For the last five seasons of "American Idol," a white guy who can play the guitar was crowned the winner of the competition. Yep, there hasn't been a female winner of "Idol" since Jordin Sparks in Season 6. It seems like the show stacked the odds in favor of the women for Season 12. Good.
"Idol" has been criticized in the past for the last five winners, but if the show is truly determined by votes, blame should also be placed on the viewers who fell in love with the usually conventionally "handsome" guy. But the judges and producers are responsible for putting the talent in front of the viewers, which is why looking at this crop of contestants, it's clear the show wants a female winner.
From the get go, judges have been saying "American Idol" Season 12 will have a female winner.
"All I can say is at least from what we just saw last night it's absolutely a girl's year to win, in my opinion," new judge Keith Urban told HollywoodLife in late February. "That's not to say the guys aren't strong because they really are. Its really more a testament to how strong the girls are this year. I want to see the emergence of great artistry, male, female, it doesn't really matter, but definitely the girls are stronger. I don't know why that is. It's just one of those things. We saw probably over 270 people all up to get it down to where we are today and the girls were just incredibly strong this year."
Boom. The seed is planted further in "American Idol" fans' minds.
When you look at the talent, the ladies have got it. From Candice Glover's smooth and effortless tones to Angie Miller's very marketable -- and nice sounding -- pipes and Kree Harrison's outstanding musical ability, it will be a travesty if a woman doesn't take home the top prize.
The talent on the male side is less than stellar. There's no hot white guy with a guitar -- he's been replaced with the soulful sounds of men like Devin Velez and Burnell Taylor. But for the most part, the men are forgettable, destined to play county fairs before returning to their hometowns and fading back away. It seems to be done on purpose, especially when you look at the talent the judges have shepherded along the way. Atrocious singers like J'da, Jimmy Smith and Chris Watson made it to the Top 20 guys and then, somehow Cortez Shaw and Elijah Liu surpassed them, counting themselves among the Top 10 guys.
So why is "Idol" pushing the women so much?
Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are two of the most popular recording artists around today and they hail from "American Idol." When you look at Grammys and record sales, the ladies have it. It's been a while since an "Idol" winner made a big splash. Phillip Phillips scored a hit with "Home," but it hasn't really gotten industry attention, mostly just commercial placement. Having a female winner will change up the marketing -- Nicki Minaj is quick to point out which contestants are the total package -- look how far Clarkson and Underwood have gone, then look at the likes of Lee DeWyze and David Cook. Big difference. Yes, they've been around longer, but they were hits right out of the gate.
The group of contestants this year are incredibly diverse on both sides of gender in terms of race, looks and abilities. It's time the winner represented that. It makes sense that "Idol" is pushing for a female winner. They are more talented this season, but that's the whole point: They've stacked the odds. Is it fair? No, but should we as viewers truly believe the choice has been ours this whole time? Unlikely, when you really think about the beast that is "American Idol" and reality TV as a whole. Whether the competition is really stacked or the ladies are just that good and the men are that bad, it's time for a woman to be crowned "American Idol" once again.
