If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did this have to happen?” The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time. The writing process, started many months ago, was intended to be therapy in the face of the looming realization that there isn’t enough therapy in the world that can fix what is really broken. Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes with example after example if I would let it. I find the process of writing it frustrating, tedious, and probably pointless… especially given my gross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of the storm raging in my head. Exactly what is therapeutic about that I’m not sure, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

We are all taught as children that without laws there would be no society, only anarchy. Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed to believe that, in return for our dedication and service, our government stands for justice for all. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place, and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble principals represented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was “no taxation without representation”. I have spent the total years of my adulthood unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood. These days anyone who really stands up for that principal is promptly labeled a “crackpot”, traitor and worse.

While very few working people would say they haven’t had their fair share of taxes (as can I), in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that there has never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes of me or my interests in mind. Nor, for that matter, are they the least bit interested in me or anything I have to say.

Why is it that a handful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities (and in the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it’s time for their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttony and overwhelming stupidity, the force of the full federal government has no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours? Yet at the same time, the joke we call the American medical system, including the drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands of people a year and stealing from the corpses and victims they cripple, and this country’s leaders don’t see this as important as bailing out a few of their vile, rich cronies. Yet, the political “representatives” (thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags is far more accurate) have endless time to sit around for year after year and debate the state of the “terrible health care problem”. It’s clear they see no crisis as long as the dead people don’t get in the way of their corporate profits rolling in.

And justice? You’ve got to be kidding!

How can any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum in the middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly “holds accountable” its victims, claiming that they’re responsible for fully complying with laws not even the experts understand. The law “requires” a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing; if that’s not “duress” than what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is.

How did I get here?

My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early ‘80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful “exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing (except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done.

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us… Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom”… and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.

Before even having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lesson on what justice really means in this country (around 1984 after making my way through engineering school and still another five years of “paying my dues”), I felt I finally had to take a chance of launching my dream of becoming an independent engineer.

On the subjects of engineers and dreams of independence, I should digress somewhat to say that I’m sure that I inherited the fascination for creative problem solving from my father. I realized this at a very young age.

The significance of independence, however, came much later during my early years of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own as student in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My neighbor was an elderly retired woman (80+ seemed ancient to me at that age) who was the widowed wife of a retired steel worker. Her husband had worked all his life in the steel mills of central Pennsylvania with promises from big business and the union that, for his 30 years of service, he would have a pension and medical care to look forward to in his retirement. Instead he was one of the thousands who got nothing because the incompetent mill management and corrupt union (not to mention the government) raided their pension funds and stole their retirement. All she had was social security to live on.

In retrospect, the situation was laughable because here I was living on peanut butter and bread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at a time. When I got to know this poor figure and heard her story I felt worse for her plight than for my own (I, after all, I thought I had everything to in front of me). I was genuinely appalled at one point, as we exchanged stories and commiserated with each other over our situations, when she in her grandmotherly fashion tried to convince me that I would be “healthier” eating cat food (like her) rather than trying to get all my substance from peanut butter and bread. I couldn’t quite go there, but the impression was made. I decided that I didn’t trust big business to take care of me, and that I would take responsibility for my own future and myself.

Return to the early ‘80s, and here I was off to a terrifying start as a ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ contract software engineer… and two years later, thanks to the fine backroom, midnight effort by the sleazy executives of Arthur Andersen (the very same folks who later brought us Enron and other such calamities) and an equally sleazy New York Senator (Patrick Moynihan), we saw the passage of 1986 tax reform act with its section 1706.

For you who are unfamiliar, here is the core text of the IRS Section 1706, defining the treatment of workers (such as contract engineers) for tax purposes. Visit this link for a conference committee report (http://www.synergistech.com/1706.shtml#ConferenceCommitteeReport) regarding the intended interpretation of Section 1706 and the relevant parts of Section 530, as amended. For information on how these laws affect technical services workers and their clients, read our discussion here (http://www.synergistech.com/ic-taxlaw.shtml).

SEC. 1706. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN TECHNICAL PERSONNEL.

(a) IN GENERAL - Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection:

(d) EXCEPTION. - This section shall not apply in the case of an individual who pursuant to an arrangement between the taxpayer and another person, provides services for such other person as an engineer, designer, drafter, computer programmer, systems analyst, or other similarly skilled worker engaged in a similar line of work.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE. - The amendment made by this section shall apply to remuneration paid and services rendered after December 31, 1986.

Admittedly, you need to read the treatment to understand what it is saying but it’s not very complicated. The bottom line is that they may as well have put my name right in the text of section (d). Moreover, they could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave. Twenty years later, I still can’t believe my eyes.

During 1987, I spent close to $5000 of my ‘pocket change’, and at least 1000 hours of my time writing, printing, and mailing to any senator, congressman, governor, or slug that might listen; none did, and they universally treated me as if I was wasting their time. I spent countless hours on the L.A. freeways driving to meetings and any and all of the disorganized professional groups who were attempting to mount a campaign against this atrocity. This, only to discover that our efforts were being easily derailed by a few moles from the brokers who were just beginning to enjoy the windfall from the new declaration of their “freedom”. Oh, and don’t forget, for all of the time I was spending on this, I was loosing income that I couldn’t bill clients.

After months of struggling it had clearly gotten to be a futile exercise. The best we could get for all of our trouble is a pronouncement from an IRS mouthpiece that they weren’t going to enforce that provision (read harass engineers and scientists). This immediately proved to be a lie, and the mere existence of the regulation began to have its impact on my bottom line; this, of course, was the intended effect.

Again, rewind my retirement plans back to 0 and shift them into idle. If I had any sense, I clearly should have left abandoned engineering and never looked back.

