What Went Wrong?

The Top 12 are in! WOO HOO!

So what went wrong for those that didn't make it?

ANTONELLA - Nothing, she just wasn't as good as the others.

SABRINA - She's got great talent, she just didn't connect well with the viewers at home. It's like we didn't get to know her well enough and therefore didn't become invested in her.

JARED - I think for him it was just the way the cards fell. He was good, but he had to be a standout, and unfortunately he wasn't this last time.

SUNDANCE - Song choice song choice song choice. I'm really sad to see him go, but he only "brought it" one of the last three weeks. This week's song wasn't the style that we love from him, and it brought about his demise. Bummer!!!!!

That being said - let's cut the underdogs a break! I feel really badly for Sanjaya and Haley. They were voted through! They need to be given a fair shake, and not treated like the ones who *stole* the spots from those that didn't make it (particularly from the judges). They've got something special, and that's why they made it. Hopefully they'll grow quickly over the next little while!

For me, everyone starts fresh. It's a new competition, and I'm excited!

I think what Idol is doing to *give back* is great. They are HUGELY successful and can have a lot of influence for good. That's awesome!

Carrie Underwood did great! It was fun to see her back. It's like watching your little child grow and turn into this successful adult! :) I wonder when they come back if it's like returning home after you go off to college. Do they feel like a little kid again (or a naive, unseasoned performer rather than the success they've become)? I didn't think she acted like that, but I thought I might feel that way if it were me. That small stage doesn't do them justice, but it's still fun to see the successful ones return!

Finally!

So we finally have a Top 12. There were a few surprises that weren't really surprises, and the usual assortment of Ryan's "psyche" moments! They're mean, by the way. Anyway, here is a list of "highlights" from tonight's show.

*In a surprise twist America has decided to ditch Antonella and instead keep Haley, another contestant that hasn't really shown us much to this point. It just goes to show how extremely negative comments from the judges can provoke the fans.
*Sadly, I was right about Sabrina Sloan. She just didn't ever evoke an emotional response for me. I know she's a talented singer, but no yo!
*Simon decided to give his traditional "you just don't sing well" send-off to the losers of tonight.
*Paula actually identified the undeserving male singer in the bunch by name (Sanjaya) and then added the oh-so-helpful, "nothing against you" to throw us off the track.
*We were treated to another emotionless, robotic performance by Carrie Underwood, reminding us why we grew to love her so much during her A.I. run. At least fame hasn't changed her any. And at least couldn't they have chosen a better song for her to sing tonight?
*It was announced that we will be treated to the diverse and fantastic world of Dianna Ross next week.
*We were told that 36 million people voted over the past two nights. That's just over 1 vote per viewer. Who says it's unfair, John?
*A.I. Gives Back was announced and we saw Ryan and Simon visiting impoverished children in Africa. I think this is a really cool idea. Sending Cowell there was probably good for the guy. He can use a little more depth in his life.

Here's what I'd like to see next week, aside from the obvious desire for good performances:

1. Brandon Lewis actually brings some yo and it with him.
2. The guys finally perform well enough so the judges don't have to keep saying how rotten the guys are compared to the girls this week.
3. Ryan sticks to suits and shuns turtlenecks.

I am really interested to see how everyone does with the themes each week. It's one thing when you can pick any song, but quite another when you are limited.

I always love getting into the finals because theoretically the performances get better, and we get to see the cream rise to the top. Plus next week we'll be back home watching on the Tivo, so I may actually get half of the
song titles right. Oh! And they put the titles on the screen! That will probably help a little, but I make no guarantees.

Top 12! Carrie Underwood performs!

Alrighty then!

More mind-messing-with postponements til after the commercials by Ryan. Poor Sligh! But we knew he would make it.

Jared is out! I didn't see that coming, though I wouldn't have expected him to last much longer anyway. He needs some vocal training and he'll have a great careeer. I'm just a little surprised that some others weren't voted off instead.

I haven't been following Carrie Underwood's brilliant career (she's country, after all *smile*), but it was certainly nice to hear her perform.

Bye Antonella...we'll always remember how purty you are... ; )
Wow! They've dialed back the cruelty and are asking the losers if they'll sing a final song! Maybe they'll only do that with the ones that are tearful...LOL!

