No American Idol season 10 thread yet?

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

I've never found this show a bastion of credibility. Quite the opposite. I think the voters often like to go against the show and the judges. When Simon was there they sometimes voted with him but often they did not (aka the Sanjaya effect).

It wasn't quite so simple. Often times (and this is all speculation/theory), it seemed that the judges would purposely say bad things about certain contestants to fire their fanbase up to vote for them. It seemed that they were doing some sort of reverse psychology on them, where they saw a softness in the voting. Remember, while all we know is who is bottom 3 (and I've said over the years that I'm not even convinced they tell us the true bottom 3, only the actual person with the fewest votes, and that can manipulate the voters by itself), they know how many votes each person got. So if they really wanted a girl to go far in the competition, but they saw that her numbers were low, they might pan one of her performances to fire up her voting base and save her from going home sooner than she otherwise would have.

That's the theory anyway. But there were several contestants who went from bottom 3 to sailing into the top 3/5 over the years. So there is some validity to it.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

It wasn't quite so simple. Often times (and this is all speculation/theory), it seemed that the judges would purposely say bad things about certain contestants to fire their fanbase up to vote for them. It seemed that they were doing some sort of reverse psychology on them, where they saw a softness in the voting. Remember, while all we know is who is bottom 3 (and I've said over the years that I'm not even convinced they tell us the true bottom 3, only the actual person with the fewest votes, and that can manipulate the voters by itself), they know how many votes each person got. So if they really wanted a girl to go far in the competition, but they saw that her numbers were low, they might pan one of her performances to fire up her voting base and save her from going home sooner than she otherwise would have.

That's the theory anyway. But there were several contestants who went from bottom 3 to sailing into the top 3/5 over the years. So there is some validity to it.

Yeah, and I don't think they can use this current panel that way. Reading this morning the TV critics views on what happened, and they all seem to be pointing the finger at the judges. Saw some great points on why this was probably the worst early vote off in history. The second worst was Jennifer Hudson in Season 3 (7th), but they mention (and I do sort of remember) she was not a very good contestant. Cute, but heavy, and very uncomfortable on stage, with a couple of weak performances the last two weeks she was on. She had a strong voice (that grew stronger with confidience that allowed her to be such a success), but she was not as great a shock at the time.

The other big "shockers" all came much later in the competition, when really anything could happen. Daughtery was voted out in round 3, but Tyler Hicks was just beating him by then with what I think was the prime demo at that time (Jon's 30-50. I don't think with texting and online voting that makes up the largest voting block now). Plus, if I remember it at the time, didn't he purposely pull his punches at the end? And everyone mentions Doolittle, but heck, she made it to third. She was a troll doll with a voice. It was a testament to how bad the season was that she made it to third.

Viewership has been up so far this year over last year, but let that slip and there will be changes. I won't predict that yet, though. The "shock" might even drive an increase next week as they usually do, as much as the internet is filled with "I am through" statements.

[Ksyrup]

The other thing I remember with Jennifer Hudson was that Fantasia and another black female singer all finished in the bottom 3 that week. I remember this because of the outrage among the black community that AI or its voters/viewers were racists. The fact is, the 3 simply split the R&B vote, all ended in the bottom 3, and Hudson was last. And yeah, here size at the time was probably one of the deciding factors. remember Mandisa? She didn't last too long in her season, either.

[Ksyrup]

I thought it was pretty funny that at the end of the show, Seacrest madea bizarre statement like, "Please stick with us for the rest of the season," as if Pia getting voted off was so bad that no one had a reason to come back.

And as people here and some reviewers have noted, if losing her was THAT shocking, then how the hell do you use your save at the top 11 on Casey?! Especially when it's a year you really wanted a female to win. I know they probably didn't expect to lose 5 straight females, but no one apparently studied the possible effects of adding FB voting to the mix, either. Dial Idol had Pia #3 and safe. It's beyond obvious that younger people using texting and FB are voting, and voting as many times as possible, and that's creating huge issues. Apparently Nigel should have hired Bill James to analyze it all for him...

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Yeah, and I don't think they can use this current panel that way. Reading this morning the TV critics views on what happened, and they all seem to be pointing the finger at the judges. Saw some great points on why this was probably the worst early vote off in history. The second worst was Jennifer Hudson in Season 3 (7th), but they mention (and I do sort of remember) she was not a very good contestant. Cute, but heavy, and very uncomfortable on stage, with a couple of weak performances the last two weeks she was on. She had a strong voice (that grew stronger with confidience that allowed her to be such a success), but she was not as great a shock at the time.

