Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

The moment that many American Idol fans have been anticipating for weeks finally came as mush-mouthed country boy Bucky Covington was finally sent home to the ranch. Many people thought he should have been gone weeks ago, because his performances were substandard compared to the rest of the finalists, but apparently his likability kept him in the competition.

A lot of viewers probably know guys like Bucky, who has a down-to-earth, guy next door vibe about him. The truth is, though Bucky belonged in Country Idol rather than American Idol, since that's all he was comfortable singing. But I doubt he'd win Country Idol either.

His enunciation is poor, and he blew through most of his songs without striving to connect with the audience. Surprisingly, Tuesday night was one of his stronger performances, as he delivered a country rock version of "Fat Bottomed Girls", but this wasn't enough to save him from destiny.

It's possible some viewers disapproved of the song, which is definitely one of the raunchier and most sexist in the Queen catalogue. Or maybe Bucky's number was simply up.

The question isn't so much why he left as why he stuck around so long. The answer must be likability. Whereas Mandisa, cut last week, struggled with consistency, Bucky was consistently mediocre, and ultimately, his sunny personality couldn't save him.

Joining him in the bottom there were Elliott Yamin and Ace Young. Many critics felt Elliott gave one of the stronger performances of the evening. But no doubt there are others, like me, who want to like him but are put off by his poor showmanship skills. He seems like a likable enough guy, someone who loves his mother and is quietly humble. But his performances have ranged from uncomfortably stiff to manic, and it's hard to see him as the winner.

If he's aware of these faults and finds a way to get more comfortable on stage, it will help him. Otherwise, he's destined to go within a couple weeks.

No one was surprised to see Ace in the bottom three, and many had predicted he'd be the one to leave. Certainly, he's deserved it for weeks and managed to advance anyway, thanks to a loyal fan base of teenyboppers. The question is, how long can they continue to pull him out of the fire? My guess: not much longer.

More on American Idol:

Musings on American Idol Season 5 (2006)

Musings on American Idol Season 4 (2005)

Musings on American Idol Season 3 (2004)

Copyright 2006 by Alyce Wilson

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