Sabrina's out - not too surprising, and again, Haley's performance last night was her best so far, so maybe she can continue to improve.

The special sounds very cool!

Bye Bye Sundance...Sanjaya should be next. I'm really surprised that judges are acting surprised...even Simon. I thought he liked kicking them when they're down. But then again, he has been backing Sundance from the start.

Now we can get down to bidness... ; )

...John

Your Top 12, America

So, it's the usual, isn't it? A Top 12 with the obvious first 2 to get the boot (Haley and Sanjaya) and the others doing the tour. My favorite part of the evening, truth be told, is the big announcement. It's about time a show of this magnitude step up like that. I think it's fantastic and I'm all the prouder to be a fan of this show. I bet that trip was good for Simon. I enjoyed the clips. Having lived in Africa myself, I know those kids. The announcement brought tears to my eyes. I think it's great.

Blake needs shorter cuffs. I thought he'd broken both arms. But I'm thrilled (and not surprised) that he's top 12.

Blake, Lakisha, Sligh, and Doolittle. Duh. No-brainers.

I still fall for Ryan's antics--he can get my tummy flipping with his "You are NOT . . . [big pause] . . . ." He made me nervous with Sligh. PHA-EW! I mean with this show, who knows?!

Jared Cotter. I'm sad. I like him. Darn it. I wonder how it would be for people like him, Nikko Smith, Rickey Smith, and other ousted idols to get together and form a band like "Take 6." That's be awesome.

Carrie Underwhere is not likeable and is getting too skinny. What happened to her healthy weight?

Antonella's not in the Top 12?! That's a shocker really. But good. I'm so glad I don't have to hear her again. She reminds me of someone who sings along to the radio and belts it out thinking they sound just like the voice coming out of the speakers when in reality, they don't. She's already been offered $250,000 by the "Girls Gone Wild" people and Playboy is after her, too. I think she'll be okay. Ta-tas (pun totally intended).

Haley vs. Sabrina. Crap. That is just SO wrong. Mary Poppins over a dang good diva. And if one of those two good "middles" is getting the boot, I would've preferred Stephanie, to be honest. Her LaToya like-ness is off putting.

Again, VERY cool project. April 24th and 25th. I think it's great. Way to go, American Idol people.

Sanjaya vs. Sundance--good set up. Either one getting in is a shock at this point, truth be told. I love Sundance's plea, "Somebody, give me a job!" Maybe Fuel is still looking for a lead singer.

TOP 8 GIRLS!!!!!

I'm posting the night of, will you look at that!!! :)

Now there's a title deserving of exclamation points! The girls definitely brought it!

JORDIN - She's showing a different side tonight! I liked it - she showed she can do many different types of music. She's not "stuck in a rut". I felt just like Randy...it was WAY better than any of the boys! It's a completely different show tonight!

SABRINA - A really good performance. There were a couple of *iffy* spots, but she did well. Ryan even helped her with the finger numbers! :)

ANTONELLA - A little blah, boring. She came through toward the end, but it was just okay. The judges being so negative with her will galvanize people to vote for her - she'll have higher numbers than ever.

HALEY - She did well. I don't know why the judges were going off about her song choice - that seems to be her. Simon was pretty rude. I'm not sure about her chances for the top 12...

STEPHANIE - Good job. Some of the *held* notes fell off tune or something. I cringed a couple of times. Paula saying "darn near flawless"??? Give me a break. Talk about trying to help someone she likes. Is she one to beat? I don't think so.

LAKISHA - I don't think there's a song or artist off limits to her! She did a great job! She seemed nervous for the comments. It was nice of Simon to rebut his rude comments about her wardrobe from last week.

GINA - I really like *her*!!! Great job! I agree, it seemed to really be her genre. I still like her variety in all types of music though. She definitely deserves top 12.

MELINDA - She's. so. awesome.!!!!!! Pure talent. WOW. What more can I say?? She has not yet ceased to amaze, and I don't think she ever will.

TOP - CHOICES CHOICES!!! MELINDA, GINA, LAKISHA, JORDIN in that order.

BOTTOM - ANTONELLA, HALEY, STEPHANIE with Haley and ? leaving...

I'm so excited for the TOP 12!!!!!!

