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Thursday, March 23, 2006
12:04 am
102 Comments
This week on American Idol, the singers had to take on music from the 1950s. I thought this would be a recipe for disaster, much like the Stevie Wonder slaughterfest, but against all odds, nearly everyone brought their A-game to the show. Maybe the big-stage nerves had quelled, or maybe the straightforward melodies were easier for everyone, or maybe everyone was simply inspired by Barry Manilow. Whatever the reason, American Idol caught a much-needed spark, despite an unwelcome and unappreciated cameo by Constantine Maroulis.
Barry shows us what a face-lift feels like.
The groaning starts early for me as we watch the kids travel to Vegas for some inspiration by one Barry Manilow. I’ve never been a big fan of Barry Manilow, but then again, I’m also not above humming the occasional “Mandy” (or “Daybreak” or “Copa Cabana.” Holy shit. What’s happening to me??). Anyway, I’m expecting bad things from Barry, but he actually surprises me. He proves why he’s been able to hang around for so many years: the guy really does seem to be a smart, knowledgeable musician. Barry helps all the singers not only sing, but find interesting, thoughtful takes on their songs. As a result, this week’s episode features one of the strongest slates of performances in ages. Maybe next week the producers can tap the valuable resource that is Robert Goulet.
Mandisa opens the show by absolutely nailing her song. Whatever pitch troubles and nervousness she had last week are gone because she’s flawless for the entire performance. I mean, she’s truly amazing. She could eat Kevin “Chicken Little” Covais for breakfast. She probably already did.
Insert nasal growl here.
Oh Bucky. Bucky Bucky Bucky. I wanted to like Bucky so much. I wanted him to suddenly emerge as the guy who caught us all by surprise. Sadly, Bucky is just not meant for this competition. He growls his way through a Buddy Holly song, and despite his high energy and smile, it’s just totally lame. Randy and Paula praise his energy, but Simon sticks him with the dreaded “Karaoke” label. He’s gotta be a lock for elimination this week — or at least bottom two.
Paris Bennett sings a solid version of “Fever.” Thankfully, she does absolutely nothing this week to annoy me. She doesn’t even sing through her interview with Ryan. However, her entire performance is completely ruined by Constantine Maroulis who pops up to give his signature, awful pout. Making matters worse is the presence of wannabe rocker Ryan Cabrera, whose only claim to fame was being Ashlee Simpson’s boyfriend for about two seconds. His hair looks like a giant bird’s nest, which then had me wishing a pigeon might fly into the studio and take a huge shit on his head. Alas, no such luck.
It’s so awful in so many different ways.
This is embarrassing. Even Ryan Cabrera is bored.
Dreamy!
Do I really need to say anything about Chris? The guy’s amazing. Chris reinvents Johnny Cash’s “Walk the Line” into his own brand of generic, Fuel-type rock, but hey, it works. Everyone eats it up, as they always do. Some people are just naturals. Chris is one of those people (as opposed to rock poseurs Constantine and Ryan Cabrera, who appear on screen again to throw their support behind Chris).
Katharine McPhee, appearing in a baggy dress like always, starts off her segment by complaining that Simon couldn’t remember her name on an interview with Fox. It just so happens that the girl who interviewed Simon was none other than his girlfriend, and she receives a nice big shout out on camera.
“I’m vacuous!”
After Katharine is finished grousing about Simon, she knocks ‘em all dead with her second amazing performance in as many weeks. The McPheever is coming on strong, but she’ll never be able to unseat Mandisa and Chris. Will she?
Taylor Hicks takes the stage and sings a rather forgettable Buddy Holly song. However, he still manages to jazz up the crowd by dancing around the stage like a madman. Of course, in this case, “dancing” means Taylor walks back and forth as if he’s tiptoeing down a hallway that’s only five feet high. Randy and Paula love the performance, especially the dancing (huh?), but Simon keeps it real and says that this isn’t a dancing competition. Paula takes immediate offense to this and jumps up like an angry springer spaniel. She says some incoherent gobblety goop about upbeat and downbeats and who knows what. She’s ridiculous and in desperate need of a tranquilizer.
Yay for painkillers!
In random celebrity news, Andrew Firestone takes a break from his busy schedule of appearing on Iron Chef to attend Tuesday’s live show. The little girl next to him seems to be just as bored as Ryan Cabrera, except with better hair. Other D-list celebrities in attendance are Jasmine Trias (Her damn flower is like a target for fists and other flying objects) and Lindsay Cardinale — a girl who never saw a flat note she couldn’t happily embrace.
“I’M ON TV!!!! WHOOOHOOO!!!! Oh wait. I’m the only one screaming. This is awkward.”
There once was a time when Lisa Tucker was considered the front runner. Now she’s merely an afterthought. I don’t know where this aspiring diva’s personality went, but I imagine it was sucked into the black hole of adolescent annoyance that is Paris Bennet. Lisa sings her way through a forgettable version of “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” and judges only give her a mild “Aiiight.” Looks like somebody’s headed back to the bottom three! Don’t worry. The Mickey Mouse Club will always welcome her.
Oh look! My high school variety show is on TV!
Kevin Covais performs an earnest and silly version of “When I Fall in Love,” complete with hand in pocket and big, wide eyes. I’m sure there are thousands of doting women out there who think he’s just precious. The rest of us think his entire presence is ridiculous, especially because it keeps Disney’s Chicken Little in the national consciousness.
Down in front, bitch!
Elliot Yamin admits that he doesn’t really like Barry Manilow, but guess what? By the end of the day, he’s blown away by Barry! A true learning experience. Sort of like how Alf learned to live with Lucky the cat!
As always, Elliot hits all the right notes. He looks dapper in his preppy-casual outfit, but that doesn’t make up for his dangerously lacking personality. It’ll be a while before he’s in any danger though. And hey, at least he didn’t sweat three gallons this week.
Typical mink.
Kellie Pickler gets back to her country roots and seems about a million times better than her usual nasal self. Still, she’s out of her league, and even worse, she had no charming anecdote about her new favorite seafood, some wacky thing called “Shrimp.”
Ace closes the show with a jazzy (read: lame) version of “In The Still of the Night.” He manages to get through the whole song sounding like a mosquito, but because his fans care more about that sultry look he gives at the end of each performance, you know he’ll be safe. Paula, meanwhile, looks like she just orgasmed in her chair. No seal clap could express her sheer joy.
The Results:
The next night, Barry Manilow is pried away from his crack team of Botox specialists and plastic surgeons so that he can perform at the Results Show. He tells Ryan Seacrest that even though he has a show in Vegas that night, he still showed up because he just wants to be there for the kids. And, uh, he has a new album that he wants to promote on the biggest show on TV.
Anyway, Barry takes the stage to sing a song, (which just so happens to be off his new album!) and we cut to the audience to see that the place is littered with old people holding up Manilow signs.
Dumb-ilow.
Amidst the Barry-heads is Bobby Bennett, also known as one of the most annoying contestants of the season. Bobby, as you might remember, is a huuuuge Manilow fan. He’s also an attention-starved drama queen with the body of a Latino Slimer. He stands up in his seat and sings along, once again thinking that this show is about him. Constantine and Ryan Cabrera Tuesday night, Bobby Wednesday night: is the Convention of Suck in town or something?
