Idol Gives Bleck

I am glad that American Idol has decided to utilize its ratings for charity. I think the idea of Idol Gives back is a great idea. But I have to admit that I hate how they do it. I do not want to see a bunch or celebrities stumping for charity. I have said it before so I won't waste time saying it again, but I find sickeningly wealthy people asking us regular folks for money supremely distasteful. I also do not in the slightest enjoy watching live music performances and random awkward comedy routines. Especially not while a credit card donation hotline number flashes before my eyes. It is boring, and self indulgent and in general I feel it is done not to actually help people, but so that everyone can later go home, revel in the luxury their grandiose paychecks have afforded them, and feel good about themselves.

But I have a DVR, so what do I care, right? I can just zip through the whole thing or delete it completely - who cares what celebrity said what for which charity? Doesn't matter to me, I'm already on to my other recorded shows.

But isn't that kind of the point? Aren't they trying to reach all their millions of viewers in order to raise awareness and money and donations? Kind of defeats the purpose if we aren't watching. Not to mention - how much money did it cost to put on this whole production? I bet that could have fed some kids.

I wish they would just put aside this whole self serving rigamarole and start charging for votes. believe me, it isn't going to cut down on the number of people voting by that much if it only costs $.10 or even $.05 per call. And every votes every week the entire season? That is hundreds of millions of votes - which would be millions of dollars raised without doing a single thing differently. They could find a way to shorten (or dear god, please get rid of) those horrible Ford videos and show a few minutes of one of the various charities being benefited through the whole season's accumulated donations.

It would all be simple, straightforward and behind the scenes - everything Hollywood hates.

So I won't hold my breath. But I will hold down my FFWD.

American I Don't Know Why I'm Still Watching

So, is it just me or can we all agree that the competition is WEAK this year on American Idol? I cannot see any clear stand outs among this crop of contestants at all. Ok, that's not true, there are a few who are clearly better than the rest (Crystal Bowersox), but I don't feel like that is really saying much this season. Saying you are a stand out this year is kind of like saying you got the highest failing grade - whoop de doo. No one's really bringing all that much to the table, so being the best isn't the same as it might have been in past seasons.

It is kind of interesting that no one is quite as polished or professional as they have been recently. The contestants have been getting more and more polished every year - people who have worked as professional singers just don't bring the same sense of discovery and "chance of a lifetime" to the show as true amateurs. So it is kind of fun watching these contestants because they really have ALOT of room to grow - seeing the transformations and who can really build a persona and find their style and rhythm is part of the fun of the show. When everyone starts out super great, there is less room for improvement and the competition factor just turns into a popularity contest. Now there is actual risk involved because they need to improve and develop and learn how to choose the right song and sing it stronger, as well as be charming and popular.

That being said, I really hope they do it quickly - this endless bad karaoke feel is getting a little hard to listen to each week.

American Idol - The Boys

Well, last night certainly wasn't very good - no clear winners and or truly stand out performances. I think any front runners are currently leading the pack based on personality, looks and or previous audition performances; last night was kind of a bust. So let's hope the boys do a little better, shall we? My run down:

Todrick Hall - I love that this guy was a dancer and just kind of thought "hey, I'll audition for American idol" and here he is. That's just raw talent right there. Plus, his gray eyes are SO super cool - lady killer for sure. That being said, his performance was meh. Kind of a neat bluesy/R&B arrangement of Since You Been Gone (which is not to say I really liked it since I HATE R&B), but his pitch was iffy and the arrangement really didn't do much to emphasize any vocal strengths. So that doesn't help.

Aaron Kelly - This little guy is just so cute - he's like some puppy you see at the shelter and just have to take home with you. He's so young but he can really sing. And he owned the stage much better tonight. There was no sign of the intense nerves that made him forget the lyrics Hollywood week. He seemed fully confident and in control of his voice. Imagine how good he'll get if he stays around a few weeks.

Jermaine Sellers - was he quiet on anyone else's tv? I could barely hear this guy, even when I jacked up the volume on my set (I could hear all the previous guys fine). So, with my volume issues I can't be sure, but he seemed super screechy to me. I also got a bad "I'm such hot shit" vibe off him which put me on edge, and of course, remember how I said I hate R&B? Yeah. So I didn't like that song AT ALL.

