I’m not going to get on here say it’s a tragedy or an injustice that Melinda Doolittle was voted off American Idol last night. 9/11 was a tragedy. VT was a tragedy. Millions dying of hunger when I have a pantry full of food is an injustice. So I’m going to keep all of this in perspective. But I hate it when things don’t go the way they should. Melinda should be in the finals next week. She should be rewarded for being the most consistent performer among this season’s lackluster crop. The Nashville native and career back-up singer wooed the judges with her spot-on vocals and her performer’s savvy, drawing comparisons to Gladys Knight and Tina Turner. It’s unfortunate that her spot in the finals was given to beat-boxing dweeb, Blake Lewis. Cut his hair and he’d be nothing. It’s a shame.
But hey, this is America we’re talking about. What else can you expect from a nation of voters who subjected us to week after week of Sanjaya’s caterwauling antics? Melinda, you deserved better. But somehow I think you’ll be just fine.
already & not yet 
Melinda always performed very well…I just wish some of that spunk and confidence could spill into the other parts of her personality. I, like you, think she’ll have a strong career ahead of her without the title of American Idol.
Melinda has been a consistent singer, but I just don’t think she can be a ‘pop star’. If she won, I think she would have been one who faded back into the shadows. She may have a good career ahead of her, but I think it will be continuing to sing back-ups or maybe making movie soundtracks or something. Blake and Jordin are just younger and have more stage appearance…and it’s the younger people who are voting. I pick Jordin.
I am making a prediction now: The “dweeb” will sell more records than Melinda and Jordin will sell more records than Melinda. She is the best singer, unfortunaltely she has the personality of a chair.
…And I can’t spell.
I totally agree with you on the personality thing. Melinda’s “aw shucks” routine got old pretty quick. But Jordin’s teenage-girl squealing and awkwardness is equally annoying to me. Blake’s the only one of the Final 3 who knows how to act in front of the camera. That’s why he’ll win.But I think she’ll still sell plenty of records if she picks the right genre. Blake and Jordin are definitely more accessible, more pop-oriented. But if Melinda is smart, she’ll market herself toward the contemporary Christian audience. She could carve out a nice career there along the lines of Nicole C. Mullins or somebody like that. Whoever wins — either Blake or Jordin — has a chance to be the first Idol winner to make a dent in the pop charts since Kelly Clarkson.