, Ryan Seacrest introduced us to a performer – an artist – we all know and love. I’m not even going to pay attention to the dismissive intro he gave him (which really hit a nerve), because in a night filled with special guests and special numbers, SPECIAL does not even begin to describe how this next number is.

I admit, I was a little worried when I found out Jason Castro was singing Hallelujah. Archuleta reprised Imagine just the night before, and to me, it was not as successful as it was the first time around. Nonetheless, to everyone’s surprise, I suppose, it was unbelievably more unbelievable than how he performed it three weeks into the semifinals.

In my mind, the two performances will not overlap. I would not bother comparing Hallelujah 1.0 with Hallelujah 2.0 for many reasons, i.e. he was singing the same song (albeit a slightly altered version of it) under different circumstances. Amazingly enough, by injecting a slew of emotions in phrases different from the first, he has made it easier for me not to compare the two.

Hallelujah 1.0 is different from Hallelujah 2.0, that is why Hallelujah 2.0 is not called Hallelujah 1.1 – get it?

“Even when poetry has a meaning, as it usually has, it may be inadvisable to draw it out. Perfect understanding will something almost extinguish pleasure,” so a line from A.E. Housman goes. With his performance for the finale, just like all of his performances in American Idol, I’d like to treat them as poetry – as artistic expressions – rather than a law proclamation that is interpreted and explained over and over and over.

For Hallelujah, I will just leave it be that it was artfully stimulating and emotively heart-wrenching. It mattered not that AI did not give him a duet partner, because Hallelujah has been and will always be Jason Castro’s AI moment alone. His performance had me aching for him – in a good way. And yes, every breath he drew was Hallelujah.

overrated poll

It’s funny how people can get so personal with people they have a slim chance of knowing personally.

Given a topic for discussion – the AOL poll, for example – different kinds of people will interpret it differently. We will agree, disagree, love it or hate it. Then slowly, the comments digress from the topic at hand. At one point, we find ourselves talking about how this contestant has no respect for the process, how that contestant’s fans are the most eloquent, how this other contestant shows no range, how that other contestant’s fans are a bunch of tweens, and whatnot.

Whoa. It’s not about the topic anymore, is it? Over time, it will become more about us and less about our Idols. I am not sure if it is an overt signal that we humans are actually more narcissistic than we choose to accept. Think about it, how many conversations have you had that did shift to something about yourself?

I am not excluding myself from such observation. It’s hilarious, really. When you think about it, if a person tells you that he had lasagna for dinner, you’d probably reply with, “I just had a small serving of Caesar salad because I’m on a diet.” Suddenly, the conversation shifted to you. Weird, but entertaining.

Going back to the topic at hand (oh yes, I will fight the urge to turn this into an entry about how my day was), with the results of the AOL poll for American Idol published over 48 hours ago, there has been a lot of banter between fan bases. You better watch your back *insert group name here*, the fans of *insert name of another Idol* are out to get you.

Fan A: Jason Castro is the most overrated contestant? No! The poll is definitely wrong!

Fan B: Yea, I think David Archuleta is the most overrated. He’s nice but very boring. He gives us a ballad after ballad after ballad. When he does something upbeat, it’s a mess! Plus, how many times has he been marketed by the producers as the most marketable contestant? I lost count at 150. His CD will probably sell because the teenyboppers out there love him to death for some reason.
(What a coincidence, Jason lost count on the number of interviews he’s done at 150 too. On another note, I don’t think it’s a non-Archie’s place to criticize an Archie for liking what she likes. We all have different likes and dislikes. I mean, if we didn’t, why would slum books bother asking.)

Fan C: Jason was and is the most overrated contestant on Idol. He has absolutely no vocal range or personality. Sure, Archuleta is young, awkward and inexperienced, but he is definitely not overrated.
(Maybe I read the topic wrong. Did AOL dub Jason as the Idol who has the least vocal range and personality? Wow, I might have been reading some other poll result then. As for Archie being inexperienced, yea right, and he hasn’t been singing since he was young…er and Jason has been a vocalist since he was five. Duh, how could I have forgotten that?)

Fan D: To be factual, both Cook and Archuleta have great voices. Cook is more flexible, but Archuleta is not that far behind. He just needs a little polishing for stage presence, and then they’re both good to go. As for being overrated, it would be Jason. Even though he has his own way of singing, he’s not flexible.
(This is one of the funniest things ever. To be factual, this is the farthest from factual one can ever get. I remember in elementary, teachers spent a lot of time teaching us the difference between fact and opinion. I guess this person was too busy doing gymnastics all day, with all this spin on flexibility and all. Maybe he is referring to a different poll too, one that talks about flexibility.)