Tim Urban - I don't think I've ever seen this guy before tonight - which is usually the kiss of death in a vote driven show like this (oh, I see from Simon's comments that he was originally not out through - I missed his intro, so that explains that). However, he is probably dreamy enough to the teen audience to squeak through. And he had such an earnest look on his face whenever he looked right in the camera - it was actually kind of funny. Like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And I didn't think he was nearly as bad as the judges seemed to, althought it certainly wasn't awesome.

Joe Munoz - Good performance, nice steady tone and consistently on pitch. And yet I had to rewind to watch it twice bceause the first time I totally wasn't paying attention. And the second time I got sucked back into the computer again. So not great in terms of focus grabbing. Bad sign for garnering votes.

Tyler Grady - This guy is oushing the whole 70's thing WAY too far. I get it. Stuff was cool then. I like Hazed and Confused too. But he better rejoin this century toot sweet or the whole one trick pony act is going to kill him. He looks like he's in perpetual period costume, and while fashion recycles with the best of them, right now we are in a revamp of the 80's. There is a lot to be said about coming across as current in terms of winning this contest, and he has none of that. If he figures out how to rework the 70's style and music in terms 2010, then he could be a really strong contender.

Lee Dewyze - Bad arrangement, bad vocals, boring performance. Honestly watching this the only thought through my head was "he's going home." Ouch. But yay that he's from Chicago! (wow, Simon loved it. Interesting)

John Park - From Northbrook, IL - practically my parent's backyard! This guy does NOT look like hs voice at all. Is that because he's Asian? I can't think of any Asian singers, so I think that could be what's weird. But he is really good - I think he did a great job tonight - really solid performance.

Michael Lynche - How can you not love this guy? He seems like a giant teddy bear, I just want to hug him. And the whole baby girl born during auditions thing is just too cute. I just really like how authentic and genuine he seems at all times - there is no perception of working the media machine at all and that's so refreshing. and of course, he sings pretty darn good too.

Alex Lambert - Mullet alert! And he definitely proves that no matter how cute you are otherwise, you will still look terrible in a mullet. Started out pretty rough - I though, oh, here I am criticizing this guy's hair when he's totally sucking on stage too. But he got a little better. on pitch at least, which is always nicer to listen to. But still not that good. Lacking in charisma onstage big time.

Casey James - I think short of throwing up onstage or leaping into a racist rant this guy is safe. He's just too good looking, his singing almost doesn't even matter. The fact that he sings well is just icing on the himbo. Although I do have to request that he go back to the ponytail - WAY better.

Andrew Garcia - Loved the dweeby bookworm vibe he had going with his thick glasses, and how he just accompanied himself on the guitar instead of having the full band cover whether or not he could really play. He sounded pretty good too I thought. Although I think he's going to have a hard time ever living up to his cover of Straight Up from Hollywood week (which totally rocked). But I still think he's safe this week.

Okay, that's it for this week. And maybe this whole season who knows? I tend to lose interest and drift away which affects how well I can write about any given subject. But only a little. HA!

American Idol- The Girls

First thing I want to say about American Idol this season is that I don't even notice Paula is gone. I don't know if that means I never really liked her as much as I thought, or that she wasn't really an important part of the show, that they've just done a great job transistioning to new judges and increasing focus on Kara which I think works, or that the show is just an entity in itself and no one person's presence can change it. Whatever. I just know that I don't even notice it's been changed (and I expected to at least a little), which is a great sign that the right decision was made. And of course, I LOOOOOVE Ellen DeGeneres in all instances so that doesn't hurt.

Paige Miles - Didn't sound too good - especially after that video of her final performance in Hollywood week. She also has some really bad pale lipstick on, and her hair looks weird and flat and stringy. Meh. Also, if you're going to get sewn into an outfit, at least pick something flattering.

Ashley Rodriguez - Awful awful awful song. Awful, semi on-tune-ish rendition. Awful, too tight, too casual white t-shirt. Other than that I kind of like her. Which I guess says something about her "it" factor. Cause I really hated her performance.

Janell Wheeler - Had some iffy moments, but she did alright. And damn, were her pants tight! Some sort of weird, shiny, jeans/lycra combo thing that was just good (Although at least she had the legs to pull them off). But she definitely had a rough time - very inconsistent with pitch.

Lilly Scott - Quirky, in a really nice accessible way. And while I didn't totally love her song, at one point I got chills. And that is never a bad sign.

