Miley Cyrus... Who'da Thunk It?

The top eleven will perform on American Idol tomorrow night. The theme of the show was supposed to be Teen Idols, but it's been changed to the safer (and broader) Billboard #1 Hits. You'd think the wide open range of song choices would help everyone pick just the right song, but it always seems to have the opposite effect. It's like going to a restaurant with WAY too many items on the menu... you end up choosing something that sounds good, but isn't all that appetizing once it hits your tongue. Will be interesting who picks what, and how many times we hear the words, "I had fun. I had a good time. That's all that matters."

What's really going to be interesting tomorrow will be watching the contestants interact with their guest mentor... Miley Cyrus. (Can you imagine the reaction from Crystal Bowersox when she got the news? "Miley who?")

Now, I've got nothing against Cyrus personally. She seems like a sweet kid. But when it comes to giving singing advice, I can think of lots of other artists much better suited to the task. But Miley's got a movie to plug, which is obviously very important criteria when it comes to choosing a mentor. (Oh, and the musical guests for Wednesday will be Cyrus, Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato. Get ready for some ear-piercing screams from the audience.)

The good news is that last week, the AI gang finally seemed to pull it all together. The judges were much better behaved now that they're out of that dark corner of the studio and back front and center. And the contestants (for the most part) sang with gusto and a spark of life in their eyes. My favorite of the evening was probably Siobhan Magnus. Her rendition of Paint it Black was all kinds of fun. She and Bowersox are probably the two quirkiest from a personality perspective, but I also think they're the tops vocally. It would be cool if this thing came down to a two girl race.

But for now, we must get through the teen invasion. Bring it on, Miley...

Breaking News - Simon Says So Long

I'm sure you've heard the news by now. No, we haven't yet achieved peace in the Middle East. A cure has not been found for the common cold. And global warming remains a point of "hot" contention. Today, what's the news that everyone's talking about?

Simon is leaving American Idol.

Yep, this is his last season. In Fall 2011 he'll bring UK sensation X-Factor, which he produces, to Fox. Since he's also a judge on the show, he has chosen to bid a fond farewell to Idol.

This might be a good time to take a look at the state of American Idol:

Paula Abdul has left the building - Her sometimes saccharin-sweet, often meandering commentary was a perfect counter to Simon's acerbic critiques. At heart, she's a music industry professional, and she knew what she was talking about... even if it didn't always come out the way she intended. I'm sorry she won't be around this season. Still, it's not a deal breaker. The show will go on.

Ellen DeGeneres is the fourth judge - I like Ellen. She's a funny gal. And that's the problem. Ellen is a comedian. She knows nothing about the music industry except what she likes. If you saw her stint as a guest host on So You Think You Can Dance, then you know what I mean. Most of her comments will probably be meant to elicit laughs. Which is going to get old pretty quickly. I hope I'm wrong, but that's how I see it. Still, Ellen's not a deal breaker, either. The show will go on.

Randy and Kara haven't gone anywhere - Randy's always been pretty solid, although he needs to find a synonym for "pitchy." And Kara, while she has a tendency to monologue and take herself a bit too seriously, brings mostly positives to the table. (Just don't let her pen the song again for this year's winning contestant.) Randy and Kara provide a little continuity from last year, which is good. The show will go on.

Simon leaves at the end of this season - Uh oh. Simon is probably the most unique component of this program. Yes, he can be rude, but most of the time, he's right. And when he does honor a contestant with a compliment, it means so much more than if it came from anybody else. This one could not only be a deal breaker, but a show killer.

Come 2011, it will be interesting to see how the ratings are affected by the overhauled judges' table. I'll be watching... how about you?

American Idol - And the Winner is...

Tonight's American Idol finale was probably the best ever. Here are my personal highlights:

BEST DUETS - Allison & Cyndi Lauper - It was great to see a still-quirky but appropriate Cyndi sing a soulful version of Time After Time with young Allison.

Kris & Keith Urban - Two strong male voices, two guitars... what's not to like?

FAVORITE SURPRISE MUSICIAN - Steve Martin - Michael and Megan sang a sweet little duet, written by the banjo playing Martin, and accompanied by his band. Loved the song and loved Steve. I may even buy his album: The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo.

BEST GAG - Kara versus Bikini Girl - When what's her name came out, she was sporting a new bikini and a new pair of breasts. Apparently, she got augmented since the last time we saw her. I really didn't want to hear her try to sing again. But then they raised the wall behind her, and I thought, Oh good, Mariah's going to put her to shame. But NOOOOO, it was even better than that. It was Kara! Not only did she show off a great set of pipes, but at the end she briefly flashed her own totally tone bikini clad bod. Good for you, Kara!