Didn’t we already banish this tool from pop culture?
After Barry’s finished with his tune, Bobby Bennett joins him on stage. Before they even hug or anything, Bobby says, “I’m gonna be in Vegas on the twelfth.” OH GREAT! The presumption there is a) that Barry cares, b) that Barry might go out of his way to haul Bobby on stage and sing with him, and c) that Barry will even remember who he is three days from now. Seriously, who says something like that to their idol. Whatever happened to “You’re the best!” or “This is such an honor!” Basically, Bobby just invited himself to Barry’s show.
And so the vortex of all things terrible was opened…
Anyway, we have more important things at hand; namely, the eliminations. Ryan goes down the list of finalists, ultimately revealing that Kevin, Lisa, and Bucky are in the bottom three. This causes Paula to immediately tear up. Either that, or she’s having a bad reaction to the amphetamine cocktail she just downed in the commercial break.
Despite being in the bottom three two weeks in a row, Lisa is safe again, leaving us with just Bucky and Chicken Little. As much as I think Kevin Covais is completely out of his league, his performance on Tuesday was mildly better than in past weeks (hard to get worse than “Part Time Lover”). Besides, he surely has the seven-year-old girl vote locked down.
But no. Bucky is somehow saved from termination, which means Kevin’s Idol dreams come to an end. So much for Votefortheworst.com.
Don’t ask for whom the bell tolls, Chicken Little. It tolls for thee! In other news, thank you, bell.
“But I thought he had favor…”
Everyone is shocked, especially Ryan who seems to have taken a certain shine to the boy. “Chicken Little leaves us!” Ryan says, somewhat ironically since “Chicken Little” is actually taller than him. We then see a montage of quintessential Kevin moments, all set to the song “Bad Day,” making it about the forty-third time we’ve heard that song this season. I’ll just assume Daniel Powter is signed to Simon’s label.
In his final words, Kevin thanks the fans and his friends and everyone, eventually saying, “America, be smart. Pick one of these amazing people here.” Uh… that’s sort of the point. Who else are we supposed to pick? Barry Manilow?
What did you think? Was Kevin the right person to go? Who was the best? Who was the worst? And who should have been in the bottom three?
Also, did anyone hear Randy say something to Paula about her boobs?
TV Social
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102 Comments
I think Kelly Pickler has been dippin’ into Paula’s meds. And that “ballsy” bit was SO obviously set up.
Glad to see Kevin go.
Chris really IS dreamy …sigh……
Yeah, Kellie is either faking it or downright stupid.
It seems that Kellie Pickler is a coconut. She doesn’t know anything, and seems to be taking beauty tips from Katherine Harris.
Ace makes these weird motions when he sings, it’s like he’s molesting me through the tv. I feel violated.
Katherine McPhee is hot.
B-Side, thanks for pointing out the overuse of that “Bad Day” song.
For heaven’s sake, do they have to play it on every single freaking elimination? Seriously, if I ever hear that song again, I swear I’m gonna throw up all over the TV.
Did anybody notice the best D-Lister of them all who made an appearance on Tuesday night? She didn’t rank enough by Idol standards (sadly) to get a mention on screen, but everyone’s favorite Lambchop-sounding lady – Carmen Rasmussen – was in the audience Tuesday! I thought after we got rid of her she was banned from being anywhere near that stage…
America’s getting wiser. It’s really a done deal for the top three, anyway. Mandisa, Chris and Paris. Just, please, get Ace out of there. What a tool! I never thought I’d see a Constantine Maroulis wannabe.
FINALLY!!!!
The joke is over, once and for all, and now we can start having a serious competition. I’m sure he’s a nice kid and everything but Kevin had absolutely no business being in that competition to begin with. Though I like Bucky’s style of Southern Rock he just doesn’t have the chops to do it in a high caliber way. He’s the next one to go.
Chris is still “Da Man” and I still hope that he comes in second in this competition so that he can have a decent career after the show is over.
Katharine McPhee is hot and can really sing but her only weak point is that she doesn’t know what to do with her arms and legs while she’s singing. She just stands there in an awkward way. It’s either her or Mandisa to win this thing.
Ace and Kellie are killing me. While the persona each of them are trying to pull off differ from one another, they both come across the exact same way: FAKE.
I’m rooting for Katharine McPhee. She is gorgeous and talented AND doesn’t act phoney baloney. (Does she remind anyone else of a glammed up Cameron from House?)
I really think that Bucky should have gone before Kevin, but I’m hoping that he’ll go next week as well. I think that Kellie’s performance was a lot worse than the judges did. Obvious flat notes that hurt my ears! Katherine and Mandisa impress me every week though, as does Chris. I thought that Barry Manilow was really helpful to the contestants with his talent for musical arrangements.
Thanks for the quick recap B-side! I missed the results show last night b/c I was watching Lost.
Is it me or is Katharine McPhee’s head huge?
My top three: Chris, Mandisa, and Katharine. Although Chris is da man, I hope Katharine wins so he and Mandisa can have decent careers on their own.
Every time Chris is on my screen, I have a little gasm of my very own. That man is HOT!!! His wife is so very lucky. Now THAT’S how you look into a camera and make love to each and every audience member. Take notes Connie cause you still ain’t got it.
When Barry Suckalow came on, I actually walked away from my TV. I hate him, and everything he stands for.
Did anyone else hear that Chris’s “reinvention” of Johnny Cash was actually an already existing cover by the group Live?
I was wondering why I thought he sounded like that lead singer. Sucks, I was so impressed that he “created” that rendition…until I heard it was a cover.
He’s still all sorts of yum.
Don’t get me wrong, I was just as “chicken-littled” out as the rest of you but when I saw the bottom three last night I felt like I was ok with any of them going home. Chicken-Little was starting to get a little “cocky” though–i’m glad he’s gone. So now votefortheworst.com will move on to Pickler. Honesetly, I think she’s the worst left in the competition, but I am so tired of her stupid act. I mean practically everyone else on the show is from a small-town and you never see them getting confused about “salmon” and the meaning of the word “ballsy”
As bad as some of the vocals are from other contestants, I can’t help hoping above all that Paris is at least in the bottom three one week. Just to take her down a notch, you know? She’s soooooooo annoying!
Actually I meant to say that I DON’T think Pickler’s the worst left..
i’m almost exclusively watching for Elliot. I usually don’t enjoy the music on Idol and watch it for the spectacle aspect, but he’s the one singer in all its years whose voice is really arresting and, dare i say, moving.
Dear Barry Manilow,
Hi. How can you be in the music business for 35 years and not know of Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight”?
I am sad for you.
Love,
Happytheatregeek
My faith in Democracy is restored. The worst three performances from Tuesday were the bottom three on Wednesday, and the worst was eliminated.
It was definitely time for Kevin to go! however, I thought he gave his best performance in weeks… good luck Kev, you seem like a nice kid.
Shout out for Barry Manilow! He seems like a genuinely nice man and he really helped the contestents, as evidenced by all of them giving their best performances.
HATE Paris! Can you say ‘entitlement’???? She’s already a DIVA! I want to see her bottom 3 and gone next week!
