American Idol: Top 3 revealed
(S07E38) Tonight, Maroon 5 joins in the fun as we narrow down the remaining finalists to the Top 3. Where did Brooke’s voting constituents go? If they went to Jason Castro then maybe he can pull of a huge upset and supplant a David or Syesha. If they went Syesha’s way, it may be the end of the road for Jason Castro. If they all swung my way, who knows what will happen because Ryan forgot to give out my numbers … again! Chime in through the show and critique the amazing Ford commercials, sound off on the amazing live viewer call-in feature (*cough*crap*cough*) and let us know who you think is going home.
How many different ways can they line up the contestants on the stage so the camera can pan along them while Ryan introduces the show? Tonight’s back-to-front formation was new. Stupid, but new. Last night the contestants scored nearly 51 million votes. The Top three had less than one million votes between them which means Castro was in trouble before it all began. Well, probably.
Top 4 - “Reelin’ in the Years,” Steely Dan
Well, David Archuleta wasn’t ready for it to begin though and had to play quick catch-up. Throughout you could tell that the song wasn’t really in the style that Syesha or Archuleta were comfortable with as they were constantly outperformed by the other pair. And what was up with that David Archuleta introduction of Paul Jackson, Jr. (thanks LN for the correction) on guitar solo. Jackson came out through the split wall at the back of the stage like he was a surprise guest star. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great and an important part of the show but you could tell the audience was all “Ooh, Ooh, who’s it gonna be?” and then, “Oh, it’s just that dude.” Do we need to talk about the choreography? Isn’t So You Think You Can Dance a sister show to this one? There’s some great choreographers over there. Go grab one!
Idols in Vegas
The Final Four got to fly to Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil’s Love, inspired by the work of The Beatles, and were met with a Beatles style reception of screaming fans and craziness. It looks like the kids had fun, but as usual I’d rather spend time getting to know the kids personalities rather than promoting something. But that seems to be all Idol is anymore.
Ford Commercial - “Ring of Fire”
What an incredibly corny commercial, though the Idols looked crazy-funny dressed as matadors. Otherwise, I don’t get the connection between the song and bullfighting. Man, did that not work.
Dear God They’re Still Taking Live Calls
Emily called saying that the Idol tour would be in her hometown of Pittsburgh on July 29th. She then asked if David Cook would like to go out on a date with her that night. Way to put him on the spot. Ryan put her on hold to get her number for him. Fourteen-year old Sarah asked all four contestants what the biggest challenge is they’ve had to overcome. Syesha’s answer was stage fright. David Archuleta didn’t have an answer (insert jokes about no one giving him one now). Jason didn’t have one either.
David Cook didn’t get a chance to answer before we moved on to Allison who wanted to know why Simon hadn’t been knighted yet. I think this is a fair question as they seem to knight just about anyone over there anymore. Mara then wanted to know how Syesha feels being the last girl standing. Syesha said she was proud but was made uncomfortable. I wonder what those “funny” guys did? Teresa asked if they’ve ever gotten feedback from the artists whose songs they cover on the show. David Cook chatted up Our Lady Peace, who appreciated his doing the song. Finally, Marla who’d clearly been drinking, thought Simon Cowell could be the next James Bond.
Maroon 5, “If I Never See Your Face Again”
It’s great that artists get a chance to perform, but I think these hour-long results shows are hurting the Idol franchise. We can handle a little dragging here and there but really we come to these episodes to find out who’s going home. The rest of it tends to be more of an irritant and you don’t want to irritate viewers. Hopefully in a non-strike year (next year) they’ll go back to half hour results.
All of that isn’t a knock on Maroon 5 who did a great job. I’m not familiar with the song they performed, but am a big fan of Maroon 5, primarily because I loved Bugs Bunny growing up so I’m naturally partial to their band name. Afterward when they interviewed Adam Levine he proved that most artists really have no idea where they’re going on tour or when; that’s what managers are for.
