Idol Moments

Two Words for this years audition . . .

Pity Party

What's us with the that ?  Somewhere someone is plotting mayhem with family members so they have a good back story to tell when they get to the audition.

Enough with the sad stories and give us some talent !

Why put through a mediocre singer because he ripped his pants doing a painful looking split ?  Is there not a talented young person waiting who's chance you just took from them ?  Some of these people are a guaranteed wash in Hollywood week . . . why bother.

My heart goes out to all those who want more for their families but I want to see people who want to be entertainers not saviors.  If that's what motivates them - great - but do it quietly.  Do you really need to exploit your child's health, your grandmother's illness, your time in jail to be heard ?  Is your voice not enough ?

Shakes head and wanders off . . . .

But I will say thank you to the producers this year for showing mostly the fools that meant to be fools as bad auditions and not so much of the ridicule of the emotionally disturbed.

Fingers crossed for a better week next week.

Has anyone stood out for you yet ?

~~

'Pants on the Ground ! Pants on the Ground . . .'

'Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground . . .'

What more is there to say when the highlight of the show is a 62 year old man singing the truth.

It's Idol Time again

I can't say I can well up a whole lot of excitement yet this year.  Maybe it's the pure star power of last year that's still causing a shadow or maybe it's just the constant changes to the judges table.  Or just maybe it was Victoria Beckham's decision to send her Tussaud's wax dummy in her place to judge . . .
what ?
No. . .
NUH uh  !!!
You're kidding . . .

It wasn't ?  She really looks and moves like that ? 
She made Paula look coherent in comparison.

The judges were very closed lips last night.  Not a single, " you remind me a bit of Clay Aiken."  No, comparisons to old idols, not much buying into the back stories and milking them, not a lot of favoritism.  They were so closed mouth in fact, they didn't even mention that Justin Williams made it all the way to Hollywood week last year.  So far, he is a stand out with his classic good looks and risky Adam Lambert on a staircase choice of vocal.  But don't count out Tyler Grady with his goofy Mika-like charm and his tree sitting tendencies.  He's got just the right quirk and attitude to go with his voice.  So far he's the promise of different and fun this year for me.

Katie Stevens had a great voice but they are really digging for background with her and her grandmother.  I get kind of tired of the manufactured stories.  Gee, I didn't have cancer, my lover or dog didn't just die and I don't live in a cave . . . but I have an aging grandmother, does that count ?   Katie does have a wonderful voice but I'm not so sure of the X Factor.  Leah Laurenti on the other hand . . . has it in abundance.  What she DOESN'T have is a name you can remember and quickly spell to google.  That could be the death of her career.

Interesting start, actually better than I expected and the bad auditions were laughable bad for a change instead of the cringe-inducing mocking of the less fortunate we've seen in past years.

But  try as I may, I can't picture Ellen sitting there.

But I'd take her in a heartbeat over wax face !!!!!!!!!!

yikes.

Any favorites yet ?  Anyone already decided they can't watch ?

Chime in

~

BIG Idol News !!!!!

As many of you probably already know, Paula Abdul and the producers of American Idol were not able to negotiate a contract and Paula will not be returning to the show.  The show will have a new judge to replace her.  For the preliminary rounds they will use guest judges but as a permanent 4th judge it was announced just today that

ELLEN DEGENERES !!!!!  will be the new full time judge on the show.

Wow is all I can say.  Way to go Idol, maybe there is still life in the dying beast.  This should be a really, really interesting year.

More to come soon . . . .

Kris Allen wins

Not a lot else to say on this one.  The most shocking Idol win I've ever seen.  Great year really.  So much to talk about and enjoy.  Good luck to both Kris and Adam and thank you America for not saddling Adam with Kara's craptastic song.  Thank you so very, very much !

Onward to the rest of thier lives.

I'll just post a link to where I posted last week about the impending Adam loss.

http://capistranoinsider.typepad.com/idol_moments/2009/05/why-adam-wont-win-american-idol.html#trackback

So what did you think ?  Did your guy win ?  Were you suprised about the winner ?  Will a California contestant ever be able to compete against small town voting ?  What are your thoughts on the final ?  Loved it ?  Hated it ?  Wish Steve Martin had won ?

Chime in.

Twenty Four Hours and counting

Extra is reporting that Britney Spears is rumored to be taking the stage with Lionel Richie, Carlos Santana, Cyndi Lauper, Queen Latifah, Black Eyed Peas and Keith Urban, and David Cook for the Idol finale on Wednesday

BUT WHO CARES !  We just want to know who wins and of course we have to sit through the whole show to find out.  That sure sounds like a nightmare of trying to get everyone on. 

Duets we know of so far

Kris / Keith Urban

Allison / Cyndi Lauper

Danny / Lionel Richie

. . .and as usual they are keeping Adam's performance a secret.  Rumor had it that David Bowie would show to perform with Adam - now THAT would be an unbeatable Idol moment.

Performance night is one repeat song, one song dictated by Simon Fuller and the cornonation song.  Both Adam and Kris will sing the same forced first single. Now that's going to be interesting to hear both of them take on the same song.  They are so unalike in style.

This should be a great night.  Both of these guys have grown to be so close during the season that it should be a night filled with joy reminiscent of Clay and Ruben back in Season Two.

May the best man win

        . . . or his good friend.

