With the Canadian Idol finale this past week between Brian Melo and Jaydee Bixby, I thought something was missing. Bad song choices? No, I hate half the clap-trap they sing on that show anyway. That the judges were blatantly trying to get Brian to win? Maybe, but they've done stuff like this with other people before. Then it dawned on me....there weren't any females left. Every season of both the American and Canadian versions since I started watching three years ago, there has been both a guy and a girl in the final two. And without fail, I wanted the girl to win. It didn't help that some of the guys they put through were just downright awful (I can't help but think of Craig Sharpe's boy-band stuff or Blake Lewis's beatboxing), but I thought the females were always the better singers. Yes, people I know thought I was picking my winners on looks (and that was probably part of it, as I'm about to explain below), but for whatever reason, I like the sound of a female's voice better than that of a male's.

It's unfortunate that the voting on these shows are basically controlled by 14-year-old girls with what seems like unlimited cellphone minutes who vote 800 times a night. And a lot of them do vote based on looks (how else - besides maybe Vote for the Worst - do you explain Jaydee Bixby?). And they're not voting for the girls. This seems to be more of a problem here than in the US, but way too many talented females go early. Sarah Loverock, who finished 9th on season 4 of Canadian Idol, is a textbook example of that -- and she's nowhere to be found on the list below.

But maybe I do fall into the same trap as those teeny-boppers - looks may be part of my criteria for picking Idol favourites. Yes, I've found some people on the show to be unbelievably hot. And a lot of them (not all, mind you) have been favourites of mine. After watching Eva Avila and Carly Rae Jepsen making cameos on last night's season 5 Canadian Idol finale, I came up with the inspiration for this list. Please note that this list has a bent towards contestants on seasons that I've actually watched (CI 3, 4 and 5 and AI 5 and 6). Yes, I think Carrie Underwood is right up there, but I never saw her perform week after week so my opinion can't be as well-founded. Or something.

Without further ado, here goes...

15. Steffi DiDomenicantonio (5th place, CI4): This bow-tied puppet-master from Ottawa was one of those people you either loved or hated. I was in the former category. She was decidedly not in the typical Idol mold, with her old standards performances and new twists on (somewhat) more recent songs like "Lovefool". There was almost a different Steffi every week. And who could forget her grand exit when she was eliminated, with the judges hoisting her up on their shoulders?
 

14. Khalila Glanville (9th place, CI5): Khalila was one of those people who I am certain would have gone further if not for the fact she was a female. Every week (except for her middle-of-the-pack performance of "Natural Woman" that led to her being booted), she blew the doors off everyone else. And she looked amazing doing so.
 

13. Jordin Sparks (winner, AI6): Once Lakisha stumbled down the stretch and Melinda Doolittle was eliminated, this season was hers to lose. And she did not disappoint.
 

12. Lisa Tucker (10th place, AI5): Again, someone who was completely and utterly robbed. Her flaw in my opinion was her final song - Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You". I think there should be an embargo against doing songs by previous contestants on the show, but maybe that's just me...
 

11. Kellie Pickler (6th place, AI5): OK, I'll admit. I couldn't stand her. Her rural redneck shtick (which I am 99% certain was fake - "what's ballsy?") grated on me, and her singing ability wasn't much better. But, I'm rating people based on looks here, so I'll let it slide. Somewhat.
 

10. Melissa O'Neil (winner, CI3): When it was down to her and Rex freakin' Goudie, I figured she had to win for the good of the show. Like Brian Melo this year, she started off in the middle of the pack and gained steam as the season progressed. And like Brian, whose looks appealed to teeny-boppers across the country, Melissa's did appeal to a certain segment of the population too.
 

9. Ashley Leitao (9th place, CI3): The biggest memory I have of her on the show was her hyperventilating during the results show in which she was eliminated. When it was finally announced that she was going home, I thought she was going to faint on live TV. It was a very undignified and early end to what should have been a long run for her. She later formed a group called Braided with two other season 3 contestants, one of which was New Brunswick's own Casey LeBlanc (who gets an honourable mention in this list, by the way):


Braided (L to R): Amber Fleury (wha?), Ashley Leitao, Casey LeBlanc.

8. Kelly Clarkson (winner, AI1): Kelly is one of the few people to achieve much in the way of success after Idol. The problems she's run into recently are unfortunate (having to cancel a tour, firing her manager, etc), but I really like her music and she's pretty durned good looking to boot.
 

7. Tara Oram (6th place, CI5): Her singing ability was basically on par with Kellie Pickler, but she made it to 6th place off the backs of the militant Newfoundland vote - and maybe a few based on looks too. (And maybe it was a sign that when I ran her name through a Google image search, most of the photos that came up were actually of Tara Reid.)




6. Carrie Underwood (winner, AI4): Probably #2 in post-Idol success after Kelly Clarkson, she's made a name for herself in the country music world. Maybe I should start listening to country.




5. Carly Rae Jepsen (3rd place, CI5): The pictures I have found online do not do her justice. Amazing voice, amazing body. Why she didn't win is beyond me. Yes, she was my favourite from day one and I'm still bitter.




4. Antonella Barba (semi-finalist, AI6): She got in hot water over some racy photos found online, which led to her demise. (Well, that and that she couldn't sing a lick.)




3. Haley Scarnato (8th place, AI6): Her outfits kept on getting skimpier and skimpier as the contest wore on. I think she knew what was responsible for most of her votes. It sure wasn't her singing.




2. Eva Avila (winner, CI4): This is what you call the full package. A wonderful talent, a wonderful voice, mannerisms I fell in love with (the head turns and winks...), and of course, her overall beauty.

1. Katharine McPhee (2nd place, AI5): I will not listen to debate on this. Katharine McPhee is the most beautiful woman ever to come out of Idol and that is final. She seems to have become even hotter since her time on the show...see her photoshoots for magazines like Stuff or the video for her song Love Story.

So there you have it. I'm sure if anyone ever reads this who watches the show they'll have their own opinions. And you what? I don't really care.

(c)2007 J.P. Kirby. All rights reserved.

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