Top 8 Girls

Well, the top 6 are pretty clear in my opinion. Yet we'll see if Salmonella gets an undeserved spot while another languishes in obscurity. Ever since they've switched from Top 10 to Top 12, there have been 2 obvious out-of-their-leaguers. Sigh. And Ryan? Ditch the turtleneck.

Jordin Sparks - Is she running out of breath again? She's not quite hitting all the notes, but overall it's very good and I really like her. She looks beautiful. What exactly was she drawing on her chest during the numbers?

Sabrina Sloan - These songs are flying by! I'm excited for 3-minute songs! Very solid performance.

Salmonella - Well, she can play violin! Yikes, it's off, she's too timid, and then she shouts so loudly there's mic feedback. Not good (though that's not surprising). The song is more her style though. I'll give her that. One of her better weeks, but it's still not great and it's frankly not good enough. She has such little belief in herself and it's so apparent. It was classy of Simon to mention the media and how she's handled it. I feel such conflicting things about Antonella all at the same time. On the one hand, urgh, she's not very good! But hey, THEY put her there against all those powerhouses. Remember Marisa? The one who didn't get the spot that Antonella did. Boy, I bet she's pissed.

Anyway, Antonella's there, so what's she going to do, step down? She keeps getting voted through so what's she going to do, not sing (I know that's debatable, but let's focus)? So, the media thing--another URGH. She's the one who TOOK the pictures. But yeah, it's pretty cheap that someone sold them to the media (but DUH on her part for taking them and having them at large like that). I was glad that Paula got the focus back to "a warm place" because they'd grilled her enough and heck, I, was getting uncomfortable.

But what BUGS me is Salmonella's defensiveness (though, again, gotta feel for her and the immense psychological pressure she must be under to A. have her breasts and butt all over the internet and TV (though again she DID take the pictures and I bet she at least gets a modeling or advertising gig from the frenzy) and B. sing in a competition against the likes of Doolittle and LaKisha). She keeps talking nonsense! Last week she said, "Hey, they were wrong about Jennifer Hudson" and this week she's saying stupid things like, "I wish the judges would stop comparing me against the others and just base it on me." Uh, number one, basing it on you alone reveals the same outcome (you're not that good a singer). And number two, it's a *%&%# competition! What the heck do you think you signed up for?? Gibberish. Take Simon's nice comment, let America vote, and stop talking. You're coming across as whiny.

If America has any sense they'll put her (and all of America) out of her misery and not vote her through.

Haley Scarnato - She's a Disney/Broadway/showgirl kind of singer. Not for this. Poor Haley. And stupid Simon. It's HIS fault he doesn't know her name, not hers. Idiot.

Stephanie Edwards - We already have a Fantasia and if you recall, she raced past the impeccable but presumptuous LaToya so Steph better watch her step. She's coming across as arrogant and that's just not endearing to America. She couldn't have told us something else about herself? I can let Mark comment on this since he's all fired up about it. Stephanie is LaToya-like cocky. Do I need to give my speech on the difference between confident and cocky? Okay. Confident is knowing you're good. Cocky is thinking you're better than everyone else and thinking of others as "less than." Confident is good. Cocky is not. She's got mad talent, but the higher-than-others sense of self may hurt her.

***You can gauge the likability of the contestants by how warm/close Ryan is with them. There's distance whenever he's with Stephanie. Reminds me of someone . . . who is it . . . oh yeah! LaToya.

LaKisha - That girl has Whitney chutzpah! At this point, anyone who sings Whitney is either crazy, deranged, or incredibly good. We all know what LaKisha is. Nice hair! She looks gorgeous! Wow, she gives me chills! She has "Yo." That was another class act moment for Simon to compliment the way she looked. Every once in a while, there's a glimmer of humanity in him.

***PET PEEVE. If it's a family show, why do they have inappropriate commercials during the family show? 24?? Are you kidding me?!***

Gina Glocksen - I love it, to be honest. I like her. And woohoo, Simon likes her, too.

Melinda Doolittle - I love that she's OCD!! Her range is fabulous! Her low notes are spot on and her high notes are powerfully on, too! No one else can boast that. She is far and away better than all the rest. This reminds me of season 3. It was sort of a weird season - you simply watch every other contestant get voted off waiting for Fantasia to be officially crowned victor. This season's AI is the same. I think she's got it in the bag. It'll be an all-girl finale. Her and somebody (probably LaKisha) and then she'll win. I love how she worked the stage, sang TO the back up singers, and threw down the idol gauntlet. Even with an in-your-face song like W-O-M-A-N, she brought tears to my eyes. Seriously. I love her. She's so genuine. She'd be a fun friend. I love her! Phenomenal!