Kellie – I liked her initially. I bought her ‘act’. I’m over it! She should join Paris in the bottom of the pile next week. (but she won’t, cuz Simon is pushing her…)
great stuff, b-side, though you were unexpectedly gentle on paula, whose zonked-out lazy eye and mumble-slur was in full effect on tuesday. for me, the highlight of the week was when simon said ‘paula, you’re talking ABSOLUTE RUBBISH!’, after which paula started shaking him and mumbling some crap about sock-hops and medic-alert bracelets.
honestly, i was hoping to see little kevin outlast a few more of the obvious future ejectees (i’m talking to you, lucky-beanie man!), but jesus, he was horrible. but kevin has nothing to complain about, as normally a guy who looks like that would have no hope of ever getting laid before graduating from college without the help of GHB, a fake arm cast, and a panel van. thanks to AI, chicken little’s V-card is certainly a much-sought-after status symbol for the glendale galleria slut patrol.
despite his enormous cheese-factor, barry manilow is a juggernaut of commercial pop who pretty much owned the AOR market for the last half of the 70s, and it’s worth remembering that he graduated from julliard and spent the first decade of his career as a writer, producer, and arranger rather than a performer. he’s got the skillz, and his style is perfectly suited for the AI melisma acrobatics competition.
it’ll be interesting to watch where things go from here, as the contestants seem to be somewhat divided into pairings of similar styles with radically different degrees of talent and audience appeal: taylor and bucky are both in the seger/gregg allman slot. taylor gave us a lame version of ‘not fade away’ (what a dumb song to choose from the decade of ray charles and sam cooke), but his enthusiasm, weirdness, and obvious talent will put him way past bucky, who will probably be out on his ass shortly.
katherine and kellie are your two teen sex-pots, and really, there’s no comparison in terms of talent or sex appeal–katherine’s only competition in terms of singing ability is mandisa, and kellie can crawl around on the floor all night and i’d still rather undress katherine (mostly because she keeps wearing dresses made out of old curtains and gunny-sacks). but kellie is working the jessica simpson ‘so dumb its cute’ act, which might lead to an upset.
chris and ace are your hunky white dudes, and again, there’s really no comparison. i HATE chris’s commercial alternative style, but his performances are by far the most polished and professional, and he managed to get through another theme week with his dignity intact, which is saying something. but ace’s rouged cheeks, come-hither gaze, jacko-’hee-hee’-falsetto, and love of george michael are surely connecting with his TRUE audience.
paris and lisa are your teen soul-sisters, and despite paris’ tendency to be annoying as shit, she is a far more charismatic performer. lisa looks like she got yanked off the set of ‘kids incorporated.’
lastly, you have mandisa and elliot, who are sort of out there on their own in terms of style, but are arguably the two most talented singers in their respective genders. i’m not seeing the bastard son of abraham lincoln and the bride of frankenstein beating the pretty-boys, but mandisa could be the dark horse. sure, that ass is big, but the voice is bigger, and just might be enough to carry her through.
I too was glad to see Kevin go, although I felt it would be Bucky.
Chris and Mandisa are definitely going to be in the final four unless America goes mental. I’m pulling for Elliott too. Great voice, sexy presence…I just wish he’d show more personality when performing. The 4th of the final four? That’s hard to say, but it will likely be Taylor. (PLEASE don’t dye your hair!)
I don’t know why everyon think Chris is the best. He isn’r original at all… a band called Live did that same version of Walk the Line and he ripped it off and didn’t credit them and last week he sang the chili pepper version of the song. I didn’t think his vocals were that great either singing Johnny Cash. I like Chris as a person, but I don’t think he sounds any different then a typical rocker in a bar that screams. I’m sure he’ll make it far, but there is nothing original about him.
I hope Taylor is reading this . . . for the love of god, man, SING A BALLAD! He is my favorite, but all this gyrating and running around is detracting from what made me love him in the first place–his gorgeous voice! Remember when he sang the ballads during auditions? I melted. He is in danger of becoming a joke unless he does some SERIOUS singing soon! (Good alliteration, huh?)
P.S. DO NOT DYE YOUR HAIR!!!
court_love (#12) Just curious . . . what is it that Barry Manilow stands for that you hate? I think he is pretty harmless, although I too was shocked that he did not know the song “Walking After Midnight.”
In other news . . . are Constantine and Ryan Cabrera dating? Is that why they were together on the show? They make a dandy couple.
I think Kellie Pickler is a HUGE phony. Her whole cornpone schtick is getting old real fast.
I have to disagree with #8. I think Katherine is phony and pretentious. She is a great singer, but her attitude makes me dilike her tremendously.
Mandisa is so fabulous I hardly know what to say. She must be top three for sure.
I am with dasher and happy_gal—please, Taylor, for the love of God, DO NOT DYE YOUR HAIR!!! Don’t let those Idol stylist bastards near you with that stuff! I love the George Clooney thing he has got going on.
Last night’s bottom 3 was right on the money. Bucky is sucky, Lisa is too damn perky (remind anyone else of Blair on “Facts of Life”?) and Kevin, oh Kevin, how did you ever get this far anyway? Past Gideon??? My 14 year old daughter was crushed, but hey, she still thinks Clay is straight, so what does she know? Ace is gorgeous, but he is showing us every week more and more that “gorgeous” and “talented singer” don’t necessarily go together. Kellie is sort of cute, but the fish out of water thing (just to keep with the ‘Chicken Little’ references) is getting old. Katharine is fantastic, Elliot is awesome, I love Chris, but damn, does every song HAVE to sound like Fuel? Switch it up, man!! And Paris, how I would love to slap thee. Didn’t she do “Fever” in an earlier round? She just thinks she is all that, and honey, Mandisa can, and should, eat you for lunch. Top 4?? Still hard to say, but I would like to see Mandisa, Taylor, Katherine, and Chris/Elliot. After Ace is voted off, he can come directly to my bedroom, where I will show him what “performance” really means!!!
It just hit me that I have never voted, not in any season of AI. It never even occurred to me, even though that is the premise of the show. Not that I plan to start, I’m just sayin.
I wonder how many people who watch the show actually do vote?
#13 – I did not hear that, but if it is true, my respect for Chris dropped again.
Barry Manilow should know who Patsy Cline is.
I hate…absolutely HATE Kellie for choosing a song from a legend like Patsy Cline. When they announced she’d be doiung a Patsy Cline song I was PRAYING she wouldn’t do Sweet Dreams. It was a terrible rendition of Walking After Midnight. The way Kellie pronounces words is grating and she SHOULD be as stupid as she portrays herself to be.
Katharine and Mandisa are by far the best. Elliot is excellent too, but seems to fade into the background for me….
Funny recap B-Side!
Ok so Paula has officially gone off the deep end! She’s totally incoherent when speaking to the contestants and just all sorts of crazy! I think at one point she told someone “you put us in the seat and the ride takes off” what the hell does even that mean?!?!
Also, did anyone else notice that Kellie seemed to have some weird accent going on in her song? It was like a bad Pepe Lepue or something when she sang “searching for youuuuuu.”
Happy_gal: I completely agree with you that Taylor has GOT to start singing some ballads. Lets hear that voice!!