The other big "shockers" all came much later in the competition, when really anything could happen. Daughtery was voted out in round 3, but Tyler Hicks was just beating him by then with what I think was the prime demo at that time (Jon's 30-50. I don't think with texting and online voting that makes up the largest voting block now). Plus, if I remember it at the time, didn't he purposely pull his punches at the end? And everyone mentions Doolittle, but heck, she made it to third. She was a troll doll with a voice. It was a testament to how bad the season was that she made it to third.

Viewership has been up so far this year over last year, but let that slip and there will be changes. I won't predict that yet, though. The "shock" might even drive an increase next week as they usually do, as much as the internet is filled with "I am through" statements.

I remember the Daughetry vote. Wasn't that the pity vote? That one Hawaiian girl cried while she was panned so EVERYBODY voted for her.

I was not terribly shocked about Jennifer Hudson's vote-off. At the time there was Fantasia, Latoya London, and Jennifer Hudson, who were somewhat all singing the same type of stuff. NOt enough votes to go around really and I do think the other two were picking better songs.

I think Latoya's 4th place vote-off was the real shocker of that season. She had the best performance of the night IMHO. Perfect choice, perfect delivery. ("Don't Leave Me THis Way" for disco night)

Oh yeah Melinda getting canned over Blake was definitely a shocker. Anyone heard of VoteFOrTheWorst.com? They sure think they have an effect on things but I don't think if they really do.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

The other thing I remember with Jennifer Hudson was that Fantasia and another black female singer all finished in the bottom 3 that week. I remember this because of the outrage among the black community that AI or its voters/viewers were racists. The fact is, the 3 simply split the R&B vote, all ended in the bottom 3, and Hudson was last. And yeah, here size at the time was probably one of the deciding factors. remember Mandisa? She didn't last too long in her season, either.

Um, yeah this!

(Guess I could have read your post before saying the same thing)

[CrimsonFox]

I actually think the country voters are steamrolling this season.

[Pumpy Tudors]

It would be shocking if a mongoose ran on the stage and ate all the contestants except Jacob. Losing any one of these performers is not shocking.

[CrimsonFox]

racist mongoose!

[Solecismic]

Looking back through my recaps, this is easily the strangest result. But I've only been doing this thoroughly for seven seasons now. I remember Jennifer Hudson going early, and being a little surprised. Obviously, she has made the voters look bad with her enormous success, but she wasn't doing all that wonderfully, and that was, IMO, the weakest season they've had.

I think a case can be made for strong black female singers and female rockers under-performing expectations. Mandisa Hundley was better than 9th, as one example, though she did fight advice by going with a heavy religious theme. Maybe any female singer who doesn't fit a strict typecast is going to go early. I think I was most disappointed, personally, with Lilly Scott going out in the semis last season. Pia does nothing for me.

But, yes, this one stands out even amongst the others. After six weeks, we "know" Pia. We can understand a slightly weaker performance because the judges were hectoring her to "speed it up" and "show her range," when it was fairly clear who she is and where her comfort zone is located (and it's not in anything that requires her to actually move a body part other than her jaw).

I agree that the judges are to blame. In fact, I think it's Jennifer Lopez who should shoulder most of the blame. She simply doesn't allow the other two judges to criticize anyone - she's a bully. Steven gave up early - I'm not sure he cares about anything other than his image, and his image requires him to avoid any disagreements with anyone who has strength. Randy fought back for a while, but he isn't Simon, and his fatal flaw as a judge has always been having confidence in his evaluations. He got better over time, but he can't handle J-Lo.

Together Randy and Simon were able to control the voting to an extent. Simon would give the verdict early, but his verdict would often produce a sympathy reaction. Then Randy would do the reluctant pan, Simon would agree, and it would absolutely kill the vote. Every once in a while, an Anoop-archetype would slip through and gain a following, but even Anoop only finished sixth.

All bets are off this year because we haven't had any judging yet. Maybe it's been enough to kill Stefano's chances, but to have someone as ineffectual as Bouncing Paul in decent position with only seven weeks to go is troublesome. There's no one to compare James to past competitors who were so much better at the same thing (Adam Lambert in one direction, Chris Daughtry in the other). There's no one with the sense to understand that Scotty has no cross-over value, unlike Carrie Underwood. There's no one who understands what to do with Jacob, who is thankfully destined to self-fulfill because he made the fatal mistake of expressing disdain for the voters.