Fan E: Castro is overrated? By whom? Really now, he is one of the underrated contestant of season seven because he doesn’t get enough credit for arranging the songs, just like how Carly was not given enough praise for her take on Here You Come Again.
(Yea, by whom? By his fans? Well, duh. They’re his fans; it’s what they do. That aside, I agree with giving credit where credit is due. Jason, Carly and other contestants have not been praised as much for the changes in arrangement they have made.)

Fan F: Archie tweens should get a life already, or at least, hit puberty first. Seriously, you’re all childish, whiny and unable to express yourselves well with decent sentences. Come back when you can spell properly.
(Foul. Let’s not steer this discussion to things like that. Sure, I often wish replies to thread would be something more civilized and more articulate than “are you stupid… he was d bst in d bunch!!... if u had ears… u apreciate him more!” However, to say that those kinds of comments only come from Archuleta’s fans would be a sweeping generalization. In fact, it would simply be unfair. If you think they’re a bunch of whiny lovers, you’re a whinier hater.)

Fan G: I can’t believe so many people think Jason was underrated. Don’t people have any sense? Have people forgotten what a good singer sounds like? To have gotten that far in the competition and still have forgotten the lyrics to his song was just as Simon says – it was utterly atrocious.
(Don’t people have any sense? Actually, I think they do. People have a sense of individuality, of being unique thinkers who decide for themselves who they are going to like because it appeals to them. I don’t think people have forgotten exactly what a good singer sounds like because there exists no such standard. And hey, if you say Mariah, Celine and Whitney, I’ll scream. If sense to you means letting go of your personal preferences and submitting to what you, Mr./Ms. Fan G believes is good music, then I’d rather be called senseless. No, scratch that. I will only be too happy to establish a club for the ultimately senseless people who wants to remain their own persons.)

There’s too much of this going around, too much that it’s nearly impossible to soak it all in.

If there is anything overrated here, it is the AOL poll’s published results. If it’s representing anything, it is how incompetent a huge corporation is to have published results from a poll that can be rigged even easier than American Idol itself? I mean, why are we paying too much attention to (and going so far as believing) an online poll that can easily be hacked and manipulated? I know many of you are now giving virtual glares to other fan bases, accusing them of voting ten times a day when you think it should be limited to a vote per person (or at least, per IP address). However, studies show that it’s not just the extra 10, 50 or 100 we put in for our favorites (or in some cases, for our least favorites) that alters unsecured polls like this dramatically. Think 10,000 while a person’s out for lunch, obviously computer-automated.

Furthermore, because we don’t know when the poll will end, a lot of the results vary on different occasions. At times when Michael Johns’s fans rally to vote, he had the lead in the Daughtry-like success category. When the Dreadheads rally to vote (which I think didn’t really happen because they were preoccupied with coping with the whirlwind of press Jason is subjected to), Over the Rainbow was in the lead for best performance. When Archuleta haters rally to vote, he is the most overrated and had the worst performance title in the bag.

One word: Whatever.

If we take a moment to disregard all the factors mentioned above, it still wouldn’t be in good conscience for me to consider the published results as legitimate. In fact, it is anything but – yes, that is even if they have been able to limit the number of votes per unit. You have to ask yourselves the following questions:

1. Why are the choices for each category so limited?

Although I have to agree that it would have been more complicated if we had 10 choices for each category, I have to say the manner by which the choices have been narrowed down to 5 or 6 is questionable. What was the basis in selecting which ones will appear in the poll? Is it the iTunes sales? The search engine figures? The judges’ comments? Really, I don’t know what they were thinking. If to me, the best performance this season was Carly Smithson’s Here You Come Again or Brooke White’s Let It Be, then I’ll be forced to choose one of the five that appeared on the list. Having said that, it cannot be concluded that so and so is the best performance this season. One can only say that it was voted the best of the five options available.

2. Why are the songs attached to a contestant too inappropriate for the category?

Was You’re the Voice David Archuleta’s worst performance? Fans would say “definitely not, he had a good night with that song”, non-fans would say “maybe, not really, I don’t care”, and haters would say “all his performances were nightmares”. Personally, I don’t think it was his worst performance this season; that title goes to We Can Work It Out hands down. I mean, he has been very consistent all through out, but with that top 12 performance, the arrangement was lacking, he flubbed the lyrics twice, and over-all, it was just an off night for him. (I’m not putting all the blame on him though; part of it goes to the fact that these songs were given life to years before his parents gave life to him. He had an off night then, but theme nights are way off almost all the time.)