Bamabelle, you are SO with it! Chris is a typical karaoke singer who happens to have a decent voice. And I can guarantee he has already dumped his fat girlfriend and her 2 kids from a previous relationship. I suspect that Hollywood jades people, and what use does he have for them now? They’re not even his kids, and now he can sleep with anyone he wants….This guy is NOT original! He does cover versions of other rock groups covers! Who the hell invited Ryan Cabrera and Constantine? I wonder who fixed them up. GO ELLIOT! GO KATHARINE. Unfortunately, Mandisa suffers from Rubenitis. She is too heavy to tour. When I heard they flew to Las Vegas, all I could think of is..where did she sit, in cargo?
happy_gal, I didn’t actually watch Tuesday’s episode, so my judgement was rather quick. I do, however think Barry Manilow is rather cocky.
He reminds me of a male version of J-Lo, who I also can’t stand.
Chris’s neck sometimes looks wider than his head. What’s that about?
Next week’s theme is the 21st century? This is a theme? Chris’s big problem will now be that he has way too many songs to choose from.
I like Chris a lot, I just don’t think he needs to win this competition in order to have a career.
In the end I think Mandisa is the best singer. So far she’s been able to deal with whatever theme has been thrown at her, and nobody accuses her of stealing someone else’s cover.
Lisa seems to me to be one of the few contestants NOT faking her personality. She’s the only one who doesn’t seem to be winking at the audience all the time (metaphorically speaking). It would be nice to keep her around a bit longer.
And as for Ace: He still Creeps. Me. Out.
I’m sad.
Why Kevin? Why? Sure, he’s not the best singer, but, still, he doesn’t piss me off like Ace and Bucky and Taylor and Kellie do!
I’m no fan of Kellie’s “schtick” but she done good this week, and Mandisa was fantastic. Barry should’ve steered Taylor to a soul ballad, not that flimsy Buddy Holly song.
#30 Trixie – Seriously, what is the matter with you?!
First of all, Chris is MARRIED. I applaud him for having the manlihood to take on another lady’s kids. Bravo!
Secondly, “she is too heavy to tour.” What the heck is WRONG with you?!?! You ought to be ashamed.
I too am so over Kellie Pickler’s aww shucks attitude. I mean come on. What’s a ballsy? At first, it was maybe kinda cute, but now, give me a break. I’ll be glad to see her go.
Ace. Ugh. Maybe if Constantine hadn’t ruined the whole sultry-eyed “sex symbol” approach I’d actually like Ace. But everytime I see him I am reminded of the stupidity that is Constantine.
Paula definitely needs to lay off the Jesus juice. I thought it was quite funny when Simon told her she was talking rubbish. Finally!
Who is dressing Katherine? I can see why the rumors she is pregnant started. She is a beautiful girl, and I don’t recall her having a body that required any strategic covering up/hiding. Sure she has some junk in the trunk, but J-Lo and Beyonce have shown that is not exactly a negative. Is she just modest, or is her stylist a Puritan?
RealityTV4me, there is clearly nothing the matter with me. I am merely pointing out the obvious. I predict that Chris will leave that poor simple girl with the bad perm within months of the show ending. If you don’t agree that’s fine. Why would I be ashamed to point this out? Furthermore, what is wrong with saying that Mandisa is way too heavy? Her ass looks like she’s hiding a Volkswagen beetle in her pants. If she plans on keeping up with a vigorous touring schedule, she needs to lose that extra weight. Even Simon mentioned her extra weight during the auditions. Simon knows what the hell is he talking about. She is a beautiful looking woman who needs to get in better shape. Again, why should I be ashamed? Video killed the radio star years ago. We all know that you’re now judged on looks instead of actual singing. After all, after Janet Jackson got skinny, suddenly she became a superstar (even though she’s fat again). That, my friend, is reality.
Remember that “Gonna Make You Sweat” dance song from the late 80s/early 90s? They had a fat chick with an amazing voice sing it and had a skinny model lipsynch it for the video.
Posted by: Firecat(#3)-”Ace makes these weird motions when he sings, it’s like he’s molesting me through the tv. I feel violated.” YES- this is exactly the creepy feeling I’ve been having when he goes for that boy band stare down.
And Jack #21, I loved and agreed with everything you wrote!
I haven’t heard LIVE’s version of “Walk the Line” but I loved what Chris did for that song! I would buy his cd just for that.
I think Mr.Barry Manilow made a huge difference on the performances. Shame on you Elliot for what you said. “Keeping it honest” doesn’t mean you need to insult someone. He could just as easily of said he wasn’t a huge fan of BM’s work and now he is.
It looked like a bird did come in and poop in Ryan C’s hair and then he just slicked in down. I didn’t think his hair could look more ridiculous than when he was spiking it up. I was wrong, it can.
Kellie’s dumb blonde schtick is so old. Ryan S. tried to give her an opening- “Tell us about the week you had…” H-E-L-L-O… how about, “I met and got to actually work with Barry Manilow…” You ballsy mink go home!
Even Simon has quit making fat jokes. Mandisa has totally earned everyone’s respect.
Taylor doesn’t have to dye his hair, Mandisa doesn’t have to lose weight, Elliot doesn’t have to get caps. Paris should act her age. Lisa shouldn’t be expected to sing like she’s thirty-five. Anyone? Anyone?
Thanks for the great recap B-Side! I just spit a mouthful of Ritz crackers onto my computer screen after I read that last caption…”But I thought he had favor”…hi-LAR-ious!
As for Kellie…if she was in front of me now I’d hit her over the head with a brick. “What’s ballsy???” Who the hell does she think she’s kidding with that dumb redneck routine? So annoying…
Go Mandisa!
Come on now, Jack! It really irks me that the size of someone’s ass would be the determining factor in a talent contest. yes, Mandisa may be a large woman, but her voice is incredible. I think it is about time a large woman gets recognized for her talents and not her “ass-sets”….remember Reuban???? Why can a large man be okay but a large woman isn’t??? Frickin double standard!
too fat to tour? oh please. get over yourself. extra weight didn’t seem to stop Luther Vandross, pre-weight loss Missy Elliot, Pavarotti–let’s see, who else is fat? anybody?
Mandisa sings like Aretha Franklin, and she’s big like Aretha Franklin. That is what it is, but it sure doesn’t detract from her talent (and Aretha, Ella Fitzgerald, Mama Cass and many other large women have had very successful careers).
I agree with a lot of commentors that Chris, while talented, is not that original. However, he seems like a nice guy and genuinely happy with his family life, and appeared devoted to his wife. Why would he give up happiness for a chance to party with Paris Hilton or some other vacuous bimbo? Not everyone makes that choice. I would be surprised and disappointed if he did.
I would like to apologize to anyone I have offended regarding the size of Mandisa’s ass. She is a beautiful looking woman, and I never disputed that. Her talent is unreal. I never disputed that. But I can tell you that she will need a shoehorn to get herself down any aisle of a plane and will probably have to take up 2 seats. This is NOT healthy. Ruben Studdard..where has he been? He can’t even walk from backstage to the microphone without breaking into a sweat. I am only saying that if they want to live long enough to spread their talents, and we all agree they have plenty, they need to get on a treadmill….Do you think if Britney Spears didnt look the way she looked, she’d be selling albums? We all know she cant sing to save her own life…
By the way, Luther Vandross suffered with illness his whole life because of his weight, and both Missy Elliot AND Pavarotti went on massive diets. Hmmm..I wonder why…..
andrew firestone was on iron chef? i thought he went away.
rad recap as always b-side!!