Instead I got busy working 100-hour workweeks. Then came the L.A. depression of the early 1990s. Our leaders decided that they didn’t need the all of those extra Air Force bases they had in Southern California, so they were closed; just like that. The result was economic devastation in the region that rivaled the widely publicized Texas S&L fiasco. However, because the government caused it, no one gave a shit about all of the young families who lost their homes or street after street of boarded up houses abandoned to the wealthy loan companies who received government funds to “shore up” their windfall. Again, I lost my retirement.

Years later, after weathering a divorce and the constant struggle trying to build some momentum with my business, I find myself once again beginning to finally pick up some speed. Then came the .COM bust and the 911 nightmare. Our leaders decided that all aircraft were grounded for what seemed like an eternity; and long after that, ‘special’ facilities like San Francisco were on security alert for months. This made access to my customers prohibitively expensive. Ironically, after what they had done the Government came to the aid of the airlines with billions of our tax dollars … as usual they left me to rot and die while they bailed out their rich, incompetent cronies WITH MY MONEY! After these events, there went my business but not quite yet all of my retirement and savings.

By this time, I’m thinking that it might be good for a change. Bye to California, I’ll try Austin for a while. So I moved, only to find out that this is a place with a highly inflated sense of self-importance and where damn little real engineering work is done. I’ve never experienced such a hard time finding work. The rates are 1/3 of what I was earning before the crash, because pay rates here are fixed by the three or four large companies in the area who are in collusion to drive down prices and wages… and this happens because the justice department is all on the take and doesn’t give a fuck about serving anyone or anything but themselves and their rich buddies.

To survive, I was forced to cannibalize my savings and retirement, the last of which was a small IRA. This came in a year with mammoth expenses and not a single dollar of income. I filed no return that year thinking that because I didn’t have any income there was no need. The sleazy government decided that they disagreed. But they didn’t notify me in time for me to launch a legal objection so when I attempted to get a protest filed with the court I was told I was no longer entitled to due process because the time to file ran out. Bend over for another $10,000 helping of justice.

So now we come to the present. After my experience with the CPA world, following the business crash I swore that I’d never enter another accountant’s office again. But here I am with a new marriage and a boatload of undocumented income, not to mention an expensive new business asset, a piano, which I had no idea how to handle. After considerable thought I decided that it would be irresponsible NOT to get professional help; a very big mistake.

When we received the forms back I was very optimistic that they were in order. I had taken all of the years information to Bill Ross, and he came back with results very similar to what I was expecting. Except that he had neglected to include the contents of Sheryl’s unreported income; $12,700 worth of it. To make matters worse, Ross knew all along this was missing and I didn’t have a clue until he pointed it out in the middle of the audit. By that time it had become brutally evident that he was representing himself and not me.

This left me stuck in the middle of this disaster trying to defend transactions that have no relationship to anything tax-related (at least the tax-related transactions were poorly documented). Things I never knew anything about and things my wife had no clue would ever matter to anyone. The end result is… well, just look around.

I remember reading about the stock market crash before the “great” depression and how there were wealthy bankers and businessmen jumping out of windows when they realized they screwed up and lost everything. Isn’t it ironic how far we’ve come in 60 years in this country that they now know how to fix that little economic problem; they just steal from the middle class (who doesn’t have any say in it, elections are a joke) to cover their asses and it’s “business-as-usual”. Now when the wealthy fuck up, the poor get to die for the mistakes… isn’t that a clever, tidy solution.

As government agencies go, the FAA is often justifiably referred to as a tombstone agency, though they are hardly alone. The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and his cronies in their eight years certainly reinforced for all of us that this criticism rings equally true for all of the government. Nothing changes unless there is a body count (unless it is in the interest of the wealthy sows at the government trough). In a government full of hypocrites from top to bottom, life is as cheap as their lies and their self-serving laws.

I know I’m hardly the first one to decide I have had all I can stand. It has always been a myth that people have stopped dying for their freedom in this country, and it isn’t limited to the blacks, and poor immigrants. I know there have been countless before me and there are sure to be as many after. But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at “big brother” while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won’t continue; I have just had enough.

I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be white washed and ignored that the American zombies wake up and revolt; it will take nothing less. I would only hope that by striking a nerve that stimulates the inevitable double standard, knee-jerk government reaction that results in more stupid draconian restrictions people wake up and begin to see the pompous political thugs and their mindless minions for what they are. Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn’t so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer. The cruel joke is that the really big chunks of shit at the top have known this all along and have been laughing, at and using this awareness against, fools like me all along.

I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well.

The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.

Joe Stack (1956-2010)

 

The killing of the son of veteran Afghan guerrilla commander Jalaluddin Haqqani came days after the arrest of the Afghan Taliban’s top military strategist, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in a joint Pakistani-U.S. operation in the city of Karachi.

A pilotless U.S. drone fired two missiles into a Haqqani network compound on Thursday in Pakistan’s North Waziristan ethnic Pashtun tribal region on the Afghan border, killing three people.

Mohammad Haqqani, a son of Jalaluddin Haqqani whose network is linked to al Qaeda and has carried out several high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, was among the dead, Pakistani security officials said.

But another son of the elder Haqqani, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is a much more high-profile target of the U.S. drones.

“Mohammad Haqqani is a younger brother of Sirajuddin. He (Mohammad) was killed in the attack,” a security official who declined to be identified told Reuters.

Jalaluddin Haqqani, who is in his 70s, has passed on the leadership of his militant faction to Sirajuddin.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan describe Sirajuddin as one of their biggest enemies and the United States has posted a bounty of up to $5 million for him.

Thursday’s drone strike was in Dandi Darpakhel village near North Waziristan’s main town of Miranshah where many members of Haqqani’s extended family have been living since the U.S.-backed Afghan jihad, or holy war, against Soviet forces in the 1980s.

