It's Deja Vu All Over Again

The immortal words of Yogi Berra (go google him, youngsters) were never more true than describing this week's American Idol finale between Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. A belter and and an all-around performer went at it, with the belter prevailing after the two were both required to sing the same power ballad coronation song. Now, where have we seen that before?

Oh, yeah, on the first season of American Idol, in the showdown between Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini.

The similarity was made all the more mind-blowing by the fact that American Idol Rewind ran its finale episode not more than a week before the regular AI episode, reminding viewers that Justin was actually screwed twice in his finale with two songs chosen especially for a young female singer, not just one. (We've talked about this before.)

Justin has been characteristically gracious about what was done to him. It is not part of his life philosophy to dwell on past bad acts of others. Even in our recent interview with him, where the subject of the two season's parallels came up, he merely commented on how they were "working out a lot of bugs" the first season.

Justin is also way too self-deprecating about his vocal performance, implicitly suggesting it was on par with Lewis'. As Debra Byrd made sure to point out to him when she appeared on the season finale of Idol Tonight, "You held your own, dude. I have to make sure you get props for that."

Indeed, he did. Justin has an incredible vocal range, and the only problem for him vocally with "A Moment Like This" was where the arrangement was placed relative to his head/chest voice break. We love to see what he and Greg Gordon Smith (his jazz album arranger) would do with the song without constraints.

In any event, Blake Lewis did the best he could with the song and surely knew (and probably hoped) he would come in second. What is somewhat bothersome is how free he has been to talk about what was done to him, relative to the straight jacket Justin experienced. If Justin had said this:

Lewis agrees. "'This is My Now" is definitely not my style, a song I would never sing if I didn't have to," he says. "It fit [Jordin] like perfectly. And I honestly think they should have had two songs that were tailored to both of us, but I'm so happy with being second place." link

he would have been pilloried. He has been pilloried, by press that has so far shown little regard for fair and balanced reporting.

So, we issue a challenge to the press. When you are talking about the Lewis/Sparks showdown and the producers' manipulation of the outcome, let's see you acknowledge that Justin Guarini was subjected to the same sort of set-up. If you don't think it reflects on Blake's talent, than how can it possibly reflect on Justin's? No person can shine when the people in control are shoving his light under a barrel.

Justin is right, though. They have worked out the bugs. The major bug they worked out was their fear of non-winners' success. Blake Lewis will not live out the nightmare that Justin did the end of the first season. He will have a successful album release, no doubt. More power to him. But, press, here's another request. Let's get our facts right when the inevitable comparisons are made by you come album time. As much as they appear the same, things have substantially changed. Thanks in advance.