Nice guys finish last...

... or in the case of American Idol contestant Elliot Yamin- 3rd.

I actually cried a little bit when Elliot was booted from Am-Id last night. Not that it wasn't fully expected, mind you. Elliot's story was nearly cinderella-perfect except for one thing: he wasn't cute enough. Unfortunately Elliot is more like one of the ugly step-sisters in appearance. And Disney storylines just don't do as well when the protagonist is, well, less than an 8. They can even drop to a 7 as long as they have a killer bod.

Poor Elliot just has his voice, bless his heart. And a heart as big as Texas.

It was the heart thing that got to me on Wednesday night. The 5 minute vignette of his trip home seemed the most genuine. His comments about how he felt like a king, and that even though it was just for a few minutes, he would treasure it always. (Hear that Disney? That's a heart string moment...)

The entire time he was home I got this sense that even Elliot knew that this was his last hurrah, and that he might as well make the most of it. It was charming, and melancholy, and heartwarming, and made me think, "Damnit. He's a nice guy and he's gonna lose."

This is yet another reason that America pisses me off. Elliot never really had a chance to win. He was just not pretty enough. Not 'hollywood' enough. Not (gasp) marketable. Too many times did I hear people commenting on his looks or his "fucked up grill". From the first time he smiled for the camera, I knew that this lepreuchaun wouldn't get his pot of gold.

How sad is it when we can overlook someone because their parents didn't have enough money for orthodonture when they were in junior high.