Jas, I can relate to being a "little out of the loop" on contemporary pop music. I can't stand to listen to it, but instead surround myself with the sweet, sweet vocal stylings of Steeeeeven (say it with a squeal) Tyler, and a laundry list of other not-so-new and a little offbeat stuff. But I have an ear for what sounds good and what doesn't, so that's what I base my AI opinions on.
The thing is, in order to be a success in the pop music industry these days, you have to be marketable. That doesn't translate into "you have to be skinny" but it does mean that there has to be something about you that is overall visually appealing to your audience. That could mean having an *interesting* hair style ('a la Pink), a bouncy chest (Ms. Britney, please stand up), a robust voice and edgy personal style (Christina, party of one), or boyishly charming looks and the ability to bust a move (phone call for Mr. Timberlake). Those are all marketable qualities of today's pop stars. Sadly, a top-notch vocal talent isn't always a priority in marketing pop stars.
So I suppose that's the beauty of a show like AI, where America gets to pick who they want to see gracing the covers of Spin, People, and Entertainment Weekly. While the winner will most likely be a cross-section of America's majority vote, not everone will agree that he/she will have deserved to win. That's when our purchasing power comes into play - simply don't purchase their new album and every other person who does the same thing will be contributing to less-than-stellar sales for that artist. Then it will be somewhat like getting a bit of retribution for not having your choice win.
-AP