Simon would understand how to maintain a strong female presence despite the demographic of the voters - that the Lauren Alainas out there have to be panned mercilessly so the Pias and the Haleys sail through when they're even competent (Haley is a danger to herself because she's not being handled properly, but she's the best they've got this year). He would give them a Rachel Zevita to sacrifice at 9th (quirky but very good one week out of every three doesn't get full voter support). He would ride Bouncing Paul out at 11th. He would know how to get the most out of someone like Casey. He would even understand that the Jordan Dorseys (talented, but beyond-comprehension ego) cannot even be allowed in the final 24, because they will self-sabotage and distract the viewers during that all-important first semi-final.

Ultimately, though, it's the ratings that count. We heard the audience reaction on Thursday. It was brutal. People are angry. If that translates to a million less viewers when the show should be gaining strength, we'll see changes. If not, then Nigel will be happy to try and produce Scotty.

[Ksyrup]

So, some interesting behind-the-scenes stuff going on since Pia left. Apparently Iovine/Interscope want to immediately record Pia and get a record out, and 19 is saying no way the first single is coming from a contestant other than the winner.

It certainly makes sense that 19 would stand in the way on this. Why even have a winner of the show if the contestants who get cut during the season have first shot at starting their careers and making money? It would be a race to get cut, or people would start dropping out the second they felt they had a big enough following and label interest to go it alone.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

(Jon's 30-50. I don't think with texting and online voting that makes up the largest voting block now).

Caution: Don't miscalculate who is online these days. Remember, over 50% of the country now has a Facebook account & the average age of a Facebook user is somewhere between 38 & 44 (depends on which analysis you like better). Even the average age for a Twitter user is pushing 40 these days.

Every single FB friend (out of 300'ish) that I saw comment on Idol was over 40. Anecdotal, but it fits.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

So, some interesting behind-the-scenes stuff going on since Pia left. Apparently Iovine/Interscope want to immediately record Pia and get a record out, and 19 is saying no way the first single is coming from a contestant other than the winner.

It certainly makes sense that 19 would stand in the way on this. Why even have a winner of the show if the contestants who get cut during the season have first shot at starting their careers and making money? It would be a race to get cut, or people would start dropping out the second they felt they had a big enough following and label interest to go it alone.

Hahahaha! Well, actually it's been proven time and time again that winning this show means nothing talentwise and nothing successwise. The people that are better than the people that win will have more success. It's hilarious all these powerplays going on. She should record "Fuck the Police" by NWA I hope she DOES record something before the show ends. Good for her. Would be great if Nigel pulled the plug on this show. And incidently I don't think this would work for everyone. LIke I said you actually have to be able to sing. Have talent. Have chops. Have originality. And I think the other element is have controversy behind your vote-off.
Granted I think the only thing PIa is missing is originality but she could do alright with the other things.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Nigel Lythgoe: "Pia Toscano Was Never A Frontrunner" - Reality Rocks

"I know the [voting] results, so I know she was never a frontrunner," revealed Nigel, adding: "The fact of the matter is, it appears that Pia didn't connect with the audience the way we maybe think she did."

[CrimsonFox]

Nigel trashing contestants! That's so full of awesome! To be honest even though I think she had a great, I was never stirred or moved by her performances. I think she was still getting to that. And as Ksyrup and Solesmic elegantly pointed out, the judges are doing shit to actually help these contestants get better. The thing that refutes Nigel's pile of shit is that it isn't about her actually WINNING this competition. It is about so many contestants who are just plain BAD still being on the show, while Pia is actually doing really well singing-wise.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

It is about so many contestants who are just plain BAD still being on the show, while Pia is actually doing really well singing-wise.

And yet most of what I've read in the past few days as people around me have their knickers in a twist talks about how this is the strongest overall AI field in years. Something along the lines of a bunch of 7's but nary a 9 or 10 in sight but not many 4's either.

[Ksyrup]

So in addition to NBC's The Voice starting at the end of April, Bravo's Platinum Hit starts at the end of May. Judges are Kara DioGuardi and Jewel. One of the contestants is short-lived AI Season 8 contestant Jackie Tohn - she was the one who got voted off in the wild card round, I believe, after breaking out into scat at the end of her performance. People apparently mistook it for real scat, or that she had flipped out and was speaking in tongues. For some reason I recall Jim liking her performance, but I'm too lazy to go check.

Anyway, here are the bios for the contestants:

Bios - Platinum Hit Season 1 - Bravo TV Official Site

One of the dudes is named Blessing Offer. And he's blind.

