The Countdown Begins!
In less than 24 hours, Season 6 of American Idol begins! I have such conflicted feelings about this--on the one hand, I am *SO* excited (just the sounds of those first few monotonous AI theme song notes can put me in a wiggly, giddy, gushing frenzy). On the other hand, we have to endure four weeks of these audition episodes before we get to the fun (well more fun anyway) stuff--the Hollywood Round.
See, this show gets better and better as it gets further into every season of competition. This fluff stuff? I enjoy the first couple weeks of it and then I'm *itching* (like. a. bad. rash.) for the REAL AI stuff. The reason I watch this show. The adrenaline I feel when one of my favorites rocks the house and the cringing I feel when one of my lesser favorites can't quite hit that note. The COMPETITION! The top 12! The theme weeks! The voting! The power dialing! The drama! The eliminations! The crowning of an Idol! THIS is why we watch this show. THIS is what we talk about around our real and/or virtual water coolers.
I know people who claim they only watch the first few weeks of AI because they "love the auditions." WHAT?! Are you kidding me?? It's sooooooooo tedious after about 2 weeks of this to sit through more auditions that make you wonder, "Did they pay that person to sound that bad?" or "Does that kid's mother seriously encourage him to try out?" Weeks of people getting bleeped as they mouth off to the judges or the cameramen or that weird little sounding room where they proclaim with indignant pomposity, "I AM the next American Idol!"
By week 3, I'm starting to twitch. And not in the good way. In the very, very impatient way where I'm slowly starting to writhe and cry out, "Please, 19 Entertainment, PLEASE, for the love of all that is lovely, PLEASE get on with it. We wait patiently from May until January for this frenzy to begin and you torture us for WEEKS until we can actually get to the GOOD stuff. PLEASE no more William Hungs, no more!"
I try to not get annoyed when by week 4 I hear people cheerily (and usually nasally) say, "Aren't these audition weeks the best?!" I restrain myself from slapping them when they say, "I don't even watch after the auditions are over." And Mark generally holds me back from pummeling them to the ground when they say, "I wish they'd do more weeks of auditions and less of the other stuff."
See, this goes beyond addiction. This is an OBSESSION for me. An obsession. I don't answer the phone on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. And when people DO call, I generally curse them for not having their priorities straight. Like I'm seriously going to agree to talk in church when you call me at 8:30 on a Tuesday on Disco night! I don't think so.
And while the obsession steadily grows throughout the season, once we're in the top 24 (and have mercy when we're doing the top 12), I am a total AI fanatic. Fanatic. I talk about it. I read about it. I write about it. I've started this blog, for crying out loud!
I get passionate about those I feel should win (though I'd say that so far, only 2 of my favorites have won). Had America voted more sensibly, the list of winners would look like this:
1. Kelly
2. Clay
3. Fantasia
4. Bo (or Constantine)
5. ELLIOTT!
I get passionate about those who should be booted, too. I hold back NOTHING. I am AI opinionated and have started a blog as my AI soapbox. I have opinions. Drunk, on medication, whatever, I happen to like Paula. Randy is okay, but Randy-trying-to-be-Simon drives me up a wall. Simon? It depends. Generally, I think that musically, Randy and Paula are more spot on than Mr. Cowell. All Simon sees is image. And when he tries to pretend he knows what he's talking about musically, I want to hurl things. Not just at him. But at EVERY MORON IN AMERICA who votes based on what he says. He's like a grand puppeteer. And those morons are moron puppets.
I think I've gotten off topic . . .
Hollywood! Yes, Hollywood. Drama week. Hell week. Whatever they call it. I like it. It's a million times better than auditions. The auditions I watch just the same because heaven forbid you miss a single minute of this show. And, of course, so I can already start forming my opinions and choosing my favorites and think back on the auditions as my favorites continue onward.
And then it's the TOP 24!! And it gets EVEN better. Why? Have you not been paying attention?! Because the competition begins! Live! And because they keep getting better and better contestants (wasn't Season 5 like the BEST ever . . . so far?), the top 24 gets more unnerving each week. (Remember that time they didn't pick Nikko?? And then Mario Vasquez dropped out and Nikko got called back? Yeah, that was awesome. Until the MORONS didn't vote him through after Broadway night! Argh.) Anyway . . . what was I saying? Oh! Competition! Yes.