Hi. My name is Chris. I love “rockin’ out” and performing with a chain. It doesn’t matter where that chain is–either around my neck, or hanging out of my pants–because I heart chains. They are so edgy and alternative. I guess my voice is pretty good, but what makes me unique is that I take a song, and really make it “my own”. Sure I do the same crap everytime–flashing strobe lights, thrashing about stage, fancy graphics flashing behind me, but whatever. Randy and Simon keep telling me how rad it is, so I’ll keep on doin’ it. Wait until you see me next week! I’ll be doing the SAME EXACT THING. I love taking classics and giving them “a twist”.
“:is the Convention of Suck in town or something” Ahh, good stuff!
I am so happy to hear that I am not the only one way over Kellie’s phoney act! I want her to stay though just so she can annoy me.
I was also so relieved to see Kevin go. Was I the only one who didn’t think he was adorable? The only reason it is unfortunate he is gone is because I used the time he was singing to heat up my snacks.
P.S. Chris makes my panties wet!
Is it just me or is Elliot looking much better? He really is one of my favorites, its just disapointing that he is fading into the background.
About Taylor. He was interesting at first, now I am ready to see him fade away. There is an interesting photo of him taken in his earlier days, on TMZ.com He is thin, with dark hair and a beard. And I have to admit, quite handsome. It’s worth taking a look at.
B-side I literally spewed water when I read “So much for votefortheworst.com”. I had to go over to their web site last night to witness their total melt down, and read some of their posts. It was quite funny. Everything from accusing the show of fraud and rigging the competition to avoid giving them all of the power. So much for underestimating the power of very stupid people in large groups!
As for Chris not giving credit to Live for his rendition. We only saw about 10 seconds of his conversation with Barry. Who can say that it wasn’t discussed and not included?
I will take credit for Chris’s success this week. About two weeks ago I posted that Chris’s voice would be well suited to doing a song by Live. I had recommended “I Alone”, but hey, he made it work for 50′s week. Good for him. Besides, if they had done the traditional video intro from the contestant he may very well have given credit to Live, as he did for the Peppers a couple weeks ago.
I really like Chris at first. I thought he had a good voice and personality and I was rooting for him to win. When he sang “Higher Ground” and ripped off the Red Hot Chili Peppers version, I was a little annoyed. But after last nights rip-off (AGAIN) of Live’s version of “Walk the Line” I have had enough of this guy. The judges praise his creativity and originality, but he isn’t creative or original. I wouldn’t mind if he just said, “Actually, I didn’t come up with it, but I am glad you liked the performance” but instead he just allows them to praise him and takes credit for the originality and creative efforts of others.
I hope the rest of America gets as annoyed as I am and stops voting for this phony.
Some people are pointing out that we don’t know if Chris says his stuff isn’t original and he might be giving credit and we don’t see it. Since this is a fair arguement, I will take back what I said about him taking credit where it isn’t due. However, I would still like to see an original singer with something new and fresh to bring to the table win this competition. I don’t need to see someone do the same thing that has already been done. A remake of a remake? Seriously people, make it stop.
Great report dude!! (saw the shows, but don’t miss reading this now)
The run-down….
Kev: Should have never gotten to go to Hollywood – buh-bye…go home and get beat up by….well….everybody.
Ace: Puke, no talent, awful false-etto…Surrrreal Life, here he comes!
Taylor: DIE YOUR HAIR! (had to say that)…getting old….we used to laugh at guys who dance like you.
Kellie: You would have a shot if this were American Naked Idol…as it stands…uh, no…(ok…I would watch American Naked Idol)
Paris: Like a lap dog at your Aunt’s house…kick her when noone is looking
Lisa: Should be better…but isn’t…come back in 5 years
Mandisa: Excellent, but they already gave Rueben the nod…3rd place
Bucky: wow…Didn’t know Jiffy Lube gave time off
Chris: Top three…only because he’s mainstream
Elliot: phone home…..and dude…try to inflect someone’s personality…cause ya have none!
Katherine: Top two…may win it cause she sings the snot out of everything and gives those “preacher’s daughter next door eyebrow raises” that you can just tell she’s a hellcat in bed look. If she takes some of Kellie’s fashion sense (not common sense), she will take the prize.
ps….Barrylover….wow….not enough restraint orders in the world…
pps….Constant-tine, get a job hawking some band equipment on HSN so I don’t have to see your face anymore.
ppps…..Clay is due to show up…with his…um…”friend”
BEST RECAP EVER!
Please tell me I’m not the only one who noticed Paula’s awful wig on the results show… what a tragedy she is!
I don’t understand how Simon keeps saying that he thinks Kellie should be in the top 3, she is not that good at all! Katharine, Mandisa and Chris should definitely be at the end!
Psssst – newsflash for some of you who don’t seem to get it: BARRY MANILOW was credited with the arrangements of the songs for the contestants. That’s what he was there for. So, Chris didn’t rip anyone off, and the notion that he’s supposed to credit the band whose song he’s singing is insane. Should Bucky have said, after singing, ‘Shout out to Buddy Holly, whose version I just did, y’all!!’? Uh, no.
And yes, Chris will be ‘the same’ every week. They ALL are. It’s called their genre, their style. If they all sounded or looked different every week, I wouldn’t watch. Totally misses the point.
As for the comments on the weight of the contestants and their family members (who, IMO, are OFF LIMITS – they aren’t part of this competition)….let’s not go there. It’s small minded and assholish.
Oh, and just to add to the ‘let’s seriously get rid of Kellie and Paris’ chorus – HELL YES, let’s do. I don’t think the stage is big enough for Paris’ ego, and Kellie’s enunciation drives me batty. What the hell is ‘suchin’? Singing her song Tuesday night, she kept saying, ‘Walkin….aftuh midnahgt….suchin fuh yeew….’
Please. Be quiet, Kellie.
Did anyone catch, after she asked her totally idiotic ‘What’s a ballsy?!’ question last night, Chris lean over to her and say, ‘Don’t ever say that again!’? That was hilarious.
Curvewatcher, Thanks you for writing “Paris: Like a lap dog at your aunt’s house..kick her when noone is looking.” It gave me a good mid-lunch chuckle!
Wow, that was a strong TVgasm that time…”latino slimer.”
I keep erupting into spontaneous giggles about that…brilliant!
#55 – “Didn’t know Jiffy Lube gave time off”
I have never laughed so hard at someone’s comments. That whole list should be framed.
Cara, this is for you:
Hi, my name is every singer or every band that has ever performed. I like to sing music that makes me sound good and perform in a way that will please my audience. My audience keeps buying my records and coming to my shows, so I’ll keep doing it as long as they like it.
In unrelated news, Katharine IS hot. Looks a lot like my wife.
She could stand to find a new wardrobe assistant though, as the baggy dresses are not very flattering.