AND NOW, THE WINNER... Kris Allen! Yeah, I know, I've been an Adam Lambert fan all this time. And I still am. But over the last few weeks, I've become a Kris fan, too. Going into this show, I really didn't care which one won. And when Kris's name was called, I actually shrieked with glee. I'm thrilled for him and his family. And I know I'll still get to hear more from Mr. Lambert in the near future.

So that's it. Another season, another winner. Thanks, American Idol, for a great show. See ya next time!

American Idol - Could Kris Be In The Final Two?

Tonight, we get down to the final two. From the beginning, I've been saying that Danny and Adam will be in the finale. But last night, Kris kinda blew my mind. He's been the quiet, come from behind guy. I didn't even notice him the first few weeks. But he's been growing on me, and last night, I think he sailed past the other two. Adam and Danny both had one song that was great, but another that didn't quite hit the mark. But both of Kris's performances were solid, entertaining, and engaging.

So I find myself with a bit of a dilemma.

I find myself having a hard time picturing a finale without Kris.

And even though I still love Gokey, I find myself really wanting to see a Kris/Adam finale.

At this point, I'm thinking it could go any way: Danny/Adam, Kris/Adam, Kris/Danny... It's sure going to be fun finding out.

Added Wednesday night: Wow, it really happened. It's a Kris/Adam finale! Congrats to them, and to the talented Danny Gokey. I'm sure all three will have successful recording careers. That's all I can say now, cuz my mind is still blown from the season finale of LOST. Whoa!

American Idol - Musical Guests Are Everywhere!

Yesterday's American Idol results show had so many musical guests in you'd have thought it was the Grammy's.

First, Slash did his guitar thing while the final four sang School's Out. Once more, poor Danny looked totally uncomfortable and out of place. As for Slash, with his saucy top hat and his black hair obscuring most of his face, he looked like a rockin' version of Cousin It.

Next to hit the stage, Paula Abdul premiering her new song I'm Just Here for the Music. Apparently, she was also here for the lip syncing. There's no possible way Abdul could have done all that dancing and not be completely out of breath. Also, I don't think that synthesized voice thing goes over all that well in a live performance. But it was nice to see her bust a move.

Even though they don't have a new album, quirky group No Doubt hit the stage. Gwen may be a mother of two, but she's still full of spunk and vinegar. And she was sporting a very cool lime green bra (I know this because the straps were sticking out from under her white tank top). Now she was quite obviously singing live, as evidenced by her lack of breath in certain spots (which just supports my above theory about Paula).

Finally, Daughtry rounded out the parade of guests, debuting a song off a new album. The group's got a nice sound, but I don't remember a whole lot about the performance. Hmmm... wonder what Simon would say about that?

Finally, we got down to the real reason we were all tuned in... the Big Goodbye. Sadly, this was Allison's last night. Ironic that she'd go after a show where she really excelled, but that's the way this contest goes. Unless there's a BIG upset - and there's always room for that - I'm still predicting Danny & Adam in the top two. As long as Danny stays away from those monster-movie-scary high notes!

Reality Bites - What's Up on AI and DWTS

I love Tuesdays because I get to watch a new episode of American Idol, and then watch the results show for Dancing With The Stars. It's always fun, but tonight contained more than one surprise, as well as one downright shocker.


AMERICAN IDOL

Being that it was rock 'n' roll night, I wasn't particularly concerned for any of the contestants. There are all kinds of levels of rock, and I figured each singer would pick a song that worked for them. Not so much.

ADAM - Whole Lotta Love - This was an absolutely perfect song for him. As usual, I'll be downloading it from iTunes tomorrow. The only problem for Adam is that when he's decked out in all his rock glory, he just might scare some people. I think part of the reason he goes so far with the hair and the eyeliner is because he really has a cute, almost baby face look about him. Check him out without makeup. Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?

ALLISON - Cry Baby - A strong performance from Allison, who again looked great. A visit to Adam's hair gal gave her some nice low lights. And her personality is really starting to come out. I guess hitting the ripe old age of 17 has upped her confidence level.

FIRST DUET - KRIS & DANNY - Renegade - Neither one of these guys is what you'd call a hard rocker, so I thought this was a good choice for them. Together, their harmonies sounded great. But separately, they seemed to struggle. Danny looked uncomfortable and later implied that it was hard to hear himself sing, and Kris sounded rushed and out of breath. Still, an okay performance.

