It is a sad day when being a the best singer in a supposed singing competition is not enough, as it was the case for Ricky Braddy, the North Carolinian dude who served chicken fingers but possessed an amazing vocal talent, yet was cut short of the American Idol Top 12 again. He had virtually no screen time in the lead up to his first public vote but instantly won fans based on ONE performance. He was, thankfully and rightfully, brought back as a Wild Card contestant because he showed legitimate vocal ability and was arguably one of the better singers than those who became finalists.
But instead of celebrating, it was a night of heartbreak as tonight, the judges harped on his performance of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" even after taking the criticism that he previously lacked personality and proved to the judges that he could be an entertainer, as well as a great vocalist. I was slightly hoping that Paula would be his lifesaver, but this time around, the judges, as a collective, gave him the boot. And let's face it. The cards were stacked against him. America never really got to know his personality and was dismissed as a boring but good singer, as alluded by Simon. He certainly was never given his due and the judges/producers/TPTB really disappointed me on passing people like Ricky, Felicia Barton, and Mishavonna Henson, especially over the likes of Megan (Joy) Corkrey, who cannot carry a tune but the judges claim she has this great appeal that I cannot comprehend, and Jasmine Murray, whose "commercial" viability is simply overhyped vanilla. It is a given that these two will not win American Idol, so why even give them shots? Oh right...this isn't a singing competition. Right.
Goes to show the harsh reality of this damn television show: good guys finish last while the dramatic and pretty Miss Personalities win this kind of rat race. Who is the David Cook, Carrie Underwood, or Kelly Clarkson of Season 8? I am hard-pressed to find someone like them to root for.
