"American Idol" Finale: Clean-cut Teens v. Provocative Pop Stars
Another American Idol season has come and gone. We have a winner – Scotty McCreery! And while this is not the most important news of the week given all the devastation created by severe weather, I was inspired by the two young teens who made it to the finals.
Were they the most talented of all the people who auditioned and made it to Hollywood? Maybe. Maybe not. But the show had its moments and I want to talk about a few of them.
When Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Lady Gaga performed on stage, it was all about sex; some of it came across as soft porn. Honestly, this was not what I wanted my 8-year-old niece to see. What do you say to your 16-year-old son when Beyonce is making moves that only my chiropractor can understand? While I loved Jennifer Lopez’s kind heart, when she moved, sweetness turned to vixen. The message to all little girls: here is what you do to be a big star. If you want to make it with the heavy hitters, it’s all about how well you sex it up. This is sad because those three mega stars have incredible talent. Yet their talent is overshadowed by their wild display of sexuality.
When teens Scotty and Lauren stood on the stage, dressed fashionably but appropriately, and showcased their voices over their bodies, Americans still paid attention. In fact, 122 million votes were cast for the clean-cut teens.
How refreshing it was to see Lauren genuinely moved by the tornado devastation she witnessed in her hometown when she returned for her big moment. This was hardly like the entitled teens we see paraded on reality TV shows today. Instead, we saw a young woman who had compassion for others and could put aside her "idol" fame to focus on what really was important.
My favorite moment of the entire season was when Scotty was mentored by Lady Gaga. It was truly priceless. One of the biggest stars in the industry tried schooling Scotty on how to use his microphone as his girlfriend. When the advice became awkward and sexual, Gaga appeared a bit stunned and noted that he was more conservative than she thought. But the 17-year old didn’t apologize. Respectfully, he declined to go where he was uncomfortable going. Scotty was simply being Scotty; it didn’t matter that a mega star was pressuring him. I only wished he would have looked her in the eye and quoted her own lyric, “I was born this way!”
For me, the most important take away this season was that despite all the successful musical acts who pranced around on stage as if they were on a Viagra high, Americans chose the nice kids from the neighborhood.
These two finalists found a way to do something truly remarkable in Hollywood: stay true to themselves, family, and God. I like to think that in the end, America voted for lost innocence and reminded us that there is still a place for teens who love their moms and care about others.
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About This Blogger
Dr. Linda Mintle is a licensed therapist, author of 16 books, and an expert on family issues.