Bottom 2: Salmonella and Haley
Tops: Melinda and LaKisha

No question.

So who's the odd one out?

You know it will happen. Ever since they've had this Top 12, even guys and girls format one undeserving guy and one undeserving girl get in. Who will it be this year? And who will be the one left out (besides the other one, who actually should be left out).

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Ryan looks like that guy Dieter from the old SNL "Sprockets" sketch. "And now comes the part where we dance!" Kinda creepy. Well, we only found a little yo, but there were wow, whatzit, and whatchamacalit sightings tonight. Two minutes. That's how long we had to wait for Randy to tell us the guys were awful and the girls are great. Maybe that's why I'm having a tough time getting into this season. Simon with the open collar--interesting, and a bit weird. So Stephanie's been singing since she was 3, and she was shy but now she's really confident on stage. How interesting. And self-aggrandizing. C'mon. Give us something more surprising than fodder for a worst auditions show. So Simon is a bit perturbed by Jennifer Hudson's comments? Would it hurt Simon at all to learn a few of the contestants' names. First? Surname? We're not picky.

I've lost interest in even trying to properly title the songs, but here are my thoughts anyway.

JORDIN SPARKS ("Heartbreaker"): Pat Benetar had her moments, and she even deserves to be remembered from time to time, but far too few idols have had good experiences with her songs. Jordin did well and showed that she belongs in the Top 12, but I didn't feel like it was much more than solid tonight. 3/5 yo's.

SABRINA SLOAN (Some song for a big voice): Sabrina was less screechy tonight, but I was underwhelmed. Again, still someone who deserves to be in the Top 12. Part of me wonders if she'll be the deserving one that is left out. Her personality is so vanilla for me. 3.5/5 yo's.

ANTONELLA BARBA ("Let Your Hair Down"): First of all, big props to Simon for mentioning the bunk press Antonella's been getting. For as much as I feel she doesn't deserve to be in the competition at this point, she's getting the raw deal over those pictures. They were in poor taste, but get over it already! With that said, she gave it her all tonight, and it was her best performance to date, but it just wasn't good enough. 2/5 yo's.

HALEY SCARNATO (Another huh song): She seemed more herself, but she is the Sisyphus of this competition. She can keep pushing, but Simon's made up his mind. Honestly, she would be better served as a sort of niche performer at a theme park or hotel lobby. She'd do well, and people would be glad they saw her. 2.5/5 yo's.

STEPHANIE EDWARDS (Some Chaka joint): This girl can sing, but Simon is right: no originality. I listen each week with an open mind, but come away feeling like I've been let down. Stephanie has talent, but the charismer is lacking for me. 3.5/5 yo's, and I'll throw in 1 whatzit for kicks.

LAKISHA JONES ("I Have Nothing"): Another overdone song on A.I. At least Lakisha did it. And what a job it was! She did great. She has set herself apart as one of the ones to beat. She's got the posse with personality. I wonder if she'll make the Top 12. 4.5/5 yo's, and one wow and an it, too.

GINA GLOCKSON (Scream, yeah, what was that?): So, I guess this is her, huh. To be honest, before she performed I thought the whole "edgy" thing was a label she got because of the pink hair, and that she really didn't have an edgy side, but it seems I was wrong. I really didn't like her performance at all tonight. I think she has more talent than she showed, and she needs to rein it in a little. She should make it to the Top 12, but it will be interesting to see how far she can go. 3.5/5 yo's.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("I Am a Woman"): If she keeps singing like that she can be whatever she wants. At this point she is far and away the best singer in the competition. Her stage presence is amazing. Her vocal range is astounding. Her attitude is phenomenal. 5/5 yo's, and whatever else she wants!

MY QUICK HITS
JORDIN: Seventeen? Are you sure?
SABRINA: I'm bored with you now
ANTONELLA: Next time just say, "if America wants me."
HALEY: Aren't you tired of punching the clock?
STEPHANIE: Don't you do animal sounds or something else interesting?
LAKISHA: So your father must be the sedated one of the bunch?
GINA: As long as you don't wear your bathrobe next week . . .
MELINDA: Wanna skip this show and cut the record now?

