All remaining Idol finalists don't deserve critical backlash

Today, Philippine Idol Updates wishes to play devil's advocate. A lot of discussion on online and offline media have played up allegations that finalists Miguel Mendoza and Jan Nieto are running well-oiled voting machines powered by their respective camps that they are virtual shoo-ins for the final two slots.

Regardless of whether or not these allegations are true, here's a thought for all of us: at the end of the day, Philippine Idol is a televised talent show, and these four remaining finalists were selected because the judges felt they had talent. In the eyes of Ryan Cayabyab, Pilita Corrales, and Francis Magalona, Mendoza, Nieto, Gian Magdangal, and Mau Marcelo have talent. Just because other people's bets were booted out earlier does not nullify the fact that the remaining four are there because they received enough votes - whether it's from twenty people voting a thousand times or a twenty thousand persons voting once each - to make it to the top four.

We appeal to the humanity in you - as Philippine Idol correspondent Ganns Deen does in his latest Idol-themed entry about Miguel Mendoza - to remember that Mendoza and Nieto are human beings, too. They do not deserve to be slandered, maligned, disrespected, and slammed just because their performances did not, for whatever reason, meet your own personal standards. If you are angry with their having made it this far, speak with your mobile phones and vote for either Marcelo or Magdangal. But we urge you to remember that both gentlemen - in the eyes of the judges, at least - have talent, and have done nothing to you to deserve the kind of raging hatred some of you have been posting on our blog.