Very true! She gives them credibility. And you're right she has worked hard. I'm hoping Carrie does the same. Then she can send Simon a jar of pickles.
LOL! Every year Simon seems to feel the need to pimp the current contestants by dissing previous contestants. Last year Simon took a not-so-subtle swipe at Kelly and Clay when he told Carrie she would be the biggest selling Idol ever.
This year he told one contestant in the Hollywood round that he reminded Simon of Clay Aiken, only nicer. And, of course, he said Pickler was better than last year's winner. As Jonny will tell you, I am not a Carrie fan and have struggled to be positive about her. Even so, Pickler never saw the day when she was remotely comparable to Carrie, let alone better than her. what's right, is right, and Carrie deserves her props even from a non-fan like me.
BTW, in case you're curious, I think Carrie is a gorgeous young woman with a beautiful singing voice. But to me she has the same problem as Katharine McPhee does this year -- their performances are detatched and mechanical, so I have trouble connecting with them. Again, that's just my opinion and I know many people disagree with me. But I hope Carrie continues to do very well in her career and, should Katharine win, I would wish the same for her.