American Idol judges made it clear they were no fans of finalist David Cook after final performances Tuesday night, and that may have been what put the emo rocker over the top on Wednesday. Said the Times, "the talk on the red carpet before Wednesday’s program was that perhaps the judge’s overwhelming favoritism for Mr. Archuleta drove Mr. Cook’s supporters to vote in waves." Acidic judge Simon Cowell went so far as to apologize to the newly-crowned winner, saying his evaluation of of Cook Tuesday was "verging on disrespectful." Heaven forbid! Despite the judges' contrition, this is all very convenient for them. The judges were under heavy criticism for staging and pre-crafting their opinions starting a few weeks ago, after Paula Abdul's infamous and obviously-canned comments about a performance she never saw. Cook's victory in the face of the judges' doubts makes them seem a little less threatening and powerful, and their conniving less harmful. UPDATE: After the jump, video of Cook in an ad that aired Wednesday night, dancing in his underwear like Tom Cruise in Risky Business and thus foretelling very healthy emotional and career arcs.

[Times, Best Week Ever]

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