KRIS - Come Together - Again, I thought this was a good choice for Kris. His voice had a nice tone and he got to work the guitar. Not the most exciting performance, but good.

DANNY - Dream On - Ouch! I've been a Danny fan from the beginning, and have always said I expect to see him in the finale. But tonight was not good. At all. When he tried to hit that big monster note at the end, I cringed. A big, pull-my-ears-to-my-shoulders type cringe. I don't like it when Simon constantly compares everybody to Adam. I don't think it's fair to any of them. BUT, you do need to know your competition. And when you're competing against someone like Adam who can hit those crazy high notes, you have to think twice before tackling it. Danny took a risk, but I don't think it paid off.

SECOND DUET - ADAM & ALLISON - Slow Ride - I don't know how they decided who got to sing with who. Hat draw? Rock, paper, scissors? A hand from the programming higher-ups? But Adam and Allison were the perfect pairing for this song, and for the night in general. Not only did they sound great, but they were a lot of fun to watch. After tonight, it's pretty obvious Allison is determined to make it to the final show. Good for her.

WHO WILL GO? At this point, I like all four of them, and I think they can all have music careers, no matter what order they go in. Tonight, I really think Danny was the weakest, but I don't think he'll go. I believe we're going to say goodbye to Kris.


DANCING WITH THE STARS

I love Ty Murray, the professional bull rider who is also married to singer, Jewel. He got into this competition because he would be competing against her, but then Jewel had to pull out after an injury. But did Ty follow her off the competition? No way! Arguably one of the stiffest dancers ever to hit the floor, Ty has worked like crazy to improve, and it shows. He shines in power dances like the tango and paso doble. But he still has a problem with anything where he has to move his hips. Which is why it was such a shock tonight that Lil Kim, not Ty, was voted off. While Kim is the better dancer, I think Ty's personality (and the talent of his partner, Chelsea) is what's keeping him around. I'm happy to see him stay, but at the same time I'm sad that the better dancer had to go. It'll be interesting to see what he does next week.

American Idol Visits the Rat Pack Era

Ah, the Rat Pack era. Those long ago days in Vegas when the crooners really knew how to croon. And who would the mentor be on this nostalgic day? As Kris said, "All those guys in the Rat Pack... they're dead." True. So it was a little surprising when who should walk through the mansion door but... Jamie Foxx???

At first, he seemed like an odd choice. Yes, he won an Oscar portraying Ray Charles, but when it comes to his own music, he's an R&B artist. Well, Jamie pleasantly surprised me. The comments he had for the contestants were right on and seemed to help. And here's how things went...

KRIS - The Way You Look Tonight - When Kris started out, all I could think of was "smooth." He's got such a rich, mellow tone to his voice. And I love the way his jaw juts off to the side when he hits the power notes. I wasn't crazy about the tempo change in the middle of the song. I would have preferred if he kept it in a slow groove, but he still did a great job.

ALLISON - Someone To Watch Over Me - This may have been my favorite Allison performance to date. She hit just the right combination of being true to herself and catching the vibe of the song. And she looked fabulous! In my opinion, the now seventeen-year-old nailed it last night.

MATT - My Funny Valentine - Oh, Matt. I expected so much from you. And you almost delivered. But some of the runs fell flat. Even though it was a good performance, it didn't stand up against everyone else.

DANNY - Come Rain or Come Shine - Finally, the Danny we know and love is back! Even though his performances have been very good, they've lacked a little something the last few weeks. But last night, Danny crooned with the best of them. I particularly liked the end of the song. In this case, upping the tempo worked in a big, big way.

ADAM - Feeling Good - It'll just be redundant if I say I love Adam, so I'll control myself. This is one of those songs that you hear a million times during the audition process, so I wasn't all that excited when I heard he was singing it. BUT, as always, he put his own spin on it, making it fresh and unique. And has there ever been a better entrance down that staircase? I think not.

BEST LINE OF THE NIGHT - From Simon, in response to Randy saying that Adam was a little too theatrical: "That's like complaining that a cow moos. It's who he is."

GUESS WHAT I DID FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST NIGHT? I voted! Yeah, I know, as much as I write about this show, you'd think I was a voter, but I'm not. However, I felt strongly enough last night to pick up my cell and call in my vote for Adam. I only got through once, but at least I did my part :+}

WE BID A FOND FAREWELL TO... Matt. I think he and Allison will end up in the bottom two, but I believe Matt will be the one to go.

