‘America’s Got ...’ Boy Shakira?

Summertime Sanjaya among 20 finalists vying for $1 million prize

	Judges Piers Morgan, left, Sharon Osbourne, center, and David Hasselhoff will offer their opinions on the finalists of "America's Got Talent."
Brian Kenison / NBC

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COMMENTARY

By Victor Balta

msnbc.com contributor

updated 9:52 a.m. ET July 12, 2007

Boy Shakira made it through.

Boy Shakira is in the finals of NBC's reality contest "America's Got Talent."

That should be enough to make viewers cry "foul" and wipe the slate clean to make way for a new round of would-be $1 million prize winners to take their shot. But it isn't, and barring any breaking news announcements between now and Tuesday night, Boy Shakira is in the finals of "America's Got Talent" and is now in the running to become the summertime Sanjaya.

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The popular reality showcase spent the past two nights winnowing its final 70 acts down to 35, then 20 who will compete to win the hearts and touch-tone keypads of Americans in hopes of claiming the $1 million prize. Viewers will start voting after Tuesday's performance show.

What was most shocking about the inclusion of Boy Shakira and Bollywood-style dancer Kashif Memon, among a couple of others, was that they took spots that might have otherwise gone to more deserving acts, including the Redneck Tenors and Cocoa Brown — the only remaining stand-up comic until she was ousted Wednesday night (if only NBC had another show for aspiring comics!).

The 20 finalists include 12 musical or singing acts (if you count an impressionist ventriloquist in that category) and eight "variety" acts that include some truly talented dancers, stilt performers, a magician and whatever it is that Boy Shakira and Kashif Memon are meant to be doing.

If the show's single-season history is any indication, America has a soft spot for young singers. Here's a look at the finalists, with their odds for winning:

Julienne Irwin: The 14-year-old country singer from Maryland uneasily occupies the spot held by last year's champion, then-11-year-old Bianca Ryan, as the cute girl with a strong voice. If America is looking for anything in the neighborhood of a repeat, she has a shot to make some noise. 10 to 1.

Manuel Romero: The sweet-voiced 18-year-old will win the ladies over with his good looks, and his voice might keep him in the game for a while. 12 to 1.

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Robert Hatcher: The singing sewage serviceman from Cincinnati will win viewers' hearts, but will he come up smelling like a rose? 15 to 1.

The Glamazons: There's something about these so-called "plus-sized Pussycat Dolls" that steers them clear of being mocked. These are legitimate contenders with real talent, and if they empower some women on the way, then that's just fine. 15 to 1.

Cas Haley: How can you not like this guy? A 26-year-old "stay-at-home dad"? It helps that he has a nice little groove going with his bluesy guitar and vocal performance. Cas already has a big following in the online message boards and could stick around for a while. 15 to 1.

Jason Pritchett: The country vote could get split between this 24-year-old Randy Travis and Tim McGraw blend, but if you saw him in that Carnival Cruise uniform on Wednesday night you'd have to be utterly soulless to let him spend another day on the high seas. 18 to 1.