I have no expectations that this is going to be any good, but what's different about this show is that it's focused on songwriting skills. Each week they will have a different genre/theme and have write a song and perform it. It may end up sucking, but at least it's not another attempt at creating the next AI/X-Factor. I'm hopeful they will actually spend a little bit of time focusing on the songwriting process, which could be interesting TV regardless of whether the songs or performances are any good. That said, the show info says they have to write lyrics not songs, so this could end up sucking big time. I'm also curious how this will work in a standard hour format. I guess they'll stand up and sing a couple of bars of their lyrics to that week's music given to everyone?

[Ksyrup]

Huh. So I watched a couple of the teaser/preview videos for Platinum Hit, and it doesn't look too bad. It appears that they are stealing a bit of AI's group performances from Hollywood week to create some tension/drama and having them form groups of 3 or 4 each week to collaborate on a song. Still can't tell if they are given the musical framework of the song and have to write lyrics and arrange the song, or what. But I see people with instruments sitting in a room trying to write a song, which is cool. And Jackie Tohn is obviously very comfortable in front of a camera. I just hope they didn't let Gordon Ramsay cast this group or something...

[MikeVic]

Why isn't there a competition (or is there?) for original artists? Seems like the show KSyrup is talking about could be it, but I always wondered with AI being so popular and there now being a ton of these shows, why there isn't one where a real rock band goes on and performs their original song. And competes against against same rap group or something. I don't know. I think I'd find that more interesting.

[Ksyrup]

There was one, way back when reality TV was becoming huge - Bands on the Run on VH1. They made them do a bunch of stupid shit like travel from city to city marketing themselves for that night's gig, but at the end of the day, it was several original rock bands playing their own music.

As far as why that show doesn't exist - the vast majority of people don't want to listen to music they don't know or like. People get voted off of Idol for singing lesser-known music, let alone their own stuff. There just isn't a market for it, unfortunately. If it could exist, it'd be on a Bravo-type station.

I won't get too excited about Platinum Hit until I watch it see if it's really focused on the music, or just using music as an excuse to start fights between a bunch of delusional, mildly-talented people with a few ringers thrown in to ultimately win (hence my Gordon Ramsay comment above).

[Ksyrup]

There are some preview videos on the website. The comments some of the contestants make when they are introducing themselves are a little troubling (delusional).

Platinum Hit - Season 1 - Bravo TV Official Site

[Ksyrup]

They are going to have guest judges, too - Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield, Donna Summer, Jermaine Dupri, Taio Cruz, and Ryan Tedder - which might give a hint about the direction of the show.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

One of the contestants is short-lived AI Season 8 contestant Jackie Tohn - she was the one who got voted off in the wild card round, I believe, after breaking out into scat at the end of her performance. People apparently mistook it for real scat, or that she had flipped out and was speaking in tongues. For some reason I recall Jim liking her performance, but I'm too lazy to go check.

Oh, well, art imitates life. I've become quite used to reading people assert that I've said one thing or another (like mentors affecting your upper deck ticket prices), but it's rarely the case.

I had Tohn 9th out of 12 in her semifinal group with a 54. Embarrassingly enough, I placed Danny Gokey first in her group.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

And yet most of what I've read in the past few days as people around me have their knickers in a twist talks about how this is the strongest overall AI field in years. Something along the lines of a bunch of 7's but nary a 9 or 10 in sight but not many 4's either.

Yeah, people always say that...every year, every show, every everything. It just isn't so. It never is.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Oh, well, art imitates life. I've become quite used to reading people assert that I've said one thing or another (like mentors affecting your upper deck ticket prices), but it's rarely the case.

I had Tohn 9th out of 12 in her semifinal group with a 54. Embarrassingly enough, I placed Danny Gokey first in her group.

Ha! I remember reading a positive review of her somewhere. I do remember the scatting though, that was a pretty WTF moment, especially for AI.

[Solecismic]

I watched the TiVoed version of America's highest-rated television show this evening, and I found a philosophical debate. Well, that might be overstating things just a tad. Hegel and Nietzsche can rest easy in their respective graves. It was more a pompous celebration of ego. But I think it passed for philosophy as far as network television goes.

Is American Idol looking for an American Idol? Such a loaded question. We had jazz, we had metal, we had gospel, we had bubble-gum, we had latin, we had country, we had a weird version of r&b and we had Boop. None of it would ever be on the pop charts.

James Durbin perhaps summed everything up with his childish modern moralism while back-talking successful music producer Jimmy "The Ballcap" Iovine. He said there's no way to know a song is any good before it's on stage. This reminded me of the day my son, then six, came home from school to announce that nothing is truly good or bad. I resisted the urge to force him to watch 25 consecutive episodes of Hannah Montana.

