B-Side,

I spotted B-Side in his aviator glasses holding a sign behind Tamyra Gray. I think that was the second best part of the show. Chris with Live was great, and should Prince be the next AI? The live blog was awesome too.

Not the Worst Resluts Show Ever!

The results were fine - it was the other 1h58m that were unbearable. Thank got for Tivo

Oh my God where to begin ?
As this show rambled on it just made me wonder even more why Mandisa wasnt in the final 2. She is so heads and tails above the two that were.

Very disappointed in the Meatloaf performance. Why did he look like he just came out of the rain ?

I sort of felt bad for Clay -- that little bit certainly didnt do anything to quell those nasty rumors, if you know what I mean.

I apparently just sat through the American Idol tour that will be "hitting a stadium near you this summer!", shown on broadcast TV for free. Actually, an even better version (if you can believe that) since there were some musicians who have been in the industry and have staying power beyond, uh, a mind-numbingly-awful summer American Idol tour. No tickets were necessary.

Can I get my money back?

Three things really caught my attention:

1) Meat Loaf. I've liked him. "Bat Out Of Hell" was awesome. He had a string of very forgettable albums after that (some of which Jim Steinman wasn't involved in, so you know how much those sucked), with a pretty good "Bat Out Of Hell 2" album thrown in. They say "Bat Out Of Hell 3" is on the way (needed in this world about as much as "Garfield 2", mind you), and I'm sorta interested. Then the man...uh...sings? Oh my. I, uh...oh my. Is he...oh my. I truly felt bad for Katharine. How can someone harmonize with that? I honestly don't think The Loaf hit a single correct note in there. "BOOH2" was subtitled "Back Into Hell". "BOOH3" must be subtitled "Hell Has Roasted My Larynx So Bear With Me".

2) Dionne Warwick comes ambling out on stage, a surprise guest. I don't know about the rest of you, but my psychic must not be worth a crap since she didn't see this one coming.

3) Taylor's final performance. He was emotional, I'm sure, so it wasn't great. But what was the deal with the frightening explosions in the background, for a schmaltzy song, no less? Is Great White touring again?

Two hours. Ugh. It's not like I obviously pride my free time very much to begin with if I watch AI every week. But last night was two hours of my life (or as someone else put it, 1 hour and 58 minutes) I could have spent, um, cleaning the shower. Dusting. Baking. Anything productive. But congrats Taylor. I'll buy his CD if it's bluesy stuff that he's good at. If it's all "Do I Make You Proud" nonsense, I may pick it up in the "where are they now" cut-out bin in a couple years.

Mary J. Blige is a great talent but her performance was all ego. Meatloaf and Toni Braxton can't sing. Dionne Warwick was cool. Look how much better she's doing than her niece. Chris: loved him. Great and timely recap.
Another American Idol who will probably go nowhere.

Ugh, that was pretty dull...I think Taylor has a shorter shelf life than Reuben did.

I can't stand, though, that they had two hours of filler and RUSH so much through the results and final song so much. That's quite annoying.

All season, I was all for Chris. But after hearing his incessant complaining and being kind of pompous, Elliot became my favorite this season. How great it would have been to have him in the finale--we would have definitely had some emotion then.

I thought Elliot's performance with Mary J. was pretty good actually--he did look starstruck and I can hardly blame the kid. I would be too, and I would certainly NOT try to compete/match her vocals. She's amazing.

Definitely agree that Mandisa's departure was far too early, and that she made Katherine look like a complete amateur. Even Paris, despite her admitted personality issues, had a much stronger voice.

It was unfortunate that two so unworthy finalists survived to the end, but still an enjoyable season.

Now, on to: Big Brother, the Challenge, Entourage, The Hills and LAGUNA BEACH

Oh man! KatiesHole is gonna be so pissed! I sense a "How did that flailing retard win? I'm moving to Canada" in our future. ;)

Now I dont watch this show (I know, I know, I suck) but I did look at it for a while last night while waiting for LOST to come on. Mary J was FANTASTIC. She is so wonderful. I want the recording

Great recap, B-Side! I kept thinking of you while I was watching, relishing your snarky comments!

Clay's hair! Whaaa?? Some stylist has it in for him. I was shocked that his evil twin kept singing even after he made his grand entrance. But I think they mercifully turned off his microphone. Phew.. thank goodness cause Clay in his new do looks like he would throw a hissy fit.

When Chris and the lead singer from Live both went to the end of the stage and stood on either side with one foot up...bizarro bald bookends!

Meatloaf was just plain sad. If he shaved his head and started crying, it could have been Katharine's father singing a love song to his daughter. Ewww! I wish these aging entertainers would just retire to Florida peacefully.

Why was David Hasselhoff crying? That must have saddened the Germans because Germans LOVE David Hasselhoff....

I missed the ver beginning and the mental ward sing along. Perfect description.

Mary J. - Not so bad. I thought it showed a lot of class that Elliott stood by the side and gave her her due. I did feel sorry for him in trying to harmonize when she is flailing up and down the scale all the time.

Prince - Unbelievable! Had a tvgasm right there in my living room. My son, who had never even seen Prince before had a few questions. Is he gay? Why is he wearing high heels? Is that purple? Had to explain the whole Purple Rain thing to him. Loved it!

Why is it when they get in the Kodak theater that no one can sing anymore? Taylor was pathetic! He had this stunned look on his face every time he tried to sing. It must be really hard to hear in there. Mandisa had no problem. Elliott sounded great. Chris of course rocked! But the rest of them seemed like they couldn't hear a note. I understand the nerves, but still.

I could, and will, go the rest of my life without seeing Bucky, Ace, Kevin, Melissa, etc. again.

And was that David Hasselhoff CRYING at the end? Someone go back and tell me I was wrong.

B-Side, you had the whole Jim Carrey "Me, Myself and Irene" look going on there with your aviator glasses of badness. Nice.

Clay Aiken's new mop? At first it creeped me out. Then I realized that he was going for the Drake Bell look...which makes the tween population swoon. Yeah, that's how much I suck that I know that.

B-side: I totally thought Clay was that Garth (mid-life crisis)Brooks alter-ego guy.
The first time I looked at the clock for a time check it was 8:35 (eastern). I gotta sit through another 90 mins of this shit? Ugh!
I thought Katherine did pretty well last night, maybe with the pressure being off and all.
My highlight was Prince. Did you see when he was done singing? Even his dancers don't associate with Seacrest. Prince was all, "I'm out! Let's go, bitches!".

Ok, why on earth would Clay Aiken sing a song that has the words "go down on me" if he's trying to fight off the gay rumors?
Prince was by far the best part of the show for me. Must give AI kudos for keeping that surprise under wraps.
Kellie - so annoying, still.

The Live Blog was the best thing about the finale (being that I watched the actual show EST). Katie, J-Unit, B-side and Madeyoulaugh were snarkilicious! I'll watch tv with you anytime!

