AI: Season 6, Round of 3

I thought that if I took some time before writing about the Round of 3 results that I would be more rational in my response. As it turns out…I'm not.

Melinda got robbed! I'm not sure if I can believe that America really voted more for Blake than Melinda. Melinda is far more interesting, talented, and likable. I joked that she looked like Arthur's mom, but she is genuine and joyous. She owned any song that she sang.

Blake, on the other hand, is a great imitator. His beat-boxing is momentarily interesting. His style is not very unique if you look at modern urban teens. His voice is good, but not in the same world as Melinda.

I'm not sure if the producers couldn't stand to have a female/female final or a black/black final, but I think they had a hand in it. Just the same as how Sanjaya left right before their baby, "Idol Gives Back", I can't believe that this was a result of America's voting alone.

All that said, and Melinda will have the best career of the bunch. She is destined to sell a ton of records. Jordin has a great career ahead of her as well, especially since she is so young. Blake should fade out with the likes of Rueben or Justin.

But here is the real rub: it all doesn't matter. Being American Idol doesn't mean success like it did when Kelly Clarkson became the first. Now, we know that you can get ousted early and be more successful than the winners (cite: Jennifer Hudson). So, does it really matter who wins tomorrow night? Do we really think it's the last we'll see of who's in second place? The contestants aren't interested in winning anymore.

Proof of this could be seen all season as the contestants were less interested in competing with each other as they were in supporting each other. Every week someone was crying like they were putting down their dog…like they didn't know someone would be voted off. As much as Simon may hate it, the contestants aren't hating each other. I think the major reason why is that winning isn't important to making it big anymore.

So, go ahead, Blake. Win American Idol this week. We'll forget you anyway. We'll be listening to Melinda and Jordin for years to come.

12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar (Stephanie Edwards)
10: Phil Stacy (Chris Sligh)
9: Phil Stacy (Gina Glocksen)
8: Phil Stacy (Haley Scarnato)
7: Haley Scarnato (Sanjaya Malakar)
6: Chris Richardson (Phil Stacy)
5: Chris Richardson
4: Jordin Sparks (LaKisha Jones)
3: Blake Lewis (Melinda Doolittle)
2: Blake Lewis
1: Jordin Sparks

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 6 & Giving Back

Due to work constraints I haven't been able to weigh in on Idol of late. In fact, I did not even see the round of 6's performances. I did however see the much hyped "Idol Gives Back" 2-hour plead-o-rama.

I gotta say: somewhere Jerry Lewis is crying tears of joy, because his attempts to kept the telethon genre rolling had seemingly died, until American Idol decided to pick it up and keep it alive. This is a touchy subject, because no one wants to bad-mouth efforts to do something good, BUT this was 120 minutes of crappy television.

First off, the parade of celebrities was about as ungenuine as it gets. I didn't believe that any of those people were there for any reason other than their own PR. The only celebrities who I believe were doing this out of their own desire to help others were Bono and Madonna. They were the only two that I knew had a solid history of doing good prior to the show.

The other bright spot was Ellen Degeneres, who at least tried to do some creative things to solicit donations.

Why put Simon in a situation where he is clearly uncomfrotable, meeting AIDs patients? And why have him and Ryan in the way of a patient getting to the hospital? Just ridiculous, set up crap to sell the idea of getting people to give. I don't believe for a second that Simon wanted to be there.

Everything else felt like it was produce by the same people who brought us Bob Sagat and America's Funniest Home Videos in the 80s. What was that horrible "music video" with all the celebrities? How scary was that Celine Deion/Elvis performance? What the hell was that? Did we learn nothing about creepy celebrity rebirths with Orville Redenbacher?

And although they gave a bunch of money, I was not impressed by all the corporate sponsors. If those companies really wanted to prove to me that they cared about these causes, they would have given the money and expected no credit for it. No logos, no sponsored music videos, no corporate personailities appearing on TV. Oh, and they would have given enough money, so that we television viewers wouldn't have been asked to pony anything up. The sad thing is that the people who probably gave the most, were the people who couldn't afford to give much anyway.

The whole thing with no one being kicked off was lame. Just tell us you're not going to send anyone home right away. You're just stringing people along and it's lame. I'd understand if you told me that you're not going to send anyone home that night. They should have had enough leverage with all their celebrity appearances, not to need to do that.