Katelyn Epperley - During her performance I was mainly thinking "why did they frizz out her pretty curly hair like it's the 80's and FrizzEase hasn't been invented yet?" So I don't know what that says about her singing. It seemed fine but was overshadowed by the poor styling.

Haeley Vaughn - This girl sufferes from some severe prejudice on my part because I don't like her teeth. Or the way her name is spelled. And yes, these are irrelevant, irrational, stupid things, but they totally bug me for some reason. That said, she can really sing, and I liked her red guitar, although her outfit was too juvenile - like a 5 year old.

Lacey Brown - Jeez, tonight is really sucking. I think this girl is cute (I love anyone in a short funky hairstyle) and has a neat, unique voice. But she was not veyr good tonight, just like the last six before her weren't very good. Where is the showstopping performance of the night?

Michelle Delamor - Oh. here it is. Okay, maybe not showstopping, but pretty darn good. Very pretty girl, normalish looking outfit, good song with a decent arrangement, and strong solid vocals without any off notes. Well done. Finally

Didi Benami - I love this girl. I loved the song by Kara that she sang at Hollywood week (wish someone would record THAT), and I love the song she sang tonight. It was a perfect song for her, she sang it beautifully, and her quirky macrame vest somehow managed to be a) and macrame vest, and b) flattering. Wicked good.

Siobhan Magnus - Can I just say that I totally love the name Siobhan? So exotic and pretty, but then you have the whole SYobHan pronounciation issue (sounds like Shavonne people) which is why none of my kids were given a moniker such as this. Ah, thoes tricky Celtic names. That being said, she sang beautifully, even though I don't really like that song at all. Her hairdo needed work though.

Crystal Bowersox - Oh how I wish this girl didn't have dreadlocks. So pretty, so talented, with such a cute little boy. but dreadlocks make me think of bugs crawling around on my scalp. Dirty dirty dirty, ick.

Katie Stevens - I can't believe she's only 16 (from her voice, the dancing and outfit was junior prom all the way). But she was great vocally.

Ok, that's my wrap up on the girls. Tune in tomorrow for the boys. And then I'll probably never say another thing about this season cause, gosh, this was a lot of work!

American Idol - The Judges Picks

Praise Jesus, Tatiana "I just got a new accent" del Toro is out of there! Clearly the producers weighed the online backlash aginst the appeal of onscreen dramatics and made the right decision. Hooray! Beyond that, no big surprises really - even adding an extra 13th contestant wasn't that huge a shocker given the talent in the eight wild card hopefuls. I think the only thing that really surprised me is that they didn't vote in more girls to try and make it even - we are super boy heavy this season. But whatever, Tatiana is gone, and Megan Joy and Anoop are in, so I'm happy.

American Idol - Wild Card

Well, The judges certainly have their work cut out for them - there are a lot of good people in the wild card race that deserve another chance. Do they all deserve to be in the top twelve? I don't know, but maybe neither do all of the people who were voted in. That's why we need a few more weeks to vot and get to know the contestants. What I do know is that if tatiana makes the top twelve I will have to stop watching the show, and judging by all the polls I've seen indicating how much people hate her (one website poll voted her the most annoying contestant EVER), lot of other people feel the same way.