Bo Bice, “Witness”
I’m going to go ahead and take full, and probably undeserved, credit for Bo appearing on the Idol stage. In my interview with Bo Bice I asked if he would be performing back on the show this year and he responded: “I would love to perform on that Idol stage but that’s really up to American Idol. I don’t really go and ask them a lot for stuff. They’ve done so much for me and my career already; I wouldn’t have the career I do without them. Maybe some people should call up Idol and tell them they want to see old Bo Bice play on stage and they might let me.”
I guess someone did, which I think is great. Bo is an amazing southern rocker who really suffered from overproduction and mishandling of his first CD. His latest effort is much truer to who he is as an artist. The performance tonight was solid, though the song isn’t as much a vocal showcase as typical Idol fare. It felt just like a classic southern rock jam, though, so good for him. Would it have killed him to give me a shout-out, though?
Going Home Tonight
Next week are the trips home. No Bottom Two or Three or any of that. You’re either in or you’re out this week. So, we’ll start with David Archuleta who of course is safe. Anticlimactic wasn’t it when he was sent to the couch. Let’s see. then we had Ryan tell us to look at pictures of last year’s trips home which were nowhere to be found. Then when they flashed on the screen he said to take a look backstage. Ah, live television. Why do we have so few live shows to enjoy the screw-ups on?
Continuing the push toward convincing us a David-David finale is as inevitable as death and taxes, David Cook was the next through the door and over to the couch. No Chris Daughtry-like eliminations tonight. That left only Syesha Mercado and Jason Castro who came out together to lead us into a break. Again, Ryan never declared the Bottom Two, so it’s possible that a David got the second lowest number of votes. This way, though, you create more drama as both are more believable contenders for getting cut.
Well, Jason took Simon’s advice and packed his bags, anticipating the end of his American Idol journey, and the voting at home followed suit. Tonight we say goodbye to the dreadlocked folk singer. He admitted earlier that two songs a week was a real challenge and he was really stressing three for next week. He was happy and clearly ready to end this chapter of his life and see what the future brings.
My Picks
Can I get triple credit for right picks now? I mean, I was right in that Jason was going home but really it was a 50/50 shot I guess. Still, I’m only at 9-12 now.
Your Picks
I gave up catching up with you a long time ago and if we keep agreeing like this, it’ll never happen. You picked Jason as well raising your season total to 13-8.
Next Week’s Theme: I have no idea, but they’re singing three songs each.
American Idol: Top 16 Revealed
(S07E16) We’re getting closer and closer to the Top 12, and more importantly closer to the end of thrice-weekly Idol. There were almost 31 million votes cast last night, but still not enough for four more contestants. This week, both the boys and girls were largely disappointing, with many of the top performers from last week fumbling, and only a few showing marked improvement.
A portion of that, I think, can be blamed on the theme weeks. For many of these kids, songs from the ’60s and ’70s represent songs they’ve never heard before in their lives. That’s not fair to those contestants or the audience. If this is the season where we’re supposed to get to know these singers better, why not let us have three weeks of getting to know the type of music they both enjoy and know they can sing well. Once you’ve found your Top 12, you can put those kids through the ringer with your theme weeks.
While it was much improved I’m still not a huge fan of the group numbers. I think in seven seasons we’ve had maybe two or three that were memorable. Tonight’s wasn’t one of those. I know they’re as much a staple of the series as those damned Ford commercials, but I can still hate them a little bit each time I see one. The whole point of these kids is that they’re dramatically different in vocal style and approach so putting them together in these medleys almost never works.
THE FIRST TO GO
Ryan started us off again this week with the guys. This time he stood them up and broke them in half, narrowing it ultimately down to Jason Yeager and Danny Noriega (Michael Johns, Jason Castro and Chikezie were all declared safe). In what should be the easiest and most obvious elimination of the night, Jason was the first to go. I can’t say I’m surprised or displeased. His schmaltzy routines were both sickeningly overwrought and tailored more for an octogenarian crowd than mainstream America. My hope is that I can eliminate the “corn-dar” with him and he can get back to work in Branson, MO where his particular style will truly be appreciated.