I’m glad Kevin Covais is gone, but it’s left me wondering – what’s his middle name? I’m sure we’ll be hearing it in the news in the future. Anyone else think he’s got that serial killer look?
Paris is annoying, but she can sing. Flat out. Mandisa has a lot of talent too, and is a real threat to win the competition if it doesn’t turn in to an all out popularity contest, as opposed to a contest based on the best talent.
Pickler is a hayseed. Put her in a pair of rope-belted jeans and Jed and Granny could have another daughter to wrassle around with Jethro in the CEment pond.
Sher — Barry Manilow didn’t touch Chris’ arrangement. He said something like “you know what you are doing, you don’t need me”
By Sher:
“Psssst – newsflash for some of you who don’t seem to get it: BARRY MANILOW was credited with the arrangements of the songs for the contestants. That’s what he was there for. So, Chris didn’t rip anyone off, and the notion that he’s supposed to credit the band whose song he’s singing is insane. Should Bucky have said, after singing, ‘Shout out to Buddy Holly, whose version I just did, y’all!!’? Uh, no. And yes, Chris will be ‘the same’ every week. They ALL are. It’s called their genre, their style. If they all sounded or looked different every week, I wouldn’t watch. Totally misses the point. ”
___________________________
Sher,
Barry Manilow helped them arrange their songs when they needed it and he gave them advice (which they didn’t have to and didn’t always take, look at Mandisa who didn’t start strong and end strong like Barry wanted, but started soft instead like she wanted to). Each contestant came in and sang for Barry and then he tweaked their performance. Chris came in with the version he sung and Barry gave him advice on what to tweak. AND EVEN IF BARRY HAD ARRANGED THE WHOLE THING FOR CHRIS BY HIMSELF, that doesn’t excuse Chris’s rip off of Higher Ground. Do you think Stevie Wonder was like, Gee my version sucks, so lets have you do the Chili Peppers version? I don’t think so. You can’t blame Barry for it.
Secondly, singers do usually find a genre to stick with AFTER they make it. This is a talent competition. The point is to find someone who can sing multiple styles well because that is what makes them the best all around singer. That is the WHOLE POINT to having theme nights.
It’s great that you love Chris so much that you will defend him to the death, but that doesn’t mean I have to like him. I WANT SOMEONE WITH ORIGINALITY. That doesn’t mean I miss the point.
Suchin fuh yeeeeew…classic…
Seems like Kellie is sounding like that Barbara Streisand wannabe….trying too hard to make her voice sound like something good. Didn’t work for wannabe….won’t work for her.
Paula needs to stop clapping like a 4-year-old and just once I would like her to tell people like Bucky & Kevin they just don’t got what it takes. Then again, she got a record deal with her voice…
Mandisa & Chris all the way!! At first I was all for Paris, but her youth is showing. She’s got plenty of time to become Mandisa-like. I actually thought Paris sounded kind of weak on the low notes. But Mandisa & Chris gave me goose bumps-she just knocked it out of the park & Chris is the most original contestant so far. These 2 are the best AI’s had yet.
And by the way….
Kev should have gotten booted just for playing pocket pool while he was singing “When I fall in love….it will be…two ball in the side pocket”….
Another quasi-celebrity sighting on Tuesday that didn’t make it on the air…
My friend Jake and I attended the dress rehearsal, and as we were leaving, the infamous Corey Clark passes us with a box of CDs to presumably sell to the fans waiting in line for the live show. Too bad that the dumbass has bad timing-the live show audience was already lined up inside the CBS property, and I’m pretty sure the red coats wouldn’t allow him to sell his crap to the Idol faithful.
Sadly, our cell phones were back in the car (as one isn’t allowed to bring them to the studio).If I had my phone on me, I totally would have emulated B-Side’s Corey Clark sighting from a few months back, and would have happily snapped away and sent it to the Gasm. Alas…
I have already expressed my anti-Kevin thoughts, so I am glad he’s gone, because he was just a big joke. And like Scott Savol last year, he started to think he was great when he really wasn’t. Lisa and Bucky will both be gone in the next 2 weeks.
And let me just say, what the hell is wrong with Paula? She’s always been kind of bouncy, but this week she’s just gone over the top. She must be chasing those painkillers with some kind of booze or soemthing, because the woman’s behavior is just plain loopy. And not a funny type of crazy either. A “what-the-hell-is-this-lady-on” type of crazy. Yeah, and Taylor’s dancing was painful to watch.
Did anyone notice that at the end of Tuesday’s show, during the recap clips of all the singers, the one they showed of Ace was different from his actual performance? In the full performance we saw, he paused just before the last note, and both arms were outstretched as he finished the song. In the clip, there was no pause and one hand was holding the mic. I rewound it and checked to be sure. I was really trippin’ out, and wondering whether they actually do more than one take, which would really make me rethink this whole process. Another explanation is that maybe it was from a dress rehearsal. Weird…
By this time next year Kellie Pickler will be headlining her own variety show in Branson, MO, where her schtick will never get old and will be loved by the type of folks who go to Branson to see shows, and she’ll probably make a good living. As long as I never have to hear her again, that’s fine.
Eh, we’re going to have to agree to disagree. None of them are ‘original’, and if you’ve been singing most/some of your life, you’ve found your talent and ‘genre’ already. I stand by my statement that they are ALL covering someone else’s version of each song. For example, did you know that Peggy Lee did not originally record ‘Fever’? So, Paris was singing Peggy Lee’s version of Little Willie John’s original version of ‘Fever’. To me, it’s the same thing. I’m not going to come down on Chris because we were not shown him specifically saying that Live recorded a version of ‘Walk The Line’ that he was singing. I think it’s silly, but that’s me.
If you want ‘originality’, you’re watching the wrong program. Go, instead, to support the live bands in your area.
“searchin feeergh yeeeeewrgh”
what kind of f-d up warbling is that..
kellie gives dumb hicks a bad name..she is total George Dubya..absolutely stupid and a mess to look at…
I was truly frightened when they announced she’d sing a PAtsy Cline song. The Cline estate should sue.
I’d like to see her go next week.
And after her, Ace. When they zoomed in on his family, there was another one who looked like him. probably not even his twin. This week, I really was getting tired of him..I think HE is getting tired of himself..because it’s so much hard work being “Ace”.
“After Ace is voted off, he can come directly to my bedroom, where I will show him what “performance” really means!!!”..cruella…that was sublime.
I think Michael Slezak says it best for me (at EW.com):
“The other hot topic among our readers was the rendition of ”I Walk the Line” by front-runner Chris Daughtry, which wasn’t quite as original as many folks (Paula, Simon, Randy, and, yes, myself included) had believed. As several of you pointed out, the alterna-rock band Live covered Johnny Cash’s classic on a 2004 greatest hits disc, and Chris’ arrangement was cut from much of the same cloth.
Still, I don’t see why the bald and beautiful Chris should suffer a backlash. For one thing, his performance was a heckuva lot better than Live’s. And second, there’s no way of knowing whether or not he tipped his hat to Live during his pre-performance interview; the Idol producers could’ve easily left such a comment on the editing-room floor. Remember, just last week Chris gave a shout-out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers for inspiring his version of Stevie Wonder’s ”Higher Ground.” He just doesn’t seem like a credit hog to me.”
