TELEVISION -AN IDEAL IDOL:

In a world ravaged by war, famine and the ongoing threat of terrorist attacks, I chose escapism last evening, plopping myself down to watch the American Idol finale. While I could wax on and on about who I believe should (or shouldn't) have been in the final, I have to admit that I was downright impressed by Fantasia Barrino's performance.

While Diana has a great voice -especially for a 16 year-old- she lacks the flexibility in range, tonal creativity and stage presence to compete at Fantasia's level. When Fantasia was singing I had the impression that she was in command of the theater -and that she truly belonged there. I've read that Diana garnered some impressive vote counts during the past month, but Fantasia's performance of Summertime was undeniably incredible. Additionally, she breathed life into the lungs of "I Believe," the official American Idol single -crafted by season-one contestant, Tamyra Gray. The song could very easily have been penned by Diane Warren, with it's deliberate emotional swells and wanna-be-funk choir arrangement, but it did a fine job of showcasing the singer's true vocal chops.

One issue I have with last night's judging was the commentary delivered to Fantasia regarding her first song, "All My Life." All three judges made comments regarding the sleepy arrangement, which I found perfectly suited to showcase a delicate vocal performance featuring Fantasia's wide dynamic range. If anything, I applaud the arrangement for its understatement -something K-Ci & JoJo's original recording of the tune truly lacks. Perhaps they were jonsing for an in-your-face vocal slam. Whatever the case, her performance packed a beautiful subtlety lacking in many of the performances featured this season.

Tonight we get the results of this contest, unleashing a marketing blitz that will fill our media with every new tie-in and promotional deal imaginable. After the glitz of the contest fades, we'll end up with an over-produced ten track nugget from a girl with far too little experience to say no to a trashy tune penned by a hack like Warren. But at this point I just don't care, the real entertainment is watching these young stars strive for success each week, facing down a talented pack of peers on their way to the top.