Teaching Pastor Wes Hamilton from LakePointeChurch (Jasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s home church) will commission Jason.

Can someone please explain what it means to be “commissioned” by a church? I’m Baptist, we don’t do that. I know that Jason is active in his church, I was just curious what the commission means. (Thanks in advance to anyone who answers.)

I’m happy that Jason is getting his hometown celebration next week.

When AI disrespects Taylor Hicks they disrespect all of the viewers who voted for him.

They lost credibility with alot of people.

What they have said was essentially your votes didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t matter.

Honestly, as much as I would like to believe this, I just don’t. I mean, I guess I agree that it’s kind of insulting for AI to, for all intents and purposes, pretend that the fourth-place finisher actually won the season and to effectively scrub the actual winner from history. Taylor fans notice it, but I don’t know if the casual viewer does, and even if they do, it completely makes sense that AI is going to promote its major cash cow more than it’s going to promote the dude with more humble success. (I don’t see why it’s impossible to acknowledge Chris’s mega-success AND to not treat Taylor as the product of some alternate timeline that was ultimately never experienced, but whatev).

So yeah, while I agree that AI’s treatment of certain contestants can certainly be read and interpreted as saying that your votes don’t matter, I don’t necessarily think the casual viewer is getting that message.

And I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think Taylor is crying in his beer, either. In fact, I think heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been grinning in his fine Italian wine.

Yeah, I don’t think he’s too broken up about it two years down the road. “I, uh, I’m sorry, sir, as much as I’d love to join the cast as your Broadway production, I, um…gosh, this is embarrassing, I don’t know how to say this…look, I’ll just be honest. My album sold less than a million copies. And American Idol refuses to acknowledge that I actually won. So as much as I would love to…oh, what’s that? You didn’t know — oh, you’re rescinding your offer? No, no, I totally understand. Thanks though, dude.”

Seriously, though, I’m just glad that others see things somewhat as I do. And I don’t think Taylor is crying in his beer, either. In fact, I think he’s been grinning in his fine Italian wine.

12 million extra times!!!!!!!!!

Word. Maybe that’s why Cook’s win feels so much like Kelly Clarkson’s win to me. He is genuinely ‘the people’s’ choice.
Totally earned.

They lost credibility with alot of people.

What they have said was essentially your votes didn’t matter.

This year they tried to manipulate the finale,

trouble was the American public saw that for the sham it was.

And they ROARED!!!!

12 million extra times!!!!!!!!!

If AI wants some of its viewership to return, they need to respect ALL their winners, and, that includes Taylor Hicks. Whether they agree with the decision or not, America voted. And, they need to make this right before they will pick up the numerous viewers they have lost because of it. I’m not saying this is the only reason, but, it is one.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-05-23-idol-exit-cook_N.htm

mj youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re right that it is obviously about the money but it seemed less obvious a couple of years ago at least to me. I think the thing that changed for me was the disrespect AI showed Taylor.

I agree, I think the manipulations are more obvious to the casual viewer now. That could be bad for the show.

I will shut up now because this is David Cook’s time- deservedly so.

I think this is what chewsday was thinking- when it started, it seems like AI was a way to achieve a dream for an unknown. Now it is so obviously only a way for TPTB to make money. True talent has very little to do with it.

Well, that’s not exactly a bulletin. Television producers aren’t generally known for their altruism. Of course, they are in it for the money.

Contestants will do well to enter the competition with eyes wide open, and plans to use the competition as much as it uses them.

Taylor Hicks did just that, and he’s infinitely better off now, than he was before AI. I doubt he’s crying in his beer at this point.

http://www.votefortheworst.com/blogs/laura/20080521/letter fremantle