American Idol - The Third Set Of 12

Von Smith - He didn’t sound that good to me, but to be honest I had a really hard time hearing him clearly over the noise of the heat in my house no matter how loud I made the tv. I definitely didn’t like the song, but I’ll hold off totally judging the performance since I could hardly hear it,. The judges liked it and I‘m assuming they could hear it better than I could.
Taylor Vaifanua - SI thought she sang beautifully, but her liquid leggings didn’t go with her dress and the shininess was distracting. And apparently she sang a song she had already sung - which would be an issue is the audience had seen her sing it twice, but despite how much the judges like to insist on it being a singing competition and that the contestants have to shocase their range and versatility, it is basically a popularity contest, and we haven’t seen enough of the contestants yet to really know or care if she sang a repeat song.
Alex Wagner-Trugman - I did not like the beginning, but once her got to the chorus it was much better. He needed a snazzier outfit though - all he needed was a backpack and he would have been ready for school.
Arianna Afar - Another one who sang in a range that gets eaten by my heat - the notes I could hear sounded nice and strong. But she was super boring - just stood there and moved her arms out once or twice. Work on some stage presence, girl.
Ju’not Joyner - Sang a song I really like, but I did not like the arrangement at all - way too slow and kind of depressing. I think he should have sung something by Seal - he had that same kind of tone to his voice.
Kristen McNamara - Another song I hated the arrangement on - she changed too many notes on this song so the tune was almost unrecognizable. She sang well, I just didn’t like what she did with the song itself. Her dress was also not particularly flattering (what were the weird flowery things on the shoulders?), and it seemed more like something you would wear to a lunchtime bridal shower than on stage to rock out.
Nathaniel Marshall - This guy is quite a character, and you just have to like that he sang Meatloaf. I though he sang well, and while he has a personal style I don’t particularly love (lip piercing, constant headband) it suits him.
Felicia Barton - The second chance girl - she got kicked off originally and was brought back because another girl in the top 36 was really good friends with some producers and they had to ask her to leave to avoid controversy. I think she did a good job with her second shot - she sang nicely, performed well and chose a good outfit.
Scott Macintyre - Um, let’s see; he’s really talented, apparently a genius, and he’s blind. Think he’ll get some votes?
Kendall Beard - She didn’t sing that well, and what the heck was on her belt? She wore a really cute yellow dress, and I agree that it needed a belt to add a little extra style, but what was the big bunch of “flowers” hanging off of it? It looked like Spanish moss spray painted various colors. Ugly. And she has the distinctin of being the first performer I saw that was bad enough that Paula only commented on her looks. She also looks just like Tamra from The Real Housewives of the O.C. Not that that means anything, I just had to mention it (although that reveals that I watch The Real Housewives of the O.C., which is maybe something I wanted to keep to myself).
Jorge Nunez - The beginning was so boring! He had such a look of feigned earnestness on is face, blech. It picked up a little when he hit the chorus, but I was not moved.
Lil Rounds - Loved her dress! Seriously, does anyone know what it is because I want it (although I would probably need the top to be a different color, yellow doesn’t look as good on me as it did on her). She sang wonderfully (Mary J Blige anyone?), and I think she was one of the few who came across already professionally.

American Idol - The Second Group Of 12

Jasmine Murray - I remember her as being one of the strongest singers during Hollywood week. She didn’t sound that great this week to me. I think the song was in too low a key for her to really give it her best.
Matt Giraud - very average. Not a particularly good performance, and I don’t remember him at all from Hollywood week, so he’s probably gone.
Jeanine Vailes - Oh good God - a sequined tuxedo jacket with rolled up Daisy Dukes? No, no - not a good choice. She looked like she was attending a formal backyard barbecue. And the singing was worse.
Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle - I really don’t know what to say about this guy. I will admit that his alter ego is amusing to a point, but when he is in character he doesn’t sing all that well, as opposed to the one moment in the initial audition when he showed he actually has a nice voice. Given that this is a one in a lifetime chance, I don’t see why he can’t just drop the persona a little bit and really show his talent.
Allison Iraheta - Finally, a good singer. She picked a good song for her voice (and look), and she gave an entertaining, honest performance.
Kris Allen - Bad first note, boring performance, never seen him before as far as I can remember - he’s gone.
Megan Joy Corkrey - One of the most beautiful contestants ever, and she has a nice voice too. Her little hip shimmy and wiggling was a bit odd, but in an endearing way. And she was dressed like an 8 year old on the first day of school - but it worked. I liked her. Also pretty much the only one who sang the right song.
Matt Breitzke - First guy to actually have a chance. He has a tough guy vibe, and despite the judge’s opinion I thought he sang a nice rockin’ song that fit him.
Jesse Langseth - Eh. I think she sang well, but I just wasn’t reall interested by this performance. I can’t put my finger on what it was missing, but it was something.
Kai Kalama - Nice singer, and a good looking guy, but he has got to get a grip on his hair. ‘Fro it out or cut it off dude, cause right now it is just unkempt and crazy and you kind of look like a mugger.
Mishavonna Henson - She started like she was in pain, and then spent the rest of the time looking vaguely angry at the camera. And it may be mean to say, but she had a piggy nose that was really distracting to me. Not that that should have any bearing on whether or not she advances. I’m just saying.
Adam Lambert - Great performer - and he should be since he has worked in shows like Wicked. This was a little overdone, and his voice paid the price - he can really sing but he didn’t sound so good last night - very affected and almost screechy at times.
So this is where the new voting starts to show how unfair it is - there were at least 4 people eliminated last week who deserved to be around longer than almost anyone in this group. Make the voting fair, or split the groups better.
By the way - this was a two hour show that I taped and watched in 38 minutes by skipping all the filler. Way to waste our time, Fox.