Now, was Mr. Tambourine Man Jason Castro’s worst performance? Fans would say “of course not, the only bad thing there was the forgotten lyric, but what he did to cope with that made him all the more endearing”, non-fans would say “maybe one of his not-so-good ones”, and haters would say “there’s no doubt, plus everything he does is so one-note and boring”. For this particular issue, I think the forgotten lyric overarched the entire performance. What was particularly bad about this performance saved for the lack of jingle and jangle? On one hand, a certain contestant flubs his lyrics a number of times and his performance is deemed perfect. (Yes, Archuleta, I’m referring to you. Don’t take it too hard though. You forgetting your lyrics even during your audition contributed to me having an ounce of fondness for you. You aren’t that robotic after all. Gosh.) On the other hand, Jason forgets the lyrics once come performance night and he gets crucified for it? It wasn’t his best, yes, but to call it his worst is just… odd. I don’t think I need to expound on this further, so I’ll just reiterate my conclusion: The forgotten lyric overarched the entire performance.

3. What if (and this really is just a what-if situation) I think Michael Johns is the most overrated contestant this season?

With questions like this, we go back to number one. We are asked to choose when we’re not really given enough choices. I mean, hey, what if I think Danny Noriega is the most overrated? Although with this category, which will be dealt with more below, I can’t say that we can conclude that so and so is the most overrated among the ones listed.

4. How come only the following are the ones that often make it to the news: favorite Idol winner and most overrated contestant?

Is it a conspiracy? I don’t know. Catt Sadler from the Daily 10 said it best when she reported that in a recent AOL poll, Carrie Underwood has been named the favorite Idol winner and that Jason Castro was voted most overrated. DUBIOUS is the exact term she used in referring to the latter. Because really, in the greater scheme of things, I cannot say that Jason Castro is the most overrated contestant in season 7 because [aside from the fact that only a few of them were short listed,] he most certainly is not overpraised or overpimped. Unlike some contestants who, apparently, can do no wrong to the judges, Jason slowly but surely became all levels of wrong to Randy, Simon and Paula (ahem, Paulagate) plus Nigel and co. He clearly was not overhyped like Carly was, taking into consideration that he was given almost no air time prior to Daydream. Yes, Carly became the judges/producers/media’s punching bag in the semifinals and beyond, but guess what, Jason now officially holds the honor of being the media’s punching bag.

“Jason, is it true that you smoke weed?”
“Jason, I can’t believe you yawned backstage. Was it really because you didn’t care?”
“Jason, how stupid was it that you forgot the lyrics to the Bob Dylan song?”
“Jason, I felt as if you never took the competition seriously. Do you regret that?”
“Jason, it’s clear that you wanted to go home the night you really were sent home.”
“Jason, never mind your 1340 in the SAT, but are you really as dumb as AI portrayed you?”
“Jason, did you say don’t vote? Did America grant your wish?”
“Jason, do you smoke weed?”
“Jason, how long have you been smoking weed?”

Let’s say it again for the record: I find it questionable that the two most reported categories are Carrie Underwood for favorite Idol winner (which is cool, because I like her song for Disney’s Enchanted) and Jason Castro for most overrated contestant.

Oh well. I’m not about to give some unprotected poll get more credence from me than what it actually deserves. Wait, who is that guy in the recent country music awards that didn’t exactly embrace his entertainer of the year award because it was voted on online? Yea, whatever that guy’s name is… thank you.

So, should I end this with something about myself?

Nah, but I had friend chicken for dinner.

---

Coming up: American Idol finale, what Hallelujah felt like

i'm a happy camper

I began watching the results show with a sense of anxiety building in me.

If Jason leaves American Idol tonight, I told myself, I would be pretty sad. The whole world is yet to stand witness to more of his musical artistry and endearing personality, and it would be such a shame to have him packing when he’s so close to grabbing the title.

If Jason is safe tonight, I was worried that the stress of learning three songs while making a number of public appearances in his hometown would take a toll on his physical, mental and emotional well-being. AI has probably stretched him to his corporal limits, but next week will only push the envelope further. I mean, three songs? To add to that, he can might as well pierce our stone hearts with emotion-packed performances one after another, and they would still throw him under the bus. Let’s not forget that a couple of weeks ago, he was dubbed as the dark horse capable of ruining the producers’ (not to mention Randy and Simon’s) all-David finale dream.