And thus we have the final evolution in Idol's recovery from the loss of Simon Cowell: nothing matters anymore. Do you think Casey would dared have invoke the pretentious '50s with his mocking tribute to Nat King Cole when Simon was around?

Ranking the round of 8:

1. Haley Reinhart. Unlike the judges, I thought this was perhaps the weakest set of performances this late in the competition in the show's history. In fact, this is the lowest top score I have ever assigned. Haley seems to think her ticket to fame is to try and lose control, even though her pitch is so accurate she probably can't. She lost the performance a bit, though. I was disappointed she was the only singer panned by the un-judges, because she had a couple of phenomenal runs in there. Betty Boop met Debbie Harry, and it wasn't something I'd want to hear again. 78.

2. Jacob Lusk. Iovine was right, Simon and Garfunkel is a natural for a gospel singer. Lusk is as phony as you can get in front of a microphone, but that doesn't change what he does well. 73.

3. James Durbin. It was good. But a low degree of difficulty, and Zakk Wylde clearly upstaging him with a long solo (who has time to let the guitarist solo for 30 seconds when your song is a minute-forty) didn't help. The judges got carried away with a pretty good production, ignoring that the front man has less to do in metal-land. 71.

4. Lauren Alaina. If Miley Cyrus falls down, alone, in the forest, does she still make a sound? 68.

5. Scotty McCreery. He was a little overwhelmed by the backup singers, but that's probably on the production staff. They had a busy week prepping for James' finale, so it's understandable. 65.

6. Stefano Langone. I challenged myself to write up Stefano without using the word "lounge". Oops. 63.

7. Casey Abrams. A mocking tribute to a piece they were probably mocking on the many misadventures of Dobie Gillis a long, long time ago. Zelda frowned. Casey actually cleared his throat a couple of times in the middle. Not sure it was intentional. Not sure I care. The judges acted as if they had never heard a minor register change before. Maybe they haven't. 61.

8. Paul McDonald. The bland bouncing and bleating of a goat happily interrupted by a hot saxophone player. 52.

Expected Bottom Three: Paul, Casey, Haley.

Who Should Go: Paul.

Who Will Go: Casey.

[Ksyrup]

I thought Hailey's vocal was really weak. She was all over the place, and the screaming chorus for the second week in a row was less impressive this time.

I agree Durbin had a low degree of difficulty, but I was actually impressed he pulled it off as well as he did. I don't like giving contestants an unfair advantage by pairing them with established stars, though. He got the pimp spot, that should have been enough.

I have a hard time looking at Lusk when he sings. His facial contortions are disturbing and ridiculous.

My wife was reaching for the FF button quicker than I was once Stefano slurred and under-enunciated his way through the oddly-phrased first line of that crappy song. He is legimately terrible. I couldn't believe the slobber-job the judges gave him.

Not sure what to make of Casey. I don't even know that song. It's probably older than my parents.

[Lathum]

Jimmy should be a judge, he is the only honest one with the stones to give his opinion.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I agree Durbin had a low degree of difficulty, but I was actually impressed he pulled it off as well as he did. I don't like giving contestants an unfair advantage by pairing them with established stars, though. He got the pimp spot, that should have been enough.
.

95% of people who watch Idol have no clue who Zack Wylde is

[CrimsonFox]

Casey - An original. An awesome jazz song. Really gets into the song. Loved his playing. He doesn't have to blast things to the back to have intensity. He knows that. Producer Steve doesn't. Very nice ending. The instrument break was a little unnecessary. WOuld have been nicer to have more vocal there as it IS a singing show. But this kid knows. He knows how to do it.
He's obviously having fun too.

Lauren - She has dropped the country. Alleluia. She's actually channeling Pia. One bad note but it was nivce and sweet. Very nice performance. Kinda boring song though. Above average and get better at song choice.

Stephano - Always thought he had a great voice and knew what to do with a song. And he's chosen great ones. This is the first week (granted I missed seeing last 2) that I haven't liked his song choice. His runs are really annoying too. I guess that means the audience will like him this time. Like his high notes. He kills those and from then on he rocked the house. Ended up really good altho I still didn't like the song.


James - Give Metal a chance. Hahahaha. Armbands. I want one. But Heavy Metal and most of the other crap from that movie was just that. Crap. Jimmy is just about making records, not about helping these guys. This song is bitg and bombastic. And surprisingly the one part of the song I recognized (the ""one way ticket to midnight") was kind of hesitant and listless. Sure he can headbang and scream. I'm sure he is going to be hired by a metal band when he gets voted out...which is going to be soon. Heavy Idol haha.