Since I didn't get a chance to say it last week, I'll quickly weigh in on Sanjaya's departure: it was a fix. How do you drop from top 5 to being kicked out in one week? You have producers manipulate the numbers, so that your charity show isn't overshadowed by the embarrassment of Sanjaya and the vote for the worst phenomenon. I think it was pretty obvious from Simon's comment, that Sanjaya's departure was timely for more than one reason. I really don't think Idol would survive another season if Sanjaya had won. Alright, enough of that.

A review of where we are:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar (Stephanie Edwards)
10: Phil Stacy (Chris Sligh)
9: Phil Stacy (Gina Glocksen)
8: Phil Stacy (Haley Scarnato)
7: Haley Scarnato (Sanjaya Malakar)
6: Chris Richardson
5: Phil Stacy
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Blake Lewis
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle
Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 8 (J.Lo)

Melinda Doolittle (tough genre for her and it showed)

LaKisha Jones (better than Melinda in terms of performance, but lacking the Latin edge it needed)

Haley Scarnato (HOT with a side of too much lipstick… I thought they were faulting the genre more than her performance… at least she could move… everyone else is so fixed on hitting their spot or staring down the camera… she performed!)

Phil Stacy (awful hat, awful song, awful performance… poop on a stick)

Chris Richardson (I just didn't like it very much… hard to compete with Rob Thomas and Santana… whatever they did with the arrangement was too far off the original)

Jordin Sparks (on point… excellent)

Blake Lewis (he proved that he's technically better than Chris and probably going to be the last man standing… his hat needed some LEDs, though)

Sanjaya Malakar (WASH YOUR FACE!)

My (pathetic) countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar (Stephanie Edwards)
10: Phil Stacy (Chris Sligh)
9: Phil Stacy (Gina Glocksen)
8: Phil Stacy
7: Haley Scarnato
6: Chris Richardson
5: Sanjaya Malakar
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Blake Lewis
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 9 (Recap)

First thought: Haley could stand to wear a pair of jeans or pants or something on nights like this, when no one is voting. She found her secret weapons, but she could stand to tease us now and then. Although she doesn't need to go to the same extreme as Jordin.

These Ford commercials make me want to yak.

Why couldn't Tony Bennett sing a song? I mean Michael Bublé is fantastic and all, but Tony couldn't follow thorugh with a performance?

These past two weeks have been surprising send-offs for me. Gina clearly didn't deserve to go home. She really hit the bottom of the voting fast from last week to this week. The only nice thing was that her song choice was appropriate, "Smile, although your heart is breaking." She is the only contestant whose passion for winning the show were completely obvious. Everyone else seems to be in it, hoping that they will make it long enough to get a break. Gina wanted to win really bad!

My (pathetic) countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar (Stephanie Edwards)
10: Phil Stacy (Chris Sligh)
9: Phil Stacy (Gina Glocksen)
8: Phil Stacy
7: Haley Scarnato
6: Chris Richardson
5: Sanjaya Malakar
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Blake Lewis
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 9 (Tony Bennett)

Tony Bennett? Oh, why? I'll watch and listen to Tony Bennett, but no one is going to make Tony bennett-like album from this group. Ugh! Let's let them do something modern, something that they want to do, something that will sell today-not 60 years ago!

So, the question is whether or not I'm going to join this growing posse of people who are voting for Sanjaya on purpose. Howard Stern has joined Vote for the Worst in picking Sanjaya as their pony and seeking to 'ruin' American Idol. I think they could potentially ruin Simon's mood for a very long time, but they would actually bolster American Idol by showing the beauty of the contest - that the results are determined by the fans with the most determination and the most votes.

The big key is that with Stern's audience contributing, Sanjaya is safe for weeks to come now. I don't see him in danger until maybe even the top 3 now. Unless, of course they doctor the votes, and I'm sure there will be some people who will/do believe that to be the case.

Blake Lewis (I remember playing Mack the knife in Jazz Band back in the day, and thinking… this song is old… it's still old)

Phil Stacy (if I saw him walking on the other side of the street, I'd run across it and smack him across that big fat bald head, and I tell him, "You're boring! Go home to your wife and stop trying to kiss her ass.")

Melinda Doolittle (I finally could see her place in pop culture with this song - as a lounge singer in a remake of a Dick Tracy movie… maybe a Jennifer Hudson-like move)

Chris Richardson (ok, but nothing very surprising… he just always sings out of the side of his face)

Jordin Sparks (boring song… I'm ready for bed)

Gina Glocksen (discovered makeup this week… and included medusa braids in the front of her hair… totally uninterested in every song this week)

Sanjaya Malakar (creepier than ever… I wore a suit like that to a high school prom and it was as big a mistkae then as it is now… and if you're going to dance with a lady, push her chair in when you're done. punk.)

