American Idol: In Defense of Nikki McKibbin

Okay, I'll be the first one to admit it: Nikki McKibbin of American Idol shouts. But I'll also admit one more thing: I like her.

Maybe its my love for the underdog (which she is compared to the likes of Kelly, Justin, and Tamyra), but I liked her even way back when she was in the final 30, before all the bashing of her began. For some reason I just noticed her more than others. Yes, I know she does have pink hair which causes her to stand out, and she does dress differently than most, but it's her personality that just shone through more than others. She winked to the audience and stuck out her tongue when she was being bashed by Simon. She somehow let her attitude shine through in other ways that other singers couldn't, and that's why I'm going to make a gutsy call and say this: Nikki McKibbin is a darn good entertainer.

There, I said it. I think that is why she has gotten this far in this competition. You not only have to sing but you have to charm the audience - and not only those that are right in front of you but those watching at home. You have to liven up the crowd and make them excited enough to want to watch you even if you are singing a big band song! And that is one thing that she has done. Dana said in her article that when she went to the live taping, Nikki actually sounded pretty good. Flash forward to watching it on TV, where she felt that Nikki's voice wasn't up to par. Well, I remember when my sister went to a Britney Spears concert and immediately she said, "That was great! She sang so well and really entertained the crowd." But now every time she comes on TV I notice her voice isn't very great but you can still tell that she's putting on a good show for the crowd.

Yes, I know that's a big thing to do: compare Nikki the anti-Britney to the great one herself, but that is what an American Idol represents - a person that gets you so revved up by listening to their music that you go out and buy their albums. You have to have some talent, but we've all heard the complaints about those boy bands and Britney knock-offs that make millions yearly because they appeal to their audience.

In Andrea's article about Kelly, she noted that in order to be a star you have to be able to be packaged, and we all know that Nikki certainly is. In fact, she was probably one of the few who thought a head of time that having an "image" would help her get farther (even though it has hurt her in some theme weeks like Big Band and Love Songs). She knew that all the "bad girls" and "alternative" boys and girls would be writing down her number to call for her. Like Peggy said they don't care how she sounds, it's just the fact that there's someone who represents them left in the competition. We all see how big Eminiem, Nelly, Avril Lavigne, and such are and they don't necessarily sing (at all).

I don't think that Nikki can win this competition, nor will she probably even last this week; yet she still has a very good chance at getting something out of this whole show because she's an entertainer (although don't expect Simon to be giving her his number). Rewatch your tapes and see. For example, on Wednesday during the Burt Bacharach medley, while RJ was standing there looking like a deer caught in (Simon's) headlights, Nikki was right up there rocking out with the rest of them. I guess that's why I tune into this show, though, to see all these different singers and see what they're made of. Ah, the joys of reality TV.

Joshua Ryan is a student and reality TV junkie.

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