So, the top 24. Boy, those weeks are great. And then . . . AND THEN . . . AND THEN . . . TOP 12! And theme nights! And the big stage! And the loud band! And I go into full blown CRAZY over this show. I watch. I talk. I rant. I laugh. I cry. I cheer. I write. I blog. I *love* this show. And I love having friends who are crazy enough to admit that they do, too. Let Season 6 begin!!
Oh, here's the schedule (remember, we *love* finding and posting gossip as well as fun reviews--so CHECK HERE OFTEN!):
Tuesday, Jan. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM) Season Premiere, Part 1 Minneapolis Auditions
Wednesday, Jan. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM) Season Premiere, Part 2 Seattle Auditions
Tuesday, Jan. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM) Memphis Auditions
Wednesday, Jan. 24 (9:00-10:00 PM) New York City Auditions
Tuesday, Jan. 30 (8:00-9:00 PM) Birmingham Auditions
Wednesday, Jan. 31 (9:00-10:00 PM) San Antonio Auditions
Tuesday, Feb. 6 (8:00-9:00 PM) Los Angeles Auditions
Wednesday, Feb. 7 (9:00-10:00 PM) Rest of the Best Auditions
Tuesday, Feb. 13 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 1
Wednesday, Feb. 14 (9:00-10:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 2 Top 24 Semifinalists Announced
Tuesday, Feb. 20 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Male Singers Perform
Wednesday, Feb. 21 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Female Singers Perform
Thursday, Feb. 22 (8:00-9:00 PM) First Results Show (Live ET/Tape-Delayed PT) Two Male and Two Female Contestants Voted Off
Tuesday, Feb. 27 (8:00-9:30 PM) Top 10 Male Singers Perform
Wednesday, Feb. 28 (8:00-9:30 PM) Top 10 Female Singers Perform
Thursday, March 1 (8:00-9:00 PM) Results Show (Live ET/Tape-Delayed PT) Two Male and Two Female Contestants Voted Off
Tuesday, March 6 (8:00-9:00 PM) Top 8 Male Singers Perform
Wednesday, March 7 (8:00-9:00 PM) Top 8 Female Singers Perform
Thursday, March 8 (8:00-9:00 PM) Results Show (Live ET/Tape-Delayed PT) Two Male and Two Female Contestants Voted Off; Top 12 Finalists Revealed
Tuesday, March 13 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Finalists Perform
Wednesday, March 14 (9:00-9:30 PM) Results Show (Live ET/Tape-Delayed PT) One Contestant Voted Off . . .
See, this show gets better and better as it gets further into every season of competition. This fluff stuff? I enjoy the first couple weeks of it and then I'm *itching* (like. a. bad. rash.) for the REAL AI stuff. The reason I watch this show. The adrenaline I feel when one of my favorites rocks the house and the cringing I feel when one of my lesser favorites can't quite hit that note. The COMPETITION! The top 12! The theme weeks! The voting! The power dialing! The drama! The eliminations! The crowning of an Idol! THIS is why we watch this show. THIS is what we talk about around our real and/or virtual water coolers.
I know people who claim they only watch the first few weeks of AI because they "love the auditions." WHAT?! Are you kidding me?? It's sooooooooo tedious after about 2 weeks of this to sit through more auditions that make you wonder, "Did they pay that person to sound that bad?" or "Does that kid's mother seriously encourage him to try out?" Weeks of people getting bleeped as they mouth off to the judges or the cameramen or that weird little sounding room where they proclaim with indignant pomposity, "I AM the next American Idol!"
By week 3, I'm starting to twitch. And not in the good way. In the very, very impatient way where I'm slowly starting to writhe and cry out, "Please, 19 Entertainment, PLEASE, for the love of all that is lovely, PLEASE get on with it. We wait patiently from May until January for this frenzy to begin and you torture us for WEEKS until we can actually get to the GOOD stuff. PLEASE no more William Hungs, no more!"
I try to not get annoyed when by week 4 I hear people cheerily (and usually nasally) say, "Aren't these audition weeks the best?!" I restrain myself from slapping them when they say, "I don't even watch after the auditions are over." And Mark generally holds me back from pummeling them to the ground when they say, "I wish they'd do more weeks of auditions and less of the other stuff."
See, this goes beyond addiction. This is an OBSESSION for me. An obsession. I don't answer the phone on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. And when people DO call, I generally curse them for not having their priorities straight. Like I'm seriously going to agree to talk in church when you call me at 8:30 on a Tuesday on Disco night! I don't think so.