What do you think?

My Head's Killing Me but I Must Talk About Americian Idol!

I woke up this morning with a terrible sinus headache. All I wanted to do was tunnel further into the covers and go back to bed. BUT, I've got a To Do list, and it wouldn't leave me alone. So, I got up. I took a shower. I ate breakfast. And I felt a tiny bit better.

Did I accomplish anything? Some. I answered emails and wrote one page on a new chapter. I walked to the mailbox and found two red Netflix envelopes. One of the movies, Bedtime Stories, seemed perfect for today, so I crashed on the couch and watched it. I think the laughter helped. I've still got a headache, although not quite as intense.

You're probably thinking, what's the point to this post? Not much. Only that sometimes, our well thought out plans are derailed by things like headaches, and we have to give ourselves permission to adapt to the situation.

By the way, since I missed yacking about American Idol last week, I just can't let another week go by without commenting. So here I go...

THE DISCO NIGHT THAT ALMOST WASN'T
Yep, last night was disco night, but it was hard to tell. Out of the seven remaining contestants, only two, Lil and Matt, sang songs that remotely resembled disco. The other five sang updated versions of songs from the disco era... which was a good thing.

SHINIER THAN A DISCO BALL
As usual, Adam was my favorite of the night with a heartfelt version of "If I Can't Have You." To date, I've downloaded every one of his songs from iTunes. I'm making my own Adam album! Another standout was Kris, who did an acoustic version of "She Works Hard for the Money."

FASHION UPS & DOWNS
UP: Danny was wearing his glasses again.
DOWN: Allison's wardrobe. She's a great singer, but she needs a fashion consultant.
UNDECIDED: Anoop's pink shirt.
DOWN: Anoop's facial hair. I like smooth Anoop better.

WE BID A FOND FAREWELL TO...
Tonight we're losing two contestants. If Lil isn't one of them, I'll be shocked. Gotta admit, I'm feeling no Lil love anymore. It's almost like there's a wall between her and everyone else. Odd stuff. So, I think the bottom three will be Lil, Matt and Anoop. Lil will be one of the two going home, but I think it's a dead heat between the guys. We'll see.

The AH HA! and the Awwwwwe Moments

Wednesdays. The night when LOST and American Idol battle for my live viewing time. LOST wins, but I record AI and watch it right after, lest I find out the results from over-zealous Facebook friends. Which leads me to tonight's moments:

Warning - SPOILERS AHEAD!!!


LOST - AH HA!
Tonight, Ben had to seek forgiveness for the one sin he's truly sorry for: the death of his daughter, the stolen Alex. And when he finally gets to the right place, after falling through the floor in an underground tunnel (so he's waaaaay down there) what do we find? Columns covered by Egyptian hieroglyphs. Some time last month, I made the connection between Paul's ankh necklace, the big foot statue, and yes, Richard's eyeliner and supposed that we would find out there's an Egyptian back story on the island. TA DA! Now I'm just waiting to find out that the never-aging Richard is in actuality a pharaoh or something along those lines. Wait for it...


American Idol - Awwwwwe....
It wasn't a huge surprise. I even picked him last night as the one to go home. But actually seeing Scott get his Idol adios was pretty moving. He seems like a genuinely nice fellow, and his sense of humor has been wonderfully dry and quick. Who can forget his on-stage high five with Ryan? It's great that he's going to be on the AI tour, but I'm going to miss seeing him on the show.

American Idol Rocks the '80s (and a tiny bit of the '90s)

It was "Songs from the Year You Were Born" night on American Idol. What it ended up being was an '80s retrospective since only one contestant was born in a different year (Allison, in '92). Ah, the '80s... it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Which pretty much sums up tonight's show.

DANNY - Stand by Me - This is the first night I've been less than thrilled with Danny. I didn't like the beginning, the middle was okay, and the end was really good. But I still see Danny in the top two.

KRIS - All She Wants to Do is Dance - Yikes, Kris took a major step back tonight. Playing the guitar to this song was odd. The arrangement was weird, too. Kinda cheesy.

LIL - What's Love Got To Do With It? - I have to agree with the judges... where has Lil gone? The last great performance she gave was right before they narrowed it down to 13. Since then, she's kinda been all over the place. When she hits those power notes, she's amazing, but her lower range is weak and her phrasing is often choppy, like she can't keep up with the music. Come back, Lil, come back!