Summing up the ifs, if Jason is safe tonight, I would probably cry inside. If Jason leaves AI tonight, I would probably cry inside too. (I’m not really an overt crier, so crying inside may be my thing.)

Come the latter part of the results show, I was nowhere near tears. In fact, when Ryan Seacrest announced he was eliminated and his video package played, I was laughing.

Jason Castro has officially been eliminated from American Idol and I am laughing, even my insides are dying of laughter.

After all, he wasn’t crying, so why should I?

He said "I shot the tambourine man". How could you not laugh after that? Marley shot Dylan.

Prior to this week, I thought Carly Smithson was the happiest Idol castoff. But now, Jason takes that title hands down.

He took it all in a stride, admitted his weaknesses and blind spots, even cracked a joke or two while the girl beside him was (I think) trying her hardest to blow her tearfest out of proportion. (Read: She compared it to the presidential race, and how either a black or a woman was going to be president or something. Last night, she compared her Idol experience to some civil rights movement. I don’t even know how she’s drawing these connections anymore.)

It was a lighthearted exit, and in a way, a reminder to us all that American Idol is just a television show, a competition. It isn’t the ultimate war of the worlds.

Had this been a life and death experience, Jason died laughing. He died a happy man who has yet to wrap his head around the idea of just how many lives he has touched.

His time on the show may be up, but we, as fans, should not be too ready to arrange for a crying session. This is neither the beginning nor the end. It ain’t even the beginning of the end. Jason Castro’s exit from American Idol is only the end of the beginning. I’m a fan who’s in it for the long haul.

His antics make me happy. His music makes me happy. Heck, even his Idol exit makes me happy.

I'm glad he did the Bob Marley song for his exit performance. It gave me the chance to say... Bob Marley!

Cheers to Jason Castro!

And even if time ain’t really on my side
It’s one of those days for taking a walk outside
I’m blowing the day to take a walk in the sun
And fall on my face on somebody’s new-mown lawn
(Lovin’ Spoonful’s Daydream, performed by Jason Castro)

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.

mr. magic will not decide for me

When Dorothy unveiled the man behind the curtain, there ensued the necessary chiding. “Oh,” she began, with her friends rallying behind her. “You are a very bad man!”

When Patrick found the real Mr. Magic behind a curtain talking into a machine that projects a bigger and more imposing image of himself, Spongebob yelled at him for ruining his faith in magic.

Similar, aren’t they?

Well, the similarities end there. Unlike the great Wizard of Oz who felt bad and helped Dorothy and her friends, Mr. Magic had Spongebob and Patrick thrown out of his castle.

Color me obvious, but I have been feeling a lot like Spongebob and Patrick since Tuesday night – disappointed, deceived, manipulated, confused, and possible fractured after being thrown out of the castle (or under the bus, whichever you prefer).

Let’s roll the tape:

"Jason, the first song, I loved hearing your lower register which we never really hear. The second song, I felt like your usual charm wasn't... it was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty. And the two songs made me feel like you're not fighting hard enough to get into the top four."

I know, I know. You can say I am one of those who hold on to things for far too long… you can say a lot of things about me, and I couldn’t agree more.

Maybe I am holding on to the issue for too long. Maybe I am looking too much into things. Maybe I am blowing it out of proportion. Maybe I am being too critical of Paula. Maybe I am being too ambivalent towards Simon. Maybe I am being too disapproving of Randy. Maybe I am being too nitpicky at the producers’ attempts to break Jason’s spirits and kick him out of the competition.

Maybe now you’re going to raise an eyebrow at me and ask, in the most sarcastic fashion, “Then why are you doing this?”

I say: Why not?

(At this point, you are either shaking your head incredulously or letting out a small laugh for the droll reply.)

To be perfectly honest, I had every intention of making this entire entry about what happened last week in American Idol: how they handled the press, how they tried to spin the whole situation to their advantage, how their version of damage control only gave rise to more loopholes, how they did not offer the slightest trace of an apology, how their stories and excuses don’t match, how the elephant in the room was not addressed, how the show is not exclusively aiming for the best vocals (which, after six seasons, you’d think they would be aware of already), how dress rehearsals should not have a bearing on judging, how even Quasimodo deserves an apology, and the list goes on and on...

Despite having the energy and train of thought to fuel an entire article tackling those written above, I won’t go around doing so. Given the flub last week, my faith may have been shaken, but unlike Spongebob, it is far from ruined.