After he sang his swan song, Ryan told us to take a look at the front row to see which one of the remaining five guys would be going home, but the camera stayed on Yeager. Don’t you just love live TV.
THE OTHER SHOE DROPS
We’ve lost a guy, so it’s only fair that one of the fairer sex be the next to go. Following the same pattern as with the guys, Ryan stood up Kristy Lee Cook, Amanda Overmyer, Alexandrea Lushington, Brooke White and Asia’h Epperson. Four were safe and one was done. After narrowing it down to Amanda and Alexandrea in the hot seat, it was time to say goodbye to Alexandrea. She had one of the strongest performances last week, but this week she faltered in song choice and stage presence both.
Still, Alexandrea is talented and beautiful. And, of course, since she was now emotional she put on an encore performance that was 100% improved over what she did last week. She should be able to turn this spotlight into something positive for herself.
THIRD TIMES THE HARM
And again, like last week, we stay with the girls to drop the second of them. Who’s going to join Alexandrea on the talk show circuit next week? Ryan narrowed the remaining contestants down to Kady Malloy and Alaina Whitaker. At this point, I actually cared which one was going to go home because even though they both suffer from generic blonde syndrome, Alaina has shown much stronger vocal capabilities and had potential to really grow into a great performer.
For some reason, America must like impressions of Britney Spears because Alaina was eliminated. Even Kady was stunned by the news that she was safe, and Alaina was so shocked and distraught that she shouted in anguish, “I can’t sing. I’m sorry!” I have to say, I worried that Alaina was too bland and picked Kady to go over her, so I was very close. Still, it’s a shame we won’t get to see what Alaina is capable of. Kady needs to really prove herself if she’s going to stick around.
Paula gave her a standing ovation and tried to encourage that this is the start of an amazing career for her, and she knows it sounds cliche but she means it. Ryan gave her the choice to sing or not, and she ultimately decided to sing with the rest of the girls helping her out because “It’s gonna sound horrible,” as she explained it. Surrounded by the girls, again she put on a very raw and emotional performance and it was beautiful. Maybe they should eliminate everyone right before they perform every week and then somehow reinstate them.
BIG NEWS
On March 11, the Top 12 begins in earnest, and Idol has managed to get the Lennon/McCartney library available for them to sing. Former Idol winner Ruben Studdard recorded a special farewell song for use this season, and as we already know the “Idol Gives Back” special is returning as well. I’d normally complain that showing footage of that is just more filler crap, but that show was such a moving experience that reliving it only reminded us how important it is that we all do what we can to better the world we live in. And that it truly is a wonderful thing that American Idol is using the power of its ratings to bring widespread attention to these important issues. The new installment will feature Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus, Reese Witherspoon, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood.
FOUR ON THE FLOOR
Back to the falling blade, there’s one more head to chop (figuratively speaking of course). It’s come down to Luke Menard, David Hernandez, Robbie Carrico, David Cook and David Archuleta. This time it narrows down to Robbie and Luke, and in the second stunner of the week, Robbie is gone. Robbie is a much better performer than Luke, but the judges kept calling him out on his authenticity and America must have felt it as well. His fall was monumental as I felt that he was one of the top guys last week. Still, I think there were others who were much weaker than him this past week.
Conspiracy theorists can start speculating that Idol manipulated the results to remove him since the rumor broke that Robbie wears a wig earlier this week. According to those reports, it was a point of serious concern and contention behind the scenes with Idol brass, so maybe they didn’t want to deal with it. If he wasn’t willing to come clean and lose it, they’d lose him. There, now the conspiracy nuts can say they saw it in print, not that I believe it.
RESULTS
Boys Voted Out: Jason Yeager & Robbie Carrico
Girls Voted Out: Alexandrea Lushington & Alaina Whitaker
MY PICKS
This week I correctly picked Alexandrea Lushington and Jason Yeager. And I came close with both Kady Malloy and Luke Menard as both barely escaped elimination. But this isn’t hand grenades or horseshoes, so it’s 2-2 for the week and 3-5 overall.