I am glad Taylor won - McBreastesas was out of her league. I keep thinking back to the first year when Kelly Clarkson won - her voice was pure honey. She could take any f'd up song and make it sound like a top 40 hit (kind of like now). Katherine butchers almost everything she sings but looks hot doing it. She is a very pretty girl, just not the same caliber of pipes as a Kelly Clarkson. Taylor is unique and while not the best vocalist, he appeals because he is different and because he makes almost every song seem fun. So what if he and his father are the same age, and his "brother" is really his son. Its too late now anyway.

I loved Elliott and would have picked him hands down as Idol but in a race between Mcmammary and the "Silver Fox", Taylor had to win.

The most painful moments of the night were Kat and Meatloaf - that mcsucked and was the worst performance ever on the show. And the looks on Katherines face while singing with that hasbeen abomination were priceless - I'd love to see a couple of screencaps of her deer in the headlights - oh mommy why did they do this to me panic - it was as distracting as her boobs which were defying gravity last night.

Was anyone actually still watching while Taylor sang with Tony Braxton? She actually didnt sing most of the song - couldnt hit the majority of the notes and looked like she just took a hit off her pipe out back. It was as bad as Meatloaf but Taylor didnt look scared - he just "woo hoo'd" a bunch of times with her. Maybe she didnt know the words. It was absolute crap!

Lastly, what the hell did they do to Clay (i mean Gay) Aiken? I didnt even know it was him. I bet Simon feels all smug about the makeover on that piece of Idol real estate. The reaction of Fake Aiken when Gay Aiken "came out" was gay heaven and the fact that he kept singing with Clay made it even more gay. It was priceless.

Lastly, B-side - that wasnt "Jesus Take the Wheel" that Carrie Underwear bored us with for her second song. It was something else equally W/T and tragic. Its called "Dont forget to remember me" or some such crap.

I havent watched Big Brother since the first season but I will have to start just so I can keep up with this site. Thanks for making my Idol experience this year!

I boycotted American Idol this year just because I can't justify giving Paula Abdul any more money for that awful plastic surgery, but I did tune in for a few minutes before Lost last night. Mary J truly made that Eliot kid look like an amateur. She blew him away. I wonder if he could feel himself shrinking on the stage?

B-side will we ever get to see your face???

WHOOO! WHOOO!! IT'S OVER!!!

ah, i can't really complain, since i ditched american idol after the first hour for lost, except for the good luck of catching prince during one of the commercial breaks on ABC.

WAAAAAALLLLT!!!! WAAAALLLLT!!!

sorry, i just like an excuse to write in caps.

chris and live actually sounded o.k., if you're into that kind of stuff. i forgot that ed k. from live (the singer) had adopted the kojak look as well, so the dr. evil/mini-me effect was a little disturbing, but the live boys were game (it's been a while since they've played for an audience of millions, i suspect), and chris managed to simultaneously look like a pro and a star-struck fan who can't believe his luck.

i've been searching around to see if there has been any news about meat loaf coming down with parkinson's disease, which would be the only kind explanation for his horrific twitching and quaky vibrato. i know it's been a few years, but i sure didn't expect the meat to bomb like that. poor katherine must have been thinking 'first, they stick me with the most crap-tastic original ballad in the history of the universe, and now this.'

i still can't believe taylor won, but i actually thought his harp playing was pretty smokin', and it reminded me that he can sing AND play and is probably pretty kick-ass with a band. i also heard he's a pretty good guitar player, and performing with an axe around his neck would probably cut down on the spaz-dancing.

but the highlight of the evening had to be prince, who is absolutely the coolest four-foot purple martian who has ever graced the planet earth with his funk-tastic presence. seeing world-class talent like prince and mary j. on the same stage with the karaoke kids says a lot about the clout of american idol and the state of the music industry. when prince--inarguably one of the biggest, most original performers in the short history of recorded pop music--bends his royal purple knee to show up on a fox network talent show finale, we can be certain that the apocalypse is upon us.

What a Cheese-tastic Finale! I loved every cheddar moment of it!

I had a complete Tvgasm when that geek kept right on singing with Clay Gaykin!

Mary J. Blige was amazing and I went nuts when Prince came out. What a bad-ass!

Carrie Underwood did not perform "Jesus Take The Wheel" last night: she sang "Don't Forget To Remember Me"

I didn't watch the show in it's entirety last night...after all LOST was on. But I did catch most of the first hour and at every Lost commercial break after 9:00, I switched over to AI. I knew this recap would be great, just from the little I saw and I was right. Reading the recap is even better than watching the show! Meatloaf -- what the heck happened to him? It was truly beyond bad...Thank God Katharine looked and sounded as good as she did. It sort of made up for it. Taylor the tic man sounded so off key during the "I Had the Time of My Life" duet that I cringed and had to mute the sound. Aren't we all proud he's the new AI? I hope he enjoys the summer tour cause shortly thereafter he'll be saying hi to Reuben as he joins him in "I had my 15 minutes of fame has been land."

While this year turned out to be a disappointment with the final results..as evidenced by the show last night..it certainly has had its cartoon-ish people and moments. I fear though that allowing all these audition rejects have a actual performance spot in the finale it will bring all the freaks crawling out of the woodwork for next year. Hey..act like a psychotic, retarded, foul mouthed freak and you are in baby! Is this a singing competition or a circus side show??

~Yayyyyyyyy Tamyra Gray!! You want to talk about getting booted before her time! oh wait..that was 5 years ago..so i am still bitter..but it was good to see her again and representin for Kat(along with B-side)

~Katloaf..egads! How bad did i feel for Kat? She looked like she wanted out of there bad! I hope she never saw the Rosie O'Donnell interview he did years ago where he tongued her at the end of it..or she would need therapy for years. btw..WOW..how did i miss "the girls"? they certainly were loud and proud!

~Not that you care but Carrie Underwood sang "Don't Forget to Remember Me" not JTTW. I thought it was pretty good for an almost acoustic sound and her voice just put the people from this year to shame.

~I am still having nightmares about the Gay Aiken segment. I heard girlie screams when he came out. I am assuming that was his male "friends" in the audience because how any female can find that attractive is beyond me. He was creeping me out staring at the Fake Aiken. I LOVED that the guy kept singing..hey! you set him up to sing..too bad for you now.

~The dress that Kat was wearing at the end was certainly not conducive to the way she and Taylor were hopping around (i believe that his spastic dancing is contagious as evidenced whenever people get round him) I thought she was gonna wrap herself up in it at one point.

~there was such lack of drama when they made the big announcement..i didnt even see the usual fear on Kat's face...me thinks someone in the McPheever McCamp may have gone online and got the vibe that she was way outvoted. But i thought she handled herself with class. Didnt spout out anything lame like "Soul Patrol" or anything like that. I think David Hasselhoff was crying because he was so happy that now he will have someone to make a duet with and they will be a HUGE hit over in Germany or Botswana or wherever it is that David is the man.

