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‘American Idol’ Finale Turns Mom Into A Tween
May 21 2009 by Lori Hindman
In order to read this piece correctly, you have to imagine me waving my hands about for emphasis and speaking really, really quickly because I got to go to Wednesday night’s “American Idol” finale, as a guest of Ford. Even now, hours after “American Idol” crowned its new winner, Kris Allen — talk about a shocker — I’m still excited. My ears have stopped ringing and my voice is less hoarse, but the adrenaline is still pumping. Woooooo! (Yes, I’m screaming like a tweener. Get used to it.)
The fun started Wednesday evening when Ford chauffeured a group of automotive journalists in a Ford Flex to the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles. I’m usually the chauffeur for my family, so that was a nice change for me.
Once we arrived at the theater, I made my way to the red carpet to catch a glimpse of the celebrities who were on their way inside. My first celeb sighting was actress Christina Applegate, who really is that cute. Past “Idol” contestants made their way down the carpet, stopping to take pictures with fans and signing autographs. I saw Bo Bice, from “Idol’s” fourth season, go by as well as last season’s Jason Castro, who was really sweet to the fans and took a bunch of photos with them. Unfortunately, cameras and cell phones weren’t allowed inside the theater; I left mine in the car, which left me with no way to document my celebrity sightings. I made do by yelling at Jason, “You were awesome!” I think he appreciated that.
Not too much later the “Idol” judges made their way down the red carpet. Paula Abdul is teeny and cute — my friend said she looked “like a little Chihuahua” — and her dress was gorgeous. Kara DioGuardi followed not far behind Paula; the newest “Idol” just looked glam in her floor-length black gown.
Inside, the theater was buzzing with excitement. Everyone was looking about for stars and making predictions about who would win. Most people thought Adam Lambert would win. I was on Team Kris, but I wasn’t feeling confident. Suddenly, “Idol’s” host Ryan Seacrest was introduced and it was time for the show to begin.
Every time a new guest performer appeared on stage, the Nokia Theater went wild. I knew Cyndi Lauper, the Black Eyed Peas and Lionel Richie would be there, but Fergie’s performance with the female “Idol” contestants was a huge surprise. She was amazing. Last year’s “Idol” champ, David Cook sang an amazing tribute to his brother, who recently died of cancer; his performance brought tears to my eyes. When singer Jason Mraz came out, I couldn’t scream loud enough. The people who sat in front of me would probably disagree, but I don’t think he actually heard me, so it wasn’t loud enough.
When I saw Queen’s drum kit rolled out onto the stage during a commercial break, I started getting really excited. Who doesn’t love Queen, and who would be better to stand in for Freddie Mercury than Adam? Instead the whole “Idol” group came out to sing. The audience was swaying in time to “We are the Champions,” and visions of middle school came back to me. It was another incredible moment.
However, it was nothing compared to the crowning of the new “Idol” champ. I was rooting for Kris, but I thought his chances weren’t good. I was cringing a bit as Ryan announced that Kris Allen is the next “American Idol.” Talk about a surprise. There was a lot of screaming. If I were being honest, I might admit to actually jumping up and down like a schoolgirl, but I’m not admitting to that. Nope. No way.
My favorite moment was watching a crying Kris hug his wife. I loved the sweet kiss he dropped on her head before he went off to sing his victory song. The best moment of the show was the look on Kris’ face when he realized that he’d have to sing “No Boundaries” again while Adam laughed at him. Yeah, that song was the only loser of the night.
