Why Fans Are Upset About The American Idol Season 19 Finale
There are problems with democracy. For proof, turn to Winston Churchill's observation that "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter." For further evidence, consider that Churchill never actually said that, but so many people think that he did that it's just sort of taken as fact now.
The point is, putting things to a vote doesn't always end the way that people hope it will, and when the options are narrowed down to two or three choices, there's a good chance that a vocal segment of the population will become actively enraged if their personal pick doesn't take the top spot. And there have been practically no better examples of this phenomenon in recent U.S. history than the Season 19 finale of "American Idol," unless we're spacing on something enormous.
Sunday, May 23, 2021, will live on in the minds of many "American Idol" fans for at least as long as it takes for another season of the show to come out, all thanks to one immense perceived injustice: The axing of 20-year-old Grace Kinstler before she could take her place as one of the show's top two contestants.
American Idol was less than ideal for Grace Kinstler fans
Hailing from Lakewood, Illinois, Grace Kinstler became a fan favorite for the "American Idol" finals not long after her first appearance, auditioning with the song "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." From there, performances of "Father" by Demi Lovato and a powerhouse rendition of "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston during the last episode of the season cemented Kinstler's place as the contestant to beat in viewers' hearts.
But here we are, a scant few hours later, heartbroken in the knowledge that Kinstler was ousted from the proceedings before she could even make the top two. Instead, Willie Pence and Chayce Beckham moved on to the final round, leaving fans with nothing but a thick pile of emotions.
"[S]ure, go ahead and send grace kinstler home. jennifer hudson didn't win american idol either," one fan tweeted with an appropriately cheeky image attached. "This #AmericanIdol finale," posted another, with a gif of someone hurling a sack of trash into a can. A presumably perturbed viewer tweeted a string of roughly two dozen angry red frowny faces followed by the simple assertion that "Grace should have won!"
Meanwhile, Kinstler did what any seasoned career politician does when an election doesn't go their way: She got ready for the next one. "Hello lovely people," she tweeted on May 24. "Please pick me to perform on @livekellyandryan! Go to the link in my bio and pick me AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT before the polls close tomorrow am!! Thank you all so so much!! I can't wait to perform for you again soon."