I am gonna miss making fun of this each week. Oh how i can't wait for the Pickler reality show!! Now i just patiently wait to see what direction Kat is gonna go in and synchronize my watch till Taylors 15 minutes are up. Can't wait to see your pics B-side

Dionne Warblick absolutely TANKED at the end of her song. What the CRAP was that note? You gotta put up a clipgsm of that train wreck.

Hey B-Side...Mandisa didn't forget to sing the word "prayer" -- that's the way it is on the actual recording. Dionne Warwick stops singing after "I say a little..." and the backup singers take the "...prayer for you" line. Just thought you'd like to know. :)

Bside, you had a faint Steve-O of Jackass fame type look going on with the aviators.

I'm pretty sure Gayiken was pissed at the Fake Aiken for even trying to sing along. You could see him side-ways glance and give him the death stare to shut the hell up.

FYI - that opening song was a huge Barry Manilow hit "I made it through the rain"...not one of those pieces of sh** that the idol writers came up with. Also, I heard on Stern that Nick Lachey wrote one of the final 2 songs (don't know if it was katherine's or taylor's) anyone know if this is true? Regardless, both songs pretty much sucked!
Glad Taylor won.
SOUL PATROL!!!

What was the point behind the Dirty Dancing number? Certainly the finale was not the time of my life.

Besides, considering "Out House" Swayze cut a record at one time, why not bring him out? And for that matter, why not Don Johnson?

No one puts McPheever in a corner!

Did anyone else think it some kind of penance, to have Sulking Daughtry singing the song from Arthur? Can't wait to see what choices he's given on the Tour! The Pina Colada song, perhaps?

Not that Burt has many pouty rocker tunes among his hits, but I found that to be a special kind of punishment. Although still not rivaling Covais stomping on 'Pussycat'.

Honestly now, what is going on with the world today? The first thing anyone says when seeing Taylor Hicks is "I thought they had an age limit..." . Who would buy this man's CD? Who would watch a music video with this man in it? How could this spastic, loud, geriatric man win this? Honestly, you wouldn't think it possible for someone to have less sex appeal then Kevin Covais, but somehow Taylor has managed to accomplish this.

There's a version of "What's New Pussycat" that was digitally altered by an SF radio station years ago. It's the complete song, but with the word "cat" removed - it's hysterical. And filthy.

That's the version Kevin Covais should have sung. It could have been a classic.

I love Claudette Yamin. She seems like such a sweet lady.

When Taylor and McTits were singing "The Time of My Life", McTits looked like a drunken bridesmaid in that dress.

Gay Aiken is one of the most annoying pieces of excrement ever to grace the television screen. I hate him.

Everyone is so darn harsh about last night's show. I thought it was the greatest 2 hours of American Idol ever. Prince? Prince!!! He looked and sounded amazing. It was what it was..just good clean fun. BSide, when you spoke of the McBoobies, I thought for one minute you were talking about Meatloaf's manboobs. Toni Braxton was awful. She had some bad low voice thing going that. I couldnt believe Hasselhoff was there. Boy, anyone would do anything to be seen by millions of people. To all of you Clay Aiken naysayers...give the guy a break...what a good sport for showing up...I thought his new look was odd, but good for him for having the balls to get up there, despite the fact he knew he'd get ripped in blogs such as this..Carrie Underwood's song is getting confused with Jesus Take the Wheel, because it did mention the bible a few times..I'd say our girl is a bit religious... I thought the show was 2 hours well spent..I loved every hokey minute of it...

I too had a total TVGasm when Prince came on. Woooooooo! I agree with #17 -- the apocolypse must be near if he agreed to be on AI. He is head and shoulders above anyone who has ever even been associated with AI.

Yay, Taylor! Y'all know I don't like Kat, but I think she handled herself very well last night, especially with the train wreck known as Meatloaf.

Where to even begin here? Last night's show was Ultra cheese and FULL of cringe worthy moments, yet highly entertaining and a great way to end this ridiculous season.

Did David Hasselhoff REALLY cry?

Did Toni Braxton really grab Taylor's hand and place it on her seductively? OMG!

Could the FakeAiken and real Clay with his long flowing locks have been more gay? Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Kevin Covais' saying the "P" word over and over?!?! Ahhh!!!

On a serious note (kind of), after seeing Chris perform, and Elliot (looking more relaxed and comfortable and sounding awesome), I can't believe Taylor won this competition. Sorry!

"No one puts McPheever in a corner" - LMAO FoxM (#26)

Awesome recap, as always, B-side. Although I enjoy the finale every year in all its cheese-tastic glory, I don't know how you sat through it 3 times. Ho Patrol! - brilliant. Toni Braxton looked HOT. Who cares if she can sing? If she can make a duet with Hicks sexy, you know she had to have enough sex appeal for both of them.

I can't believe no one has posed the question of the evening . . . who has the best McBoobies: McPhee or McGhee??? They were both looking pretty pneumatic last night.

Great to see Live out there. They are such a great band.

This is the show that everyone loves and loves to bitch about. At least it's almost Big Brother time!

Paula taking a bow after they showed a montage of her being a blithering idiot all season was hilarious.
AT first I thought McLoser's home audience at City Walk was made up entirely of cardboard signs - glad to see you representing the human race.
Meatloaf and Mc Second Place was pure Gouda.
Mary J. was awesome - poor Elliott never stood a chance.
Did Taylor and Toni B. ever rehearse? Awkward!
Dionne and Burt = Aged Cheese.
Prince and Jo-Lo Look-Alike twins like having sorbet to cleanse the palette.
Taylor wins - yawn.

hb

Of the two, I wanted Taylor to win. But Mandisa should have been in the final two.

I felt like the Live lead singer hit the falsetto to show Chris up…. "Look we're not the same!! Look he's not as talented as me!! He can't hit notes like this." Aaaaannnnnd Chris can't. As good as he is, he has one note and sticks with it through the highs and the lows.

Thank you American Idol for paying whatever ungodly amount of money you had to get Prince on the show. That was worth the whole two-hour debacle. Pure star power, untouchable, EXCELLENT!!

Anyhow, I am trying to decide if I should watch the dancing idol show. That commercial where the guy lands on his face is almost convincing me. But, that must be the ONLY thing worth seeing and I have seen it several times now. I am hoping for a slow motion replay....

B-side thanks for the recaps. I go home and recite phrases from your recaps. I am a horrible joke/storyteller, but your recaps translate well enough to make people laugh, even when I am butchering them.

(#17) Jack:

"...but the highlight of the evening had to be prince, who is absolutely the coolest four-foot purple martian who has ever graced the planet earth with his funk-tastic presence."

I am still laughing!!

Way to make me feel old by not recognizing the Barry Manilow classic "I Made it Through the Rain"! Which, depsite last night's lackluster performance is a great song.

I didn't get the Live song at all, but Chris looked happy to be there, so I guess that's all that matters. That falsetto was very Scissor Sisters.

