'Idol' is great, but enough with competition shows already

O.K. sue me. I cheered when Melinda Dolittle was voted off “American Idol” last week. No doubt she probably was the best vocalist. But she was so good, she was a downright bore.

Someone who can just sing a bunch of covers doesn’t do it for me. So when I watch the final performances tonight, I’ll be rooting for beat boxer Blake Lewis over Jordin Sparks.

Blake is the one contestant this season who’s proven he not only has singing ability, but can successfully arrange music. My prediction is that in his post-Idol life, he’s more likely to write his own songs and actually sell some albums. And love or hatred of his beat boxing aside, Blake’s version of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name” was phenomenal. He even made that annoying Maroon 5 song “This Love” less of a drone on my ears.

The bottom line is this: If the American public has any taste for originality, they’ll vote for Blake as the next American Idol. Wouldn’t that be such a nice reprieve from the disaster that was the Taylor Hicks win last year?

Now I’ve officially embarrassed myself with my knowledge of the show. I should point out though this was my first full season of watching the show. It started off, as it probably has for most, with checking out those ridiculous auditions. Before I knew it, I had to see the season through to the end.

Which brings me to my next point. As ashamed as I am about watching Idol, I take comfort in knowing that I don’t follow all of those stupid spin-offs and copies. Now Fox is advertising a second season of the dance version of American Idol: “So You Think You Can Dance.” How did that show get another season? Are there people walking the earth who actually have the time to go from watching “American Idol” to watching a dance competition?

Then there’s “On the Lot,” another show airing tonight on Fox, this one a film-making competition created by Steven Spielberg.

Before I forget, have any American Idol watchers noticed Ryan Seacrest pimping some show looking for the next great band? Enough already. I can already hear the sharks lining up for Fonzie’s jump.

And don’t get me started on the other networks and shows like “Dancing with the Stars” “America’s got Talent,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “America’s Doomed to Spend this Summer Watching Yet Another Lame Competition.”

Sorry, but after committing myself to more than two months of “American Idol,” I don’t have time for another competition show. Not unless Sanjaya Malakar’s doing the dancing, the modeling or directing his own movie.