Sirajuddin Haqqani was known to visit the village but another Pakistani intelligence agency official said he was not there at the time of the attack.

Residents and government officials also confirmed the death of Mohammad Haqqani.

U.S. drones have targeted the village several times and 23 people, many of the members of the Haqqani family, were killed in a strike there in September 2008.

“HIGH-WATER MARK”

Jalaluddin Haqqani has had close links with Pakistani intelligence, notably the military’s main Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

U.S. ally Pakistan officially objects to the drone strikes, saying they are a violation of its sovereignty and fuel anti-U.S. feeling which complicates Pakistan’s efforts against militancy.

But at least some strikes are carried out with the consent of Islamabad, in particular those on Pakistani Taliban militants fighting the state.

U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke on Thursday hailed the arrest of Baradar, the Afghan Taliban’s number two man, as a high-water mark for Pakistani-U.S. collaboration.

But Interior Minster Rehman Malik suggested Baradar might not be handed over to the United States. Asked by a reporter about the fate of Afghans arrested in Pakistan, Malik said they would be investigated for any crime in Pakistan.

If found innocent, they would be returned to their country and not the United States, he said.

Pakistani cooperation against militants is a sensitive issue for the government of a country where many people are suspicious of the U.S.-led campaign against militancy.

Despite that, Pakistan has arrested hundreds of al Qaeda members since the September 11 attacks on the United States and handed many of them over to the United States.

The Haqqani faction does not launch attacks in Pakistan but sends fighters across the border into Afghanistan from its stronghold in lawless North Waziristan.

Separately, two pro-Taliban militants suspected of involvement in several high-profiles attacks in Pakistan were killed in a shootout with police in the central city of Faisalabad after they refused to surrender, police said.

In the southwestern province of Baluchistan, unidentified gunmen kidnapped four Pakistani aid workers employed by a Western relief agency.

Taliban operate in the gas-rich province as well as separatists not linked to the Taliban who have been waging a low-level insurgency for decades.

Separatists kidnapped an American working for the United Nations in Baluchistan last year and held him for more than two months before releasing him.

 

News of the Taliban arrests emerged as the US special envoy to Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, met Pakistan’s prime minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, in Islamabad Photograph: Faisal Mahmood/Reuters

Pakistan has arrested two more senior Afghan Taliban figures, it emerged yesterday, raising the possibility that ­Islamabad has begun a major strategic shift away from backing “good” militants.

Mullah Abdul Salam and Mullah Mir Muhammad, the “shadow governors” of the northern Afghan provinces of Kunduz and Baghlan respectively, were captured in recent days inside Pakistan.

In a stark illustration of the domestic terrorism problems facing Pakistan, a bomb blast yesterday at a mosque in the north-western tribal belt killed 29 people, including some militants, and injured about 50 others. The explosion tore through the mosque in the Aka Khel area of Khyber, a local official said.

Islamabad has always been viewed as a reluctant partner of the west in Afghanistan, as it was believed to be secretly continuing to support the Taliban and host its leadership on Pakistani soil, despite officially breaking with the militant movement after the 9/11 attacks.

But this week it was revealed that Pakistani authorities had arrested the deputy leader of the Taliban, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in Karachi and, when news of the two other Taliban arrests emerged, many analysts argued that a new Islamabad policy could be crystallising.

A more cynical interpretation suggested that, instead of turning its back on the Taliban, Pakistan was simply pressuring them to the negotiating table.

By weakening the Taliban, Islamabad could force the militants into cutting a deal that would still give it some measure of power and a strong say in Afghanistan’s future. “I think it’s a bit early to call it a strategic shift, but clearly the political calculations in Pakistan are changing,” said Shuja Nawaz, an expert on the Pakistani military at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based thinktank. “The idea being they can play a role in getting the US to communicate [with the Taliban].”

The flurry of arrests does raise the question of why Pakistan’s military intelligence did not do this earlier. “They seem to have found their old address book,” quipped one senior US official in the region. Aside from the Taliban arrests, Pakistani officials also said that up to nine militants linked to al-Qaida were held in overnight raids in Karachi, with the help of intelligence provided by the US. One was identified as Ameer Muawiya, who officials said was in charge of foreign al-Qaida militants operating in Pakistan’s tribal area and was an associate of Osama bin Laden.

Pakistan’s powerful army and especially its military Inter-Services Intelligence agency, which runs policy towards neighbouring Afghanistan, had appeared to be keeping the Taliban going, in expectation of the day when western forces leave Afghanistan and the extremist movement could return to power, beholden to Islamabad, as it was before 2001.

“I think a shift is taking place inside the military,” said Khalid Aziz, head of the Regional Institute of Policy Research and Training, an independent thinktank based in the north-western city of Peshawar.

“At the end of it, if the old model had continued into a post-US withdrawal situation and Pakistan had continued supporting the good Taliban it would almost certainly end up as a civil war in Afghanistan.”

Renewed civil war in Afghanistan would blow over to Pakistan, especially its tribal area and North-West Frontier province, which is populated by Pashtuns, the biggest ethnic group in Afghanistan.

In a speech this month, Pakistan’s army chief, Ashfaq Kayani, claimed he had brushed aside the doctrine of “strategic depth”, which meant controlling Afghanistan to stop Indian influence there.

“If Afghanistan is peaceful, stable and friendly, we have our strategic depth because our western border is secure,” Kayani said.

Backing the Taliban in the past has also come at a massive domestic cost, as the movement spawned a copycat group in Pakistan that is even more violent and has squarely targeted the state. More civilians were killed in terrorist violence in Pakistan last year than in Afghanistan.