Mary J was just plain awful, she was annoying and looked like hell and she didn't get a single note right. (But I guess that makes her an AI classic.) Some of us actually don't know who she is.

Not a Clay fan but I thought he sang better than than either of the two finalists and most of the guest performers.

THREE women were supposed to sing the word "prayer" and they were still blown out of the water by Mandisa on her own. People, get over the Chris thing, Mandisa's ouster was the real tragedy this season.

Things we learned from the AI final:

Never, EVER put Mandisa next to a Lisa Tucker in capris. It just makes Mandisa look that much bigger.

A whole generation watched Paris do her duet and said in unison "Al who?"

Elliott and Katharine sang great...probably becasue the pressure was off.

Bono musta given Mary J. his "fly" glasses when they recorded together.

Taylor really didn't sound all that good out of his element of Animal House Soundtrack songs

Mandisa probably didn't sing "prayer" because as an uber-born again, you can't say prayers to anyone but God

The Meatloaf was way past its "sell by" date

"Prince was all, "I'm out! Let's go, bitches!". (#13 Mirenis) Hysterical!!!

Gotta Say, I thought Toni Braxton grinding up against Taylor was completley inappropriate considering they were singing about poor kids in the Ghetto. Just looked desperate and weird :)

I haven't watched the finale yet (went to the Mets/Phillies game last night, which fortunately did NOT go 16 innings this time), but since everyone's mentioning The Hoff being in the audience (and allegedly crying?! I can't wait)... I think you guys should definitely consider recapping "America's Got Talent" this summer. It's another Simon Cowell production, and Hasselhoff, Brandy, and a token British guy are the judges. My boyfriend worked at the casting in NYC and he said some people were hilarious, so it could be a snarky good time for you guys.

PS - I'm glad that Taylor won, but hardly surprised!

"Alright, y'all. The party is HERE!!!". LMAO

B-Side:

Years of watching TV and you blow a product-placement opportunity made in heaven??? Dude, who's your boss and how much did he dock you for that MAJOR faux pas? :o)

Was that Rhonetta? It looked a lot like a look-alike to me. If it WAS her, then WTF happened?

Mary J. didn't mean to upstage Elliot, that's just the way she is. When she hits the stage, she's used to commanding it by herself. (Must be an Aries, Leo rising). I think Elliot hung with her, vocally (when he got an opportunity to do so, that is).

Toni Braxton used to be a great singer. *sigh*

Had to explain to the kids the greatness that WAS Meatloaf ("2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad" was my personal favorite) and why he warranted an appearance on the show. Of course, they didn't believe me. They could only comprehend the horror that he is now.

Useless Factoids:

"Do I Make You Proud" written by Tracy Ackerman, Andrew John Watkins, and Paul David Wilson.

"My Destiny" written by hanne sorvaag

Now you guys know who to write and complain to!

Heyyy! Lisa! A Met fan!! See? I KNEW you were a woman of substance!

I was in the kitchen washing dishes when Beltran hit the game-winner. Talk about timing!

Oops. Sorry folks. I've diverged way off-topic...

(Let's Go Mets)

Maybe Clay Aiken is starring in Oliver! in some obscure dinner theatre somewhere. That would account for his sickly waif look.

"Might I have some more puddin', gov?"

Was it me or did Chris get swallowed up by that Live song? You couldn't even hear him during the duet parts.

My sons quote (4yro) when Prince came on:

"What a freak!"

TVEyes, I just laughed out loud...."Might I have some more puddin', gov?"

No one can touch Prince's showmanship- he's awesome!BTW, can someone please tell me if that was Christy Turlington in the audinece standing and clapping after they announced the winner?

G-Money --

I'm sort of a Met fan -- only because I recently moved to Brooklyn and I was raised to hate the Yankees. My boyfriend is a Phillies fan though, so don't tell him I said that. I'm a Red Sox girl through and through.

whawha (#40) "Al who?" - - good one. Two thumbs up.

Any why was he wearing Ace's ugly old knit cap?

hb

The whole time I was watching the finale, I was thinking that I cant wait for the recap.

Paula's montage song should have been "I wanna be sedated" by the Ramones.

PRINCE ROCKS.....IN ALL HIS TINY, PURPLE GLORY HE SHOWED WHAT AN IDOL TRULY LOOKS/SOUNDS LIKE.

My favorite performance was Elliott's "A House is Not a Home" during the Burt Bacharach medley - which you totally failed to mention!!! Other than that oversight, great recap.

I thought Clay looked more like Miranda from Sex and the City, but I love the Paul Rubens comparison.

The only time I thought I should buy someone's music was when Prince showed up. That's one sale for Prince, zero for AI.

McTits was McAwesome last night - she SHOULD have won.

Elliot was DELIGHTFUL as ALWAYS ...

I cannot believe how many stars actually showed up

Toni Braxton was AWFUL ...

Mandissa looked huge ...

for more commentary on this whole cast of idiots ..

http://www.flipkicksandnightbellows.blogspot.com

How about that "Takin' care of business" medley that all the guys did.. Was that just about the gayest fucking thing you have ever seen ?!?! (and I don't mean gay in that good, homosexual way). It was so embarrassing! I loved the Burt Bacharach medley (which ages me, I know- but I use to play all of those songs on the piano when I was a kid). I thought it was a pretty good finale' although, I could have done without that Dirty Dancing song at the end. And Prince Rocked! (he's such an elusive prick- did you notice how at the end of his song he just walked straight out w/ those little girlies following him- he didn't look at Ryan, the audience, say thanks or nothing).
Clay Aiken- hillarious! KD Lang, indeed! What a Fool!
Mandisa rocked the house! She and Elliott should have been in the final two.
McPheever and Taylor Hicks- what a travesty. How did it turn out this way???
My husband is so glad it's over.

I survived the American Idol 5 finale show!!

Great recap, B-Side. You, J-Unit, Katie & MYL were great last night on the live blog! That's the only thing that kept me watching the finale for 2 hours. Can't wait for your pics from the McPhee's viewing party.

Lisa:

"...I was raised to hate the Yankees.".

Here, we dovetail completely! Yankee Stadium could burn to the ground overnight and it would be just another day for me.

And I'll keep your secret from your boyfriend (besides, he's gonna need you in September to dry his crocodile tears after the Amazin's have broken the backs of the Phillies on their way to the World Series).

Spun the dial this morning looking for Taylor's debut single. Strangely, no hits. Has anyone heard this abomination on the radio yet?

BTW, I think McPhee is going to be great in the studio. Performance-wise, she'll need some work.

Say what you want about Live, Braxton, Blige, 'Loaf et al, but when they hit the stage, you could see how far these newbies have to go before they can command a stage. Prince, especially, even though his songs weren't remarkable, exuded showmanship. Like the warning states: These people are professionals! The rest of us should ONLY try that at home.

