Is American Idol rigged?

Mais bien Sur! OF COURSE it is rigged! Just look at the results!

I question if it was rigged.The finale didn't seem credible. It is an entertainmen show not a talent show, not a voting show. Pure entertainment, fun and surprises. That's all folks!

Of Course it is 'rigged' if that is the term you want to call it. This is a reality TV show for entertainment, ratings, and to sell commercial time and make money. It will go what ever way The Powers That Be want it to go. And they have been really good at it, generating interest and contraversy. Votes and iTune sales are taken into consideration, along with a number of other factors, but votes are not used a 100% in the decision. Anyone who is truly under the impression that this is a real singing competition, I have some ocean front property to sell you in Arizona...

If the show WAS NOT rigged then Adam would have won. Rigged, baby rigged!!!

If it was rigged....ADAM WOULD HAVE WON!!!!!
They never even showed Kris' audition till he won.
Simon kept dismissing him even if he did a great job. (Aside from heartless)
I can understand some point of views about how they may have wanted Kris to win instead of Adam, but I still stand that all that pimping of Adam would have been for nothing, only to make Kris take the crown. Everybody was saying "Adam, Adam, Adam!", so TPTB would not have wanted to promote someone who was not getting that much attention.

des, they do it for the SHOCK value. And what a shock it was! America is still scratching their head!!! Something bogus happened that night. Maybe they learned their lesson for season 9. But they are bringing ding-bat Kara back, so probably not!

ummm this poll is kinda irrelevant as it's asking the same Q for yes and no?

My comment is that American Idol is not the same as it started out to be with the first few years that it was on. When Kelly Clarkson won, it appeared to be a legitimate win, but when this past year's winner won, it wasn't for real. Adam was an amazing singer no matter who he wants to be, and when Chris was announced, it has been a total downer for me to even ever watch american idol ever again. Now, with Paula leaving there must be a really good reason why she decided not to go. Paula IS the show, so is Randy, Simon and Ryan. That's why we watch it to see what their viewpoints are. Now - no more Paula -- what will happen to the show after this season? What surprises are we in store for next?

Yes it is most definitely rigged. Kris was placed in the top 36 as filler. Yes, he was "good enough" to be in the top 36. Anybody who saw his audition can see why he was only "filler". Adam was superb and not only the best Idol has ever seen--but one of the best entertainment vocalists of our time. And then he loses to Kris? Some say rigged, some say geography. What it boils down to is that Kris was only "okay" and Adam was phenomenal. But Kris wins?? Yeah, righhht....