According to the official governor of Kunduz province, Mohammad Omar, the “shadow governors” were arrested in the Pakistani city of Quetta within the last two weeks. The so-called Quetta shura, or leadership council of the Taliban, is supposed to be based in that city. “This [the arrests] is because of the pressure of the world community on Pakistan, and the explosions happening inside Pakistan, the crisis in Pakistan,” said Omar.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the US was pleased with the recent arrests. He declined to say whether they were the result of better intelligence or an increased willingness by Pakistan.

“What I will say to you, yet again, is that we are enormously heartened by the fact that the Pakistani government and their military intelligence services increasingly recognise the threat within their midst and are doing something about it,” Morrell said.

 

The eighth season of American Idol premiered on January 13, 2009 and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show’s contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the Idol panel.[1] It was also Abdul’s final season as a judge.[2] Kris Allen was announced the winner of the competition on May 20, 2009, defeating runner-up Adam Lambert after nearly 100 million votes, the highest recorded vote total in the history of the show. Kris Allen is the only married winner of the competition at the time of his victory.

The eighth season saw numerous changes to the format of the show. There were 36 semi-finalists instead of 24, and thirteen finalists instead of twelve, nine contestants chosen by the public and four by the judges. Another addition was the “save,” which was used on the top seven results show to veto Matt Giraud’s elimination.

Changes from Season 7

Several changes were planned for season 8. Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated that Idol would feature fewer “William Hung-like” contestants and “funny auditions,” and would quickly move its focus to the potential singers during the earlier stages of the competition, thus moving the season at a faster pace.[3] Mike Darnell, president of Fox’s alternative programming, said the contestants would be more emotional and that viewers would learn more about them and their pasts than they had in the previous season.[4] Songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a permanent fourth judge on the panel. She had previously collaborated with Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, Enrique Iglesias, Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera, and produced several Top 40 hits. As a songwriter, she had already worked with several American Idol alumni and winners, including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, David Archuleta and David Cook.[5] Meanwhile, Ken Warwick became the new executive producer, as Nigel Lythgoe had left the show to focus on So You Think You Can Dance and his new show with Simon Fuller, Superstars of Dance.[6] Idol Gives Back was canceled for season 8, as the ongoing economic crisis and recession, left Idol officials uncomfortable asking financially struggling viewers to donate.[7] The semifinals saw the biggest change as the wild card round returned for the first time since the third season. After voters picked three finalists from each of three groups of 12 semi-finalists, the judges selected eight of the previously eliminated 27 semifinalists to return and perform a song on the March 5, 2009, show. They were judged by the panel, instead of a vote by the viewers, with four advancing to the finals.[8][9] Although the finals had been billed from the beginning of the season as a set of 12 contestants, the judges announced at the last minute that they would be advancing a fourth wild card/thirteenth contestant, Anoop Desai, as well.

Another change in the Idol format, which was revealed on March 11, 2009, is that the judges are eligible to exercise a veto power on one eliminated contestant at any given point of the competition and spare them from elimination for that particular week. This can only be invoked up until the Final 5. The following week two contestants will be eliminated if the save is used because nobody is eliminated on the week that the save is used. The save can only be used once and it must be unanimous.

Early process

Regional auditions phase

Locations

Auditions were held in the following cities:[10]
Episode Air Date Audition City Date Audition Venue Tickets to Hollywood
January 13, 2009 Glendale, Arizona[11] July 25, 2008 Jobing.com Arena 27
January 14, 2009 Kansas City, Missouri August 8, 2008 Kemper Arena 27
January 20, 2009 San Francisco, California[12] July 17, 2008 Cow Palace 12
January 21, 2009 Louisville, Kentucky[13] July 21, 2008 Freedom Hall 19
January 27, 2009 Jacksonville, Florida August 13, 2008 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena 16
January 28, 2009 Salt Lake City, Utah July 29, 2008 EnergySolutions Arena 13
January 29, 2009 East Rutherford, New Jersey August 19, 2008 Izod Center 26
San Juan, Puerto Rico August 2, 2008 Coliseo de Puerto Rico 9
Total Tickets to Hollywood 149

Contestants are required to be between the ages 16 and 28 on July 15, 2008 and eligible to work in the United States. Contestants are ineligible if they were part of the top 40 from previous seasons (exception being for those who reached the top 50 from season 7), if they hold recording or management contracts or if they are not U.S. citizens or landed immigrants (i.e. temporary residents).
Hollywood phase

For this season, the Hollywood round moved from the Orpheum Theatre to the Kodak Theatre, which was previously used for the finale in seasons 1 and 3-6. In addition, the Hollywood round was extended to two weeks.

In the first round, the 147 contestants each sang a short solo a cappella performance of any song. The next round had the remaining 107 contestants performing in groups of three or four. The 72 contestants that passed group day performed one more solo song, this time accompanied by a band, before being narrowed down to 54. The final 54 then went to the “judges’ mansion” in Los Angeles for the final results, and the Top 36 were announced. Some contestants had a sing-off to determine who would enter the top 36.
Semi-finals

The top 36 were announced in a special two-hour broadcast on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.[14]
All 36 contestants, performing in three groups of twelve, sang songs that were Billboard Hot 100 Hits.

Below are the three semi-final groups with contestants listed in their performance order. In each group, three people advanced to the next round, based on votes by the viewers. The top male and female recipient advanced, along with the next highest vote recipient of the remaining ten contestants in each group. Each week two males advanced however it was never revealed who was the highest voted and which advanced through the non-gender specific slot. Following those nine singers advancing, eight of the remaining 27 semi-finalists were selected by the judges to compete in the Wild Card round. Following another performance by each Wild Card contender, the judges selected four contestants to advance to the final group of 13.