The whole show was total bullshit! All of the celebrity duets were weak and it was the celebrities that made them suck. I was so looking forward to Meatloaf and he stunk the place up. Dionne Warwick hit the most sour note at the end of her song that it made my dog start to howl. Mary J. just completely commandeered her duet and didn't even give Elliott a chance to sing and Toni Braxton looked like she was strung out. Nice to see that these celebs take these guest appearances seriously.

Apart from that the rest of the show was just filled with crap that was generated from the AI bullshit machine. Talk about pathetic.

As for the winner, I would have been glad for Kat if she had won because this is something that is up her alley but I kind of feel sorry for Taylor. I just hope that this doesn't ruin his career by forcing him to be in the wrong genre.

Wow -- I thought it was Kurt Russell, not David Hasselhoff.

I almost died during the Clay Aiken moment, I literally had tears running down my face I was laughing so hard. That kid almost fell over. I'll second you B-Side--well done producers!

I can't believe I waited and started Lost an hour late to watch the crap that was American Idol...thank god for DVR!

Don't criticize my boy, Elliott, for stepping aside while Mary J howled and flailed as only she (or perhaps Taylor) could. Elliott was his typical gentlemanly self in his decision to not attempt to out sing her. Plus his shoulder must be hurting from the way she was yanked his arm out of socket. Elliott Yamin -- the true American Idol!!!

It's official. I'm the only one in America that thinks Prince is totally overrated and didn't care if he was on the show or not. Oh well, I can live with that.

KByaminiac #63- GREAT comment about Elliot being a gentleman and MJ pulling his arm out of his socket, love it!!!

Does anyone else notice that Taylor's first single, "Do I Make You Proud" seems oh-so-perfect for upcoming graduations? The lyrics and the timing on this one are suspiciously tailored to make parents cry over their child's achievement. AI sure has a great songwriting/marketing team! Bleh.

JasonR, I don't know if you're out there, but it seems as though a writer for Entertainment Weekly has yoinked your idea:

"Hey, I've got an idea: How about for the season finale of next year's American Idol, the two finalists get to perform original songs chosen by the show's viewers? Fox could get some ratings mileage out of the process by scheduling six or eight episodes of a parallel reality series, American Songwriter, in which unknown composers would compete to write the first hit single for Idol's season 6 winner. Certainly, some aspiring Diane Warren or Jermaine Dupri should be able to pen something, anything superior to "My Destiny," the indescribably awful opus that got foisted on poor Katharine McPhee tonight, or "Do I Make You Proud?," Taylor Hicks' marginally less hideous selection. C'mon now, when even Paula Abdul is complaining about substandard song selection, you know something's not right at the Kodak."

Full article here: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1197493_3||266575|0_0_,00.html

Just want to clarify my "praise" of the celebrities that appeared on last night's show.

When I used the word "showmanship", I wasn't sayin' they were GOOD, now. We all saw it, we know what we saw. What I was impressed with is that even though their performances left something to be desired, they still PERFORMED which is what a performer gets paid to do. MeatLoaf HAD to know he sounded like s---, but he kept it movin'. Give Dionne a break, she's in her 60's for goodness sake. She's gonna miss a note every now and then. But she kept it movin'. Toni Braxton had nuthin'. NUTHIN'! She was like a relief pitcher who comes into a tie game and immediately gives up five runs! But she got Taylor to feel her up and today, people are talking about Toni Braxton. And it goes on like that. Prince's songs were nothing special, but you couldn't take your eyes off the little twerp. He may have lost a bit off his fastball, but he still gives you a show.

This is what the business is all about. Giving the people a show even when you haven't brought your "A-game" (or in Meat's and Toni's cases, B-C-D-or-E game).

Many of us would've spit the bit if our voices deserted us in front of millions of people around the world on live television. I can see myself turning to the band and saying "Wait a minute, wait a minute, hold up, guys! Uh, can I get a glass o' water please?".

Which is why I fly a desk for a living.

Okay, so did anyone else think the Rhonetta who was on the street "working" was not actually the same person? I think they just had someone who looked like her put on a wig... not that it matters, just something I noticed.
Carrie Underwood may seem boring, but I love her, she is so good! And Clay looks like such a freak, its embarassing.

I thought Mary was great... I mean, if you listen to One, you realize that Bono gets like four words in the song (except for the first verse) as it is.

I really am sad that Mandisa got voted off so early. I mean, sure, she didn't like gay people, but, still, she handled herself very well in her Advocate interview. She held her beliefs but did not attempt to condemn them all to hell or something.

Oh, I wish she would've been in the finals...

Ash: I agree (see post #43). I don't think that was Rhonetta, either.

JasonR:

"I will repeat my sold gold idea that they should run an "American Songwriter" contest simultaneous with Idol, with the winners' songs being the Idol finalists' singles. It could be lower profile, partially web based, but could also serve as worthy time-filler on the results show. They could have past Idol performers or guest performers (or the songwriters themselves if they can sing) perform the songs with the audience doing a phone vote or web vote. Does this idea totally suck or am I on to something?

Posted by: JasonR | May 24, 2006 06:05 AM (#25 of 86)"

Dude, apparently your idea DOESN'T suck, you ARE on to something and, as Lisa states, looks like you've been "yoinked" on this one.

Although, if we believe that "thoughts are things", then once we release a thought, the thought form is free game for another of like mind to attract and to use or not use as he or she sees fit. It is quite possible that YOU picked up that thought form from someone else, who picked it up from someone else and so and so forth...

Sorry for going metaphysical on you guys, just didn't want ol' Jason to commence suing anybody just yet. :o)

What's with all the Taylor hate? You think that he will be worse off than Ruben, yet Ruben and Clay's finale vote was a few thousand votes difference. Ruben was never far and away the winner.

Ryan didn't even say that the vote was close when they would love to hype a close finish. The producers said they will release the vote totals, but I'm thinking Taylor mopped the floor. Taylor killing in the finals and throughout the whole season = tanking in his career? ok....

I'm just saying, Taylor has very rabid fans. Similar in loyalty as Clay's fans are. I remember all the anti-Clay people that said he would bomb. Clay is selling out concerts left and right and his cds are selling very well, behind Kelly Clarkson.
You might not get Taylor, but there are millions that do.

That was definitely a fake Rhonetta, and I really can't believe the whole Golden Idol bit. While I loved Claudette, the rest of them were just mean. And I'm a pretty sarcastic person who enjoys dark humor. There's a line and I think it was crossed-the Aiken bit was hilarious at first, but you could see how uncomfortable Clay was-I have a feeling they didn't let him in on the whole joke.

Mary J.was worth the whole 2 hours-I don't think she purposely upstaged Eliot, I think he was just too awestruck.

I felt bad for Meatloaf, I though he has something wrong with him as well.

Toni, what the hell? When did a song about poor people in the ghetto become a stripper song? And she sang so low her voice didn't register.

I was waiting for the AI 12 to bang out a Silver Platter's number, with the knee bends, fingersnaps, twirls & all.