Haley Scarnato (eatching Haley on Idol is like watching her go through puberty… a few weeks ago she discovered her legs and now this week she discovered cleavage… way to ignore Toney Bennett's advice there, Haley… you shopped that song around to everyone in the audience… she worries WAY to much about pleasing Simon, and has shown her immaturity far too often)

LaKisha Jones (another one to ignore Tony's advice… and he looked pissed that she would add a little tag to the end… Tony likes you to sing it like it's written!… watching her perform is like watching the Yankees or Lakers or Colts play: you know that they're going to be there in the end, and they just have to go through these regular season motions first… and she has a really big forehead!)

Tomorrow's bottom three: Phil Stacy, Gina Glocksen, & Jordin Sparks

My countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar (Stephanie Edwards)
10: Phil Stacy (Chris Sligh)
9: Phil Stacy
8: Gina Glocksen
7: Haley Scarnato
6: Chris Richardson
5: Sanjaya Malakar
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Blake Lewis
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 10 (Recap)

I declare shenanigans! Chris goes, and Sanjaya is not even in the bottom three! Was yesterday opposite day? Tell me it was opposite day. Someone broke into my TiVo and replaced my actual American Idol footage for some craftfully edited mashup, where it only seems that Chris Sligh got booted last night. Right?

Looking at American Idols own web poll, a majority of voters said, it was his time. Who are these people watching? There's no doubt that Chris's stock has dropped recently, but below Haley, Phil, and Sanjaya… worse than Sanjaya?!

Chris actually had some interesting, and more open comments about AI, after the send off show.

Let's examine Sanjaya for a second. He's now managed to push himself up and out of the bottom three, with a hairstyle that would make Cher go, "Oh no he di'n't." Is the American voting public really that into hair? Has Vote for the Worst got that much pull? Is this the sign that AI has jumped the shark?

I don't know about you, but I think that Simon is semi-fuming about his "singing" competition becoming a mockery of a high school popularity contest.

My countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar (Stephanie Edwards)
10: Phil Stacy (Chris Sligh)
9: Sanjaya Malakar
8: Phil Stacy
7: Haley Scarnato
6: Chris Richardson
5: Gina Glocksen
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Blake Lewis
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 10 (Gwen Stefani)

So, if you wanted to bring Gwen Stefani onto American Idol, what would you choose as the song list? Well, apparently the producers have decided to do a complete cop out and use No Doubt Songs or songs that inspired Gwen (a.k.a. - The Police or Donna Summers). Oh, well that limits the choices. Why couldn't they pick any song produced during No Doubts tenure? My friend Elisabeth called during the show to complain about this, and I couldn't agree with her more. What a cheap way to go!

Alright, so beyond the song choices, did anyone else notice that Gwen Stefani now looks exactly like Holly Madison from Playboy's "The Girls Next Door" television show on A&E? I mean, exactly.


No Doubt:
Gina Glocksen (Awesome! I disagree with the boot assessment… UGLY boots… great performance)
Haley Scarnato (last week Haley found her true colors: her legs, and she brought them out tonight again… along with a pretty good performance, despite what they said)
Melinda Doolittle (she's just better than everyone else, and proves it each week)
Blake Lewis (looking strangely like Sting tonight… sounding great… thank God he didn't do any beat boxing)
Chris Richardson (Justin Timberlake covers No Doubt… what with the Members Only jacket?… I didn't want to like it, but I did… very nice)

Doubtful:
LaKisha Jones (I didn't like it… just found it boring… I think I'm finding her to be pretty one dimensional)
Chris Sligh (great song for his voice, and I liked it, but he is off the beat… it really doesn't bother me that much, 'cause I do that all the time, but if you're going to be a recording artist, you got to show you)
Phil Stacy (appropriate song, becuase he looked like a stalker in that getup…vocally he is a solid guy, but I just don't want to look at him anymore… and he has about two standard gestures on stage… just uninteresting)
Jordin Sparks (love the song choice… she looked like a picnic on a stony mountain top - awful boots… didn't work the song nearly enough, but sang it well)

A ton of doubt:
Sanjaya Malakar (he's just not trying anymore… and I don't care)

Bottom 3 Prediction: Phil Stacy, Sanjaya Malakar, & (surprise!) Chris Sligh

My countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar (Stephanie Edwards)
10: Phil Stacy
9: Sanjaya Malakar
8: Haley Scarnato
7: Chris Sligh
6: Chris Richardson
5: Gina Glocksen
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Blake Lewis
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 11 (Recap)

Oh dear God. Stephanie was going to go, but this is too early. She is better than Phil and Haley, and certainly Sanjaya (thanks again, Vote for the Worst).