ANOOP - True Colors - This was the first great song of the night! He gave a heartfelt rendition of this song. I really like the softer side of Anoop.

SCOTT - The Search is Over - I blame Paula. There was no piano tonight. Instead, Scott played the electric guitar. Too bad it sounded like he was playing a different song than he was singing. I like Scott a lot, but tonight was not good.

ALLISON - I Can't Make You Love Me - Fabulous! By pulling back some of her angry-rock-chick persona, Allison nailed this song. We got to see a different side of her and experience more of her range.

MATT - Part-Time Lover - Another great performance. I was worried about Matt after last week, but tonight he was wonderful.

ADAM - Mad World - Adam was born in '82 (which is the same year I graduated high school, not that that makes me feel old or anything), so I was surprised that I've never heard the song he chose. But that really didn't matter. It was such a low-key, honest performance, it sucked me right in. Even Simon gave him a standing ovation. Last week, someone posed the question, "But would you really buy Adam's album?" My answer to that is, YES, absolutely. And when can I get it?

Okay, so who's in the bottom three tomorrow? Judged solely on tonight's performances, I say Kris, Lil, and Scott. And I think Scott's going to go home. What do you think?

Falling Down on the Blog

Last week I was determined to blog more often. HA! That plan went south in a hurry. I've spent most of this week sequestered in my office with my current manuscript, polishing, improving, pumping up... I've sat in this chair so much, well, let's just say the term "saddle sore" could apply here.

Rather than write nothing, I thought I'd come here this evening and ramble about some of the things on my mind this week. Hope you enjoy it...

IS THAT ON THE EAST SIDE? During Tuesday's episode of American Idol, Kara told Adam that his song was so great, we were all there dancing with him "at Studio 57." Awe, isn't she cute. That would be Studio 54, you young thing.

IT'S NOT A BLANKET, IT'S A BATHROBE! Yes, there it is, I said it. That darn Snuggie thing that everybody's so hyped up over... it's not a blanket with sleeves, it's a backwards bathrobe. Now, don't you wish you'd realized people would pay good money for something they probably already have? I know I do.

AND WHEN DO THEY HAPPEN TO THE OTHER 20%? Here's a line from one of our local attorney commercials: "At least 80% of people will experience an accident in their lifetime." You don't say...

TWOOGLE? Just read today that Google is trying to buy Twitter. Of course, Twitter already turned down an offer from Facebook - I heard they offered around half a billion. I'm thinking the Twitter folk won't settle for anything less than a 140 character deal.

That's all the fascinating observations I have for now. Have you seen anything interesting this week?

Motown Night on American Idol

It was Motown Night on American Idol and surprises did abound. From Paula's prom dress to the very sad face job of a famous singer in the audience, you never knew what to expect. I was looking forward to tonight because, really, Motown offers something for everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone nabbed a song that was right for them. But others were awesome. Here are my weekly Idol thoughts:


ADAM'S THE MAN! People used to seeing over the top, theatrical Adam were surprised tonight by the clean-cut, suit wearing, non-eyelinered, natural finger nailed Adam. He delivered a rendition of Tracks of My Tears that even had Smokey Robinson giving him a standing O. Tonight we got to see just how much range this talented singer has. And is it just me, or did he look an awful lot like Dean Cain back in his Lois & Clark days?

IT'S STARTING ALREADY... Allison has a great voice. But one thing I've worried about is her starting to sound the same on every song. It happened tonight. The judges loved it, but to me it sounded like every other song she's sung. I hope she mixes it up a little next week.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO LIL? She should have been great tonight. I mean come on... the woman's been compared to Mary J. Blige, so she should have rocked Motown night. Not so. Her Heatwave ended up being luke warm. She struggled to keep up with the the fast tempo which made her sound shouty and at times off-key. She'll make it through to next week, but this is two disappointing weeks in a row. Lil needs to up her game.

MATT WON ME OVER - With his soulful rendition of Let's Get it On, Matt brought me all the way over into his corner. Which leads me to...

I'M CHANGING MY MIND - Early on, I predicted that the top three would be Adam, Danny, and Scott. I still think the top three will be men, but I'm replacing Scott with Matt. Matt consistently gets better and better, while Scott has been a bit of a disappointment. I love the guy, think he's got a great sense of humor, but I don't think his vocals are good enough to get him to the end.

So, who's going home tomorrow? Based on tonight, I would say Scott and Megan will be in the bottom two, and Megan will go home. It pains me to say it, because I think she's great, but tonight's performance was not good.