American Idol - The Votes

Last night watching the results for the first twelve contestants I wasn't so sure about the new voting system - it seemed to have pros and cons. After thinking about it however, I think I have to say that I don't like it. Yes, it does eliminate the seemingly endless weeks of results shows where they ever so slowly kick of people two by two. And I suppose it will prevent such travesties (travestys? neither looks right) as the Sanjaya debacle, where an obviously sub par singer keeps getting advanced because of their popularity (although it didn't preven the judges from putting Bikini Girl through to Hollywood despite her sucking, so I guess that issue only applies to us stupid non-experts). But isn't this supposed to be about America's choice? If we want to pick someone because of personality over singing ability than we should be able to do that - Britney Spears made a pretty good career off of just that principle. Besides these factors, I feel that this new voting system offers a huge disadvantage to every contestant who wasn't extensively showcased during the audition process. One song is not enough to allow the voters to really know each contestant and vote for their favorite - it seems really unfair to expect each singer to adequately showcase not only their ability, but their potential and their charms with only one song. having several weeks of voting allows the audience to really see who is improving as well as get to know each hopeful better and determine who they like. I was certainly happy with the choices made last night for the three advancing to the top twelve, but there were at least four other people I was sad to see the last of - I would have liked to hear them sing a few more times to watch them develop as performers. And to be honest, I'm not sure that everyone voted into the top twelve would make it given a few more weeks. So all in all I'm pretty disappointed with the new voting system - I don't think that we sholud go back to the endless weeks of eliminating people in pairs, but one or two more chances would level the playing field a little better and give America a better chance to judge and decide who is truly the most deserving. But heck, Tatiana was eliminated so I guess I really can't be too picky.

American Idol - The First 12

Jackie Tohn - really great original performance - but what was she wearing? It was like the top half of a really cute dress paired with spandex aerobic pants and sneakers. Not a look most people can pull off. Or would even want to.
Rick Braddy - I guess he had a decent voice, but man was he boring. The song was blah, his performance was very ‘dim lit piano bar’, and his velvet blazer looked like a smoking jacket adding a weird smarmy aspect to it. But the judges liked it so what do I know.
Alexis Grace - Maybe not the best vocals ever (who can really do Aretha anyway?) but pretty damn good. And she had a really cool vibe going on - very slinky cabaret with a little bit of attitude thrown in by the pink streaks in her hair.
Brent Keith - Very karaoke-ish. That’s really all I have to say - I don’t expect to see him around for long.
Stevie Wright - Oh dear God, please don’t let her sing again! This was also like karaoke - bad karaoke. Almost painful to watch and definitely painful to listen to.
Anoop Desai - I don’t know if this was really a show stopping performance, but I like this guy. He reminds me of Kal Penn (Kutner on House).
Casey Carlson - Decent performance, but she doesn’t have the voice to win. However, she is really pretty, so she will probably be around for awhile.
Michael Sarver - I didn’t love his performance, but I don’t really like that song so I’m not really a good judge. But I like this guy so I agree with the judges when they say they hope he gets to stick around.
Ann Marie Boskovich - I feel like she sang well but there was no connection somehow. I can’t really explain what was missing, but it seemed like I should have really been moved by her performance and I wasn’t so there was a lack somewhere.
Stephen Fowler - Was this out of key the whole time? Seemed like it to me.
Tatiana Del Toro - She wore a mini dress with mismatched tulle attached to the bottom to the initial audition, which demonstrated her total lunacy from the beginning. She was almost unbearably obnoxious during Hollywood week which pretty much eliminated any chance I would ever like her (A+ to Simon for labeling her (accurately) a fame hungry drama queen). So I’m sorry to say she didn’t totally suck too badly, not that she was good. And man, did she pork up between Hollywood week and last night? Wow. Not that weight is an issue to the competition, but honestly, if you know you are going to be on national television in a few months, do you pack it on?
Danny Gokey - This guy’s wife died - how can you not want to vote for him? Oh, and he sings pretty great too.