What this really confirms is that I WILL NOT be in attendance for the Idols Live tour. Why? Because Sanjaya will be there! He'll be touring, people. Revolting. He'll be surrounded by crazy, braces-sporting, lip curling, middle school criers.

My countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar (Stephanie Edwards)
10: Sanjaya Malakar
9: Phil Stacy
8: Haley Scarnato
7: Blake Lewis
6: Chris Richardson
5: Gina Glocksen
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Chris Sligh
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 11 (British Invasion)

Let's start it out tonight with a little bit of fashion. Haley is looking HOT! Sanjaya is now cutting his own clothing. Melinda's hair now shapes her head in an egg-like package.

Why does Paula always have to act like she is testifying before Congress, leaning in to the microphone, and changing her tone when she gives advice?

Rising stock:
Haley Scarnato (where did those legs come from? where did the back of that shirt go?… she had a great stage performance and it sounded pretty good, too)
Blake Lewis (who's your daddy? c'mon… he handled that really high stuff well… I just don't understand why he has to beatbox something that the drummer is playing already… it's like a selfish tick… but it was really good… I just hate how cocky he comes across, but I think the ladies respond to the confidence)

Falling stock:
Chris Richardson (I find his voice not well-suited for a ballad, I didn't like it as much as the judges… everything comes out his nose… he'll be safe for a while)
Phil Stacy (if you're going to sing about coming from hardship, it helps to look like you had a rough childhood… it's the goofiness of karaoke with a really good voice… did you guys have fun? huh? did ya?… um, no)
Chris Sligh (that was just weird, the crowd thing was too long, and then all of a sudden it's upbeat… weird for me)

Hold:
Stephanie Edwards (the orchestra did a lot of work on that song… the song lacked a lot of movement)
LaKisha Jones (this sounded like a song from a James Bond film… I just wanted to animate some funky Bond film opening to it… it's weird to have a woman who should be doing gospel, singing a sexy bond song)
Jordin Sparks (she often acts her age away from her singing, and I think that may become annoying for people… being overcome with excitement is okay for only so long… at some point I want to see her come to grips with the attention of the limlight… the song was boring, but she sang it well)
Gina Glocksen (the drums were too muddy when it was just her and the drums… a frantic song with frantic results)
Melinda Doolittle (he or she? who's she singing to? not really questioning, but the changing pronouns were weird)

Speculative Stock:
Sanjaya Malakar (it was better than prior weeks… and WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THAT GIRL??!!!… what is happening?… awkward has met a new level of awkwardness… he has to go, or else he touring people, touring!)

My countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar
10: Phil Stacy
9: Stephanie Edwards
8: Haley Scarnato
7: Blake Lewis
6: Chris Richardson
5: Gina Glocksen
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Chris Sligh
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 12 (Recap)

So, I forgot that they do bottom three at this stage in the game. The best part of the night was knowing that America is getting as tired of Phil Stacy as I am. Overall he's just too goofy to be a pop star. He's like an embarrassing father, trying to be cool, and would be, if he wasn't trying so hard. (I have to be careful, as that may describe myself some day).

Brandon goes home. I'd say his stage presence and forgetting the words hurt him. How Sanjaya fares better only the hair gods know. I am getting tired of being frustrated about him. I think he's tired of taking people's spots. It's totally out of his control. I wouldn't be surprised if it all got to him enough one day to actually pull himself out.

Diana Ross is Diana Ross, but I am glad we're onto the next show.

Let's take a look at the big board (actual results in parenthesis, when my prediction was wrong).

My countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar (Brandon Rogers)
11: Sanjaya Malakar
10: Haley Scarnato
9: Stephanie Edwards
8: Blake Lewis
7: Chris Richardson
6: Phil Stacy
5: Gina Glocksen
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Chris Sligh
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 12 (Diana Ross)

I absolutely hate this part of the competition, because you are forcing people to choose from a library of songs that were never meant for them. Diana Ross is Diana Ross, and we, nor she, should be subjected to most of these renditions. It's just painful and uninteresting most of the time.