And here is my new, official prediction for the finale: Adam and Danny, with Adam coming out the winner. That's what I think, and I'm sticking to it.

What do you think?

Country Night on American Idol

Country night is always a little scary. It's hard to know what someone like Adam will do to a country song. Then again, sometimes the singers you expect the most out of don't deliver. Here are my thoughts:

ADAM DELIVERED - Johnny Cash may be rolling over in his grave, but Adam's spin on Ring of Fire gave me chills...in a good way. Randy and Kara were confused by it, but I thought it was great. If he'd tried to sing it with a straight country flavor, we would have heard comments like "you lost your edge." I thought it was fab.

MEGAN BATTLES ILLNESS - If not for the coughing at the end, you'd never know Megan was sick with the flu (sick enough to go to the hospital). Her rendition of Walking After Midnight was so very cool. And she looked gorgeous. I love that girl.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE NIGHT - Lil. Sorry, but today, she was the weakest singer, IMO. Rather than give it a soulful spin, she tried to "honor the music." But her rendition of Independence Day fizzled like a defective firecracker. She wasn't bad, she hit all the notes, but the song didn't feel right. Which is sad, because I truly do enjoy the super talented Lil.

So who do I think will go home? Based solely on tonight's performance, I would say the bottom two will be Michael and Lil. And I think Lil will go home, unless the judges save her.

That prediction is going to make me unpopular, I know. But all these kids can really sing. Now it's a matter of proving yourself each week. And tonight, I wasn't feeling any Lil love.

What do YOU think?

American Idol: Who Are the Two to Go?

We finally got to see the top 13 tonight on the big stage. And it was quite an interesting show.





A MATTER OF TASTE - All these folks can sing. What it's going to come down to is personal preference. For example, I know lots of people who love Jasmine and Kris, but they don't do anything for me. And that's okay.

QUIRKY WINS ME OVER - The judges weren't crazy about Megan's rendition of Rockin' Robin, but I loved it. From her unusual vocal tone to her contradictory full arm tattoo and girl-next-door look, she's different. In a good way. I don't expect her to win, but I hope she stays around for a while.

AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE? Don't get me wrong... I love Adam. In fact, he's in my personal top three. But I have to wonder if his experience in musical theater gives him an advantage over the other contestants. When it comes to mere stage presence, he's got everyone else beat.

AND SPEAKING OF MY PERSONAL TOP THREE... Now that we've gotten to hear all the contestants in one night, I'm ready to pick my top three: Danny, Adam, and Scott. That's right, I don't see one of the girls in the top three.

WHY NOT LIL? I think Lil is great. But Fantasia not withstanding, American Idol has historically not been good to powerhouse, African American women. Think about it... Tamyra Gray (season 1 - 4th place), Jennifer Hudson (season 3 - 7th place), LaToya London (season 3 - 4th place)... I don't know why this is, but it concerns me about how long Lil will last.

So, based purely on my personal preferences, I think Jasmine and Kris will go home tomorrow. What do you think?

Last Night on American Idol

Is it just me, or were the contestants lip syncing the opening number? And really, I know they were being considerate of Scott (who is legally blind) but couldn't they have come up with something a little more original than having the guys sit through the whole thing?

Last night's winners were Lil, Scott and Jorge. I had guessed Lil and Scott, with Jorge as my Wild Card pick, so I was close. Of the eight contestants that are coming back for the WC show, I think Megan, Anoop and Matt will make it through to the top twelve. If they choose Tatiana, I can almost guarantee I will throw a pillow at the TV (because no matter how passionate I am on the subject, I will not throw something heavy and break my TV over her!)

I'm just glad these "semi-finals" are almost over. Next week, we get to the real show. Oughta be good!

American Idol or American Snooze Fest?

I'm just not feeling the American Idol love right now. Having a top 36 sounded like a good idea, but the reality is that most of the contestants trying to get a spot in the top 12 are pretty boring. Don't get me wrong, there are some good voices in the group, but also a lot of forgettable stuff. So here are my very short thoughts about tonight's show:

WATCH OUT FOR MEATLOAF - When I heard that Nathaniel Marshall was singing "I Would Do Anything For Love" I wanted him to do well. I really did. But it was all wrong. Meatloaf (of whom I am a fan, BTW) is a very theatrical singer. Someone like Adam Lambert could pull off Meatloaf. Poor Nathaniel just came across as corny.

SOMEBODY MUZZLE THE JUDGES - I have to say, four judges seems to be one too many. There's so much talking, it's turning into the "American Judges" show. And all their bickering is downright annoying. Please make it stop!