I would also venture to say that most of the people I’ve seen commenting online about this (and this doesn’t really apply to the Gasms here, because most of our commenters didn’t mention it) have probably never even heard Live’s version, but read someone mention it online, and ran with it.
Dredge (#74), I hear you on Kellie’s take on Patsy Cline. Did you get the impression that she was singing the song all wrong? It’s about longing, ache, loneliness. She sang it like she was thinking about going to the circus.
Can we start a Kellie backlash, you think? LOL! If there’s anything that irks me, it’s a woman who acts stupid because she thinks people think it’s cute. It’s NOT cute to dumb yourself down for anything or anyone. Maybe, at 19, she doesn’t know this yet. After all, people love Jessica Simpson.
I have lost all respect for Chris. Don’t get me wrong – the man is beautiful and I would let him bend me over anything any day. HOWEVER I do not feel that there is anything original about him. He sounds like Fuel or Staind or insert post-grunge band here. Last week he did a cover of RHCP doing a cover of Stevie Wonder and the judges gave him props for ‘originality.’ This week he did a cover of Live doing a cover of Johnny Cash and again, he gets credit for ‘making it his own.’ In his clip before his performance he said something to the effect he had ‘always heard the song differently.’ Yeah you did. It was on a Live album.
Sher — your last two posts are spot on. I completely agree with everything you said! As for the recaps at the end of the show, they are always taken from the dress rehearsals and not the live performances because there isn’t enough time during the live performance night to clip together the recaps. This same thing happened last year (I think with the uber-slammed Constantine). The discrepancy with Ace’s recap was pretty obvious, because he ended his live performance with a Christ-like pose (for about 15 minutes, it seemed), but the recap had him holding the mike. I am so over Ace. He needs to go home. Now.
Thanks, Bluebell!
I think you’re exactly right on why Ace’s performance end looked different on the ‘recap’ then it did when he was singing. I remember reading last season that sometimes, if the camera angle isn’t right or something else doesn’t work out (whatever that may be), that they use the ‘dress rehearsal’ footage for the recap at the end of the show. You could definitely tell that that’s what happened with Ace this week.
‘Christ-like pose’ cracked me up because that’s a perfect description of what it was. LOL!
Kellie can not even touch Patsy Cline. She was an original. I think Patsy sang it sort of contradictory. The words were sad and lonely, but she gave it this Gene Autry upbeat delivery.
I thought Paris did a great job of Fever. She made it her own by busting out and strutting.
And Mandisa blew me away with her song. Altho the whole Man-Diva thing was embarrassing. Think about it.. Man..Diva..that’s a drag queen..and not a complement.
Sher says “After all, people love Jessica Simpson.”
I guess they do but the world only needs one of her.
Amen to THAT, DannieLove.
I’m also glad that people noticed Kellie’s AWFUL accent on her song (“suchin fuh yeeeeew,” #65, excellent!) She has bugged me from day one, but her accent last night was the last straw. People, please stop voting for her!
You guys are gonna LOVE this:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11878510/
Do Paula Abdul’s private parts influence her tastes as a judge? Here’s what the “American Idol” panelist said when Rolling Stone asked her if she’s ever tempted to rip into contestants: “It’s not my role. Why should I, when the guys to the right and left of me [Simon Cowell] will crush them? And that’s on top of the fact that I have a vagina. Though I do check between my legs to see if something else is sprouting down there.”
When I watched The Soup- they pointed out that Melissa’s performance and recap did not match. The recap did not show her mess up of the words.
And yeah, I have heard that they take the rehersal performances for the recaps. Kinda shady, but ah well.
I also did not understand the whole “Man-Diva” thing. How do they not see that as wrong???
For all the Chris-bashers, isn’t it at least refreshing to not hear yet another easy-radio tune? I didn’t know about the Live version of the song & I don’t care, he did great. But my God did I feel sorry for all of them having to do that stupid “We Got the beat” at the beginning of the show-this is where people like Chris & Mandisa are thinking, “Maybe AI wasn’t such a great idea…”
Jesus has been a Duaghtry fan since the auditions. Top four have been Chris, Mandisa, Mcphee, and I’m still stck on Pickler or Elliot.
Final Two will be Chris and Katharine, bet on it.
Sher, good call on that catching Chris tell Kellie, “Don’t ever say that again.”(#58)after her What’s a ballsy?” comment. I noticed them talking but couldn’t really make out what he said. That is awesome. I liked Kellie at first but she really has to stop with the stupid thing. Also, why does everyone seem to like Elliot so much? He is a great singer, but he honestly just bores me to sleep. I also think Paris’ performance was terrible. That must be the 100th time we have heard “Fever” on this show. Again, boring. By far Chris is my favorite because he is bringing some balls to the competition. Unlike the wedding singer Taylor and the ambiguously gay Ace, it is good to see someone singing something that appeals to people other than 13 year old girls or hasn’t been dead for 3 generations. I argue that he was fully aware that Walk the Line was performed by live, but I don’t blame him for not saying anything. He is trying to win a competition. The worst thing he could do is open his mouth and say something stupid while Simon is praising him. I know the band Live but have never heard that version until it was mentioned in these postings. The fact that Chris knows all of these songs should say something about his respect for all of these bands. I don’t think he is a one-trick pony either. Songs by Fuel suit him, but when he sang Bon Jovi he sounded completely different. Now only if he could somehow opt out of those stupid group music videos that make him look lame he would be all set. Go Chris!
I’m glad to see a lot more people are jumping on the Chris Hate Train. I started that train weeks ago, dudes. I even said what someone else said earlier, “He will leave his wife and another man’s kids for Paris Hilton, who will then leave him for Kevin.” I don’t care if that makes me sound petty and assholeish. That’s who I am. Much like Chris is a Fuel Guy, I’m a Petty and Assholeish Girl.
Anyfart. When Kelly said “What’s ballsy?” it looked like she had forgotten her line and then rushed it out. “Oh crap, the producers wanted me to be cute and stupid again, was ballsy the trigger word? Or was it talent?”
Was Taylor going for the Pat Boone look? Blue suit and white shoes seemed so 1950′s State Fair!
Watching Ace do a Snap Crackle Pop kinda of performance is getting to me. His hands shake so bad it looks like palsy.
Mandisa looked Fab-U-Lous.
Kellie is not my favorite but I do love a good Pickle Joke!
hb
I honestly thought Paula was going to pass out on Tuesday night. Her eyes were half-closed, she was slurring her words, and her wig was on crooked. All she needed was a fur coat to look like Whitney Houston did in that photo taken of her at 2am at a gas station in Atlanta. What is Paula on?????? Can’t she lay off the drugs for 3 hours a week so that she can appear at least semi-coherent on tv? I think it’s time for Simon, Randy, Ryan, and the rest of the AI folks to stage an intervention. Maybe they can do it in conjunction with that show on A&E. I know I’d watch.
Loved Paris this week. never thought I could ever be a fan of hers but “Fever” really blew me away. Better than Peggy Lee and Madonna and completely unlike either of those previous versions. Maybe I will be back to hating her again after she sings next week but for now she’s hot!