Semi-Final Group 1 - Billboard Hot 100 hits

* Jackie Tohn - “A Little Less Conversation” (Elvis Presley)
* Ricky Braddy - “A Song for You” (Leon Russell/Donny Hathaway)
* Alexis Grace - “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” (Aretha Franklin)
* Brent Keith - “Hicktown” (Jason Aldean)
* Stevie Wright - “You Belong with Me” (Taylor Swift)
* Anoop Desai - “Angel of Mine” (Monica)
* Casey Carlson - “Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic” (The Police)
* Michael Sarver - “I Don’t Want to Be” (Gavin DeGraw)
* Ann Marie Boskovich - “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” (Aretha Franklin)
* Stephen Fowler - “Rock with You” (Michael Jackson)
* Tatiana Del Toro - “Saving All My Love for You” (Whitney Houston)
* Danny Gokey - “Hero” (Mariah Carey)

Advancing to the Top 13: Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver, and Danny Gokey
Wild Card Contenders: Ricky Braddy, Tatiana Del Toro, and Anoop Desai
Ryan Seacrest announced that there was a 20,000 vote gap between Michael Sarver and Anoop Desai.
Semi-Final Group 2 - Billboard Hot 100 hits

* Jasmine Murray - “Love Song” (Sara Bareilles)
* Matt Giraud - “Viva la Vida” (Coldplay)
* Jeanine Vailes - “This Love” (Maroon 5)
* Nick Mitchell / “Norman Gentle” - “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” (Jennifer Holliday)
* Allison Iraheta - “Alone” (Heart)
* Kris Allen - “Man in the Mirror” (Michael Jackson)
* Megan Joy - “Put Your Records On” (Corinne Bailey Rae)
* Matt Breitzke - “If You Could Only See” (Tonic)
* Jesse Langseth - “Bette Davis Eyes” (Kim Carnes)
* Kai Kalama - “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” (Jimmy Ruffin)
* Mishavonna Henson - “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” (Train)
* Adam Lambert - “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (The Rolling Stones)

Advancing to the Top 13: Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen, and Adam Lambert
Wild Card Contenders: Matt Giraud, Megan Joy, Jesse Langseth, and Jasmine Murray
Semi-Final Group 3 - Billboard Hot 100 hits

* Von Smith - “You’re All I Need to Get By” (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell)
* Taylor Vaifanua - “If I Ain’t Got You” (Alicia Keys)
* Alex Wagner-Trugman - “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” (Elton John)
* Arianna Afsar - “The Winner Takes It All” (ABBA)
* Ju’Not Joyner - “Hey There Delilah” (Plain White T’s)
* Kristen McNamara - “Give Me One Reason” (Tracy Chapman)
* Nathaniel Marshall - “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (Meat Loaf)
* Felicia Barton - “No One” (Alicia Keys)
* Scott MacIntyre - “Mandolin Rain” (Bruce Hornsby and the Range)
* Kendall Beard - “This One’s for the Girls” (Martina McBride)
* Jorge Núñez - “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (Elton John)
* Lil Rounds - “Be Without You” (Mary J. Blige)

Advancing to the Top 13: Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, and Jorge Núñez
Wild Card Contender: Von Smith
Wild Card Round - Billboard Hot 100 hits

* Jesse Langseth - “Tell Me Something Good” (Rufus and Chaka Khan)
* Matt Giraud - “Who’s Lovin’ You” (The Jackson 5)
* Megan Joy - “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” (KT Tunstall)
* Von Smith - “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” (Elton John)
* Jasmine Murray - “Reflection” (Christina Aguilera)
* Ricky Braddy - “Superstition” (Stevie Wonder)
* Tatiana Del Toro - “Saving All My Love for You” (Whitney Houston)
* Anoop Desai - “My Prerogative” (Bobby Brown)

Advancing to the Top 13: Jasmine Murray, Megan Joy, Matt Giraud, and Anoop Desai
Finalists
Kris Allen

* Kris Allen (born June 21, 1985 in Jacksonville, Arkansas, 23 years at the time of the show) is from Conway, Arkansas and auditioned in Louisville, Kentucky. Allen’s interest in music began at an early age; he taught himself how to play guitar at the age of 13, as well as numerous other instruments.[15] Prior to Idol, he worked as a worship leader at New Life Church in Maumelle, Arkansas, and is a member of Chi Alpha Campus Ministries at the University of Central Arkansas, where he is a business major. Allen was announced the winner of the eighth season of American Idol on May 20, 2009.[16] He went on to release his first official single, No Boundaries, which was written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. As a part of winning Idol, Allen was signed by Jive Records and 19 Entertainment.[17] His first official album under the new label released November 17 2009.

Adam Lambert

* Adam Lambert (born January 29, 1982 in Indianapolis, Indiana, 26 years at the time of his audition) is from San Diego, California and auditioned in San Francisco, California. Lambert grew up in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, California and attended Deer Canyon Elementary School, Mesa Verde Middle School, and Mt. Carmel High School, where he was in theater, choir, and also performed with the school’s jazz band.[18] Lambert has been a stage actor since the age of ten, performing in such productions as You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Wicked.[19] Lambert roomed with Kris Allen.[20] Lambert was announced as the runner-up for the eighth season of American Idol on May 20, 2009.[16]

Danny Gokey

* Danny Gokey (born April 24, 1980, 28 years at the time of his audition) is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri. Gokey first began singing in church with his family, and has been a worship leader for his church in Milwaukee, Faith Builders International Ministries, for several years.[21] Four weeks before Gokey auditioned for American Idol, in July 2008, his wife Sophia underwent surgery due to congenital heart disease. She later died from complications regarding the extensive surgery.[22][23] He was eliminated from the Top 3 on May 13, 2009.[16]

* Allison Iraheta (born April 27, 1992 in Glendale, California, 16 years at the time of her audition) is from Los Angeles and auditioned in San Francisco, California. Iraheta began singing at an early age, performing at small venues for her family and friends.[24] In 2006, Iraheta won the Telemundo television series Quinceañera, where she won $50,000 and a recording contract, where only the prize money was granted.[25] She was eliminated from the Top 4 on May 6, 2009. She has been the youngest finalist as a 16 year-old turning 17 during Top 5 week. Her debut album, Just Like You was released on December 1, 2009 to positive reviews, with the single Friday I’ll Be Over U.