IT'S NOT ABOUT FUN - If I hear one more contestant say, "I had fun up here" after they turn in a less than stellar performance... Singing in the car is fun. Singing in front of an audience should be fun, but it should also be ON KEY.

Okay, enough ranting from me. Here are my picks for who'll go through tomorrow night:

Top Male - Jorge Nunez - The guy from Puerto Rico has a great voice and he can't help but speak in Spanish when he's excited. How cute is that?
Top Female - Lil Rounds - Two words: No Contest.
Top Third Overall - Felicia Barton - A last minute addition, Felicia has a great voice and cool personality to boot.
Wild Card Choice - Scott MacIntyre - While not the best singer, he's definitely one of the most sincere. And his joking high five with Ryan was priceless.

Your turn! What do you think?

American Idol - The Second Group of Twelve

While last week's show was a whole lotta bad sandwiched between some pretty good stuff, yesterday started off bad and picked up speed toward the end. There was lots of "You picked the wrong song" and "It was pitchy" from the judges (BTW, they did, and it was). Here's what I think...

KEEPING PARENTS IN THEIR PLACE - Thank heaven they went back to having parents in the audience rather than backstage on the couch! This is where they should be: sitting with everyone else, watching their little darling perform. It's a good thing.

PLEASE DON'T BEG! Lots of them do it, but Jeanine Vailes, AKA The Girl with the Beautiful Legs, took it to new levels. Not only did she promise to do better and pick better songs, she said something like "Please keep me... I'm 28... I've been doing this for 14 years... I'm so old!" Somehow, saying that no one has liked your singing for 14 years doesn't seem like a big selling point. More like it reeks of desperation.

BE GENTLE, NORMUND - I like Nick Mitchell/Normund Gentle. Nick is a cutie and Normund is a crack up. He gave one of the night's most entertaining performances singing that Dream Girls song. BUT, as much as I like him, I don't believe this is the right venue for him. If all is right with the world, last night was his last AI performance. Maybe he should try America's Got Talent next year. It worked for Terry Fator.

A WORD ABOUT VOTING - The first contestant, Jasmine Murray, said she voted for her fellow contestants. "I tried my hardest to vote for every single person." HUH? Well, that's just silly. If you vote for each person, you've just cancelled yourself out.

Last week, I nailed the top three. I think this week is going to be harder, but here's how I'd like to see it go down:
Top Male - Adam Lambert - His rendition of Satisfaction was awesome. Definitely satisfied me.
Top Female - Allison Iraheta - The 16-year-old sang Alone by Heart. She reminds me of David Archuletta - raw singing talent, but not so good with interviews. She can work on that.
Third overall - Megan Joy Corkrey - The girl with the tattooed arm made me forget how many zillions of times we've heard Put Your Records On.

And look for Matt Giraud to be the choice for the Wild Card show. The judges want to hear more from this guy. So do I.

Your turn. What are your thoughts or predictions?

American Idol - A Less Than Stellar Start

Tonight was the first real night of competition on American Idol. And by real I mean this is the first time that America gets to use their voice and vote. In that spirit, here are some of my random thoughts:

TOO MANY SEMI-FINALISTS - This year, there are 36 contestants in the semi-finals. This means we get three nights of 12 contestants and they're pared down from there. After last night, I'm thinking that's probably about 12 too many.

I LIKE THE NEW GIRL - Kara DioGuardi, the 4th judge, provides a nice shot in the arm. It's good to have someone else on the panel, although sometimes you have to feel sorry for those poor contestants standing through FOUR bad reviews.

SIMON IS THE GRIM REAPER - More than once he told someone, "You had this one amazing shot, and you blew it. You won't make it through." And yes, while I think he was right every time he said it, it's like kicking someone who's already on the ground. Kinda pointless and just a little mean.

SO MUCH VANILLA - Several contestants have nice voices, but they came across as pretty bland. So much so that I can't even remember who they were to tell you.

THE BOYS RULE - For this round, anyway. Most of the gals tonight either cracked or just weren't that great.

PARENTS DON'T BELONG BACK STAGE - It's painful enough to see the contestant deal with bad feedback. I don't need to see the parents do it, too. Hopefully this is only going to happen in the semi-finals.