Haley - When I heard her song choice I thought, "oh no". It is a superstylistic punk thing. Only thing she will do is copy it. And she kinda does. I think she does a few nice things with it. But at the end it was really just a copy....a karaoke thing. You just can't do this kind of song on idol. It doesn't work. Average work but you can't expect anyone to vote off yet ANOTHER of the girls can you? CAN YOU?

Jacob - Oh no. Please don't mangle Simon and Garfunkel. But I know it's going to happen. At least I don't have to sit through Dream the Impossible Dream. I don't like this version. His big notes don't really go with this song. When he is quieter (something new), he is better. Very nice. WHen he holds long notes and high notes and big notes and runs. It's like a baby that has just come out of the womb.

Scotty - Funny. He said he was "going back" to his country roots. When did he leave them?
More country gimmicks. He sometimes does a nice Kenny Rogers thing, but that's kind of muddled in with gimmicks from like 4 other country singers. That's all there is to him. Song imitations. Artist immitations. He's got a great voice but it's hidden behind his gimmicks which often lead him astray.

Paul - Very very bad. I would like to know what he's smiling at. Tired of this phony schtick. He again can't stay in tune. Just shouted the whole thing. LOL Steven has nothing to compliment but the sax player and the suit.
Why is Randy and JLo so all over this guy?


Why are they giving that Steve producer so much airtime. Who cares what he has to say?

Bottom 3 - Paul, Scotty, Jacob

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Lathum

95% of people who watch Idol have no clue who Zack Wylde is

It doesn't really matter - they know enough to know he is an established "star" in the world of heavy metal, or they certainly did by the time the episode was over. I just think that's unfair. And it's bad precedent. What's next? Garth Brooks "guesting" on a Scotty song next week?

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Jimmy should be a judge, he is the only honest one with the stones to give his opinion.

Yeah, but he's so monotone and boring that apparently the producers felt the need to attach a sidekick to him to make lame jokes and get us through his segments.

[CrimsonFox]

Am amazed one of the bad people finally went home.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Lathum

95% of people who watch Idol have no clue who Zack Wylde is

I'd bet that's a number above 99%.

[Ksyrup]

Not any more!

[Ksyrup]

Didn't see the show last night due to an out of town softball game, but not surprised at all. That performance was so bad - honestly, it was similar to John Stevens doing Crocodile Rock several years ago - that I was hoping Simon Cowell was going to bust through the doors and bitch slap the judges. I believe that would have qualified, on Simon's scale, as drunk uncle at the wedding hijacking the karaoke machine-level awfulness. Plus, he went first and dressed, as one person tweeted, like The Fourth Amigo.

Good riddance. Stefano and Jacob - you're next on my list (I've given up wishing Scotty would go home, since he's going to win)!

[wade moore]

So.. I had vacation last week and as a result I had 3 performance episodes on my Tivo last night.

I watched them in about an hour.

It's amazing how quickly this show has fallen off for me.

I think it's the whole combo of judges, talent, etc. I think it has just run its course.

I'm curious to see what X-Factor is like at this point.

[Ksyrup]

I have no idea what to expect from X-Factor, since I know very little about it. But since they have groups and not just individual singers, it feels to me like it's going to be a cross between AI and America's Got Talent. I also don't really like the idea of judges who mentor. I'd prefer to keep them separate, but have judges who, you know, actually judge. I can't say I'm overly excited about that show. I'm definitely more curious about the songwriting competition on Bravo than X-Factor at this point (even though my guess is they will both disappoint).

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I have no idea what to expect from X-Factor, since I know very little about it. But since they have groups and not just individual singers, it feels to me like it's going to be a cross between AI and America's Got Talent. I also don't really like the idea of judges who mentor. I'd prefer to keep them separate, but have judges who, you know, actually judge. I can't say I'm overly excited about that show. I'm definitely more curious about the songwriting competition on Bravo than X-Factor at this point (even though my guess is they will both disappoint).

Yeah, I guess I should check the show on Bravo out. I tend to have little faith in a talent competition on a cable network.

[Ksyrup]

From TMZ:

It all started back in February 2009 — when cops cited Jacob for riding on an L.A. metro train without buying a ticket. Jacob blew off his court hearing and an arrest warrant was issued.