Matt Giraud

* Matt Giraud (born May 11, 1985 in Dearborn, Michigan, 23 years at his time of the show) is from Kalamazoo, Michigan and auditioned in Louisville, Kentucky. Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Giraud was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. Similarly, Giraud was eliminated during the Top 7, but was saved by the judges. Giraud grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he graduated from Lincoln High School in 2003.[26][27] He released an album called Perspective in 2003 and another in 2006 called Mind Body and Soul.[27]

Anoop Desai

* Anoop Desai (born December 20, 1986 in Cary, North Carolina, 22 years at the time of the show) is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri. Desai is an only child,[28] whose father was born in India and mother was born in South Africa.[29] Beginning his career as an actor for the television station WRAL-TV in Raleigh in a local television series entitled “CentralXpress.com”, and played the character “Raj.”[30] Desai attended Carnage Middle School and Phillips Middle School, then later went on to attend East Chapel Hill High School, graduating in 2004.[31] Desai’s performance as a soloist on the song “She Has No Time” was included on the 2007 iteration of the annual BOCA (Best of College A Cappella) compilation album.[32] Desai has credited his decision to audition for American Idol to the death of a friend, Eve Carson,[33] who was murdered.[33] Initially eliminated from the Top 13, he was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. His advancement to the finals made American Idol history, making it a top 13.

Lil Rounds

* Lil Rounds (born October 20, 1984, 24 years at the time of the show) is from Memphis, Tennessee and auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri. Shortly before her audition on Idol, a tornado hit Memphis, forcing Rounds to temporarily live in a motel.[34][35] Her grandfather once worked with the music legend B.B. King.[36]

* Scott MacIntyre (born June 22, 1985, 23 years at the time of the show) is from Scottsdale, Arizona and auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona. MacIntyre is the first legally blind person to audition for American Idol.[37] MacIntyre began practicing music at the age of six.[38] Home-schooled until the age of fourteen,[39] he later attended Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College and Herberger College of the Arts soon afterwards.[40] In 2005, USA Today named him one of its twenty College Academic All-Stars.[41] He obtained his masters degree at Royal Holloway, University of London and the Royal College of Music, where he studied on a Marshall Scholarship. MacIntyre produced his first CD when he was eleven, and has recorded five more CDs since then. He recently has been accepted to both Oxford University and Cambridge University for further graduate-level education.

Megan Joy

* Megan Joy (born September 18, 1985, 23 years at the time of the show) is from Sandy, Utah and auditioned in Salt Lake City, Utah. Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Joy was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. In high school, Joy unsuccessfully tried out for numerous performance groups, including choir, and never had any singing lessons before her audition on Idol.[42] Joy graduated from Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville, Utah in 2003. She has one son named Ryder.[43]

Michael Sarver

* Michael Sarver (born March 28, 1981 in Sulphur, Louisiana, 27 years at the time of the show) is from Jasper, Texas and auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona. Sarver, an oil rig worker, began singing at the age of twelve, and has written over 890 songs for himself since that time.[44] Sarver graduated from Sulphur High School in 1998.[45] Sarver is married to his wife Tiffany, and has two children.

Alexis Grace

* Alexis Grace (born June 9, 1987, 21 years at the time of the show) is from Memphis, Tennessee and auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri. She gave birth to her daughter when she was nineteen. Grace began singing at an early age .[46]

* Jorge Núñez (born October 1, 1987 in Cidra, Puerto Rico, 21 years at the time of the show) is from Carolina, Puerto Rico and auditioned in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Núñez speaks three languages fluently, English, Spanish and French.[47] He was the eliminated from the Top 13 in the first week of the finals, along with Jasmine Murray.[48]

* Jasmine Murray (born March 14, 1992, in Columbus, Mississippi, 16 years at the time of the show) is from Starkville, Mississippi and auditioned in Jacksonville, Florida. Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Murray was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. In addition to competing on Idol, she also competed in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant in 2007.[49][50] She was eliminated from the Top 13 in the first week of the finals, along with Jorge Núñez.

Finals
Top 13 - Michael Jackson

* Lil Rounds - “The Way You Make Me Feel” (Michael Jackson)
* Scott MacIntyre - “Keep the Faith” (Michael Jackson)
* Danny Gokey - “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” (Michael Jackson)
* Michael Sarver - “You Are Not Alone” (Michael Jackson)
* Jasmine Murray - “I’ll Be There” (The Jackson 5)
* Kris Allen - “Remember the Time” (Michael Jackson)
* Allison Iraheta - “Give In to Me” (Michael Jackson)
* Anoop Desai - “Beat It” (Michael Jackson)
* Jorge Núñez - “Never Can Say Goodbye” (The Jackson 5)
* Megan Joy - “Rockin’ Robin” (Michael Jackson)
* Adam Lambert - “Black or White” (Michael Jackson)
* Matt Giraud - “Human Nature” (Michael Jackson)
* Alexis Grace - “Dirty Diana” (Michael Jackson)

Eliminated: Jasmine Murray and Jorge Núñez

The judges chose not to save either Jasmine or Jorge. It was never revealed, out of Jasmine Murray and Jorge Núñez, who received the lowest amount of votes even though Jasmine was eliminated first.

