One Week and a Moment with Matthew Rogers

Matthew Rogers: FratDork Extrordinaire




The third year brought us the brassy Fantasia and pagent princess Diana DeGarmo. It also brought us this ruddy faced, husky, collegiate football player that was made entirely of cheese.

Matt won the Rose Bowl. Did you know that? On the Idol website he mentions it as the best moment in his life. Sounds great until you realize something.

He was a 3rd stringer bench warmer who saw virtually no playing time for the one season he was on the team. So he really earned that Bowl. Yeah.

I feel like this is a metaphor for Matthew Rogers, as he held basically the same position on Idol. Sometimes I have to leave the room, or change the channel when I particularly detest a contestant. I had to do both these things with regular frequency when Matt was on my screen. Not because of my hatred, but rather because watching him perform made me so embarassed for him that it made me uncomfortable to watch.

Perhaps this is because he reminds me of an old friend, one who bears a passing physical resemblence and penchant for impromptu singing and this is the source of my empathy. Perhaps it is because I find people shamelessly dorking out on television to be naked display of vunerability. That sort of thing always makes me uncomfortable.

But mostly, I think, it's because he was the biggest Kid Songs Cheeseheart of them all. And he didn't mind. He didn't know any better. I would go so far as to say that he thought it was cool. So this is an ode to Matt, who would make me laugh and then make me feel kinda bad about it.

Gina