If you have not watched last night’s finale of American Idol, you may want to avoid this post. But for those who want to know, Lee DeWyze was named the new American Idol last night in a two-plus-hour finale. Host Ryan Seacrest said that the race was very tight- the vote tally between the winner and runner up was a two percent margin. Even though I think Lee sucks and he only won because of his looks and not his voice, there were some fun highlights to the show, including an appearance by Alice Cooper (if only Adam Lambert had been there to sing with him!), Janet Jackson, who looked amazing and was sporting a short hairdo, and Joe Cocker, who sang with both finalists.

Lee DeWyze scored a stirring victory Wednesday night, as he beat out season-long favorite Crystal Bowersox in the Season 9 finale of “American Idol.” In the final showdown pitting a paint salesman versus a single mother, “Idol” voters threw their support behind the 24-year-old Illinois native, who had impressed the judges of late with his artistic growth throughout the course of the season. With his win, Lee ended Crystal’s bid to become the show’s first female winner since Season 6. It was a close contest: According to host Ryan Seacrest, less than two percent separated the finalists.

Lee’s victory proves that “Idol” nation tends to prefer the underdog to the season-long juggernaut. Lee was a fan favorite throughout the season, but really gathered steam in recent weeks. With his raspy voice and blue-collar appeal, he impressed early on, but lacked polish. It took a couple of strong vocal performances and some encouragement from the judges to get his confidence going. But when it did, Lee delivered some of this season’s most memorable performances. And no other contestant surged with as much momentum as he did in the run-up to the finals. Crystal’s defeat continued a trend that we’ve seen in recent years on the show, where voters rewarded the up-and-comer over the prohibitive favorite. Crystal sparkled early and seemed a shoo-in to win many weeks ago. But Lee continued to plug away and just kept stealing buzz for himself, while she settled into cruise control. Even despite her three masterful performances Tuesday night, it was clear that America was ready to reward the finalist who had shown the most dramatic improvement throughout the course of the season…

Lee’s win provides a satisfying finish to what has been, by most people’s accounts, an underwhelming year for the “Idol” franchise. This offseason will surely be a pivotal one for the show, as producers ponder Simon’s replacements and other tweaks to shore up flaggin ratings. We’ll have to wait and see how that all shakes out. As for Crystal, don’t shed too many tears. If past seasons are any indication, it doesn’t hurt to finish in second place. Given her talent and her determination to become a star, I’m certain we’ll be hearing big things from the big-voiced, dreadlocked hippie rockster. MamaSox will be just fine. It’s too early to tell what type of success Lee can expect as a recording artist (and whether he’ll go the way of David Cook or Taylor Hicks), but you can count on a heavily marketed pop album with a rock edge. There are no complaints here about the result: Lee’s a worthy champion who has demonstrated tremendous growth in the past many weeks. Many will argue about Wednesday night’s outcome, but most “Idol” viewers can agree: Lee’s as likable and humble a winner as we’ve seen.

[From MSNBC]

Sorry, but I disagree about the outcome. I didn’t find it emotionally satisfying at all. I guess I am the only person who heard all the bad notes Lee hit week after week. The win only proves that “American Idol” is circling the drain, and the show really isn’t about finding the most talented person- it’s about finding the most marketable person.

Crystal Bowersox: “Up to the Mountain”

One of the most lackluster seasons of “American Idol” is almost at the finish line. Last night, the final two contestants, Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze, took the stage one last time and asked American viewers for their votes. The winner will be announced tomorrow night at the very end of a two-hour finale that is sure to be packed full of cheese, special guests and product placements. If there’s anyone still watching, the big question is, who will walk away with the title of American Idol?

Full disclosure: I stopped watching about four weeks ago. I just couldn’t stand it anymore – Tim Urban stinking up the stage, Ellen Degeneres refusing to say anything negative about any of the performers; Simon Cowell mentally checking out since Hollywood week; Ryan Seacrest acting even more obnoxious than ever, and 12 mostly mediocre contestants who seemed to crumple under the pressure of performing on live TV every week. But if you forced me to pick a winner, I’d have to give it to “MamaSox,” who has performed consistently all season. Lee is a nice kid and all, but to quote Randy Jackson, he’s pitchy, dawg.

Both Crystal and Lee had to perform three songs each – one they chose, one the show’s producer’s chose for them, and the song that will become their first single should they become the Idol. Weirdly, both contestants will be doing covers of other artists’ songs as their single instead of an original song. Looks like judge/songwriter Kara DioGuardi didn’t get another chance to write something horrible this year. Anyway, Lee chose U2′s “Beautiful Day” as his single, and let me tell you, he is no Bono. His version was flat, and his performance was snooze inducing. The violin players playing behind him were more interesting to watch then he was. Sorry, Lee fans. That kid is a dud and I’ve seen singers in local bars with more charisma. Crystal performed “Up to the Mountain,” a lovely acoustic number originally recorded by Patty Griffin. Not only was she good, but she proved an important point: if you’re going to cover a song, it’s better to choose a more obscure one that isn’t so strongly identified with its original singer.

It seemed pretty obvious to me that Crystal is the superior singer and performer. But hey, I’m still getting over Adam Lambert’s loss to plain vanilla cookie Kris Allen last year. So, what say you, viewers? Who will win?

Lee Dewyze sings “Beautiful Day”