About Last Night: Friday

Recaps

By Staff | Friday, March 25, 2011 | 11:00 am | 27 Comments
Tagged: , , , , ,
Posted in: About Last Night, Featured, Recaps

Screen Shot 2011-03-25 At 7.32.17 Am


American Idol: IceQueen

Well, well, well Idol… you make me enjoy your show two nights in a row! What’s up with the commitment to quality, creative programming?? OK, if American Idol is still sitting on your DVR and you want to watch it, stop reading now because it was a doozy of a show. Seacrest lets us know from the beginning that 30 million votes came in and the outcome is probably gonna floor you.

But first — remember how Seacrest pointed out on Wednesday night that Randy hadn’t accused anyone of being pitchy all night? Turns out it’s because JLo brought in her skeletal husband to show the kids how to use the “ears,” those giant things they stick down their ear holes so that they can hear the mix on stage. So this week they could finally hear themselves and the instruments and not just the sound of Steven Tyler snoring at the judge’s table.

Now that everyone can hear, the Top 11 perform “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” And Naima and Paul haven’t quite figured the “ears” thing out, yet. Way to bring down the group performance, ya’ll. At the end, they bring out Stevie Wonder to do “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.” Then Stevie sings “Happy Birthday” to Steven Tyler who turned 356.

Later, Lauren, Pia and Scotty are called on stage. Ryan tells them to pack their bags… because-they’re-going-on-summer-tour! After that Sugarland performs and it’s pretty cool but also a little awkward because they’ve clearly dressed Jennifer Nettles in the style they think “the kids are wearing” these days and it’s all colorful and tight and then she starts rapping and it’s like, oh ok, it’s a country music lady who also fancies herself a rapp-ist.That word really needed an extra “p” and hyphen — just to be on the safe side.

Next we learn that James Durbin loves wrestling and uses his love of wrestling as an excuse to romp around and play grabass with Stefano. Seacrest calls James and Paul on stage and I think to myself “Paul’s in trouble.” But then Seacrest says neither one of them are safe. And then Hulk Hogan comes out to “Eye of the Tiger.” And everybody’s like “what’s going on?!?!” Hulk says James and Paul are safe… but Ryan isn’t. Then he punches Seacrest in the face. And then he rips off his tank top.

Jacob, Thia and Stefano are called to the stage next. Thia and Stefano are in the bottom three and Jacob is safe. Naima, Haley and Casey are called to center stage. And Naima is safe. She seems a little surprised. And then Haley is safe and she can take her sassy side ponytail back to the couches.

So we’ve got Thia, Stefano and Casey all in the bottom three. Before we find out who’s safe, Jennifer Hudson has to come out and sing her song about a drug-dealing thug who promised to become dependable, but left her out in the cold. She’s got former Idol contestant George Huff singing backup for her, offering hope to failed Idol contestants everywhere.

Okay, Thia’s safe, Stefano is safe and Casey has to sing for his life. He starts “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” And this is where things get really crazy. The music stops and Randy’s waving his arms and Tink’s walking around the middle of the set and Steven says they’re keepin’ their Casey! And Casey goes all pale and starts breathing shallowly and for a second I’m seriously, seriously worried about him, especially when he collapses into Ryan’s crotch, but then he’s cussing and running all over the place and hugging his mom and he survives. He survives to sing another day AND the American Idol summer tour will feature all 11 of these crazy kids.

Whew. So that’s what happened. Crazy, huh? So everyone can feel good until next Wednesday, when two people will be up for elimination.

About

27 Comments

  1. 1
    itchy
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    I wonder how long Casey had to rehearse that little performance of his? Well, maybe he’ll finally shave that nasty ass beard of his.

  2. 2
    IceQueen
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    Man, itchy… you really hate Casey, huh?

  3. 3
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 1:12 pm

    I mentioned this somewhere else, but I thought it was pretty clearly an honest reaction to the events because they block the show to within an inch of its life, so no way would Randy have stopped the music at the point he did if he was planned or staged. The shot was messed up while Ryan’s little robot head was about to explode because THINGS WEREN’T GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN. Plus, as pointed out, no way Nigel stages Casey collapsing into his crotch.

    If it was rehearsed, you can be sure that Casey would have been center stage allowing both camera operators clear shots of both Randy and Casey for the “big reveal.”

  4. 4
    NatPatBen NatPatBen
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 1:13 pm

    The highlight was seeing George Huff! Now I’m listening to my American Idol Season 3 playlist. “Take Me to the Pilot” and “Dock of the Bay” were my favorites by George that season.