Well knock me over with a feather . . .

So, I didn't see that coming.

But I have to say if I were sitting in a round table discussion on Monday with the producers and the subject was . . .how to get the most mileage out of the results. . .I'd have to vote for that elimnation.

One . . . its great press and tons of wailing and gnashing teeth . . . good tv !

Two . . . you get Clay and Ruben back for the finals.  Two best friends each supporting nail covers for each other.  One of Kris' nails is painted blue and one of Adam's is clear.  They obviously complete each other.  So different yet so close and well Kris is no dummy, jump in there and learn from the best.  And learn he has . . .

Three. . .When Kris wins you get the underdog story that will keep them coming back next year.  That is if AI can resist branding Adam forever as thier own discovery. 

I'd hate to be in that board room this week !  It would be a bigger free for all than Idol forums message boards.

Any guesses ?

Why Adam won't win American Idol

Let's assume here that Idol doesn't manipulate the vote.  Big assumption.  If Idol chooses to make it happen Adam will be branded with thier name for eternity but if its a real vote by real vote than I say Adam won't win.

Adam should win.  He's talented, fearless, innovative, polished, riveting. . .he owns that Idol stage.

Now, if you're not a fan at this point you're probably saying no no no but honestly read that list of accolades again.  He is talented.  There all are of course.  He is fearless.  The only one that matched that was Allison.  He is innovative even if you don't like what he does he certainly brings a new vibe to each song.   He is polished.  Maybe too much.  And love him or hate him he is riveting. The media can't seem to get enough of him and his detractors can't find enough time in the day to bash him.

Adam Lambert is a star.  And that's why he won't win Idol.

The American Idol audience tunes in to see the transformation.  They want the surprise of Clay Aiken.  They want Kelly Clarkson.  They want sweet little lost angel, Carrie Underwood.  They want to see the underdog make good.  The audience wants to see the contestants grow and change and develop and feel a part of it.  They want thier love and admiration to reach through the television screen and prop up the innocent raw talent and pump them into a star.

The American Idol audience wants to create the star.  Adam is already there.  Adam is literally too good to win.

Forcing someone like Adam into a little box each week is a painful process to see.  It's exactly why Chris Daughtry didn't go farther.  The audience set him free.  The difference between Chris and Adam is that Adam is more versatile from his years of theater and can ' play the part ' when its necessary but Chris simply couldn't or wouldn't bend to fit.

So the question only remains at what point will Adam go.  I think it might well be tonight and he won't make the final two.  Danny and Kris would actually make a real competition at the end because they are so similar in backgrounds and both bring that feel of excitement of the everyday guy out driving a truck plucked out of obscurity and catapulted to fame. 

Danny has a strong fan base and that might be a done deal in a Kris/ Danny finish but who knows really, maybe Adam's fans will quickly support his friend and roomate and just maybe. . .

Kris will be the little engine that could.

In the end the only real winners are the producers of American Idol. 

~~

Kris ramps up his game

Well the underdog came through tonight with a solid showing in the all important second half of the show.  Kris laid down the challenge with his second performance and Danny followed suit with his best performance yet in my opinion. The only thing is Danny should have done that long ago and continued to better it each week.  But better late then never and that's a real competition there.  It seems like most people felt Kris would be out after tonight but they are going to have to think again it appears.  Adam seemed tonight to play to the music producers and casting directors watching and seems to have forgotten the average viewing audience.  I still find him brilliant but I feel he made a strategic mistake with One.  Its a stripped down performance and that's where its brilliance lies.  His looks were stripped down but the voice wasn't and it went off the rails of loyalty to the melody and Bono is one performer you don't want to lose the flavor of.  His second performance paled in contrast to last weeks rockfest.  I was suprised at this song choice, I would have expected something more techno glitter or in the line of where he wants to go with his future. 

The voting results should be interesting tonight.  It's truly anyone's game this week.  It's a crazy call but I'm predicting Adam to be set free tomorrow and possibly that was a calculated effort to go by his own hand tonight.   And I'm good with it.  He's ready for bigger and better things .

Its Tuesday. . . can you feel the electricity in the air

No ???

Oh what a shame . . .but it will come.  All gloves should be off tonight and pitchy and off key get no free passes,horrible notes should rightly be called huge mistakes and poor song choices have no excuses.  Its do or die night on Idol because the last two standing are both winners.  They will both have a promoted single, a record contract and even the keys to a new car.  Why exactly is that Idol ?  But I digress . .

We know a few things for sure tonight.

Danny  will sing - “Dance Little Sister” by Terence Trent D’Arby  - chosen by Paula
Kris will sing - “Apologize” by OneRepublic chosen by Randy. . .and Simon likes to be fashionably late and keep the suspense by not announcing Adam's song.  It appears he is having difficulty chooing between U2's One and Chris Issaac's Wicked Night.

Early rumors today have Danny singing ' You are so beautiful ' as his personal choice.  Two songs tonight.  One picked by the judges and one picked by the competitors.  One of those rare nights where you get to hear their song choices unfiltered by genre.

So who does well when given the reigns to thier career ?  Danny's soulful rasp ?  Kris' somewhat fragile folk music ? or Adam's fearless glam rock wails ?

Chime in . . . who's the best on Idol ?  Who should win it all in your opinion ?

~~~