Fast forward to Nov. 2010 — a day after Jacob auditioned for “Idol” and got his golden ticket to Hollywood — Lusk was pulled over for a traffic stop. The cop discovered the warrant and arrested him.

Jacob went to jail and then to court the next day and pled no contest to the train-hopping charge. He was sentenced to 3 days in jail and 2 years probation.
Jacob served his time and then went back to court, telling the judge “Idol” wouldn’t let him on the show if he was on probation. After his emotional plea, the merciful judge terminated his probation.

Fun Fact – On night one in the pokey, Jacob sang to 170 inmates, who liked it a lot. Thing is, the guard wasn’t a fan, screaming through the loud speaker, “This isn’t a f**king singing contest.”

Undaunted, we’re told Lusk sang over the next day-and-a-half, preparing for “Idol.” And on his last day, Lusk sang a farewell song, and another guard went on the loud speaker and said it was “bad ass!”

[MikeVic]

"PLEASE judge, I can't be on probation for a crime I committed because I can't be on IDOL!!"

"Ok sir, you're off probation."

Oh come on. The jail singing is neat, but getting off probation just for Idol is so stupid.

[CrimsonFox]

The thing about Bravo shows are, they have EXCELLENT production value and their editors REALLY REALLY know how to put a good show together, unlike FOX that seems to thrive on MTV rapid fire edits and chowing us the same clips 15 times in the fashion of "Coming up..." (these clips) and "Youve just seen..." (clips you've already seen) "but here's what's going to happen..." (clips they already showed, shown again). Bravo seems to have at least gotten it right when it comes to competition shows about actually having skills (Top Chef, Project Runway). It all hinges on whether it has a good host and a good judging staff. Project RUnway has Michal Koors and TIm Gunn. Top Chef has Tom Collichio and Padma Lokshmi (who got the job after the first awful host was fired). Of course then there's Top Design whose hosts and judges were boring and forgettable, not to mention having annoying contestants. Top Chef Masters hasn't found its way yet either. They already bagged the first host as well as one of their annoying judges (who to me looked like she was a corpse and was about that interesting).

I think Kara does have the goods to be a good judge. WHo knows about Jewel. And at least we know they'll get to use their instruments.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

The thing about Bravo shows are, they have EXCELLENT production value and their editors REALLY REALLY know how to put a good show together, unlike FOX that seems to thrive on MTV rapid fire edits and chowing us the same clips 15 times in the fashion of "Coming up..." (these clips) and "Youve just seen..." (clips you've already seen) "but here's what's going to happen..." (clips they already showed, shown again).

Ummmm.....what? Top Chief is the worst show on television on the "coming up" and then replaying the last 3 minutes before the break in the first 3 minutes after commercial. I agreed with the rest of what you said, but really most Top Chief hour long shows can be watched in about 25 minutes of actual content, with about 15 what is going to happen/replaying what already happened.

[Solecismic]

I'm not sure what the theme was this week on American Idol. Fast-forwarding to the first singer ate up about 11 minutes of TiVotape, which probably allowed me to survive the evening without hurling my remote through the screen. If I had to guess, it was songs from the 21st Century. Could be wrong.

The judging seems to have settled into a familiar 21st Century meme, however. It's all about anyone having a chance to win. Bring yer A-Game, boys and girls. Bullpuppies, of course. Scotty will win unless pulls down his pants onstage to reveal boxers emblazoned with the Union emblem. The judges are trying to sabotage him by hinting that he might want to leave his comfort zone. I'm sure he knows better.

I appreciated the attempt to bring 21st Century sexual humor on to the show, in the form of Seacrest making a "beard" joke with Casey Abrams and Jennifer Lopez. Marc Anthony is not amused. Sean "I can't remember what nickname he's giving himself this month" Combs is amused. Ben Affleck is oblivious. Ojani Noa was seen trying to interview Abrams on camera late tonight.

Rankings, Round of 7:

1. James Durbin. If only he could scream on key, I'd've given this a 98. It was damned good - the type of performance a rocker front-man can put his signature on. 87.

2. Haley Reinhart. For pure degree of difficulty, this was a great choice for her, and an appropriate challenge. She missed the same note in the chorus both times. No idea why - she is usually pitch perfect. I hope it doesn't cost her, because it completely changed the judges' attitudes toward what otherwise would have been the performance of the night. 84.

3. Casey Abrams. Some bonus points for kissing J-Lo at the end, even though it seemed rather cloying and rehearsed. This jazzy stuff isn't all that great, but Casey's clearly quite talented. When he takes himself seriously, it's not bad at all. 83.