This episode was re-aired on June 29, 2009, in a tribute to the death of Michael Jackson on June 25. This makes it the only episode of the show to be re-aired by Fox.[51]
Top 11 - Grand Ole Opry

Mentor: Randy Travis

* Michael Sarver - “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til the Sun Comes Up)” (Garth Brooks)
* Allison Iraheta - “Blame It on Your Heart” (Patty Loveless)
* Kris Allen - “To Make You Feel My Love” (Garth Brooks)
* Lil Rounds - “Independence Day” (Martina McBride)
* Adam Lambert - “Ring of Fire” (Johnny Cash)
* Scott MacIntyre - “Wild Angels” (Martina McBride)
* Alexis Grace - “Jolene” (Dolly Parton)
* Danny Gokey - “Jesus, Take the Wheel” (Carrie Underwood)
* Anoop Desai - “Always on My Mind” (Brenda Lee)
* Megan Joy - “Walkin’ After Midnight” (Patsy Cline)
* Matt Giraud - “So Small” (Carrie Underwood)

Bottom 3: Allison Iraheta, Michael Sarver, and Alexis Grace

Bottom 2: Michael Sarver and Alexis Grace

Eliminated: Alexis Grace

The judges chose not to use their save on Alexis.
Top 10 - Motown

Mentor: Smokey Robinson

* Matt Giraud - “Let’s Get It On” (Marvin Gaye)
* Kris Allen - “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” (Marvin Gaye)
* Scott MacIntyre - “You Can’t Hurry Love” (The Supremes)
* Megan Joy - “For Once in My Life” (Stevie Wonder)
* Anoop Desai - “Ooo Baby Baby” (The Miracles)
* Michael Sarver - “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” (The Temptations)
* Lil Rounds - “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave” (Martha and the Vandellas)
* Adam Lambert - “The Tracks of My Tears” (The Miracles)
* Danny Gokey - “Get Ready” (The Temptations)
* Allison Iraheta - “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (The Temptations)

Bottom 3: Matt Giraud, Michael Sarver, and Scott MacIntyre

Bottom 2: Matt Giraud and Michael Sarver

Eliminated: Michael Sarver

The judges chose not to save Michael.
Top 9 - Popular iTunes Downloads

* Anoop Desai - “Caught Up” (Usher)
* Megan Joy - “Turn Your Lights Down Low” (Bob Marley)
* Danny Gokey - “What Hurts the Most” (Rascal Flatts)
* Allison Iraheta - “Don’t Speak” (No Doubt)
* Scott MacIntyre - “Just the Way You Are” (Billy Joel)
* Matt Giraud - “You Found Me” (The Fray)
* Lil Rounds - “I Surrender” (Celine Dion)
* Adam Lambert - “Play That Funky Music” (Wild Cherry)
* Kris Allen - “Ain’t No Sunshine” (Bill Withers)

Bottom 3: Megan Joy, Allison Iraheta, and Anoop Desai

Bottom 2: Megan Joy and Anoop Desai

Eliminated: Megan Joy

Simon made it clear that the judges would not even consider using the save on Megan.
Top 8 - Year They Were Born

* Danny Gokey - “Stand by Me” (Ben E. King)
* Kris Allen - “All She Wants to Do Is Dance” (Don Henley)
* Lil Rounds - “What’s Love Got to Do With It” (Tina Turner)
* Anoop Desai - “True Colors” (Cyndi Lauper)
* Scott MacIntyre - “The Search Is Over” (Survivor)
* Allison Iraheta - “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Bonnie Raitt)
* Matt Giraud - “Part-Time Lover” (Stevie Wonder)
* Adam Lambert - “Mad World” (Tears for Fears)

Bottom 3: Anoop Desai, Scott MacIntyre, and Lil Rounds

Bottom 2: Anoop Desai and Scott MacIntyre

Eliminated: Scott MacIntyre

Paula and Kara wanted to save Scott, but Simon and Randy did not.[52] Since the judges must be unanimous for the save to be used, the save was not used on Scott.
Top 7 (first week) - Songs of the Cinema

Mentor: Quentin Tarantino

* Allison Iraheta - “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (Aerosmith) from Armageddon
* Anoop Desai - “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (Bryan Adams) from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
* Adam Lambert - “Born to Be Wild” (Steppenwolf) from Easy Rider
* Matt Giraud - “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” (Bryan Adams) from Don Juan DeMarco
* Danny Gokey - “Endless Love” (Lionel Richie and Diana Ross) from Endless Love
* Kris Allen - “Falling Slowly” (Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová) from Once
* Lil Rounds - “The Rose” (Bette Midler) from The Rose

Bottom 3: Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds, and Matt Giraud

Bottom 2: Matt Giraud and Lil Rounds

*Saved from elimination: Matt Giraud

*Matt received the lowest number of votes but the judges decided to use their save on him and was not eliminated.
Top 7 (second week) - Disco

* Lil Rounds - “I’m Every Woman” (Chaka Khan)
* Kris Allen - “She Works Hard for the Money” (Donna Summer)
* Danny Gokey - “September” (Earth, Wind & Fire)
* Allison Iraheta - “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer)
* Adam Lambert - “If I Can’t Have You” (Yvonne Elliman)
* Matt Giraud - “Stayin’ Alive” (Bee Gees)
* Anoop Desai - “Dim All the Lights” (Donna Summer)

Bottom 3: Anoop Desai, Allison Iraheta, and Lil Rounds

Eliminated: Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai

With no elimination the previous week, there was a second “Top 7″ week and two people were eliminated. It was never revealed who, out of Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds, received the lowest amount of votes however Lil Rounds was announced as the first to be eliminated and Anoop Desai and Allison Iraheta were called to centre-stage to form the rest of the lowest three vote getters.
Top 5 - Rat Pack Standards

Mentor: Jamie Foxx

* Kris Allen - “The Way You Look Tonight”
* Allison Iraheta - “Someone to Watch Over Me ”
* Matt Giraud - “My Funny Valentine”
* Danny Gokey - “Come Rain or Come Shine”
* Adam Lambert - “Feeling Good”

Top 2: Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey

Bottom 3: Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Matt Giraud

Bottom 2: Adam Lambert and Matt Giraud

Eliminated: Matt Giraud
Top 4 - Rock music

Mentor: Slash
Each contestant sang one solo and one duet with a fellow contestant.