Do the AI stylists hate women? I've never seen more unflattering outfits all in the same place during the Women in Black medly. And they manage to make a beautiful girl like Kat, who's obviously slimmed down (not that she was big to begin with), look like something out of a bad dept. store catalog.

I love Live & I love Chris, but it was kind of unsettling how they looked like they coordinated their outfits.

I was impressed by Dione as well-I agree with G-Money, she's aged well & still singe great. Even if she's had work done she still looks better than her niece.

Did anyone else notice how Underwood & her band took a while to be on the same track? At least we know it was all live!

I only watched the whole 2 hours for all the special appearances, and I have to say now that before I was indifferent to Seacrest, but now I hate this man.

Boy, I didn't realize until now how negative I felt about last night's show! That's ok, at least Harold won Top Chef!!

Does anyone know if the Brittenum twins were in attendance last night?

Just gotta ask Shoe-In... what nasty rumor... that Clay Aiken might be gay? What's so nasty about that? There are plenty of gay people out there... actors, singers, whatever... there's no shame in it. I'm not gay, personally, I'm a straight female but I thought Clay Aiken looked damned hot with that "new do", regardless of his sexual preferences. Ain't up to me to judge... there's a Higher Being to do that and I'm SURE He didn't appoint me or anyone else on earth as His Judge. As for the song choice, he sang Elton John's "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"... not "don't go down on me"! Whilst I'm here, I might as well put in my other "two cents" worth... Ms. Blige WAS all ego. How the hell did she come up with idea it was all HER stage, leaving Elliot blowing in the wind? That was one of the things that pissed me off. Mandisa... I still can't believe she was cut so early; her voice is out of this world. I think Lisa should have stayed longer than she did... her voice is quite beautiful and she has much more range than some of those who made it into the top 6. I loved Bucky; he was the only one I cried about when he was cut (Holy MOLY! did I just admit I cried over American Idol, a show I didn't know existed before last year?) Last, but by no means least, Taylor rocks! He had a completely new style for American Idol and I loved it. Add that to the fact that I'm from Alabama and you can see why I'm totally happy he won. He performs; Katharine just... sings.

Laughing my ass off during Puck & Pickler! If they've had "retarded-blonde-let-loose-in-society" reality TV shows with Paris Hilton and Anna Nicole Smith before, why not another one with Kelli?

ShadowsGathered:

Last night we learned what Mary J. Blige' idea of a duet is: Herself and a mirror.

Seriously, I don't think that she meant to do Elliot like that, it just turned out that way. Mary has a powerful stage presence and
can be a bit intimidating when there's a mike in her hand. Elliot (I luv that guy) is so mellow that he just deferred to her. What else could he do? In the same manner, the Chicago Bulls stood aside when Jordan had the ball. What were they going to say? "Yo, 23, stop hoggin' the ball!"?

Lisa and G-Money, I'm not surprised someone else had the same idea, since I think it's a pretty natural concept if you think about it. If you can have a stupid "American Inventor", why not an "American Songwriter"? However, the similarity of the wording of the proposal in the EW as compared with mine certainly makes me wonder if the writer is an unscrupulous 'Gasm reader. Obviously if I was looking to make money off my idea I wouldn't have posted it here for the world to see. Let's hope someone who matters actually gets on board so we can get some songs for these people that don't induce our gag reflexes. Say what you will about these contestants, but there's no doubt they work their asses off to get to the finals and their reward should be a little better than these atrocious songs they keep getting.

G-Money, I understand what you're saying, truly.. but I'm still ill with her... lol! I thought Elliot was a truly good singer and seeing him standing "over there" whilst she was belting it out to the audience just kinda... illed me... you know? BTW, I know a G-Money from a trivia website I frequent... you wouldn't be him, would you? ;)

ShadowsGathered:

I agree with you completely. It was more than a little uncomfortable. I wish that, as the professional, Mary would've taken the initiative to actively include him in the song. Now that I think of it, with those gargantuan shades on, she probably lost track of him, assumed that he'd punked out and went wild trying to "save" a number that didn't need "saving". All she had to do was take off those night-vision goggles and look to her left.

Or maybe she's just a straight-up egocentric? Maybe it's just as plain as that?

JasonR:

I agree with you, as well. The wording is eerily similar to your post (and we all know how popular TVGasm is becoming...). Don't worry. If the Songwriter show comes about, we'll remember that you were the one who thought this up first. Heck, we've got the blog as proof and it's time-stamped!

ShadowsGathered:

Oh, and I'm not THAT G-Money. He must be my cyber-Doppelganger... ;-)

Since the song title was "One", Mary J must have thought it meant doing a solo performance.

clay aiken's hair is horried; and his singing -- well, i had forgotten how it was like lo these years. i may get a cd just to laugh. very elvis-like.

toni braxton sings without moving her mouth. she scares me.

taylor is the best. ba da bing. the end.

When I was watching the beginning of the final and they cut to the McPhee viewing party, I turned to my friend and said "it looks like there's about 10 people at that party and they're trying to hide it." that must be so disappointing to her ha

I heard on the radio today that TomKat have asked McPheever to perform at their wedding because they were so blown away by her "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" performance. Next stop for McPheever? McScientology.

I think I read that McPhever already is a Scientologist.

A pseudo-celebrity to sing at a pseudo-wedding with a pseudo-religion. It's a match made in pseudo-heaven.

Mary J., you hammed that song just a few weeks ago on the Grammys. Boring to hear it a second time. I was so sad not to hear Elliott. What could he do? I was thinking he could have bitten her neck with those sharp teef he has. You rock, Elliott!

Toni and Taylor, what was that??? Toni couldn't even sing the song, and it looked like all she wanted was a piece of TickAss.

I was embarrassed for the other girls as Mandisa wiped up the flo' wif her thightastic voice. That girl takes up the whole stage (physically, too. All she has to do is get gastric bypass, I think if she had McHooters' bod she could have won.)

It irked me to see Princess P and to top it off, she had to go and wear a thrift store looking spider web glass necklace. What was up with that??

Kellie, you have to be faking it. I mean, come on. At least she got rid of the extensions though, at least that's real.

Honestly, I think Kat would have had a better chance to win if she had picked different McSongs to sing during the finale. She sang two songs we had just heard a few days prior. If she had sung "It's all coming back to me now" (sans the Loaf) she could have nailed it! That girl was good!

Taylor is unique and we needed some originality for a winner. The Soul Patrol thing is a little annoying though.

At first I thought Claymate was K.D. Lang trying to look like one of the Beatles. I thought he sang really well and looked hot. It's always the gay ones =(

The two baldies singing rock was too eerie. But it was great to hear Chris again, he has such a nice voice.

Kevin singing pussycat with that horrible lithp was so cute.

I still can't believe Bucky, Melissa, and Ace ever made it on AI at all.

Prince was deliciously egotastic. That boy is still making it through the purple rain! He found the shortest, hottest twins in L.A. and they're still taller than him. It's ok Prince, or Mr. formerly known, you are still loved, even in heels.