And while the obsession steadily grows throughout the season, once we're in the top 24 (and have mercy when we're doing the top 12), I am a total AI fanatic. Fanatic. I talk about it. I read about it. I write about it. I've started this blog, for crying out loud!
I get passionate about those I feel should win (though I'd say that so far, only 2 of my favorites have won). Had America voted more sensibly, the list of winners would look like this:
1. Kelly
2. Clay
3. Fantasia
4. Bo (or Constantine)
5. ELLIOTT!
I get passionate about those who should be booted, too. I hold back NOTHING. I am AI opinionated and have started a blog as my AI soapbox. I have opinions. Drunk, on medication, whatever, I happen to like Paula. Randy is okay, but Randy-trying-to-be-Simon drives me up a wall. Simon? It depends. Generally, I think that musically, Randy and Paula are more spot on than Mr. Cowell. All Simon sees is image. And when he tries to pretend he knows what he's talking about musically, I want to hurl things. Not just at him. But at EVERY MORON IN AMERICA who votes based on what he says. He's like a grand puppeteer. And those morons are moron puppets.
I think I've gotten off topic . . .
Hollywood! Yes, Hollywood. Drama week. Hell week. Whatever they call it. I like it. It's a million times better than auditions. The auditions I watch just the same because heaven forbid you miss a single minute of this show. And, of course, so I can already start forming my opinions and choosing my favorites and think back on the auditions as my favorites continue onward.
And then it's the TOP 24!! And it gets EVEN better. Why? Have you not been paying attention?! Because the competition begins! Live! And because they keep getting better and better contestants (wasn't Season 5 like the BEST ever . . . so far?), the top 24 gets more unnerving each week. (Remember that time they didn't pick Nikko?? And then Mario Vasquez dropped out and Nikko got called back? Yeah, that was awesome. Until the MORONS didn't vote him through after Broadway night! Argh.) Anyway . . . what was I saying? Oh! Competition! Yes.
So, the top 24. Boy, those weeks are great. And then . . . AND THEN . . . AND THEN . . . TOP 12! And theme nights! And the big stage! And the loud band! And I go into full blown CRAZY over this show. I watch. I talk. I rant. I laugh. I cry. I cheer. I write. I blog. I *love* this show. And I love having friends who are crazy enough to admit that they do, too. Let Season 6 begin!!
Oh, here's the schedule (remember, we *love* finding and posting gossip as well as fun reviews--so CHECK HERE OFTEN!):
Tuesday, Jan. 16 (8:00-10:00 PM) Season Premiere, Part 1 Minneapolis Auditions
Wednesday, Jan. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM) Season Premiere, Part 2 Seattle Auditions
Tuesday, Jan. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM) Memphis Auditions
Wednesday, Jan. 24 (9:00-10:00 PM) New York City Auditions
Tuesday, Jan. 30 (8:00-9:00 PM) Birmingham Auditions
Wednesday, Jan. 31 (9:00-10:00 PM) San Antonio Auditions
Tuesday, Feb. 6 (8:00-9:00 PM) Los Angeles Auditions
Wednesday, Feb. 7 (9:00-10:00 PM) Rest of the Best Auditions
Tuesday, Feb. 13 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 1
Wednesday, Feb. 14 (9:00-10:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 2 Top 24 Semifinalists Announced
Tuesday, Feb. 20 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Male Singers Perform
Wednesday, Feb. 21 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Female Singers Perform
Thursday, Feb. 22 (8:00-9:00 PM) First Results Show (Live ET/Tape-Delayed PT) Two Male and Two Female Contestants Voted Off
Tuesday, Feb. 27 (8:00-9:30 PM) Top 10 Male Singers Perform
Wednesday, Feb. 28 (8:00-9:30 PM) Top 10 Female Singers Perform
Thursday, March 1 (8:00-9:00 PM) Results Show (Live ET/Tape-Delayed PT) Two Male and Two Female Contestants Voted Off
Tuesday, March 6 (8:00-9:00 PM) Top 8 Male Singers Perform
Wednesday, March 7 (8:00-9:00 PM) Top 8 Female Singers Perform
Thursday, March 8 (8:00-9:00 PM) Results Show (Live ET/Tape-Delayed PT) Two Male and Two Female Contestants Voted Off; Top 12 Finalists Revealed
Tuesday, March 13 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Finalists Perform
Wednesday, March 14 (9:00-9:30 PM) Results Show (Live ET/Tape-Delayed PT) One Contestant Voted Off . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment