Seriously, American Idol?

What do Sanjaya, Kevin Covais and Megan Joy have in common?  No – get past that I knew all their names.  Yes, they’re all people that made no sense on how they made it to the top 12 of American Idol.    Seriously Simon, Randy, Paula and that other one?  Is that the best you could come up with from the 120 gazillion of people who tried out?

This is where my tin-foil hat side comes out.  I’m wondering if there’s some manipulation behind the scenes to add drama and create buzz.  Still don’t believe me?  I have a four syllable name for you:  Tatiana.  Clearly, this poor girl was emotionally unstable, and all of us were a little afraid to watch, but couldn’t quite peel our eyes like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

For the three Americans who don’t watch the show, Tatiana was always on the verge of tears and had an uncontrollable, nervous laughter that made everyone a little uneasy.  She literally begged the judges on the first round to go through in a way that made my dog seem aloof.  She was as balanced as President Bush on a Segway scooter, and somehow, she was the only contestant that got switched between rooms on the last round of Hollywood.

Then, she was mercifully voted off, and they somehow made up new rules to bring her back so she could be voted off again.  Great television, but seems incredibly cruel to this girl.

But – the Tatiana and Sanjaya saga has me thinking, has the ratings juggernaut sold out a little?  Let’s just fast forward to Adam and Danny being in the final two.  Seriously, American Idol.