PS: was Neil Patrick Harris was sitting next to Ted Danson in the audience? Are they friends? Do they hang out or was it all coincidence? Strange
PPS: How sweet does X-Men Origins: Wolverine look? I could have cared less when I heard they were making it - I figured I’d see it at some point because I saw the other X-Men movies, but the previews look really good, so now I am actually anticipating it.

American Idol Finale

Yay, David Cook won. I think he really has a good chance of being the first male Idol to actually be successful. But the real question of the night was "what is up with Carrie Underwood's sleeves?" When did ruffled sleeves that attached to each other become a good idea? I would imagine it must be kind of hard to get that thing out of the way when you visit the restroom, among other issues. It was so weird and distracting that it took me three verses to realize how amusing the lyrics were to the song she was singing. See the video here

in a related note: apparently sleeves are attaching themsleves randomly all over country music - here is another example of this freakish phenomenon.

The Results, Right After This Brainless Blabbing

Last night I tuned in to the last few minutes of American Idol to see who was voted off (not that I really care too much since my favorites are already gone - who thought at the beginning I'd be rooting for David Cook?). Anywa, in those few minutes, Iactually got so bored that I had to change the channel back to Top Chef. I understand that shows like American Idol want to ratchet up the suspense by putting off reading the results of the elimintaion for as long as possible, but come on - it is really getting ridiculous. I would in all honesty rather watch commercials than Syesha talking about having a black or woman President. How is that even relevant? Is she actually trying to compare the American Idol to the highest position in our country, cause it's a good show in all, but not quite on the same level as Commander in Chief. I really didn't want to see either of the rejects talkin g baout anything unless it was Jason's next haircut or Sy-Jeeesh why am I still here-a discussing how much it cost her to buy more votes than Brooke and Carly. Seriously - she made the top 3? So not right. But to the point, can we please dispense with the blabber from these contestants. We obviously don't care about their personalities - they got the lowest votes for a reason. So just air more stupid banter between Ryan and the judges, or another terrible performane by the guest "mentor" (seriously, is it just me or do all the professionals they get on this show perform really badly?), throw in more commercials for So You Think You Can Dance (yay!!!!) and get on with giving the boot.


ps: Dear God - I would love to see a woman President at some point. Just please don't make it Hillary. I think she might actually signal the End of Days, and nobody wants the four Horseman of the Apocalypse appointed to the cabinet.

Idol Gives Blech: Part Deux

I also hate when people who have larger bank accounts than I could ever hope to see have the balls to ask me to donate to charity. How about I donate my time, which I have plenty of, and you donate the money, Mr. Millionaire? If you want to beg, please don't do it in thousand dollar suits - let's see the people who actually need help, cause i'm pretty sure Michael Chiklis doesn't need any extra cash. Or meals. It is tacky and I feel sorry for all the poor (literally) souls who will be separated form their hard earned money just because Jim Carrey asked them for it. Clearly they have never heard the expression - lead by example. When they put their money where their big fat mouths are, then maybe I will answer their pleas for contributions. Also, what the hell was Bono doing talking about being American. Yes, he does a lot of charity work and can probably lend a nice perspective on that. But the guy is Irish - he doesn't know jack about being American, and I don't think for a second that touring here is going to give someone the right idea. And I'm not all that thrilled about Michael Johns leaving either, although I was relieved it wasn't Carly. All in all this week was one big pisser.

Idol Gives Blech

Okay – first off I want to say that I am in favor of charity work and donating time and money where it is needed. But this program is really just a whole lot of rigamarole so celebrities can feel good about being completely self absorbed the other 364 days of the year (or 365 since it is leap year). If American Idol really wants to raise money for charity then let’s dispense with the self congratulatory fanfare and just start charging for votes. Believe me it would not stop the 30 million people who vote for the show from expressing their love for their favorite singers, but it just might eliminate debacles like the whole Sanjaya incident. Even if they only charged $.20 per call, figuring on 30 million votes and 16 eliminations they would raise $96 million. And none of us would have to sit through a two hour pat-on-the-back borefest. It also might save all the idiots out there who vote for everyone (despite the fact that is the same as not voting at all, duh) from their own stupidity. Or it might cost them a lot of money – who knows. It’s just a thought.