People who forgot words:
Haley Scarnato (pull it together woman… you forgot like half a word, not your name like Simon did previously… you looked good, you sounded okay)
Brandon Rogers (I didn't even know he forgot them… I had to go back in TiVo time to find it… the real question is which was worse? the words forgotten or the performance?… the performance was very bad)

You're singers, not composers:
Blake Lewis (I actually thought that this was interesting, but I hate the fact that you end up looking so egotistical about arranging this yourself… if I thought they had just did this for you, it would have been nicer… and the song was pretty flat… it just needed to be less repetitive)
Chris Sligh (put the glasses back on, please! without them you have no eyes! stop stealing from Coldplay, and go back to what you had been doing so well)

Excellent!:
Jordin Sparks (she didn't give a great stage performance, but I have to imagine that song is very difficult to sing and she sang it dead on)
LaKisha Jones (no one knew that song… no one who saw that didn't believe that it was beautiful… I really wonder if you are too good for this… like maybe you should be on the stage of the Met, not Idol)
Melinda Doolittle (excellent again… there's just no way differentiating amongst these three right now)

Okay:
Phil Stacy(I don't know why people like this guy… I am going on record as not liking this guy… he's too goofy, and I just don't hear anything special)
Gina Glocksen (here's where it gets interesting, as it's easier to compare Jordin, LaKisha, and Melinda… could Gina sneak in as those three battle each other? tonight's performance was just okay, but I like her)
Stephanie Edwards (I recall absolutely zero of what you sang tonight)

Not good:
Chris Richardson (Chris, you're starting to look awkward as the songs get longer… I just don't know how far your looks will carry you)

And when will it end?
Sanjaya Malakar (the hair, the singing, the awkward gestures… it all adds up to pure embarrASSment)

Should go home:



Will go home:



My countdown prediction:
12: Sanjaya Malakar
11: Haley Scarnato
10: Brandon Rogers
9: Stephanie Edwards
8: Blake Lewis
7: Chris Richardson
6: Phil Stacy
5: Gina Glocksen
4: Jordin Sparks
3: Chris Sligh
2: LaKisha Jones
1: Melinda Doolittle

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 16 (Recap)

Partial justice! Sundance Head is gone after desecrating one rock's greatest songs ever. Jared Cotter lost in the battle for cutest African American male. Sabrina Sloan could not compete with Melinda Doolittle, LaKisha Jones, and Jordin Sparks: the big three. And finally, finally, we say goodbye to Antonella Barba.

There were enough tears to start another river. Perhaps that river will carry away Sanjaya Malakar to a far off place where singing is banned. The weird thing is that the usual assumed culprit, Vote for the Worst, cannot be accountable. Both of their ponies, Anotnella and Sundance got voted off, despite their efforts.

Now that we're down to 12, we start voting people off regardless of gender, I believe. Time for final predictions, which I'll be posting soon. So far, let's see how I've done with my "Will go home" predictions…5 out of 12 correct. 42% Eh, I almost had Jared Cotter this last time. So, almost 50%.

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Prediciton

In the past few episodes of American Idol, Ryan Seacrest keeps mentioning an announcement tonight for something "ground-breaking." What are the chances that there will actually be soemthing ground-breaking revealed? Not much, but I do think I may have figured out what he is referring to. At least it's my guess. And like a magician predicting the future, I am going to record my idea before the show airs tonight, and we'll see if I am right. So, here it goes:

I think Seacrest will announce tonight a contest to determine a guest judge for American Idol. I think they'll probably run some online video submission competition, where the winner will be a judge for an episode, or perhaps a series of episodes.

The idea falls in line with the flurry of consumer-generated contests that have appeared with many brands, and it would stand to freshen up the show a bit. Of course, whether or not it is true remains to be seen, but I think they'd get a ton of submissions form folks who'd like to sit next to Simon and give the contestants their two cents (and probably Simon a few choice thoguhts as well).

Anyway, that's my bold prediction. We'll see if I'm right pretty soon.