  5. 5
    iamrufus
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 2:27 pm

    Disclaimer: This is JUST my opinion, not trying to state facts here, but all the talk about it being “staged” and “fake” made me want to offer my theory. It is possible that the judges did infact know who the bottom three were, talked it out beforehand, and decided to save Casey regardless. However, i don’t think Casey knew anything and I believe his reaction was very real. So there might have been elements of last night that were planned ahead of time, but I, for one, don’t think of that as being “fake”. That has such a negative connotation to it that degrades the show I love and just wanted to defend that. There are going to be legions of people who disagree with me, and i’m fine with that. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion and equally entitled to express that here. I loved last night’s episode and personally I’m glad they all get to tour together. I mean, they already had a Top 13 instead of a Top 12, so why not have a tour with one extra as well?

  6. 6
    iamrufus
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    I should clarify, i meant the staged and fake talk all over the internet, not specifically here on this thread or even on this site anywhere. Sorry =)

  7. 7
    juddfan
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    I’m kinda with Itchy on this. I couldn’t take one more second of him stomping around and freaking. Spare me. I think they stopped him from singing coz he was going to start making faces and screeching again. Does he not watch and listen to his performances . . . can he not tell it was gold when he played the stand up bass, and it is now really really poor ass Karaoke of dated songs with lots of snarls . . . I guess he deserved the pass, and I’m real happy to dispense of the whole “deliberating” and I actually think Casey might improve the tour, so making that 11 was kind. Also kind was Marc Anthony . . . score another one for the J-lo . . . I can’t believe she is one of the best judges they’ve ever had, but seriously, she is spot on!!! And nice about it. And in the process made me right, coz I thought Naima was having trouble with that. it improved the show quite a bit . . . but I am not feeling Casey at all yet . . . If you’re reading this Fozzy Bear, wont you please do the most modern song you can find in whatever f’ed way you choose, but stop mining the blues of the 60′s and 70′s, we have been there and done it, with way better people than you, so just stop it!!! K!!!

    Ice Queen, please please please include a screen grab of the infamous crotch plant. So Awkward, so awesome!

    And why isn’t anyone worried about poor Stephano . . . that little man was weeping to the skies!!! Real, wet, salty tears, poor little thing.

    I also was waiting for Kuato to burst out of Hulk’s stomach when he ripped off his shirt. He had no navel . . . “Open your mind, open you mind, open your mmmmiiiiiinnnnnndddd”

  8. 8
    Lizbot
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    I agree with iamrufus. I think the judges (and Ryan) already knew that Casey was in danger and had already decided to save him. Stopping him mid song was a time-saver but (more importantly to Nigel) a way to amp up the drama. Personally, I thought there was a pretty good chance that they would save Casey once he was in the bottom, but them stopping him mid-singing kind of confirmed it for me before Randy actually said it. I think Casey’s reaction was genuine. Weird. But genuine. I thought he was faking it at first but then when I really looked at his face I was like — wow, he’s really freaked out. I was worried he was going to faint!

    I think that part of the reason they saved him is because they know he’ll make the tour more interesting. I was pleasantly shocked that there were two boys in the bottom 3. Even though it meant that only 1 of my 3 bottom 3 predictions was correct, it also meant that maybe there’s still hope for a female winner this year. Maybe.

    I think Naima was convinced that Casey would be safe. I think she was probably shocked that both she and Lauren escaped unscathed!

  9. 9
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    Someone on another board mentioned that Ryan actually finds out the results beforehand. Probably when they’re blocking the show. But the judges don’t. Only Ryan and the producers.

  10. 10
    itchy
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 3:28 pm

    Oh, I don’t hate Casey, Icequeen. I only hate his beard. Actually my real reaction watching his meltdown was twofold: 1) Gee, I hope his colostomy bag doesn’t break, and 2) his reaction was sincere: he was completely horrified that they ‘saved’ him.

    See, I too remember the guy who performed that number with a just his standup bass as a backup and how great that was. And the only way to explain how terribly terribly awful his performances have been since then is that he’s been trying desperately to get kicked off the show.

    Because he’s completely out of his element here, and he knows it, and he clearly hates being there — this just isn’t the place for anyone hoping to be a real musician, this show is about creating pop singers. Shitty pop singers. Pop singers singing Celine-Dion-worthy dreck songs.

