Just saw this today on the yahoo news and thought it was nice that others are just as upset as we are that Chris is gone. Hopefully its not already posted.


By FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writer
Thu May 18, 4:23 PM ET


NEW YORK - I know I'm late doing this, but I need a chance to vent:

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How could they eliminate Chris Daughtry from "American Idol"?! What, were their hearing aids broken?! Did they vote with butterfly ballots?! I demand a re-count!!!

Whew, that's out of my system. Now I feel better. I feel like I'm part of the national conversation.

Fox's "American Idol," if nothing else, is all-inclusive. Everyone is welcome to take part. In fact, you can hardly avoid its pop-cultural maw.

Certainly the world was thunderstruck last week when Daughtry got booted. A bald, sexy dude with a husky voice and mischievous grin, he was zapped as the field shrank from four to three.

He had seemed to have the title virtually in his grasp! What could have gone wrong? The world struggled to make sense of it all. (An Op Ed piece in The New York Times explained the upset in terms of Wagner's opera "Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg." Works for me.)

Then, this week, Elliott Yamin was voted off, his showing just a fraction of a percentage point behind the others' in what was almost a three-way dead heat.

Now, "after 16 weeks of voting and 515 million votes" (as host Ryan Seacrest intoned) two singers remain: Taylor Hicks (prematurely gray country boy who scored with "You Are So Beautiful") and Katharine McPhee (angel-faced brunette who warbled "Over the Rainbow"). They will have one last sing-off Tuesday at 8 p.m. EDT, with the winner crowned during the two-hour finale at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

This, the fifth season of "American Idol," has been a great one. Unlike certain past "Idol" competitions, the women didn't all seem to be channeling Whitney Houston, nor the guys Phil Collins. Indeed, there was a wide range of styles, with voices robust and mostly on key.

Especially Chris. HOW could he be treated like that? HOW could so many viewers be so — whoops, I know, I already had my say.

Besides, it's not like he's really leaving the fold. He'll be on the compilation CD coming out soon. He'll be on the "American Idol" tour (order your tickets now). He's part of the troupe. He's soaring, undeterred, over the rainbow along with the others, thanks to "American Idol's" launching pad.

Thanks for posting: anything on Chris is welcomed. Especially editorials from professional writers exclaiming on the outrage of Chris' cut. He does go on to assure and reassure The Daughtry Nation that you don't have to win AI to win. And we can say it till we're blue in the face that Chris is definitely better off not "winning" the AI official title where he would be locked in to a format perhaps not right for him. He IS going to soar higher than all the rest of them put together.

Thanks for the post. I totally agree that he is better off w/out the Idol title, he will do sooo much better on his own and won't have to give a cent to AI. However, AI is not the same w/out him. Agree??? I can't wait to see & hear him again.
Thanks again!!! America loves to Rock, that is why we love Chris

I was just getting read to post this article! You beat me to it! We are hungry, aren't we? Hungry for anything and evrything about Chris! Well, I am going to watch all the finale stuff but mostly to see and hear Chris. During the Kat and Taylor performances, I have a nice book I can curl up with! Oh, if I am feeling generous I might listen to a little Taylor. I don't really "get" Kat though. I am usually thoroughly bored when she sings.

I think in the finale, as with last week, it will be clear what is missing.....Chris Daughtry is the person who belonged there and I know we all agree on this. It just feels wrong that he will have a seat in the audience. American got it SO WRONG! Or the voting system or whatever is responsible for this huge mistake. Can't wait to hear Chris even if he only performs briefly!

i'm soooo glad everyone's still talking about it. that's how BIG CHRIS IS ALREADY!!!! yay!!!!
\m/ rock on

thanks for that! isn't great how people still talk about Chris even if we're already on the finale of American Idol? lmao

Well, as we all know, people are still talking about Chris because he deserves to be the winner. His absence left a huge vacuum and could never be filled with Taylor or, even less, Katharine.