Even though I am no longer a reporter at The Blade, I was asked to continue to write stories on a freelance basis about American Idol throughout the season. Since I love the show, and love the little extra cash on the side, I was happy to do it.
For the past few years, I would watch the show every Tuesday and take notes. Then I would watch the elimination show every Wednesday and write a little story about who got the boot for the Thursday paper.
In prior seasons, I was able to do a bit more with the show as it came down to the wire, like the story I did when it seemed like every idol came from the southern states or the one on the "Sanjaya effect."
But the end of this season just sprung out at me. I was just too busy with planning a wedding, working at the coffee shop, and freelancing other projects to realize it was already down to the final two.
So I called the features editor and chatted with him about what I could do to preview the finale of David Archuleta verses David Cook. The editor mentioned the words "lightweight verses heavyweight" because Archuleta is like 97 pounds verses Cook who is probably a healthy 170 or something.
Anyway, his phrase sparked an idea into my head, which I then put down on paper.
My article was WRITTEN AND HANDED IN TUESDAY MORNING. (Remember this because I'll make my point in a minute.)
Here is a few excerpts from the article I wrote:
Let's size up the competition.
Making his way to the stage from Murray, Utah, clocking in at just 17 years old is David Archuleta - who's affectionately called "Archie" by his fans.
An early favorite, Archuleta has rallied strong past forgetting a few bars of a Beatles song, stories about his overbearing stage father, and the minor criticism he's garnered from the judges over the course of the season.
...
But to prevail, Archuleta will have to use his voice to knock out David Cook - his title-worthy opponent from Blue Springs, Mo.
Over the past few months, the Chris Daughtry-esque rocker has traded in his red-streaked, spiky hair and soul patch for a more mature designer 'do complete with a scruffy beard. What hasn't changed about the 25-year-old known to fans as D.C. is his nice-guy, emotional side that stands out against his rock edge.
...
Two Davids. One stage.
Let's get ready to rumble!
So my idea was to write the story like a boxing match with some other references thrown in there for flair. I thought it was a good idea, and my editor liked it as well. So it was slated to be printed in the paper on WEDNESDAY MORNING (though I wrote it TUESDAY MORNING) on the day of the American Idol finale.
OK, so if you're following me, I then sat down to watch the final showdown of American Idol on Tuesday evening (after I wrote my story 8 hours earlier). I turned on the TV, and then froze.
The show started with a lone microphone being lowered to the stage. A few minutes later, both contestants, in full boxing gear, were introduced, and then a guy in a tuxedo yelled "Let's get ready to rumble." The rest of the show followed along like a boxing match. It was like the show's producers read my story first - the similarities were CRAZY SCARY.
Let me make sure you understand that I had NO IDEA that the show was going to be aired like a boxing match when I wrote my story like a boxing match. But since it was too late to change the story, and it was printed after the show aired, it just looked like I copied off every single creative element the show's producers put into that episode.
But let me set the record straight: it was MY IDEA first. They totally copied off me. Or I'm so in tune with the show that it's scary. That's when you know you've been covering American Idol for waaaaaayyyyy too long.
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