Scotty was "In It to Win It"

Wow!! What a finale last night on American Idol. I've watched many of the seasons through the years and I have to say this year had the most talent I've ever seen. Fantastic season.

I remember watching Scotty McCreery on the audition show and being blown away with his deep voice. Even more, I was blown away by his genuine charm. He was one of my favorites from the very beginning and I loved watching his growth through the weeks. His performance skills have improved by leaps and bounds and it's been so fun to watch. He has such an incredible voice, and as impressive as that is, I was far more impressed by the young man himself. He was always so polite. He was never full of himself nor did he ever get mad. He was always composed and he seemed to be such a kind-hearted guy. He's so down-to-earth. When they announced his name, we all screamed with excitement. My older daughter is sure she should marry him. The most impressive thing: his big moment in the spotlight wasn't even about him. He thanked God and then went directly to hug his parents and those who'd been there for him. He hugged all the contestants (loved the exchange between Lauren and him). He could've hogged that moment for himself, but he chose to make it about those who'd helped him along the way. Great kid--I hope fame doesn't ruin him like it has so many others (Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, even David Archuleta, etc.). I expect to see great things from Scotty and hope he'll stay grounded.

Lauren Alaina was so cute! I would've been happy if she won as well. She was also an early favorite from her audition. She's also so genuine and when she sang that song to her mom on Tuesday I thought I'd pop. What a beautiful song and what a sweet performance. Lauren will go places for sure. She'll be right up there with Carrie Underwood in no time. She's a beautiful girl with such an incredible talent and she's so much fun to watch on stage. I've loved watching her growth through the season and seeing her shine so many times. I knew it would come down to Scotty and Lauren. Secretly, I hope they start dating and end up getting married some years down the line. They perform together so well.

It was a fun show with all the finalists. They are all so talented. I loved seeing Pia again and hope she'll be successful--definitely the most shocking elimination this season.

Oh, I LOVED the performances with Carrie Underwood and Tim McGraw--I could listen to Tim McGraw in concert all night. He has such a gorgeous voice and his performance with Scotty was phenomenal. LOVED it!

Lady Gaga? Could've done without her. She's so strange and I don't like her music at all. She looked so weird in that outfit and I was glad it was on my DVR so I could skip her performance. The finalists opened with one of her songs but my older daughter fast-forwarded through it because she said the song was inappropriate. I don't think Lady Gaga is very talented and she's just so odd. I think Beyonce is beautiful but I don't care for her music at all. She can sure dance, though. I liked seeing Jennifer Lopez perform with her husband (I assume he's a Latin singer) and Steven Tyler, though he dresses like a woman, is a performer through and through. 

I'm excited to see where Scotty and Lauren go from here. I'll definitely buy their CDs.

American Idol Judges

I didn't watch AI last year, not even once. This year, I happened to find the first audition show by accident while I was folding clothes and I got sucked back in.

It's fascinating watching the auditions. Some of these people really can't sing, Why doesn't anyone tell them they can't sing? It's embarassing. I'm sure some of them purposely go to the auditions to be outrageous  knowing full well they can't sing, but I think some of them honestly believe they can sing. When the judges tell them no, they seem to be shocked. Some get so angry too. I don't want to laugh, but I can't help myself--does that make me a bad person? And then there are those who knock it out of the auditorium and create an orchestra just with teir voices. Amazing talent.

The judges are interesting this year. Randy Jackson has become the new Simon. He tells people they're bad and that they can't sing. He seems to have assumed this role because both Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez are very nice.

Watching Steven Tyler flirt with girls young enough to be his granddaughters is a little sickening. I mean, the man is old. He reminds me of Johnny Depp on Pirates--he acts a little off-kilter. I admit, I never listend to Aerosmith. At Hollywood Studios in Florida, there's a ride calle Rockin' Rollercoaster--one of the best rollercoasters ever--and it is supposedly a limo ride to get backstage for an Aerosmith concert. There are posters of the group on the walls. They sure liked to dress up like women. And Steven Tyler looked a lot different back in the day. However, he's been in the business for decades so I think he knows what's what and he's a great addition as a judge.

Jennifer Lopez is also a great addtion. she's been in the business for years, she's a great singer herself, and she understands what it takes to be a pop star. She's been really nice, but she's also been honest.

I like this set of judges and I'm looking forward to this season of American Idol.