UPDATE: Well it seems I was wrong, and American Idol is joinging the "let's give back" bandwagon. Not that it's a bad wagon to band with, but come on… another show trying to prove that they're doing something good? It seems like you either have to be a resounding success or a tiny non-profit to try and tackle big issues like poverty. And Africa is very popular right now with the whole RED thing. And I'm sure having Bono involved is going to only help American Idol. So, I am a bit jaded about this move. At least the show isn't asking me to make a donation. Although it would be nice if they took all those Cingular voting fees and put them to good use as full donations.

AI: Season 6, Round of 16 (Girls)

Note to Paula: surname = last name. When we start putting the women against the men, the men will be dropping like flies.

HUH?:
Haley Scarnato (she looks a lot different from week to week, and I am not sure that I could pick her out of a line up… I agree with the judges: she hasn't made much impact)
Stephanie Edwards (not a fan of the song, but she can sing…)
Sabrina Sloan (that song came from deep in her nose)

BAD, BAD, BAD:
Antonella Barba (it's not bad enough that we have to listen to you sing, but now we have to be subjected to you playing violin, too!… Simon hit it right on the head: you've been through a lot, but it's the end of the road and you've got to go… and it doesn't matter if you are doing your own thing, Antonella, especially if your own thing is horrible, because even if you won't compare yourself to everyone else, the rest of the voters are… if you don't get voted off, I hope you will have the presence of mind to bow out on your own)

YES!:
Jordin Sparks (she didn't give a great stage performance, but I have to imagine that song is very difficult to sing and she sang it dead on)
LaKisha Jones (another great performance… just a bit less interesting that Jordin's)
Gina Glocksen (ROCKIN'!… very awesome, even if it wasn't perfect singing)
Melinda Doolittle (YES, YES, YES! Awesome… she needs to start reacting with more confience to the positive comments)

Should go home:



Will go home:



Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 16 (Boys)

It was back to the round of 24 for the guys… less than the best performances. As they went through the review of all the performances it was obvious that this was a crappy series.

EH:
Blake Lewis (okay, I'm done with the beat-boxing… and 311 is your favorite band ever? are you kidding me?… I'm just getting tired of the sound effects… his best move next week is to do a ballad, as Chris did)
Sundance Head (that's it man! you just stepped on hallowed ground… I was half-way there to liking you, because of the fat joke and the cleaner cut… and then you picked my favorite Pearl Jam song ever and you just cannot compete with Eddie… not happy; not at all)

BAD:
Sanjaya Malakar (same crap, new hairstyle… someone should tell him that the words he is singing mean something, and that he is allowed to show an emotion besides 'paste-on smile', but he'll be back again if Vote for the Worst has anything to say about it)
Jared Cotter (What was that song? First really fast, then slow, then fast… was that about the song or something else?! His voice was just plain off and it was funky in a bad way… but he'll be back)
Phil Stacy (the start of that song sounded like he was underwater and the high notes were all very awkward… speaking of which, someone has to stop that guy from wearing hats - they just look awful on him… bald head or go home)

GOOD:
Chris Richardson (nice little backstory this week… song was okay vocally, but it was a great choice and probably hit the females right in the heart)
Brandon Rogers (that's his genre… that's what he'll make an album doing… and it helps that he looks the part of a Lenny Kravitz)

BEST:
Chris Sligh (and then there is Chris… as far as the guys go… the rest can just go home)



Should go home:



Will go home (if there is an sanity in the world left, Sunjaya will go home):



Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 20 (Recap)

What is up with the new, pneumatic Pickler?

Antonella and Sunjaya… how long will they last? That is the new question. They are clearly moving on based on aspects other than singing. And so Simon made a really good point the other night… the show doesn't kick people off at this point, the voters do (he was referring to Jennifer Hudson, but it applies here too)

It's not until the next couple rounds that we really get into an area where the differences in talent become more minuscule.

Does anyone have a tissue? Or twenty? WHY DO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE SAME CRAP PERFORMANCE THAT GOT YOU KICKED OFF THE PREVIOUS WEEK? Is there anyone that can stand these send offs?

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 20 (Girls)

The most disturbing thing from last night was the Hollywood Tan commercial with William Hung. The most anticipated singer was Antonella Barba… how would she sing? how would she look? would they bring up the pictures?