I'll admit, I'm a cheetoball and I loved the dirty dancing ending. I wish McBoobs would have reached her hand around Taylor's neck, and Taylor would have glided his twitchy hand down McHottie's armpit, like in the movie. Ahhh. And I cried along with Hasselhoff, I'll admit it.

And bottom line, Gaycrest is such a pompous ass. He's like one of those guys in college that thought he was perfect and everyone else was beneath him. Dude, you are not all that.

Paula, why are you always so loopy? How come she's allowed to go to work drugged??? How come we all have to face the business world sober??

Simon is the only reason I will listen to the critiques. Period.

Next season, I really hope Randy that you lose the teenage ebonics. It's so annoying.

Kat lost weight, that girl had pelvis cleavage last night in those insane asylum pants!

Carrie looked kind of annoyed at the end of her solo, like she was forcing a smile. She made all the girls, except Mandisa, look like novices. How come Kelly Clarkson didn't come back for a rave return?

Thanks to everyone for making TVgasm one of my favorite websites at work! Peace out till next season!

I agree with monina (#53) Elliot's solo song was the best of the night. How I wish he would have been in the final two! I don't think he did anything wrong in his duet with Mary J. She does have a powerful voice, and he was defering to her stardom b/c he's a NICE guy. Hell- I would have been starstruck too!

The Clay Aiken song was the funniest moment with the over-the-top reactions. Close second was Kevin's "Pussycat" song though. So many S'es, so little time! Poor boy.

Of the last two, I'm glad Taylor won. Kat will be alright. She already has a meeting with Speilberg scheduled.

I couldn't handle watching it... the songs were too horrible to bear (humor aside) and please, give up LOST for that? I am, however, CRUSHED that I missed Kevin Covais singing "What's New, Pussycat?" I felt really sorry for the whole AI experience until Prince showed up... I even missed some LOST moments... they totally earned back their cred! yay! But then dropped it with "I've Had the Time of My Life." The use of that song is considered a violation of the Geneva Convention, you know. Thanks for the recaps and horrifying pics, B-side :)

Clay Aiken is scary and I had the exact same thoughts about Blow-era Paul Reubens. I worried Clay would have that pooor kid killed if he didn't stop singing. Agree w/zoobabe...Elliot did the classy thing and deferred to the extra special guest.

Most entertaining part of the evening: When the camera fthe two baldies in their sharp shiny outfits (Chris and the Live singer), my SO said they looked like Right Said Fred. Aaaand he was right.

btw Giraffic- I didn't give up Lost for AI. I taped it( AI) and watched it later. Lost was too important to miss!

This is my LAST comment regarding AI and its rigged voting mechanism.

I just finished looking at B-Side's hilarious recap oF the McPheever Viewing Party in LA. He makes it clear that it was NOT well-attended. In LOS ANGELES. One of the nation's largest cities! Taylor and Elliot fill up stadiums. Kat gets gymnasiums and a pathetic turnout like this. This begs the question: WHERE WERE ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE "VOTING" FOR HER? Millions supposedly voted for her. We should've seena representative sample of those "Fans" attending this event. Man, this isn't just a smoking gun, it's a safety-off, machine-pistol spitting lead every which-a-way kind of gun.

I so resent the masses being treated as if we are brain-dead sheep. To those who have eyes to see: question everything.

G-Money
-McPheever's from LA, the land of EVERYONE trying to make it..so who cares about going to support her?? Just a thought.
Down here in Alabama (yes Im from here) we really don't have much else to support or do (professional sports, major events, etc) so of course everyone in town wants to go support someone from their hometown. Besides, you know how the south is-EVERYONE IS FAMILY. Seems like LA is everyone for themselves.

But I too, wonder in the hell she made it as far as she did.

I loved this finale. Thought it was so well done and all of the singers were so likeable (I even liked Ace last night)! I can't even begin to understand why everyone on this board gives so much crap to Clay Aiken. So what if he is gay, I wouldn't want to come out either if I knew that people were going to rip me to pieces for it. What is wrong with all of you? I am not the biggest fan of him, but he seems like a nice, gracious guy and he has a lot of talent. You all sound like complete bigots.

trixie12

I would say they give him crap cuz he looks so...for lack of a better word retarded. Not cuz he's gay-but I mean come on-look at his new hairdo.

Hey...who stole my name, then added a 12 after it? I realize I dont have copyrights to the name Trixie, but please.....be more original so we dont get confused...Although we both loved the show AND clay aiken...are you my long lost twin?

hey trixie...sorry about the name thing...I always use this name, just don't comment much.

As for Clay, ya...he did look like a douchebag last night and I'm the first one to admit it, but I just think people are being relentless about attacking his orientation. Who cares??? It's not like being gay is something to be embarrassed about, but if he is gay I can definitely understand why he would want to keep it to himself. It is sad that there are limitations and prejudices toward gay people and it is obvious that a lot of people posting on this board are homophobic.

You all suck!

Gee, trixie12, too bad you don't post more often. I just love being accused of something I'm not-I wasn't aware that the few people who said something about Clay's sexuality meant we are all being labeled homophobics. Wait, isn't that stereotyping? Isn't that something bigots do?

I agree, if Clay is gay or not that's his deal. I think why people were calling it his "dirty little secret" is because that is how Clay, or at least his handlers, are treating it by not speaking about it. Of course it's his right to do so, but isn't that part of the problem and why so many closeted homosexuals suffer, because they see someone like Clay who won't even discuss it, like even talking about is a bad thing?

People make fun of Clay Aiken because he is a douchebag, not because he is gay. (At lease myself). I have plenty of gay friends and I even tried to be a lesbian in my twenties (it didn't work, AT ALL). No one could possibly accuse me of being a homophobe. Due to these facts, I feel I reserve the right to call him a big fat homo.

WOW!
Where do i begin

Ok my favortie part was definatly Fake Aiken. i could not stop laughing for the rest of the night. And i kinda like clay aiken's new look.

And hearing kevin sing made me laugh also.

Kevin two words SPEECH CLASS!

The Kelly Pickler part was also hilarious even though most of it was scripted.

Overall i thought that Katharine should have won but i knew that taylor was going to win.

WOW!
Where do i begin

Ok my favortie part was definatly Fake Aiken. i could not stop laughing for the rest of the night. And i kinda like clay aiken's new look.

And hearing kevin sing made me laugh also. Kevin two words SPEECH CLASS!

The Kelly Pickler part was also hilarious even though most of it was scripted.

Overall i thought that Katharine should have won but i knew that taylor was going to win.