YOUR PICKS
For the boys you guys picked Robbie at the lowest, followed by Jason Yeager, so you nailed that one. For the girls you had Alaina and Alexandrea giving you a perfect 4-0 for the week and a cumulative tally of 6-2.
American Idol results show expands to one hour
Looks like it’s bad news for ’The Return of Jezebel James. FOX announced in a press release that effective with the March 13, 2008 installment, the “Results Show” of American Idol each week will run one full hour, instead of the usual thirty minutes. FOX has seen great success in dropping thirty minute shows behind the “Results Show,” as was originally the plan for Jezebel. Instead, that series will now premiere with a one hour special the following day, Friday, March 13 at 8/7 Central.
In other words, FOX has apparently given up on Jezebel altogether. Why else would they take it from one of the most coveted time slots on television and drop it in the Sahara wastelands of Friday night where it has to go up against Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Ghost Whisperer?
Even if the strike does end this week, it’s going to take some time before any new shows will be ready to air. So it makes sense to expand the “Results Show” to a full hour. FOX is on pace to win the year’s ratings race and adding more air time to it’s heaviest hitter is just smart business.
It’s just that those bloated hour-long shows have a tendency to be quite awful. Maybe they can work in all their celebrity guest appearances in these shows rather than the actual competition episodes. That way the Idol still gets to kiss the asses of the music industry, give established artists a multi-million viewer platform to hype their new records and all that crap that Idol has grown to love doing without interfering in the competition itself.
Either that, or we’ll get Ryan vamping for fifty-five minutes, more painfully terrible “commercials” by the finalists than usual and lots of awkward group numbers. I don’t know which I’d prefer more? I still can’t believe they haven’t given us DVD sets of all those great Ford commercials yet.
FOX announces Idol sponsors like it’s the Super Bowl or something
I get that American Idol is the biggest thing on television besides the Super Bowl, but do people really get that excited about who’s going to sponsor the show? Apparently someone does because FOX sent out a press release today, with great fanfare and a ticker-tape parade with Ryan Seacrest as Grand Marshall decked out in a blue and white sequined tux complete with top hat and a monkey on his shoulder, that Ford, Coca-Cola and AT&T would be the official sponsors of Idol this year.
What does this mean for you, the viewer? It means more retarded Ford commercials. It means more awkward Coca-Cola “moments” where Ryan asks a contestant a random, generic question and gets a confused and empty answer. And it means Ryan will get to say the words AT&T twelve times per contestant as he gives out their phone and text numbers.
What would be awesome is if while the contestants are sitting in the red room yakking it up with Ryan, one of the Coca-Cola polar bears comes sauntering in, eyeing the frosty bottle of Coke sitting next to Ryan. They do that adorable little growl of theirs and stand up on their hind legs to their full eight to ten foot height … and proceed to start tearing up the set, mauling contestants left and right until Dr. Phil can get there to save the day.
“Now look here, Mr. Polar Bear, okay? What you need to do … okay … is realize that you have a problem. You do! Okay, see how you killed all these people, Mr. Bully Bear. You need to take a good hard look at yourself and ask yourself ’Why?’ … Okay … ’Why am I mauling these good people over a soda. I mean … I mean, look at you. Have you seen my weight loss book? You’re clearly carrying a little extra weight around the middle. You need to be honest with yourself–” at which point the polar bear swats him across the stage.
Simon: “I think that may be the best performance of the night.”
Randy: “I’m not telling a polar bear he wasn’t good.”
Paula: “There’s a polar bear? Where?”
Simon: “Well, it’s not inside your glass of … water, Paula.”
Paula: “Up yours, Simon. Wait, there is something in here. What’s a worm doing at the bottom of my glass of … *urp* Never mind. Heehee.”
Randy: “Has anybody seen Ryan? Ryan, are you up there, dawg?”
Ryan (faint): “Is that you, Randy? It’s so dark, what happened?”
Randy (standing up): “I think he’s under the bear. Ryan, do you see a Coke bottle. He should go away if you give it to him.”
Ryan (faint): “I don’t see any– Wait, he’s moving me– ooooaaaahhhhwwww! … I think I just found the bottle.”