always, always, no matter what the subject salon has to get in some nasty comment about the country.

I agree that the voters got it right by choosing Cook (who is unbelievably polished and professional -- his gig last night with ZZ Top was astonishing), but way too much was made of the "daddy-whipped" business with David Archuleta. Daddy's don't "whip" that kind of talent into a 17-year old. (And by the way, do we call it "daddy whipped" when dad's push their 17 year old jock sons not to drop the ball in the big game, or do we reserve that for the extra-supportive parents of kids with softer sides?)

Archuletta is something truly special, albeit someone for whom there is not an obvious spot in the music business. I think he was actually the underdog because of his age. I think I wanted him to win for that reason, and also because in the final he really did rise way above his prior performances and nailed it. I don't think Daddy whipped that into him. That's talent and drive.

Fender stretches as far as he can to make a nasty comment about Salon.

Nicely said. I had the exact same reaction to the show, watching with my wife and 11-year old son - America got one right. There's hope for genuine-ness. And hope for hope. Maybe this is the year karma actually works. I guess we'll find out in November.

from making more money and being more popular in the long run.

They're both really pretty too.

This article was as right-on-the-money as some of David Cook's performances.

I, too, am old enough to be David Cook's mother. I, too, made a weekly ritual of putting up with the musical funhouse carnival just to see David perform and hope against hope that there were enough voter/viewers who saw in him what I did.

And, yes, I will buy his albums.

Thankfully, my teenage and twenty-something sons share my opinion. In fact, everybody I know who watched the show this season did so for David Cook. Oh, except for my friend's nine-year-old sister who liked the other David.

While the TV was on in the living room.

I wasn't a fan, but my wife was.

I would be making my lunch, or cleaning up from dinner.

I didn't know who these people were.

But when I was in the kitchen listening to the singing, everyone sounded off key at one time or another. Everyone that is except David Archiuleta.

You can dislike him b/c of his dad. You can dislike him b/c of the style of music he picks. You can dislike him b/c he is young.

But his voice was pitch perfect. And his voice sounded beautiful. And his voice was more beautiful than David Cook.

David Cook was more diverse. That deserves credit. David Cook took risks. That deserves credit. David Cook has a sound of his own that is beautiful as well. He deserves his prize.

But this was a competition that ultimately compared the world's best apple to the world's best orange. Can you really say what is better?

And please don't comment about the "robotic" look of David A. The kid is only 17, having stardom practically thrust out at him. How would we react? Besides, toward the end when I actually started watching, David C had this really annoyed look on his face all the time (probably b/c he was nervous, so that's OK too).

Anyways, congrats to them both and screw all you pushy abusive parents everywhere.

>"I can't help envisioning a time when Archuleta breaks out of the workshop and goes on a rampage through the surrounding countryside, hot-wiring cars and breaking kneecaps, with Miley Cyrus in tow. To quote the title of his favorite song: "Imagine." "

hilarious.

exactly what I was thinking, but not so colorfully.

give that poor kid 5 years, he'll tell his dad to go pound sand, and we'll get to see what he's really about.

Perhaps this disqualifies me, but in the however many years this show has been on the air, I have watched about five minutes - tops. But because the Mets were losing badly again last night, I said what the hell, let's watch this thing and tuned in just in time to watch that wretched rendition of "Freedom" by, I assumed, the runner-ups. (I was horrified to soon learn that it included the two Davids, the damn finalists.) So I didn't see how these Davids got there. I knew nothing of their talent. As a rock fan, I am sure I wouldn't have cared if one of them was considered a "rocker". All I can say is that watching Mr. Cook sing that last song made me feel dirty and not a little sick to my stomach. And now to read a day later affirmations of this verdict from people who get paid to think critically about these things leads me further into desperation. I don't care how great David Cook's voice is supposed to be or that he can play the guitar at the same time, the very fact that David Cook aspired to be an American Idol and then took steps to get on the show makes him immediatley and endlessly reprehensible. He is a phony. And it was a fucking landslide.

I suppose the reason Louis is on staff is because he knows how to get people MAD! His opinions about almost everyone he could think of, rolled into one review, are quite sick. Actually, HE must be quite troubled in body and soul. Then he has the nerve to say he PRAYED somewhere in among his garble. Just as he is quite ready to get rid of Randy from AI, wouldn't it be nice to get rid of him from Salon.com. As a parting shot, did Louis notice the number of people who voted recently (living in South Africa, we are going to watch AI final tonight!) - the last one I watched there were 56 million votes.But of course, THEY are all wrong, and Louis thinks he's right!!!!