Was 'American Idol's Big Finale Too Big? | VIDEO

May 25, 2006 — -- The votes are in, and either there are more than 62 million Americans with too much spare time … or 20 million with a penchant for repeat dialing.

Regardless, new "American Idol" champ Taylor Hicks got more votes than any president ever elected, which host Ryan Seacrest proudly pointed out during Wednesday night's floundering finale.

Hicks, the male muse behind the aptly named "Soul Patrol," not only had the vocal machinations to seal the deal but a highly regarded mane of prematurely gray locks that set him squarely apart from his competitors.

More impressive than Hicks' victory was "Idol's" ratings: An estimated 17 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 watched the show. That's almost one-fifth of the under-50 adult population.

Want to know where most of your co-workers were last night? Guess!

The thing is, if you look at the quality of the show itself, it was a bloated, anti-climactic excuse for two hours of network programming. It reminded me of a kid who keeps stretching a piece of gum from his mouth to the floor over and over. How long can you watch? Then what does he do with it? Put it back in his mouth? Spit it out? It's used, it's a little nasty to look at, it's done. Kind of like Wednesday night's show.

One of the worst offenses was the "Golden Idol" awards -- a segment in which they looked back on the entire season recognizing some of the unusual contestants. The especially silly Randy Jackson Prize for Public Speaking went to the most foul-mouthed of the early auditioners, Rhonetta, who appears via satellite, reprising the performance that earned her the trophy.