Criticize him, badmouth him, quote him out of context, edit his clips in such a way that he will look like a villain or a slacker. Crucify him even! True fans will not stray; fans will remain fans come what may. The unwavering love and support of Jason’s fans have showed me that much. (Fans: admittedly the overused word in this paragraph and beyond)

Even if it’s true that the show is rigged, or that the producers manipulate the voting process (and eventually, the winner of American Idol), fans will continue to vote for their favorites. And if their favorite happens to be Jason Castro, they will continue to vote for him too. After all, Ryan Seacrest says “vote for your favorite”, not “vote for your favorite who is not Jason Castro”.

Mr. Magic – the man behind the curtain, the man who cons you into believing a whole lot of things, the man who kicks out your favorite because he’s becoming such a favorite – will not decide for you.

And yes, Mr. Magic will not decide for me too.

Today is when I draw the line between reality TV and reality… my reality. Even if Jason Castro and American Idol seem to have been testing my loyalties – our loyalties – a lot lately, my support [for Jason’s artistry] will not falter. The life he breathes into every lyric will remain real to me.

For this Tuesday, I pray his spirit be lifted and his hyperactive self be rejuvenated. Even if he delivers a Grammy-worthy performance and the judges give him rave reviews, I hope the voting public, his voting public, will not be complacent. They have been throwing him under the bus for at least two weeks now, so we should not let them deceive us.

Let’s take it one week at a time. I hope his lovers, supporters and believers will go over the rainbow and bring him to the top three.

I look forward to all his success in the future, hoping it will be success defined in his own terms.

Whoop!

a writer's shelf life

Writing is biodegradable.

It is too valuable to dispose off easily, like metal containers that can be refabricated and reused. It is naturally occurring for some, depending on how well they maximize resources. Those who have few, however, may find themselves blaming it on the barrenness of their land, or on the isolation of their region. Experience, after all, is what leads to the innovation of new uses of everyday items.

It has no legal definition, hence sky’s the limit. A single phrase, sentence, and a word, even, can be classified as such. The characteristic of being may be given to a whole slew of things. Again, sky’s the limit.

Most of it is preserved, via jutting down, typing, or voice recording. Although modern day technology would opt for canning, drying, pickling, vacuum-packing and smoking, people are given the freedom to hold onto traditional practices.

Store it at room temperature, keep it under direct sunlight, or refrigerate after opening – the manner by which you slow down spoilage is up to you; the resealable containers and glass bottles won’t restrict you with handling instructions.

You want creative freedom? You are given creative freedom. Housekeeping magazines and self-help books can only give suggestions… only do so much.

Be careful of admiring it for too long. Biodegradable items are labeled perishable for a reason. Do not adorn it with too much edible leaves and flowers. Excessive icing makes even a well-prepared cake shy away from perfection. A verbose vocabulary is not the answer; brevity isn't either. Tinker with the proportions, but don't dwell on them for too long.

Take a simple rice cake, for example, that you wished to serve to your important guests one afternoon. After taking it out of the fridge, you give it a once over and research on the internet on ways you can make it more presentable. You decided on using mangoes, confectionery sugar, and syrup (preferably chocolate), so you rummage through your pantry to complete the necessary ingredients. Later that day, after you have finally peeled and sliced your ripe mangoes and mixed the confectionery sugar with the right amount of brown sugar, what greets you is an almost jelly-like substance with the smallest hint of rice grains.

There you have it: rotten rice cake, kept out of the fridge for too long. Your frustration all boils down to you having the perfect garnish, and having had forgotten the main ingredient.

Shame.

Do not be fooled by its so-called natural essence. Of course, just because it is biodegradable does not mean it guarantees either health or safety. A story of two lovers overcoming AIDS may help victims everywhere to cope with the disease, but it would not cure it. Likewise, bearing false witness against your hated neighbor can be more dangerous than blueberry pie with cyanide. It would probably send him to rot in jail for something he did not do.

Talk about harmful.

It does not stop there, though. Its power and influence in wars can be at par with how well an in-house chef prepares the meals of generals and lieutenants before every battle, and goes above and beyond brute strength and sheer force.

As for it being recyclable, it is yet to be proved or disproved. Surely, a woman recycling masterpieces of her own is no crime, but a woman recycling masterpieces of another has to answer to the law.

Society has made a label for such act: plagiarism.

As for it being environment-friendly, so long as it comes from something natural and will return to what is natural, and provided it remains in a relatively natural form, then it’s all good. Feel free to use the complimentary pen outside the hall to save the planet.

As for writing being an expression, sure – but of what exactly?

Probably something natural, something biodegradable… like dung.