great recap as always! but they have been lip synching every group number since this season started! some are just better at faking it than others......... i should know ;)

I'm not sure why there's even a question that they're lipsyncing -- there's no way possible to get that slick of a mix live, especially not with 10 singers. And they've smoothed over all of the singers rough edges too.

Not only that, they're not even lipsyncing 'live' --that is, in front of the audience.

You wonder why they even bother with the group 'sing'. Just part of the AI sham, I guess.

So, I'm annoyed at Idol. I loved Adam's song so much this week that I downloaded it from iTunes, forgetting that they are doing them to the original recordings - meaning that Adam's is NOT the slowed down version he did on Wednesday. BS.

And itchy, they do the group sing in front of an audience, lip-synched or no. I know a couple of people who live in LA who are regulars at the tapings.

Megan had better go next week. She pisses me off to no end. She's the Kristy Lee Cook/Haley Scarnato of this season - really pretty, extremely sucky. Ugh.

The group sings are some of the funniest things on T.V. It's like watching a "current and relevant" version of The Brady Bunch.

It's A Sunshine Day...c'mon, everyone! Sing along!

Heh heh...no, they've all decided to singing the Peter Brady part in "When It's Time to Change"...

This time out the group sing was clearly edited together-- check out the microphone positions during the part where they're all waving their arms around. The closeups on Humbert and Lil (who looked even more like she has Down's Syndrome with that hairdo) were clearly taped at a different time.

Also, Matt's unicorn horn magically disappeared...

And they use the Motown footage to splice together the different parts of the medly -- impossible for them to have put those microphones in place in so few seconds if it were 'live'.

Not to mention that not only do they never show the audience --and the edits always come just at the point where you might see the empty seats--but the band isn't there either.

I'm sure sharper eyes than mine will be able to spot wardrobe differences as well.

So maybe on some of the shows they do the lipsync thing live -- but this one was clearly edited.

Which opens up the possibility of course they this 'performance' was the result of multiple takes.

And they still suck at it.

Makes you wonder what they'll do on the "tour."

Great recap.

Megan is the votefortheworst candidate, if that makes anyone feel better (or more sane). I just visited that site and they have a surprisingly nice Kellie Pickler music video (seriously).

I just wish AI'd have kept that funny, talented "Norman" guy from Connecticut instead of Megan. At least he is funny on purpose.

Personally I think it's awesome that VFTW exists and that it could have this kind of influence on one of the most blatently unreal of all reality shows.

I will clarify. The group sing is done live - as in, in front of an audience. However, it is not done live on results night - I believe the group stuff is taped on Monday or Tuesday and it's done more than once, hence why the editing might look different.

On results night, they just play the tape.

Although I have gotten this information from two people who have actually been present at the tapings last season, EW.com also provides a fascinating insider look into the goings on of Idol. I also highly recommend their "Idolatry" video series - it's very amusing.

Amen Itchy !!!!

Flipit,

You're a whore. All those FAT photos of Michael? Listen to me, mister, I'm tracking you down and your ass is gonna be sore when I'm finished with it.

My penis was still upset about Michael's leaving so on Friday I wore these leather "trunks" under my pants to work. They always gets my mojo working. Uh, unfortunately, wearing leather trunks for ten hours straight was a bad idea. All I ended up with was "chafing." Next weekend I'm headed to the Naval shipyard.

I like the three girls singing together. I hope all three stay on the show for a long, long, long time. They should form a girl group.

As for Stevie, I think he and Michael were both eating all week long. And you know, he's blind but he needs to do something about those braids. That is not a good look for a bald blind man. Excusable: yes. Good look: no.

VFTW has to exist. AI needs to be put in it's place. Of the 350,000 people that tried out for AI this season I'm sure at least 200,000 sing better than Megan. The fact that AI purports to be a singing contest and then they put through a "Megan" is just asking to be punished. VFTW is the reason Taylor Hicks won, then AI got smart and started to attempt to counteract VFTW's influence. I beg all of you to vote for Megan and let's see if we can't get her a win! Let Simon and AI find 10 songs for her to debut.

See, I still believe that with some serious vocal training, Megan could actually become a real singer. Well, real enough to package into a hit factory.

It's not like AI is trying to create the next great musical artist. They're just trying to sell pop records -- and let's face it, the bar is set pretty low as to what the public adopts as a hit or not.

The only other contestant who can possibly fill the role is Adam, since he already knows how to sing (when he chooses to --I preferred his ring of fire to the sappy dreck he sang on Motown night, although I appreciated the campiness of his performance nonetheless).

The rest of them are either forgettably bland, or just plain gross to look at.

It's not like Britney Spears became as star because she looked like the Church Lady.

I also think that Megan represents more of what this competition is supposed to be about (i.e., uncovering unknowns): she's one of the few in this group who truly seem to have had no prior performing experience.

It's obvious she hasn't quite learned to control her voice yet, but the basic tonefulness of it is there, underneath the nervousness of the performance.

Who else is a true amateur in this group? Maybe Kris? Scott? Even Anoop did television in the past. All of the others seem to have been performing a long time.

Mr. Dangerous: You make me laugh out loud.

I agree about the Stevie Wonder thing, but then, I've always hated his smarmy music. He was great in the 60s though.

While I'm procrastinating about getting down to work, I had the idea to listen to the itunes versions of Megan's songs (they're on youtube).

It's as I suspected, she's a fine enough singer, certainly no worse than any of the others, so in terms of recording in a studio setup (where she can do multiple takes, and software can take care of the rest), I see no problems for her.