    He’s shot himself in the foot, he’ll never be taken seriously again. And he’s damned — because he has to perform like shit in order to be voted out, but, those shitty performances will be what he’ll be remembered for.

    So, no, I don’t hate Casey, certainly not in the visceral way in which I despised Gokey and the OddshapedHead Cook fellow and nowadays that Scotty McSmarmy kid (everytime he sings I giggle maniacally and want to throttle his chicken neck). I feel sorry for Casey, I truly do. And I hope next week the viewers give him his wish and get him out of there.

  11. 11
    TiredMom
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    Oh my, Itchy – I think you are on to something with Casey. Through the audition phase he was my favorite – but since the stage performances he has declined so steadily and it has made no sense to me. I was even fine with him going home last night – because this doesn’t seem like the venue for him.

  12. 12
    TiredMom
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 3:48 pm

    Oh and maybe it was just the “Mom” in me – but no mention of the highly inappropriate dress the 16 year old Lauren was wearing last night? I mean seriously – when she started jumping around after hearing she was safe – I was afraid her boobs were going to fall out – it looked horrible.

  13. 13
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    “OddshapedHead Cook fellow”

    HAHAHAHAHAHA. God, I hated him.

  14. 14
    juddfan
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 5:15 pm

    Agreed, Tired Mom–the kids these days!!! I still find it funny that they treat Thia like she is so young, and then treat her like she’s an adult, and they are both 16.

    Ps. I didn’t think Casey was fake, I thought he was way too all about me, and should have nipped it. A simple, “That’s it” with a shaken head would have summed it all up. Perhaps he didn’t want to do the tour, but heck, why did he try out. Oh well, I hope he does go back to be awesome, either way!

  15. 15
    Lizbot
    Posted March 25, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    Itchy, I know we’re all cynical here, but I think maybe you drank a bit too much of the punch. Firstly, I don’t think Casey is as jaded as you seem to think he is — you might be projecting there. I think he really wants to be there, and I think he deserves to be there. I don’t know why some people are so married to Idol or any show being confined to some kind of narrow range of performer. It’s 2011 and the show is trying to move on, if not always so successfully. And some of the most successful alum from the show did not fit the “idol mold”. If all they show cased were samey-samey popstars the show would have confirmed expectations and died this year without Simon. As great a singer as Pia is, I could not take a season of listening to 13 Pias. But to each their own. Too bad he doesn’t do it for you, cause I have a feeling he’ll be around for a while yet.

    Hey look on the bright side: his weird growly performance this week gave you yet another week of Lauren’s youthful thighs (which I’m sure she’ll have on display for you another week).

  16. 16
    itchy
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 1:34 am

    Oh I drink all right but it sure as hell ain’t punch. And Lauren’s only 16, I’m not dreaming about her thighs. Ick.

    You’re operating under the assumption that American Idol is a music program. It is not. It is a variety show, an entertainment show, a popularity contest that happens to feature singing but really could feature people doing anything (ballroom dancing, air guitar, pie-eating, you name it) and it would be exactly the same program.

    See, if you believe that music is an art form and not merely entertainment, and if your goal is to be a ‘serious’ musician, then the last thing you want to do is come on this show.

    Of course, it is possible that Casey has never wanted to be a serious musician and that learning to play the bass and whatever other instruments he plays was all just part of the gag (Both Harpo and Chico Marx were accomplished musicians, you know). And it is possible that Casey has always fancied himself as a pop idol — he grew up watching this show after all.

    But then, there’s no way he’d be the overweight, hairy schlub that he is. And he would have worked on his stage presence and make an effort not to come off as some kind of scary child molester. And he’d be able to do more than squawk and snarl and growl offkey to music he is obviously unfamiliar with (his phrasing is terrible, for one).

    Because obviously a major percentage of what makes a pop idol a pop idol is image — Lady Gaga is an excellent example of this, no one wanted to listen to her until she started wearing those stupid costumes of hers. Justin Bieber is another, unless you believe that the millions of tweens (who also vote massively on idol) are listening to his lyrics first of all. Hell, Jennifer Lopez herself is a prime example of what makes a pop star — no one will ever accuse her of being a great or even a good singer. But she is a star. Not an artist. A star.

    So there you have it. I don’t believe that this American Idol experience is at all what Casey wanted or bargained for. I suspect that his motivation for applying for the show was more on the level of a joke, but he got caught up in the joke and he became the butt of it.

    If American Idol had been a showcase for musical talent — i.e., a place where Casey could do his quite interesting standup bass/vocal routine in an intimate setting — then he would be doing fine.

