Picking on Pickler

This past Thursday, four contestants were given the boot during the second week of Semfinals on American Idol. However, what most online pundits (and many of the watercooler variety as well) have been talking about it Kellie Pickler's transformation. Linda Stasi, television writer for the New York Post, was so taken aback by Ms. Pickler's new, um, assets, that she felt compelled to write nearly a full-page article called, "Chest Shoot Me." In it, Stasi calls Pickler's new look "a bigger disaster than the Hindenberg."

Yes, as the pictures above illustrates, she does appear to have had some work done, and lets be honest, that haircut and make-up job do her no favors.

HOWEVER...I feel the need to defend Ms. Pickler. It feels slightly strange to have this impulse, since I was no fan of hers when she was on the show, and I do not even own her CD, Small Town Girl. But, alas, here I come to her defense...

Kellie Pickler has managed to do what very few contestants on American Idol have been able to do, which is carve out an actual niche for herself in an existing musical landscape (Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, and, surprisingly, Josh Gracin, are among the very few former Idols who have been able to accomplish this feat).

Now, Kellie is a country artist, no ifs ands or buts about it. True, she does not have the vocal chops of Carrie Underwood, but with the Top-2o radio success of her song Red High Heels, an album that has been certified Gold, and nominations for CMT's Best Breakthrough Female Video and ACM's Top New Female Vocalist of the year, it would be difficult to claim that she hasn't made somewhat of an impact on the country music scene. Unlike fellow AI5 contestants Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, both of whom have had difficulty getting radio play, Kellie figured out who she was as an artist and ran with it. I respect that.

And...I have to admit, I actually like that new song ("I Wonder"). The song seems genunine, and Kellie is credible singing it (which is more than I can say for Katharine McPhee and her single "Over It"...more on that later).

So, I say, go get 'em Kellie, with your huge new knockers and shapely derriere...you become a big country music superstar. Just maybe look into some hair extensions?