american idol

American Idol Shows How Not-Fixed It Is With Meanest-Ever Elimination

American Idol

Top 11 Elimination
Season 8 Episode 22

Well, if the rumors were true, and American Idol is fixed and producers had been secretly pulling for an Alexis-Danny finale, alas, they won’t get their wish. Not only was Alexis Grace voted off last night without being rescued, but Idol offed her in what was surely one of the most brutal dismissals in the show’s history.

We figured the new “Judges’ Save” rule would make these results-shows ugly, but Ryan Seacreast and the judges seemingly went out of their way last night to make things even more unpleasant than necessary.

First, before Alexis even knew she was in the bottom three, Ryan Seacrest asked Randy Jackson to predict which contestant he thought had received fewer votes on Tuesday night, her or Adam Lambert. Randy answered, “Alison,” calling her by the wrong name. (This was particularly hilarious considering the judges have most commonly criticized her for being “forgettable.”)

Second, right after Seacrest informed her she’d been voted home by America, and handed her a microphone to sing again, Simon told her that, of the bottom three finalists, she was the one the judges “were thinking about saving — so it’s all going to come down to this performance now.” This was unnecessary and obviously a lie; if her singing could’ve saved her last night, the judges probably would’ve listened instead of deliberating the entire time.

So then, clearly upset and nervous, Alexis made a hysterical, hiccuping version of “Jolene” worse by forgetting the words. “We’re kinda unanimous on this,” said Simon afterwards. “It was good, but not good enough. Sorry.”

So had the Idol producers previously planned on saving her but decided instead to counter this week’s fixing charges by eliminating her in the coldest possible fashion? Did they want to rescue her, but ultimately determined it was too early in the season to waste their “Save,” lest they need it to bring back Danny Gokey later? Or do they secretly not even care who wins the competition because the money 19 Entertainment skims from former contestants’ album sales and concert tickets is minuscule compared to the tens of millions of dollars they collect from advertisers every week? The mystery deepens!

Earlier: American Idol : Will the Judges Save Alexis Tonight?
American Idol Is Totally Fixed, Claims Anonymous Person Who’s Probably Right

American Idol Shows How Not-Fixed It Is With Meanest-Ever Elimination