Katharine (my favorite of the girls) was just great even though I don’t think that song was for her.
Taylor and Chris – Both are getting a little monotonous for me. The talent is there and enormous and I like them both a lot but singers that are as stylized as they are run the risk of sounding the same on every song after a while. Let’s hope that these two pros do not fall into that trap.
Elliott – Still my favorite of the guys and he was superb with “Teach Me Tonight”. Hope he makes it all the way to the final. Would love the see him and Katharine as the last two standing.
Lisa – as boring as ever, go home soon, please.
Kevin – Didn’t like his rendition of “When I Fall In Love” but was sorry to see him go home as he has entertained me on past shows, a lot. He was a quirky kid with some sort of odd appeal that kept some of us rooting for him even though we knew he had no chance of winning or advancing.
Bucky – I actually thought he’d get booted before Kevin because his song this week was his poorest yet. In truth he hasn’t developed or improved at all as the weeks have gone by. He is kind of stuck in mediocrity. Still no a bad singer for what he does but not a winner here by any means. It’s either him or Lisa next week.
Although I wish it would be Ace. That guy has to be the least talented singer ever to appear on idol. Even Kevin sings better than he does. I don’t find him visually appealing either, and would rather look at my pet turtle any day.
Kelli – she’s very popular and her non-fans (myself included) had better get used to it because she’s gonna hang around for a while. I don’t know that I agree with Simon that she’ll make the top three but who knows?
Mandisa – is great but has been picking songs lately that I think are not worthy of her talent. Didn’t like her 50′s number at all (not her, the song).
Barry Manilow – Retire, please. The voice isn’t gone yet but definitely going. And those multiple face lifts can only carry you so far.
-Rick
Oh come on Rick! Saying that Ace is “the least talented to ever appear on Idol ” is reaching! He’s a good singer- he just isn’t the best one here.
“Didn’t we already banish this tool from pop culture?”
Haha, best line of the recap. Again, another great recap B-Side. I’m rooting for Mandisa, Katharine and Chris (everyone’s favourites!) I really do like Paris, but she is an annoying little girl. After last week’s stupid “I’m going to sing all my answers” thing, she really is starting to annoy me lots.
You can root for Ace all you want to Zoobabe, I’m sticking with Katharine and Elliott!
Of course Ace isn’t the worst singer ever to be on A.I., it’s just a personal thing. The guy bugs the sh*t out of me. I don’t like his thin whiney voice, the seductive gazing, and to be honest I havn’t heard him exactly nail a song yet. But maybe he will surprise me one of these times, the way Paris did this with Fever!
-Rick
While I think Ace has gotten about as far as his looks and slightly above average singing can take him, he certainly isn’t one of the worst contestants ever. I remember back to the first season, where easily half of the top 12 probably wouldn’t have gotten out of Hollywood if they were contestants this year – RJ, AJ, Guarini, Ryan Starr, etc. While there are still definitely some duds overall as the show has grown in popularity and allowed older contestants the talent has gotten exponentially better.
aries..your post was awesome.
as for Manillow retiring. Why should anyone begrudge the guy. He’s successful and talented at what he does. It’s not my taste, but so what?
I thought Manilow was great on Idol when he was helping the singers and his comments were intelligent and insightful. What I said about him retiring was based on the fact that the voice is starting to go. When singers reach a certain age sometimes it’s best to call it quits before the performances become an embarrassment like it was for Sinatra at the end. I see Manilow heading down that same road and this might be the right time for him to bow out while he still sounds somewhat OK. Then the fans will rememeber him in his prime.
-Rick
Thanks for the comment dredge. If I showed up at work looking as zonked and out of it as Paula did on Tuesday, I’d probably get sent back home and have an appointment with HR upon my return. I can’t wait to see what she looks like next week.
I too liked the way Barry Manilow helped the contestants. He really seemed like he was being helpful, as opposed to Gloria Estefan, Lionel Richie, and the other celebrity tools that AI has had as guests in past seasons. I thought Barry was only on the show to pimp his new album, but he really surprised me with his advice and insight. I know if I was as rich and busy as Barry, I probably wouldn’t waste two seconds dealing with reality show contestants. So taking the time and effort that Barry did shows his commitment to developing new talent. Kind of nice of him, I think.
As for the anti Ace comments, all I can say is that another blog put it best when it said of Ace’s performance that Ace did all the things he does best, but singing wasn’t one of them. Ace is eye candy pure and simple. I hope he sticks around just to balance out the annoying presence of Kellie and Paris.
I’m a bit baffled by this Chris backlash. Fair enough if you don’t like him, it’s just a matter of opinion after all, but his big crime is apparently not being “original”. Are any of the other contestants “original”? Most of them don’t even have discernible musical styles (Elliott is probably the world’s only personality-free white soul boy Alf lookalike, but that’s more an accident of birth than “originality”).
Chris hasn’t claimed to be unique or original, he just does his thing and does it well. Randy and Simon only keep ranting about how original he is because neither of them has a clue about rock music – that’s their fault, not his. It would be good to see him attempt something a bit more fun and old school than Creed/Staind/Fuel though.
While I’m here, did no-one else find it strange seeing Paris perform “Fever”? Good though she was, it’s a song for a grown woman, not a squeaky God-bothering 16 year old.
I too was surprised that Paris did “Fever” but I was pleased. I thought she performed it extremely well. And you are right, it’s a song originally written and recorded back in the 50′s by Peggy Lee, a grown woman, and it’s obviously a mature song about sex. So some people may feel it isn’t age appropriate for 16 year old Paris. But in reality by today’s standards the song is pretty tame as compared to what’s being currently recorded in hip hop, rock, pop etc. music by very young artists (and listened to by kids as young or younger than Paris’ age).
Anyone with sattelite access catch the weekly “freeview” show which just started airing last week about American Idol? I think it’s called “American Idol Extra”. Two of the co-hosts are ex-idols Matt Rogers and Makaila Gordon. Gordon is fun, very campy and over-the-top. Rogers is just great. He seems a natural as a TV host and is very likable. The show covers American Idol behind-the-scenes, including interviews with past idol contestants and other celebrities in attendance as well as whomever just got kicked off, last week being Kevin of course. Anyone else has seen this show yet?
I think the Chris backlash has to do with the fact that some people are anxious to hear him try something else and he isn’t changing it up at all. He kind of sounds the same way every week, which is great if you like his style, whether it’s original or not. But then again Simon praised him for not changing saying “you are the first Idol contestant ever who won’t compromise and for that you should be applauded”, so who knows? Interesting to see where the votes will go with Chris, there’s no denying he’s one of the more talented contestants.
-Rick
After all my ranting against “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter, I suddenly realized that I had actually downloaded the song back in August of last year when it was an iTunes free download. Just can’t get away from it…
how fitting that the author of the recap had the 100th comment!
Of course Paris did a good job! She had already sung FEVER during Hollywood week. She did a great job, but so do all the people who get voted off when they sing their songs a second time. Felt a bit gypped — kind of like when Taylor sang Easy by Lionel Richie. He’d sang it countless times in the bars. Randy Jackson called him on it, too.