Trixie12, I too think you are coming down a little hard on us. I don't give a rat's ass if Clay is gay. To each his own, and whatever makes you happy.
Please don't categorize. It's like when people say all men are bad, I always have to disagree, beacuse my hubby rocks.

oops I meant because

i like carrie underwood alot---but did anyone notice her reaction after the winner was announced---she looked upset-or pissed off-
maybe she was caught off-gaurd-but she did look unhappy about the outcome-
also--i could not understand the toni braxton thing---what a travisty---it was embarrasing to watch she was-unbelievably-pitiful and discusting-you never know what you're gonna see with a live telecast!!?????poor taylor??
katherine looked unphased at the announcement of the winner-like she knew she was gonna lose-i'm glad she seemed humbled by the fact that she lost and taylor won--i was never pulling for her--but you know she'll end up on broadway-or on a soap opera or both??she is the image of the hollywood starlette-with her looks and her attitude and her confidence--ugh--
we need more of them??not!!---and elliott----my man---he was amazing as usual--can't wait to buy his cd--congratulations to taylor------it always makes me smile to watch him perform!!

Hands down the best part of the entire show was how utterly pissed off/disgusted/confused carrie underwood looked after taylor was announced the winner.

I am new but I have been lurking for a while. I thought the AI finale was just too much.

I really loved the duet with Paris and Al Jarreau. I love Al Jarreau and if 12-18 year old boys don't know who he is then that's too bad. The rest of the duets were just ok. Toni Braxton needs to get a real job, I didn't understand all that gyrating during a song about the ghetto, I guess she thought this was her chance at a large audience and she was going to go for the gusto. She was definitely the low point of the extravaganza. Could have done without Prince also, it had nothing to do with the show and it just seemed to be tacked on to the end. Also he didn't interact with anyone just performed and left it was kind of strange.

I am glad Taylor won I just hope his CD has more bluesy type songs instead of schmaltzy ballads because I like the harmonica- Ray Charles-Mike Mcdonald-Joe Cocker type vibe and I think he has the chance to be very popular if he can stay away from the schmaltz.

I also have to say that I am perplexed by Kelly Clarkson's behavior. I know she is trying to distance herself from AI but if it were not for AI she would still be working as a cocktail waitress looking like the hamburglar. She should get down on her knees and thank everyone associated with the show. If it is good enough for Mary J and Prince its good enough for her. She obviously has some esteem issues which brings me to Kat.

I liked her in the beginning but she turned out to be a self centered spoiled little bitch. When she made the comment that she chose a song because no one can accuse her of trying to sound like someone else, I thought that was inappropriate and she should have kept that thought to herself and just sang the damn song. I think Paula is a little crazy but I totally agree with her in her advice to Mcphee. She should stay away from the power ballads, I consider her more a Dido, Nora Jones, Sade, type singer than Celine, Aretha and Whitney type singer but she didn't want to hear that. I think Mandisa and Lisa Tucker are way better singers but they didn't have that "it" factor, That being the case she should have taken Paula and Simon's advice, sang songs more suited to her voice and tried to act less bitchy and she may have had a chance. I think Elliot beat her on the Pre Finale show but the producers wanted her shaking her T's and A's in the finale instead of 2 average looking guys to boost up ratings of the ever popular 12-18 year old boys demographics so the votes were definitely rigged.

If she would have won I would have definitely not watched AI anymore because I had threatened to boycott after that brain dead religious fanatic Carrie Underwood won last year and I could not take another dingbat winning again.

This would be the 3rd AI finale that I sort of watched (I might've paid more attention if it hadn't been for the distraction of the live blog :-p). It was satisfactory enough, I guess. Some of them sounded better than they had when they were still in the running.

I can't say that I enjoyed any of the duets. I felt so bad for Katharine and Meat Loaf. I was amazed that Kat could still sound good during that unfortunate incident. I wished that Elliott could've sang more when he was "singing with" Mary J. Blige, but he couldn't have handled that situation any better (he would've looked a bit foolish if he tried to out-flail Mary J.). I liked the girls group song much more than the boys pretty much because the only boy I can really stand anymore this season is Elliott.

The Faiken/Aiken thing was pretty funny and Paul Reubens was exactly who I was thinking he looked like (though I thought about "Mystery Men" since I didn't see "Blow"). Oddly, I didn't really enjoy the Prince segment, but I thought that he performed well. I agree with carlavision on that his lack of interaction leaves it a bit cold when you think about it. It might've been more fun to have the top 12 singing on stage and surprise them with it.

As for the winner, I haven't really cared since Hollywood Week. I will say (probably again) that I'd more than likely buy a CD of Kat's before any of the others. Of course, I'd buy A LOT of other things before that, but still...

Now for some miscellany. G-Money, as I implied in my comment in the McPhee viewing party recap, it's a bit ridiculous to expect tons of people to have attended even if millions of people voted for her. There are lots of reasons that one might pass off as "excuses" or maybe even "delusions to keep yourself from the truth", but they are much more plausible.

Next, to be fair to trixie12, she said "a lot", not "all", were homophobic. She did say we all suck though (which is sort of true since I don't think any of us are good at everything... :-/). I don't think a lot of us here are homophobic; a few might be, but some are just ignorant (which most, if not all, may take offense to, but, in terms of words, phrases, and opinions, some of us just don't understand/consider all sides and that's just the way some of us grew up).

Lastly, carlavision, welcome to the fray. I don't think it was inappropriate for Kat to make that comment a few weeks ago because I thought the judges were being harsher on her than the others (especially Randy and Paula (though on the last competition night, I thought they were too easy)). Was it true that she didn't do nearly as well as Whitney? Of course, but it's equally true that, far more often than not, the contestants' performances are never as good as the original artists'. Lots of people will disagree with you about Elliott besting Kat on the top 3. I also seriously doubt the 12-18 year-old boy demographic (or anyone looking for T&A) is that huge a group to want to influence the final 2. Seriously, if guys want to look at hot women, there are plenty of other shows with much more prettier women and AI isn't exactly what most boys watch to be "one of the boys." It's a guily pleasure for a few at best. Why else do you think Ace lasted far, far, far longer than he should have?

Oh Rats!!! I always seem to miss these, damn **^+#% WORK!!!!!

I did read them all though, and as a gasm gay here, I can say I've not seen any homophobism (if that's a word). I agree on the "dirty secret" interpretation. I would compare it to Madonna's reaction to nude photos surfacing. She said at Live Aid "I ain't taking off shit today" Vanessa Williams (who I do love and find absolutely gorgeous!) was so ashamed and embarrassed it became a black mark hovering over her for years--glad she made it through though. I realize the whole Miss America thing is part of it, but I just wish people would be who they are. We're never gonna get over this whole gay thing if everyone is ashamed of it--I'm not!!!!

Ah well, another AI season over. And, weirdly enough (but no credit neccessary) I so agree on the American Songwriter thing, and I think I was thinking of it coz I'm a songwriter and I would love to participate. I only hope AI can see the obvious problem with these singles (Clive!?) and see your Jason R wisdom!!! We should band together and produce it ourselves . . .

(Honestly though, not sure I could deliver the shclock--but I'd try . . . )

See ya on the BB posts etc . . .

Got the post IDOL blues?

quench your thirst with some Idol gossip here ...
http://flipkicksandnightbellows.blogspot.com/2006/05/quench-your-post-idol-blues-here.html