Maybe it's the Barry Manilow guest spots, the choreographed group songs or the corny commercials, but "American Idol" has always been just about the most un-rock-and-roll music show on television.
How, then, have two 29-year-old long-haired dudes singing the Allman Brothers and the Police ended up not just in the finals, but among the favorites to win?
"They're refreshing," judge Paula Abdul said of Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis. "We've yet to have that rock and roll edge ... and rock and roll is as American as apple pie."
"Idol" has embraced singers with styles new to the competition in the past (crooner John Stevens or country guy Josh Gracin, for instance), but never this different.
"I think Fantasia opened the door for everybody to say, 'Look, you can be different and still be embraced by America,' " said Celena Rae, who was eliminated in the semifinals.
While plenty of rockers have auditioned for "Idol" over the years, and a few have even made it to the semifinals, Bice and Maroulis are the first to make the finals. "They never were authentic," Abdul said of past rockers. "These two guys are the real deal. They're in rock and roll bands. They write original music. They live their art."
Perhaps. But is it really possible to be the real deal in rock and roll and be on "American Idol"? Rock is a genre that obsesses about credibility, and it's not like the White Stripes are looking to Randy Jackson for suggestions on their next opening band.
"Absolutely [it's possible]," Maroulis argued. "The opportunities for artists out there are few and far between these days. To be able to be put in front of a huge audience like this, to be able to sing some of the greatest songs in the American songbook ever written by the greatest lyricists, with great melodies — as long as you stay true to yourself and you're honest about the work, how can that be a bad thing?"
"I guess we'll have to see," answered Bice. "I'm gonna be the same cat today as I'm gonna be no matter how far I go. I've got my own style of music that I hope they're gonna let me tap into on the show, so hopefully people will root me on and just enjoy my music. That's what I'm out here for."
Although some "Idol" rules hinder Maroulis and Bice's ability to rock out (neither is allowed to play guitar while performing, for instance), the show has become more rocker-friendly over the years. It used to be contestants sang over tracks, at least for the semifinals, but the show now has a band, one Bice calls "incredible."
"Playing in bands my whole life, I feed off of that energy of a live band," he said.
That energy, especially when so many of the contestants sing ballads each week, is likely what has put both Bice and Maroulis in the finals.
"It's a lot of fun having rockers onboard because singers have a tendency to only want to do pretty songs," vocal coach Dorian Holly said. "The good thing about these two guys is they really know what they are about. They know how they sound best. They know the music that really makes them look their best. So it's not a lot of hard work to put it together for them."
Things may change for Bice and Maroulis after some of the theme weeks (Manilow songs, for instance), but right now the two are faring well on MTVNews.com's poll and are favorites among the contestants.
"I think rock is what's hot right now, especially for a show that a lot of people put in the category of pop or bubblegum," said Aloha Mischeaux, who was voted out in the semifinals. "I think Bo and Constantine are definitely adding the spice to the show. I'm really glad that they made it so far because it's good to watch. People can relate to this show a lot more now because there are different flavors this year."