In the clear:
Gina Glocksen (good performance… Simon is right: she needs to figure out is she is going to be the rocker girl and how to dress the part, because she can't go up against the LaKishas in this female group)
Alaina Alexander (you do not want to pick the song that just swept the Grammy's and then run out of air… I FINALLY figured out who this girl looks like… anyone see The Departed?)
LaKisha Jones (very good, nice change from last week's over-powering performance)
Melinda Doolittle (it was good… showed a lot of skill… just found the song rather dull)
Jordin Sparks (just not an interesting performance… vocally good, but I wasn't very interested in it… it is amazing that she is 17)
Sabrina Sloan (I think the last time I heard that song was in my parent's car, listening to an easy listening radio station… ugh)

In front:
Stephanie Edwards (if you can sound like Beyoncé, then I think you're on your way… very good… only thing was that she seemed to be off the rhythm)
Haley Scarnato (she went from 'who is that again' to 'whoa! who was that?!')

In trouble:
Antonella Barba (oh Antonella… it's been a hard week hasn't it?… the song was actually better, but still very awkward… this just isn't the stage for you… but I do think that someone sabatoged the mic - seemed to be popping and funky… maybe some folks really want to see you go)
Leslie Hunt (how do you do the same song as one of the guys did last night?… it was better than AJ's performance somehow, vocally, but this song could be a very sexy song, and she made it very weird with the scat and it lacked anything sexy)

Best Performance:



Should go home:



Will go home:



Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 20 (Boys)

After last week's performances, I must say that I was not looking forward to this week's guy performances. Thankfully, things got better, but they were still not in the same league as last week's women.

Overall, I am wondering why the guys are not picking very powerful songs. It seems that we got a bunch of sap-balls here.

Best moment of the night: "I love puppies!" Hilarious!

In the clear:
Phil Stacy (a solid vocalist, has a lock in moving on because of the navy thing, but I just find it hard to like this guy - perhaps it's the Britney haircut?)
Jared Cotter (Marvin Gaye? I don't think you want to tackle a song that is so iconic, but he did it well enough for the ladies to forget that it wasn't that good)
AJ Tabaldo (that Michael Bublé song is a terrific one, and he did okay by it, but it wasn't as good as the original)
Chris Sligh (this song is perhaps my favorite choice, by favortie male choice this year - but it just can't beat the original)
Nicholas Pedro (I don't have anything to really like about this guy, but I think he's got some staying power with the ladies… btw, his girlfriend and he have the exact same smile - weird)

The night's best:
Blake Lewis (the song choice was great for him and the beat-boxing was appropriate, as well as the scat… hopefully he'll return his hat to Blossom)
Chris Richardson (I still don't understand the lyrics to this Jason Mraz song, but I tell you that this awkward-moving guy showed some real skills to get through this song)

…I can't believe that I am saying it, but…

Sundance Head (holy crap! what a turn around… at first I thought it was okay, but he showed how good he is in this genre… problem is that he won't always be able to sing a song like that… and after seeing his little video clip, I just wanted to send him home so he could meet his little kid… he'll be heading home eventually, so if he goes home it won't be bad (because of his son) but he won't go home this week)

Crappy:
Sanjaya Malakar (I felt bad for him like you feel bad for the awkward kid in school who tries out for the school play and SHOULD NOT BE SINGING)
Brandon Rogers (boring, and I think the song was very wrong for his voice - and feeling emotion in a song is not equivalent to sucking)

Best performance:



Should go home:



Will go home:



Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 24 (Recap)

And then there were 20.

I didn't see the show last night. Fortunately, I had The Office higher in my TiVo's Season Pass queue.

Reading the results online, I must say the biggest surprise for me was Sundance still being in. What does this guy have to do wrong to get people to realize (including the judges) that he's not going to be an American Idol?

The others who left, I can understand. They weren't going to make it very far as it is. I guess I just forgot about the power of good looks and a cultish following. Plus, I look at the performance from the previous night alone. Others may be considering the performer's hometown, dress, previous songs, etc.

Packed up & left last night:




The only one I remember well is Paul Kim. I guess America could smell his feet through the screen. Nicole Tranquillo: America already has it's Jessie Spano.

Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 24 (Girls)

Wow! Apparently having two X chromosones is what it takes to win American Idol this year.

