Here we go again.

For the second year in a row, a Utahn has slipped her way into the top 13 (I'm still trying to wrap my head around that) of America's highest-rated television show.

Megan Joy Corkrey, 23, of Sandy, was selected as a "wild card" pick to be one of the finalists on this season's "American Idol," thanks to judge Simon Cowell, who liked her "current" musical style.

Corkrey, a pretty, petite blonde, sings with a smokey vocal presence that is much different from what the show usually offers, must be considered a longshot to win the whole competition. But I like her a lot, and she's a local I'm happy to back.

For one, she's different. She's doesn't have the pop sensibilities of "Emo-boy," Adam Lambert, who looks like a parody of a pop '80s icon, or the Disney-esque stylings of 16-year-old Jasmine Murray, both finalists this year.

Corkrey is in some ways the anti-David Archuleta, the Murray teen who nearly won last year's competition.

Though sweet and charming, Corkrey seems pragmatic in comparison to Archuelta's dreamy outlook, more hardened to Archuleta's naivete.

And then there are the tattoos plastered all over her right shoulder and down her arm and on her feet, which is usually not the image of a tween sensation. She said she may even celebrate her trip to the top 13 by getting a new tattoo.

I like that she's representing another view of Utah to the rest of the world. She's a tattoo-covered single mom who likes to sing more obscure songs with jazzy vocals. An Osmond, she's not.

She can demonstrate to the country that Utahns are not all straight-laced, clean-cut androids who are more in tune with Lawrence Welk than Amy Winehouse.

At the same time, I don't expect Corkrey (that's her married name, and she told me she plans to use her middle name, Joy, as her last name) to go very far in the competition.

While the judges like that she adds diversity and dimension to this year's competition -- and Lord knows this year's crop of finalists needs it -- I can't imagine teens will appreciate her outside-the-box vocals.

Her corkscrew dancing aside -- which makes her look like a washing machine agitator or a blonde Pippi Longstocking, thanks to her petite sundresses -- Corkrey isn't exactly a commercial commodity.

But get those dialing fingers ready, Utah. Another local talent is vying for the top of television's talent pyramind, and she's worth every telephone vote she can muster.

Vince Horiuchi 's column appears Mondays and Fridays. He can be reached at vince@sltrib.com or 801-257-8607. For more televi sion insights, visit Horiuchi's blog, "The Village Vidiot," at blogs.sltrib.com/tv/. Send comments about this column to livingeditor@sltrib.com.