And of course, it'll be easy to package her visually (although they'll have to cut off her arm...)

All right, all right, I'll get to work...grumble grumble

Hey, I voted for Taylor Hicks. I'm not part of VFTW. I like him and I wanted to see him in Grease at the Pantages Theater so I must still like him. (I think he was playing the part of Frenchy.)

Megan votes would have to be a combination of VFTW, Votes based on looks, and a few people like her weird-not-quite-jazz voice. Add those together and it's enough to keep her in until there are less people. Not only is she still there, but she has not even been in the bottom 3.

I was sure we would get a shot of Cholaheta once again rocking her Chola bangs.

Thank you for the fat pictures of Oil Rig Bear, I always like new porn. Heeee's dreeeeeaammy! I just wanna rub bellies with him (okay, and maybe a few other things).

I have long been a supporter and active member of VFTW, and I fully endorse and support the aim of the website, which I fully believe HAS had an effect on SOME of the outcomes of Idol... up until the producers got scared and started monkeying with the results. If they were truly interested in getting the top 12 voices on the show, the people would be so good you'd be unable to choose from them and it would be a real competition with real vocal talents. It isn't, it's just entertainment and some pretty people to look at while they murder the same 16 songs over and over again show after show (and we just got lucky that they threw us chub-chasers a boner-maker this season in Bubba Oil Rig Bear).

love, J-Mo :)

P.S. I still miss Sanjaya! *snif*

Flipit! Great recap, as always. LOL, the Hokey screencap. Constipation never looked so good.

Don't get why Randy is hating on Gums over Dandelion. Surely having your Siamese Twin stuck to the center of your forehead is as debilitating as being legally blind? Yes? No?

Smokey and Joss was OK if you kept eyes shut and thought of England.

Or possibly, Antarctica.

I did like Stevie, but man Skara dances like a cracked-out frat boy. You know, the one who claims "I love you, man!" all night long, then pukes in your shoes like a cat to show his affection? That guy is Skara dancing. She's even grabbing breasts like a frat boy! (OK, they were her own, but still!)

As for Oil Rig going home, I'm sad. Nice guy. You could tell he knew he was gone. Too bad his moobs didn't attract the 16-year-old boy vote the way Megan's unharnessed chest seems to. I would have preferred to watch his amusing sex-faces for another week over her mangling whatever genre they throw at them.

"Paula is literally shimmying while showing off her tiny boner."

LOL, but ugh. That dress was fug. What is with the styling? Dresses that make unsupported breasts look like lumpy gourds, shiny trash bags, metallic gold dresses that give women boners and flattened chests. Simon is right to stick with safe tees and jeans. He'd probably walk out looking like Ziggy Stardust if AI Stylist had their way.

Love that Randy looks more and more like Mr Rogers. Ah, pop your pm meds and go to bed. It's way past your bedtime and you're talking funny stuff.

Okay, this episode befuddled me. The recap was great but while I was watching:

Smokey and Joss were plain terrible. Unbelievably so.

Stoddard was sweating and so shiny on his giant bald chocolate head, my eyes literally began to water. Couldn't take it.

Stevie was aight until the last song. WTF. "I love you Barak Obama?" Seriously. You love him? I can see being pleased that your party is in power in the executive branch, but he's a politician. Love? Stevie Loves Obama. Come on.

Kara's extreme overbite annoys the shit out of me.

Simon isn't even pretending anymore. I am ovah his open disgust for the proceedings. GTFO if it's so terrible.

As for the contestants: Megan and the blind guy are terrible and I can't take another week of either of them. I don't like Adam because he is so damn phony. I don't mind Kris, don't mind Danny, and kinda like Anoop. Of the girls, the redheaded teenager is the best. Little is aight but won't win.

There. I shared. I love you guys! Thank goodness snark is around and abundant.

I just re-read my post. Of course I meant Studdard, and Barack. And I wonder what it means that I used the word "terrible" three times without even noticing.

Obama is the new Jesus.

I didn't catch the name-dropping, since for me it's bad enough hearing one SW song, let alone the type of medley you'd hear at a wedding.

But yeah, what does the president have to do with Idol --other than the fact that this show generates more votes than the presidential election?

Which is the truly scary part.

Stevei may love Barack, but I'm betting the producers of AI don't, since El Presidente keeps messing up the schedule with his endless TV appearances.

Maybe he just just come on AI and sing. He could do Money by Pink Floyd...or Taxman by the Beatles might be more appropriate.

wow...my typing skills are deteriorating...

"Stevie" not "Stevei" and "should just" not "just just".

Sorry.

I only hope they didn't bring Stevie on there coz they think in anyway dandelion compares . . . coz no, he don't!!! Sadly, I think Stevie's done in the new song dept, that was dreck, that last one . . . "Superstition" is an awesome awesome song and always forever will be one of the hottest riffs of all time--even with horns!

Can't believe matt in the bottom, can't believe it--I do agree, he's not the most exciting, but he's hella better than Anoop's frozen face (tho he sings well) and Dande and CawCaw.

And tho, I dig me some meaty guys, Oil Bear just don't do it fer me, so Mr. D, you can have him, or split him with J-mo, and I'll go dig in the archives and get me some Matt Rogers!!!! Whatever did happen with his "Really Big Things" show, anyway . . . I liked it!

Thanks Flippy, can't wait to see what they destroy this week. Also, I wonder if they are taping the group number to facilitate moving Dande about . . . just a thought . . .