The women mopped the floor with the men and even with each other last night. The judging was pretty dead-on last night: some of these ladies are in a different league based on these performances. Very fun to watch. Every guy except Chris Sligh can thank their lucky stars that they are only competing against each other for now. Now, let's break it down:

Ladies who are safe:
Stephanie Edwards (girl, get off your knees, 'cause you don't need that photo, plus it was not that type of song… otherwise she proved right off the bat that the girls are better so far)
Nicole Tranquillo (didn't expect the sound or the song… she sounded like two different singers at times… a nasol, whiny sound came out of her mouth whenever she scrunched up her nose on words like 'behind' - beehaiiiiiynd… not something I liked, but not as bad as others)
Haley Scarnato (it's a dress, no it's pants, it's Celine, no it's not… there are enough crazy Celine fans out there to get her through probably)
Gina Glocksen (hate, hate, hate the song… but by the end, I believed that she overcame that to make me believe she belonged in the group)

Top of the heap:
Sabrina Sloan (very aggressive in a good way for the song, very different than the other ladies who rocked it)
Jordin Sparks (terrific stage presence and she proved that she can blow!)
Melinda Doolittle (did a lot… Arthur's mom did an amazing job picking a great song and sustaing the energy it required)

Top of the top of the heap:
LaKisha Jones (WOW! we are going to love you, you are staying… no doubt the one to beat)

For shame:
Amy Krebs (you can't make me love you, and I don't… stop hiding behind the mic stand)
Leslie Hunt (she is a tickle me elmo doll with a decent singing voice… seriously, can she look more awkward on stage? she may have watched too much Elaine from Seinfeld growing up)
Antonella Barba (just plain fel apart on the big stage… better hope there are a ton of Abercrombie boys voting this year… and who tied a sheet around her and had the guts to call it a blouse?)
Alaina Alexander (not special… please stop taking these songs so literally, it's really annoying)

Best performance (from both nights):



Should go home:



Will go home:



Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

AI: Season 6, Round of 24 (Boys)

Last night's performance by the men proved that there certainly is not as much talent as Seacrest may claim there to be. As usual, there are the people who you can't explain how they got in, and those who are just waiting for the group to whittle down to the top 6 or so.

I think the following people are safe:
Phil Stacy (rough start, sounded to me like they didn't sound check his mic)
Paul Kim (for the love of shoes, put some on! And please no more references in songs to your feet!)
Nicholas Pedro (slouches)
AJ Tabaldo
Brandon Rogers (he's going to be really good with different songs)
Chris Richardson (not the right song for him, but he'll easily move on - female crowd alone puts him in the next round)

Standouts for me were:
Blake Lewis (no beat boxing - great!, great song choice, but the tempo was too fast and he clearly was having trouble keeping up)
Jared Cotter (made an annoying song his own and better)
Chris Sligh (my favorite, and another great performance)

Bottom of the barrel:
Rudy Cardenas (I don't like the song, good energy, but I don't think it saves you from the song)
Sanjaya Malakar (would have been better off singing "twinkle, twinkle little star")
Sundance Head (never should have been in the final round, I don't like the song to begin with and now I really despise the song)

Okay, so here is my take based on these performances:

Best performance:



Should go home:



Will go home:



Also check out: Vote 4 Idol Online, Vote Fair

American Idol: Season 6

Okay, okay, it's true. I am a fan of American Idol. This "cultured boy" has been sucked in by the American Idol vortex and I am not ashamed to admit it anymore. I don't wish to justify it. I will simply say that I am a critical fan of the show and there's nothing you can say to change that.

Being a fan doesn't mean that I don't have beef with the show or its judging or its contestants. Let's review my biggest concerns so far this season, and subsequent posts will include my own analysis of the previous night's performances, as well as my picks for the best of the night, who should go home, and who will go home.

So, up to the judging round (round of 24), here are my thoughts: We haven't seen much of the finalists up to this point. The auditions and Hollywood week focused mostly on obscure and odd contestants, and the drama of Hollywood week. The editing and production staff have kept most of the finalists in relative obscurity up until now. I would have preferred to see snippets of all the contestants who earned golden tickets, rather than all of the odd ball auditions. Some however, were rather hilarious and you know that they include them because there's an audience for it… an audience who will tune in just for that.

My biggest beef, however, came in Hollywood week, when the friend of finalist Antonella Barba declared that "God likes good people…" referring to herself! I'm so glad this girl got cut. By her own logic, it looks like her friend, Antonella, is the better person (and she was for keeping her mouth shut when a member of their trio got cut). Humility still has some value, thank goodness.

Okay, so with that said, let's move on to the finalists' performances. My criteria for analysis is simple: I look at the performance for that night and not previous nights, and I'll pick who I think was the best, who should go and who will go home.

I am also looking for any good places online that are doing their own polls. So far I have found:
Vote 4 Idol
Vote Fair