Is 'American Idol' Aging Well?

It was the biggest "American Idol" finale ever. A record 74 million votes were cast, and when the confetti fell last night in the Kodak Theater, it was for the fresh-faced diva-in-training Jordin Sparks, who trumped beatbox king Blake Lewis. At just 17, Sparks becomes the youngest "American Idol" of all time. But as the winners get younger, the show continues to age. The question is, are "Idol's" wrinkles starting to show? After a sixth season which brought the weirdest contestants and controversies yet, is it time to start filling in the smile lines, and giving the series a nip here and a tuck there? NEWSWEEK's Ramin Setoodeh and Joshua Alston debated the season finale and its effect on the future of the franchise. The latest installment of Listening In, a periodic online conversation among NEWSWEEK reporters and editors.