    But this is not what American Idol is. It’s a place where 90 percent of every show is taken up by things other than singing. A place where singers are never even given the time to sing a full song. A place where the only songs they are allowed to sing are dramatic over-the-top production numbers. A place where the winner is the one who can stretch the most syllables out of every word in endless diarrheic melisma. All the while desperately trying to appeal to a bunch of tween girls and chubby disgruntled housewives.

  17. 17
    iamrufus
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 8:09 am

    Great analysis, itchy. Most of what you said I completely agree with. About the show and about Casey. Even though I like him, this isn’t the place for him and he won’t win. Tweens won’t have it. And as much as Simon always said “this is a SINGING competition” it SO isn’t. It’s a popularity contest for entertainment and for making a pop star. The winners may not have gone on to do pop, per se, but that is the hope and goal of the producers. In my opinion.

  18. 18
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 8:28 am

    Itchy, I could be wrong but I think you and I are in the same age demographic, so we are fully aware of the glorious heydays of cheap drugs that produced things like Lola Falana and Mitzi Gaynor specials on NBC. The idea of using a reality show to launch a career, especially in music, is anathema to anyone born before 1980.

    But I think kids in Casey’s age range, and he is still more kid than adult, have grown up with it. It’s not just a “variety show” because those things don’t exist in his universe. So, at 19, he thought he’d give it a whirl because he does have a lot of talent even if he hasn’t developed his artistry, yet. But if an ambitious 19-year-old kids hears that Idol brought in someone like Jimmy Iovine to work with the contestants, I could see that kid focusing on the positive of meeting and working with Iovine instead of the sparkly dog and pony show that Idol is.

    I agree that the stress of the competition appears to be hitting him the hardest, and it’s likely not what he expected it to be and is probably even getting conflicted about his participation. But I don’t think he sees it as a joke. I could be wrong, but for all his antics, he seems like a genuine kid to me.

  19. 19
    itchy
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 10:30 am

    Ah, the good old days of dust-dry Mexican weed…

    You could be right vallegirl, I’m not exactly in touch with the psyche of the modern American teenager. I know their parents, however, so… yeah, you’re probably right. ;-)

    Tell you what: Casey? If you’re truly in it to win it, shave off your beard for this week’s. It’ll our little sign, just between you and me.

  20. 20
    iamrufus
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    Just read he’s back in the hospital AGAIN. Poor guy, they really should have just let him go, the stress is obviously too much for his body to handle. He needs to put his health first. Wonder if he will get voted off next week or quit…

  21. 21
    melonhead
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    Some of you sound like bitter, desperate Bachelor/ette contestants: “Waah, he’s not here for the right reasons!” Who the hell can say why Casey wanted to do Idol, and who cares, anyway? I find him entertaining and talented and I was touched seeing his genuine, emotional reaction to the shows results. I enjoy seeing deserving people succeed. So, there. Now, where are those emoticons that absolve me from sounding nasty…

  22. 22
    melonhead
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    I also want to express my dismay that Hulk Hogan got a bigger ovation than Stevie Wonder. Ugh.

  23. 23
    CattyFan cattyfan
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    I believe that’s LightBulb Shaped Head Cook.

  24. 24
    juddfan
    Posted March 26, 2011 at 7:52 pm

    so deep you guys! ;) Sorry to hear he’s in the hospital.

  25. 25
    jayem
    Posted March 27, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    I cannot believe they saved Casey. This is obviously NOT his venue. They could have saved that “Save” for someone more deserving down the line. Does that mean that he DOES get to join the tour? Technically, per the voting, he isn’t Top Ten.

    For once, I think the results were dead on. Those were the exact three I would have put in the bottom.

    Also, does anyone else notice that Scotty never gets to sing a line in those group numbers? That’s annoying. The producers can’t find one song where he’s not regulated to backup? Are they gonna do that on the tour?? Nobody puts the country Baby in a corner!

  26. 26
    iamrufus
    Posted March 27, 2011 at 2:19 pm

    yes, he does get to go on tour. tink announced it but it was right at the very end so you may not have caught it. and i have noticed that about scotty too, he never gets to shine! wonder why though? maybe he can’t sing normal (as in not country) i like him, but i think he’s just country and nothing more.

  27. 27
    leslilly
    Posted March 28, 2011 at 9:21 pm

    Amen, melonhead! Thank you :)

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *

*
*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Human Verification: In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.