WHAT'S TATIANA PLAYING? During the entire audition process, Tatiana Del Toro was an irritating mess... helium voice, grating laugh, manic mood swings. But tonight, it was Tatiana on Sedatives. She was so calm, she was blank. She was Stepford Tatiana. Sadly, she was one of the better girl singers. But I still think her personality - either one, because they're both bad - is going to knock her out of the competition.

SOME SONGS JUST SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE - What made Casey Carlson think she should sing a song by the Police? Turning Every Little Thing She Does is Magic into a pop ditty is just wrong. And Stephen Fowler confounded everyone by choosing Michael Jackson's Rock with You. To quote Randy, "Not good, Dogg, not good."

JAMAR WAS ROBBED - They showed him in the audience, supporting his buddy Danny. And I couldn't help but think how hard it must have been for him to hear all the clunkers and bad choices of some of the singers. Jamar should have been up on that stage, no doubt about it.

I LOVE DANNY GOKEY - And not just because he's a church music director. Singing Hero by Mariah Carey was a gutsy move. That's another song that's easy to butcher. But he nailed it. I love his tone, the depth of his voice, his connection to the lyrics and the audience... He's my favorite so far.

Okay, so my predictions for tonight's elimination show:
Top Male - Danny Gokey (duh)
Top Female - Alexis Grace - Of all the girls, she's the one that stood out to me
Third overall - Michael Sarver - He's got a nice sound, had fun with his song, and I want to see this Texas roughneck have a shot at the big time.

Your turn. What are your thoughts or predictions?

David Won!

David Cook, that is!

Yep, I watched the American Idol finale... all two hours of it. Could have done without the plug for "The Love Guru" but other than that, it was pretty enjoyable. In case you missed it, here were my favorite moments:

• Seal singing with Syesha - No, not "a seal" but the singer Seal. Yowza, that man got's an awesome voice. Heidi Klum, you are one lucky woman!
  
• David Cook singing with ZZ Top - This is what I love about David C. He can sing anything: rock songs, ballads, show tunes, even eighties standards. The only thing missing was the twirling guitars (guess they can only do that in videos)
  
• Gladys Knight and the Pips - in this case, the Pips were Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. Black and his amazing trained eyebrows stole the show, as usual.
  
• Simon Cowell admitting that he got it wrong - Last night, Cowell crowed that David A. won with a "knockout." But after watching it back, he realized he made a mistake. Oops. It was quite nice of him to admit it, though.
  
• Not having to see David A. quiver and pass out - That was my big fear if the younger finalist won... that he would finally have a complete emotional breakdown right there on the stage. I'm so glad we were all spared that. And now David A. will go on to great success (remember, Clay Aiken came in second, and that worked out okay for him).
  

So congrats to David Cook. Not only is he an incredible performer, he seems like a truly nice guy. And I'm so thrilled that the person I've wanted to win from the beginning actually did! (This is especially satisfying because I don't vote... never have, never will. But I send really good thoughts out into the ozone.) So that's it for American Idol until January. Now, on to So You Think You Can Dance!

American Idol - The Battle of the Davids

Let me just say, this has been a really weird season of American Idol. The judges seem totally bored with the whole thing, so much so that they pay more attention to each other than the contestants. And the the singers have been an unusually chatty bunch, explaining why they relate to broken birds and how hard they've all fought in the industry. Yep, we get it, it's hard. But you're up on stage now. It's time to live the dream, not explain why you goofed up that last song!

I don't mean to be down on the contestants. There was a lot of talent in this bunch. Many of them had previous record deals that never panned out (which is a whole other topic of discussion!) Once it was narrowed down to a final 12, I picked my favorites: David Cook, Jason Castro and Brooke White.

Now you might be thinking, What? Why not David Archuleta? Good question. David A. is a very talented young man. But there's something... off about him. The poor fellow looks like he's about to break down in tears at the end of every song. And his Q and A sessions with Ryan are simply painful to watch. Granted, he's only 17, but I think it's more than immaturity.

So now it's David A. and David Cook in the final two, and I'm SO glad. David C. has impressed me from the beginning, but even more so on Andrew Lloyd Webber night. When he sang "The Music of the Night" as it was meant to be sung, well, I got a bit choked up. It was truly beautiful. The thing about David C. is that I believe he gets the songs he's singing. He connects with the lyrics and finds the meaning in them. He also sounds great and has a really cute smile.

So in the end, it's not a battle of David and Goliath. It's a battle of David and David, two competitors equally matched in their vocal skill. What it will come down to, in my opinion, is their ability to translate emotion through their songs and connect with the people who choose to vote. I wish them both good luck and look forward to the finale next week!