America gets its Right-To-Life Idol

Jordin Sparks is the new American Idol.

After a bloated two-hour show whose highlights included a performance by an 80-year-old man, a human beatbox duet, the indelible memory of Ruben Studdard singing "Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds," and the lower half of Kelly Clarkson's body, the questions this morning are whether Jordin, a 17-year-old Christian and anti-abortion crusader, will use her new role to spread her controversial agenda-- and whether Idol producers played a little in-joke by having Jordin sing background on the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home"-- a song about a girl sneaking out of the house to have an abortion.

And there will be debate today about whether Jordin's victory was in the cards from the beginning, even before judge Randy Jackson predicted that the winner would have "curly hair." We direct you to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that followed the Seattle audition episode-- Jordin's first appearance on Idol:

Seattle Post Intelligencer
January 19, 2007
On TV: Seattle's 'Idol' auditions: Hurt so good
By MELANIE McFARLAND
P-I TELEVISION CRITIC

..."Idol," in turn, gave us a young, bright, charismatic, pretty contestant who looks so much like the show's idea of the total package that she could be a ringer....

...One shining star stood out: 16-year-old Jordin Sparks from Glendale, Ariz. She's beautiful, has a smile that can light up L.A., and tore apart Celine Dion's "Because You Love Me."

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

Seeing her is supposed to drive home the reason we keep running back to "Idol." Young, ambitious and undiscovered, she embodies the dream of "Idol," the idea that someone with small but bright embers of talent can, within the space of a few months, shoot from obscurity to superstardom.

Except that's not exactly the case with this young woman.

Out of nowhere, Abdul says she recognizes Sparks' name-- and Sparks reveals she is the daughter of former New York Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks. What a coinky-dink!

And that's not all! Jordin Sparks has an exhaustive Wikipedia page, where you can find out interesting facts such as: She was the Coca-Cola Rising Star in 2002. Coca-Cola, of course, being "Idol's" major sponsor. She also appeared in "America's Most Talented Kids" in 2004, toured with Michael W. Smith and sang in Alice Cooper's Christmas show. Winning "Arizona Idol" netted her a Ford Fusion and a trip to Seattle. Wonder if she had to wait in line?