‘American Idol’: Why Amanda Overmyer was voted off
American Idol’s Top 10 contestants gather around to hug Amanda Overmyer, center, after it was announced she was voted off of the show Tuesday night.
She came up just short of joining fellow contestants on the American Idols Live tour. But why did Amanda Overmyer get what some would say is an early dismissal from the FOX reality series?
The answer is quite simple, really. American Idol has a huge fan base — we already know that. But if you think about the show’s most devoted fans, the ones who actually are casting the 29.2 million or so votes per week, you’re talking about many older women and teenage girls. These power voters, while they may be interested in Amanda’s line of work as a nurse, certainly aren’t the target demographic for chick rock.
That’s not to say there aren’t fans of that style watching the show — Gina Glocksen proved that in Season 6. Still, this is a show that, at its core, is meant to find the next big thing in pop music. And that’s generally what happens, give or take a Carrie Underwood or Chris Daughtry. (But you could argue those contestants also have more pop appeal than even their respective country and rock genres.)
While I have been among those not sure how Amanda has held on this long in the competition, I do think she has some entertainment value. I just think her act is best played on a dark, corner stage in a smoky bar in the middle of Indiana. That’s where she really can appeal to a crowd.
American Idol, Amanda Overmyer, Gina Glocksen, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry
Leave a Reply