American Idol

My daughter really enjoyed Brooke White’s performance. At first I didn’t think much of it when she started yelling what sounded like “janese” after Brooke sang, but when she grabbed my arm and started strumming while doing it I realize she was in fact trying to sing Jolene. Since her favorite two years ago (at the age of only a few months) was Taylor Hicks, I think this bodes well for Brooke.
And, wow, Dolly sure looked weird. Although she hasn't really ever been the spokesmodel for natural beauty so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

American Idol

My husband and I are both very interested in learning what excuse Stumpy, aka Ramiele, has for sucking tonight. She can't possibly still be "sick," but maybe she had a traumatic encounter with an extra hot cup of coffee and scorched her sub-par vocal cords. Regardless, she will in no doubt sing badly, be poorly styled, and still manage to take a more deserving contestant's place on next week's show. If she is going to be this year's Sanjaya the least she can do is change up her hair every week. That at least made him entertaining. Of course, he also had a personality.

American Idol

Well, I can't say that I am especially disappointed or surprised by last nights outcome. I like Amanda, but she really only has one sound and it was getting a little boring. I think she can do really well, but her attitude has gone downhill the last few weeks so I'm not sad to see her go. As for the remaining ten: can we PLEASE stop voting for stumpy, personality devoid, super weepy Ramiele? She is at best marginally talented and really beginning to irk me. The fact that she was ranked higher than Carly Smithson is criminal and it better not happen again or I will have to lay the smack down. So say it with me: bye bye Malubay.

American David, I Mean, Idol

I have often said that until we get into the top ten the votes should be for who you want to leave rather than who you want to win. When there are so many contestants it is really hard to pick a favorite (or it is typically, hello David A), and people just end up casting vote after cancelled out vote for everyone they like. I would actually be inspired to vote more often if I could vote people off – last year I would have been rabidly dialing to get pig faced Melinda out of there (yeah, yeah, she was a great singer. Hated her anyway). I am now going to also say that there should be a limit on contestants with the same name – there are entirely too many Davids this year. America’s Next Top Model had two Amys this year and they made one of them adopt a nickname to clear up any confusion (she picked Amis, apparently because it sounds like Amy and is in the Bible. Um, okay) Now I’m not suggesting we go around giving everyone biblical monikers, just that maybe we suggest they go with middle names or something (you’d think they would want to – I’d be pissed if some other Kate got my votes cause some couch potato forgot my last name and dialed wrong). That said, here is my rundown on team David:

David A – Always the frontrunner, and he just keeps getting better and better. I can’t believe that he sings so well when his speaking voice is so hoarse. And now he’s playing the piano too? Everyone else should just concede now.
David H – apparently this guy was a stripper or something, well the Chippendale eyebrow was in full action Tuesday night and that is not a good thing. Not to mention, what the heck is a dude doing singing Celine Dion anyway?
David C – was actually really good. Good enough that I even started thinking his hair was looking better – and that’s saying something. (PS: did anyone see his sister? Same ‘do. Yikes!)

On the girls’ side, all I can say is there are some serious fashion disasters being committed this season. It’s like a regular What Not to Wear before-fest out there. If there are stylists working with them now they should be fired. If there aren’t, they must be tearing their hair out dying to get their hands on these girls next week. My comments:

Carly, Asia‘h – I believe we have had this discussion. Skinny jeans? And not just skinny jeans, but highwaisted skinny jeans? With form fitting tank tops? Have you forgotten that while you are quite cute you are not in fact 5’10”, 120 lb supermodels? Well then let me remind you – you are NORMAL people and normal people’s asses look huge in tapered pants.
Ramiele – Pairing a librarian cardigan with a sausage mini was not a wise choice - are you trying to make yourself look like a tree stump? Cause that’s not really a look that works on anyone.
Syesha – you actually have the model looks and body to pull off a cap sleeve mock turtleneck with dress shorts – just don’t pick satin. Wrinkles kind of set the whole polished look back a bit.

As for the results, well the only one I’m sure is leaving is Luke. I can’t pick any good bets on the other three. For my own desires, I wouldn’t mind seeing Asia’h go – her perkiness is beginning to move into deranged territory. Amanda is also probably in danger. I like her, but she really is a one trick pony – her voice is super cool but it sounds exactly the same in every song. And I wish David “Rico Suave” H would shove off; I find him supremely annoying.

