Allison’s departure makes final 3 a boys’ club
It was another night destined to end in heartbreak. For what has widely been called the strongest final four in “American Idol” history, there was no obvious chaff to be cut from the wheat on Wednesday -- and any cut was bound to be unjust. As host Ryan Seacrest named which singers would advance to the final three and which one would be dropped, the tension in the audience was palpable.
In the end, 17-year-old Allison Iraheta, the youngest remaining contestant and the only female left in the race, was left out. Her spunky personality was a force of humor on and around the “Idol” stage, and her hard-rock vocal style made for memorable performances.
After receiving almost no screen time in the preseason episodes, Iraheta burst onto the “Idol” stage in the semifinals, wowing audiences and busting past more favored women to score an early berth in the Top 13. In the finals, however, despite being a consistent favorite of the judges and many critics, she struggled to win audience affection, finding herself several times in the bottom three, even after acclaimed performances.
“American Idol” has historically been unkind to female singers in a hard-rock vein; Iraheta went further in the competition than any other in this category before her.
Still, although Iraheta’s “Idol” journey ended, the presence onstage of Chris Daughtry, who was eliminated at this level three years ago, was a stark reminder that “Idol” offers many paths to success besides victory.
In addition, Iraheta’s elimination continues “the L.A. curse.” Each year, a huge number who call Los Angeles home emerge from the auditions; to date, only Katharine McPhee has advanced to the final three.
The surviving trio of Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Danny Gokey makes up the first all-male final three. This week, each of the remaining contestants will return to their hometowns (San Diego; Conway, Ark.; and Milwaukee, respectively), where their homecoming celebrations will be recorded for airing next week.
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