4. Lauren Alaina. The judges desperately want someone to challenge Scotty. They're making the wrong choice by trying to prop Lauren up. She is a decent singer, competent in the country genre, unmemorable. She will never hit big notes. She will eventually discover a consistent stage personality and she will have a solid career, though she might die young if she obtains a nasty manager determined to starve her into a size-4 boot-cut pair of jeans. 74.

5. Scotty McCreery. He knows he just has to phone in the same stuff, week after weak, to win this competition and get on with his career. 68.

6. Jacob Lusk. The emotion felt fake. His whining over an ear-piece malfunction did not feel fake. I was expecting a little more chin-wobble, and maybe stronger vocals. He's starting to fade. 65.

7. Stefano Langone. Picking up the pace just emphasized what a disaster he is on the stage. He's not the worst top-seven contestant they've ever had (that's unquestionably Sanjaya Malakar), but he'd be in the discussion for second-worst. For most of the song, he was backing up the backup singers. 50.

Expected Bottom Three: Stefano, Jacob, Haley.

Who Should Go: Stefano.

Who Will Go: Stefano.

[Ksyrup]

I pretty much agree with that, except for Scotty I would have said, "weak after weak." That song was awful, and he performs every song the same damn way. I don't know how much more eyebrow raising, side-mouth singing, microphone flute-handling, and sexual innuendo/performance seemingly aimed at 14 year olds I can handle. Then again, I can't look at him without thinking of a mixture of Cletus from the Simpsons and Alfred E. Neumann, so...

[GrantDawg]

Scotty: Swinging? Really? All of the songs in the last 10+ years and you pick a remake (Leanne Rymes really redid that stupid song) of a stupid 80's novelty song? Really? It probably won't cost him a thing, and proves how is coasting, but it how in the heck did Jimmy not jump up and down on his head on that song selection. Swinging. Shoot me now.

They hit Lauren on the head, and I don't think Jim is giving her credit. The little girl can sing. She is playing scared. They all know it because they hear her without the crowds. We know it because we heard her in the early stages when she was more relaxed and having fun. Her voice was pure and powerfull. Now, she is pulling punches. She is totally in her head. It is immaturity, and unless she just gets a mental thing, she will grow out of it, but it is going to end up costing her a chance here. She the only girl that could compete, because she non-threating "one of us" to the teeny-boppers, sweet little thing to the moms and grandmoms. But she is under-preforming, and it will eventually kill her.

I predict two thing for Haley. She is going to be a great artist. She can sing Adele like Adele while not looking like Adele. If you can't market that, get out of the record business. What she showed this week was her lane, her market, and she can perform. And as good as the performance was, as marketable as she is, this will be the week she goes home. Which is why AI might still be entertaining (James Durbain alone gives me a reason to watch every week), it definitely is not even close to functioning well its stated purpose. Rename it "Teen Choice Idol." Or if we just want to stick to old demo tracking "American Women Choice Idol."

[MJ4H]

What was the deal with Scotty last night? It looked like he had set his mind to try to be country boy smooth or something and just looked like cartoon character or something. Really weird.

[wade moore]

Haven't watched last night's yet, but for the record in my catching up I've completely turned on Scotty.

He's a one-trick pony in his songs, and annoying in his performances.

[GrantDawg]

There was a reason Scotty went first and Lauren went last. My wife said the song Lauren had was a real power-house song that she pushed down on. There is no doubt the producers are trying to showcase her and hoping she'll pull out her voice and contend. They put Scotty first because they know he is cruising right now. He is never been in danger, it wouldn't hurt if they could put him in bottom three and wake him up a little bit. He doesn't listen to instruction. What he needs to do is not "rock out," and he definitely needs to stop this cutesy song crap. Get him some old country with some depth. Hank Williams Sr. George Jones. Jimmy was trying to get a guitar in his hands, and that would be a very good idea (get the mike out of his, he looks like an idiot). When he started "Everybody's Talking" last week, it sounded awesome, but then he changed his mind for some unknown reason. He needs a kick in the head.

[Ksyrup]

You can't sing songs with depth in any genre when the only performance mannerisms you know are the wink-and-nod, head-lean, and - for lack of a better term - Country Boy Barry White face. He doesn't want to be anything more than he's shown because he is nothing more than a copycat. He is probably the furthest thing from an artist this show has ever had - certainly at this point in the competition, anyway. It's like God gave him a voice but no substantive way to use it, other than to mimic his favorite country singers. That's literally all he is. He probably doesn't even understand what "what kind of artist do you want to be?" means.