American Idol Final: David Cooks Archuleta by 12 Million Votes

The scruffy rocker thrashed the Kewpie doll.

David Cook, a 25-year-old bartender from Missouri, was named the winner of Fox’s “American Idol” last night.

With a record 97.5 million votes cast, Cook beat 17-year-old Utah resident David Archuleta by 12 million votes. His victory was a stunning rebuke to judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, who had all but crowned Archuleta the winner Tuesday night.

As if anticipating Cook’s win, Cowell, just seconds before host Ryan Seacrest made the announcement, apologized to Cook for comments the previous night that were “verging on disrespectful.”

Congratulating both of them, Cowell said, “For the first time ever, I don’t really care who wins.”

He could have been speaking for many at home.

The 126-minute live finale brought out just about every entertainer in the Los Angeles area looking to plug a product. George Michael, Bryan Adams, Boston’s own Donna Summer, ZZ Top, the Jonas Brothers, Graham Nash, OneRepublic and previous “Idol” winners Carrie Underwood and Jordin Sparks all performed. Mike Myers promoted his upcoming film “The Love Guru” in character and warned baby-faced Archuleta about “making a boom-boom in his Pull-ups.”