This is a brief deconstruction of Jason Castro's participation in the brilliant merging between commerce and art that was the 2008 American Idol Ford music video. In this installment, we review the clips starring the final four, five and six Idol contestants and figure out how they relate to neighborsgo.com.

Original artist: Soft Cell

Premise: Graphic novel comes to life off cartoonist David Archuleta’s sketch pad.

Jason’s role: Zombie Driver No. 1, raging against the machine while driving in one Ford machine and chasing another.

neighborsgo connection: This is probably where those John Travolta, circa Battlefield Earth, comparisons originated.

Rating:   Be afraid.

Original artist: Donovan

Premise: Idol contestants turn the Earth into a greener, happier place by driving energy-efficient Ford vehicles.

Jason’s role: He’s in the driver’s seat all the way in this one, with the mellow, hippie-dippie tune aligning perfectly with his mellow, hippie-dippie persona.

neighborsgo connection: Contrary to some idle Internet chatter, JC is not a stoner.

Rating:   Flower power rules!

Original artist: Johnny Cash

Premise: Matadors duel a Ford Mustang in a dusty old mission town.

Jason’s role: He looks a little like a silent-film star in this one, his pale face set off by his blue eyes and his sparkly suit of lights. JC met his fate in the Idol arena after this aired, so his final Ford commercial was a fitting bit of foreshadowing.

neighborsgo connection: The suit of lights also foreshadowed Jason's final appearance on the Idol stage, looking sharp in a real suit. 

Rating:  Like Jason, the “creative” folks behind these Ford/Idol spots finally ran out of gas on this one.