AI : Results

Well, two out of four ain’t bad. And to be honest, I did have Jason Y and Alexandrea on my list for eliminations as well, but I thought they might earn second chances from America for looks (him) and talent (her). But I guess viewers are less tolerant of cheesy performances and bizarre fashion choices than I thought. Can’t say I’m especially disappointed to see any of them leave – although it was sad that Alaina got so upset. Personally the most surprising thing about her breakdown to me is that it hasn’t happened before. Oh well. Four more down, sixteen left to go.

American Idol - Top Twenty

Personally I think that at this point in the game forcing the vote to eliminate the bottom two boys and the bottom two girls is unfair. The girls have more talented members than the boys so far and it is a real disservice to the ones that are better than many of the boys but will still be kicked off because it has to be even. Why does it have to be even between genders anyway? I get it on So You Think You Can Dance – it’s pretty difficult to keep having waltzes and tangos if all the contestants are boys, but this is a SOLO singing competition. There aren’t going to be any love duets, so how about we kick off the four with the lowest votes period? Anyway, here’s the run down:

Michael Johns – shouted the whole song. I may have to admit that he isn’t as good as I originally thought – one more chance and I won’t be able to say “he could do better” anymore.
Jason Castro - Boring song, and he still has the dreads. Ick.
Luke Menard – He’s a little too full of himself for my taste. Yeah, you’re good looking, get over it. But he was pretty good – I didn’t think he was good at all last week, so I was impressed this week.
Robbie Carrico – not good. It sounded karaoke, big time. And get a brush.
Danny Noriega –I’m not going to judge his performance because I have an inexplicable fondness for Danny so I probably think he is much better than he actually is. I will say that he should probably be singing on girls night.
David Hernandez – awful. Was he trying to look angry or seductive at the camera? And was he wearing a jacket AND a hoodie, or did his jacket have a hood? The judges liked him but I thought it was bad all over.
Jason Yeager – Actually sounded pretty good, but the whole ‘frat boy at Club Med on spring break’ performance was over the top.
Chikezie – Didn’t he have a last name before? I didn’t know he got so big in just two weeks that he could go with the single moniker. Anyway, he was really good, but the back up singers were awful. Whatever notes they were singing did not go at all with the one he sang – they really ruined his performance.
David Cook – Did you see him wink? Gross. But he was pretty good, definitely an improvement on last week.
David Archuleta – Definitely the front runner for the boys if not the whole show. He chose a nice slow song that took all of the theatricality out of his performance and just left the talent. Brilliant.
Carly Smithson – She has such a big voice and she really uses it well. I like her.
Syesha Mercado – She was really quiet this week, and maybe not as good as last week, but still good.
Brooke White – I thought the song was in a little too low a register to really let her voice shine. But she still gave a great performance.
Ramiele Malubay – Not nearly as good as last week. And her tank top / skinny jeans combo made her look like a giant fatass, which I’m sure she is not.
Kristi Lee Cook – Love her. I can’t wait to see her when a real stylist has gotten a hold of her – she’ll be gorgeous. In the shiny outfit she wore last night she definitely looked like a tomboy from a small town all dressed up for a night at the local pool hall.
Amanda Overmyer – She lost it this week. Her vocal was not good (she knew it too, you could see it on her face) and the bouffant with the blond halo made her face look like the sun. Probably not the look she was going for.
Alaina Whitaker – started out beautifully and then went a little off key for the rest. And she has a huge hurdle to overcome because she’s just not quite as pretty or as memorable as the other two blondes.
Alexandrea Lushington – Apparently she was late to the show from a recent hike through Runyon Canyon Park (in high heeled boots no less) and only had time to change one earring before running out on stage. I guess she sang too – the judges seemed to imply that she did but I was struck deaf by the clothing. And she looked so quirky and cute last week. Well, we still got quirky.
Kady Malloy – she was not stiff like pencil this week, she actually almost fell down the stairs. Which unfortunately affected her voice a bit, I think.
Asia “extra h” Epperson – Something threw her off at the very beginning – I don’t know what it was but you could see it happen. She lost the note and started doing her practiced motions at the wrong time (at one point I thought “why is she stroking her hair?” and then she sang about the telephone and started to raise her hand again and I realized she was just totally off her game), but she did sort of recover by the end. And her skirt didn’t fit – the high waist and pencil cut would actually have been very stylish on her, but the wrinkles around her hips indicated that it was one size too small.

Verdict: The boys improved somewhat and the girls had some stumbles. I say it’s going to be bye-bye Robbie, David H, Amanda and Alaina.