It's official: 22 year-old Southern belle, Carrie Underwood a.k.a. farm girl, from Checotah, Oklahoma, is the new American Idol.
Though many Idol critics have speculated that her win might have been rigged (apparently, Carrie is Simon's favorite), it's undeniable that she has been the most consistent performer in the competition (though probably not the most improved) and the only contestant who had never been placed in the bottom three positions during elimination rounds.
Simon Cowell may have thrown compliments at her, and the producers may have given her the upper hand with rigorous marketing strategies (notice how she gets most of the lines in the Idol single or performance medleys? Or how her third song during the finale wasn't an original composition?) -- but at the end of the day, the majority still chose her despite awareness of these alleged controversies.
Hurrah for democracy (sort of)~!