* Adam Lambert - “Whole Lotta Love” (Led Zeppelin)
* Allison Iraheta - “Cry Baby” (Janis Joplin)
* Kris Allen & Danny Gokey - “Renegade” (Styx)
* Kris Allen - “Come Together” (The Beatles)
* Danny Gokey - “Dream On” (Aerosmith)
* Allison Iraheta & Adam Lambert - “Slow Ride” (Foghat)

Eliminated: Allison Iraheta
Top 3 - Judge’s choice / Contestant’s choice

Each contestant sang two songs.[53]

* Danny Gokey - “Dance Little Sister” (Terence Trent D’Arby) (Paula Abdul’s choice)
* Kris Allen - “Apologize” (OneRepublic) (Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi’s choice)
* Adam Lambert - “One” (U2) (Simon Cowell’s choice)
* Danny Gokey - “You Are So Beautiful” (Joe Cocker)
* Kris Allen - “Heartless” (Kanye West)
* Adam Lambert - “Cryin’” (Aerosmith)

Eliminated: Danny Gokey
Top 2 - The contestant’s favorite / Simon Fuller’s choice / The winner’s single

Each contestant sang three songs. Allen won a coin toss to decide who performed first and who performed last, and he chose to perform last.

* Adam Lambert - “Mad World” (Tears for Fears) - Contestant’s favorite
* Kris Allen - “Ain’t No Sunshine” (Bill Withers) - Contestant’s favorite
* Adam Lambert - “A Change Is Gonna Come” (Sam Cooke) - Simon Fuller’s choice
* Kris Allen - “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye) - Simon Fuller’s choice
* Adam Lambert - “No Boundaries” - Winner’s single
* Kris Allen - “No Boundaries” - Winner’s single

Winner: Kris Allen

Runner-Up: Adam Lambert
Other performances
Group song

* Top 36/Group 1: “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
* Top 36/Group 2: “Closer” by Ne-Yo
* Top 36/Group 3: “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry
* Top 13: “I Want You Back/ABC Medley” by The Jackson 5
* Top 11: “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” by Travis Tritt
* Top 10: “Motown” Medley: “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by The Supremes/”You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell/”Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
* Top 9: “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey
* Top 8: “Can’t Get You out of My Head” by Kylie Minogue
* Top 7 (week 1): “Maniac” by Michael Sembello from Flashdance
* Top 7 (week 2): “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” by The Jacksons; choreographed by Paula Abdul
* Top 5: “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” and “I Got Rhythm”
* Top 4: “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper
* Top 3: The Top 3 did not perform a group routine.
* Top 2: Top 13 performed “So What” by Pink and Top 2 performed Queen’s “We Are The Champions” who were guest performers

Guest performances

In addition, songs are played during the elimination night to promote an artist, single, album, or the show itself. Included is a list of those songs with their Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Digital Songs reactions.

Finale
Main article: Grand Finale (American Idol

The finale took place at the Nokia Theatre on May 20, 2009.

Controversies

Joanna Pacitti

Joanna Pacitti, who was originally selected as a semi-finalist, created controversy due to her being previously signed to A&M and Geffen Records. Later, she was found to have been having a “private relationship” with 19 Management. She was later disqualified, and replaced by Felicia Barton.

Telephone number

In the Top 13, the expected phone number for contestant Alexis Grace, 1-866-IDOLS-13, was not owned by American Idol, but by a company called Intimate Encounters, who used it as a phone sex line.[60] Although host Ryan Seacrest mentioned the replacement phone number, 1-866-IDOLS-36, several times, some commentators feared that the phone number confusion could lead to Grace being inadvertently voted off the show.[61][62] However, Grace was not voted off that week.

Overtime broadcast

On the April 7 (Top performance episode, Idol ran nearly eight minutes past its set ending time, such that viewers who recorded the program on digital video recorders completely missed the final performance, Adam Lambert’s performance of Mad World which received a standing ovation from judge Simon Cowell. The show attempted to prevent running over time the following week by having only two judges, either Randy and Kara or Paula and Simon, critique each performance; however, the episode still ended two minutes over the timeslot.

Lip-syncing

After the Top 11 program, Justin Guarini, while hosting Idol Wrap on TV Guide channel, asserted that the show’s group performances were being lip-synced.[63] Soon after Guarini’s assertion was aired, a spokesperson for the producers of American Idol said, “The Idols don’t lip-sync, period.”[63] The following day, the same spokesperson said that “due to extensive choreography and to balance their voices with open mics against a screaming audience, the Idols do sing along to their own prerecorded vocal track during the group performances only.”[63][64] The spokesperson maintained that the performers sing their solo songs live, but their performances available to download through iTunes are recorded prior to airing.

Finale vote

Kris Allen’s win over Adam Lambert resulted in speculation about voter manipulation, a Christian voting bloc, and as many as “38 million” votes coming from Arkansas, Kris’s home state[65][66], a state with only 2.8 million people. There were also allegations that AT&T may have influenced the results.[67] Fox had previously denied these claims as baseless stating that the network has no preference on who the winner might be.[68] AT&T meanwhile said in a statement that the vote tally above was based on incorrect information and apologized by saying that “AT&T does not divulge or confirm how many votes were cast in any state.”[69] On May 27, 2009, the producers of the show stated that they “stand by the outcome” and are “absolutely certain” that “without a doubt Kris Allen is the American Idol”.