America's Oscar winner

I don't know about you, but I was pretty happy to see Jennifer Hudson win the Oscar Sunday night.

For me, she's an example of how AI gives young people who have been ignored by the traditional 'system', by things like economic disadvantage or shyness or outright bias, a shot at stardom.

What's that, you say? Idol voters failed to support her? She was the sixth person eliminated her year? Which shows AI's audience can't see true talent but are blinded by looks or race or cliques?

Ha! Idol fans were the only ones who even give her a shot--where were these holier-than-thou Hollywood types in 2004, when we were the only ones who even saw that this gospel singer from Chicago had big-time potential?!

And although yeah, the AI audience is prone to all sorts of ridiculous influences, to borrow from one of Churchill's favorite quotes about democracy--it's the worst way of discovering talent, except all the others that have been tried.

Besides which, Hudson wasn't ready three years ago to win 'Idol'--or an Oscar. Anyone who watched the show back then knew she had a great voice, but had trouble with things like presentation and consistency, and song choice.

Like any other young musician or actor, she needed time and encouragement to develop her craft. Tom Hanks had 'Bosom Buddies' to find himself; Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera all had Disney. Jennifer had Idol.

As Reality TV magazine reports:

Barbara [Walters] asked Jennifer Hudson if she would thank American Idol judge Simon Cowell if she won an Oscar. Jennifer said "Wow, will I thank Simon Cowell? You know, I will probably thank American Idol as a whole, because had it not been for American Idol, they never would have known of a Jennifer Hudson to call."

Getty Images photo of Hudson by Robyn Beck