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Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 4:11 p.m.

Ruben or Clay? Meh.

American Idol just didn't grip me as much this season. It's not the contestants, because we all know that this year's group of finalists was better overall than last year's. It's clear that maybe four of last year's top 10 could be considered as good as this year's top six or eight. It's just that it's old. Yeah, I think AI has a shelf life of maybe nine months.

First of all, there was no Big Band Night, which is the night I first fell in love with Kelly Clarkson (but that didn't last long). Out of all the shows (not including the audition shows with the bad people purposely included for the Car Crash Factor), the Big Band Night was the absolute best. Do it again.

I don't know if this season had the personalities that last season did, what with Nikki McKibben and Justin Guarini and the like. Ruben may be able to sing, but I imagine interviewing him is like talking to some of the high school athletes I used to interview who answered everything with two words and you had to ask 14 questions just to russle up a useable quote.

There was also the novelty of last season � we'd seen nothing like it. This season, the talent was better, but frankly, it was boring. Everything's recycled: I'm not sure that's really Paula sitting in the chair. It could be a robot, with her critiques taken directly from tapes of last season's shows, but with the new names dubbed in. Randy last night apparently wore a hat Paula's robot donned a few weeks ago (it was so small on him, it looked like the tiny hats those proverbial street-performing monkeys wear, and has anyone ever actually seen such a thing???). Even Simon has started regurgiating phrases in his critiques ("I kept thinking American Idol: The Musical," he said again last night).

I also realized that AI is not aimed at me. The age limit for the contestants falls short of my own and the songs that are written for the finalists during the last couple of weeks (that the winner will record for his first single) is a lame pop ballad that makes me want to retch and makes seventh graders want to dance slowly and closely just for a chance to touch someone of the opposite sex for three minutes and nineteen seconds. I liked Kelly Clarkson, I rooted for her, voted for her, and was happy she won. But I have no desire to buy her CD or go to her movie.

The same thing applies with Clay and Ruben. I didn't pay nearly as much attention from week to week this season. I'd usually have the Tuesday night performance episode on while I balanced my checkbook or surfed the internet. So to me, Ruben looked more nervous last night than ever. Clay's rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," however, might have been the best single performance of this season. But again, I wouldn't know, having not watched much. But I did like it.

Thank God Josh Gracin didn't get far enough to attempt that.

While it looked like a runaway heading into this week's matchup, I think Clay may have closed the gap a bit. Ruben's worn out, too, it appears, but that obviously didn't hurt Kelly. Either way, they'll get their opportunities, but I'm not sure who deserves the first shot that the winner gets. I didn't vote last night because I just don't care enough.

And you won't hear me complaining about who wins, either: You have to vote to earn the right to bitch and moan.

I've certainly been doing plenty of that since that flawed election of December 2000.

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