So, I'm watching American Idol, and my mind starts drifting toward "Staying Alive," and one of my all-time favorite movie lines. It's the 1983 sequel to "Saturday Night Fever," and John Travolta is Tony Manero again.

He's just nailed a performance as a Broadway dancer and his future looks bright.  He turns to his starstruck partner and asks in his thick Brooklyn accent: "You know what I wanna do?

"Strut!"

Then, Tony Manero bursts out a back door, and it's like his opening strut in "Saturday Night Fever." He's strutting again to the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive." 

I'm jumping all over the theater seats because this is what a dude wants to hear in this un-dude-like movie.

I bring this up because I started thinking about this while watching Jason Castro on American Idol Wednesday night.

In looks, Jason reminds me of Travolta. In spirit, he reminds me of Tony Manero.

Jason and Tony worked hard to reach a goal. When they're close to finishing it off, things don't look like they had imagined.

So, they thumb their noses at the establishment and revert to what comes natural to them.

Tony Manero strutted. In his Idol swan song, Jason starts singing what sounds cool to him, taking on his version of Bob Marley whether the judges like it or not. It's a respectful way of saying, "I'll do it my way." 

You have to admire Jason's and Tony's  anti-establishment positions.

As one entertainment blogger and Jason basher from the Village Voice wrote today: "As long as Castro was on the show, it somehow felt like one of us had made it through."

So Jason, be like Tony. Don't conform. Keep strutting.