the buzz log

In the end, the South rose again.

In the last possible moment, Kris Allen made "American Idol" history—or perhaps reinforced it. The numbers and judges may have been with Adam Lambert, but Allen once again showed that the Cinderella storyline could rally the American South and the heartland.

Even the city slickers at the Los Angeles Times see Allen's win as bringing "the show back to its original premise," that of someone from nowhere rising to the top while remaining true to him or herself. As for the Arkansas Online, the hometown news outlet calls Allen the "neighbor, fellow churchgoer and friend."

As for supporters of the more polished Lambert, Newsday points out, as so many other "Idol" pundits have, that the runner-up took the news just fine and "doesn't really need the show's voters to validate" his readiness to be a star.

Season 8 messed up our projection record (at least we had three in a row), although we did talk of upsets. Below, a congrats to all "Idol" winners past and present, from wherever they hail. Note the only non-Southerner was Season 6 Jordin Sparks, an Arizona resident born in New York.

"American Idol" Winners (and Birthplace)

1. Kelly Clarkson (Texas)
2. Ruben Studdard (Alabama)
3. Fantasia Barrino (North Carolina)
4. Carrie Underwood (Oklahoma)
5. Taylor Hicks (Alabama)
6. Jordin Sparks (New York)
7. David Cook (Texas)
8. Kris Allen (Arkansas)