MY TOP 3: Melinda, Lakisha, someone else
MY BOTTOM 3: Antonella, Haley, Stephanie(?)
WISHING IT WAS 4 GUYS AND 8 GIRLS: Haley and Sabrina

It should be Antonella, but she's getting a spot. Sabrina hasn't shown enough personality outside of her singing, and despite the judges' insistence that this is a singing competition, we all know it's more of a high school popularity contest, and a little singing, too. I hope I'm wrong.

Top 16! - 8 Girls

Jordin Sparks - Heartbreaker - challenging song, but she seems up to it! Great energy, and the judges liked it, though Simon plays the reserved professional...or reserved Brit.

Sabrina Sloan - Better tonight at not pushing the song, but doesn't quite get a grip on the song. I think she lost synch with the band at one point, which the judges seem not to have noticed. I agree with Randy that I'd like to hear a more melodious song by which to gauge her abilities.

Antonella Barba - Pitchy in spots, and uninspiring. It seems she saved it all for the last note, and even that wasn't held long enough. Simon is straightforward, but I agree that she seems played out, and unlikely to rise to, or in, the competition.

Haley Scarnato - By far her best performance. This is the first time I've really liked her. It was almost very good, but missed the 'it' factor. Simon is brutally honest, but not really too far off base about her chances.

Stephanie Edwards - Starts very well, but doesn't handle the low register well. The last note was actually on, but the chorus was off on that note. Up there with Jordin tonight, for me. Simon likes her better than Randy and Paula, and so do I, but I think she needs to take it up a notch.

Lakisha Jones - Starts with a hug from Ryan...awww. Big song with a great arrangement, and she fills it completely. Best tonight, by far, so far, and a brilliant soft ending instead of a scream. And her hair looks gorgeous! A big improvement over last week, and a definite top 12.

Gina Glockson - Not my style, and some oversinging, but energetic and connected with the edgy genre. Not the best, but will make it to the top 12.

Melinda Doolittle - Okay, so my budding star is a little OCD. Man does she sizzle! I love this gal! Yes, she is a W-O-M-A-N!!! They were wise to close with her. She'll definitely bring us back again for more.

Tops: Melinda and Lakisha are in a class by themselves...Jordin and Gina and the rest come next.

Bottoms: Antonella, and someone I haven't already named. For me, the runners-up for worst were all about equal tonight.

See you at the Colosseum!

...John

Because it's *that* good

I know we have a permalink to her blog anyway, but yesterday's Magistra review simply deserves a post of its own. I laughed out loud throughout the entire thing. I highly recommend you read it!

Mags' Review of the Top 8 Boys

Enjoy!

TOP 8 BOYS

No, no exclamation marks in my title because there was really nothing to exclaim about! Talk about a let-down...

The theme for the night was "Ugh and ugh again."

BLAKE - Good job. It was a unique song, at least to me. He seems to show so many sides of himself. His music is not really the type I listen to (although this song did take me back to my teenage Reggae years!!! :) ), but he is really good and different from the others, which I like!

SANJAYA - I, for one, love his hair no matter how he does it! Well it was the usual with him: He's adorable, and he has no business here (though after most of the other performances, maybe they are all in the same league...). Another "blah" performance, though he did *try* to throw a powerful part in there. It's rough to listen to the judges critique him.

SUNDANCE - Ugh. What's he trying to do, be a hard rocker? It just wasn't for me. Wow, I'm surprised to hear that the judges really liked it, at least until Simon... ;)

CHRIS R. - Ugh again. He sounded shaky and off to me. What? The judges all seem to think it was so good! What is going on?

***Half way through and not the greatest night so far...

***Ryan is snappy: "Let the old man judge, let the young man interview." I love it!

JARED - He seemed the most "into" his performance so far. He's not really my favorite, but he did well *comparatively* tonight.

***Yes Simon, the *WOW* factor has been missing tonight.

BRANDON - Oooooh, a classical piano player, that's awesome! All right Brandon, DO IT! He seemed to have so much promise but HAS NOT DELIVERED through this whole "small stage" portion of the show. Let's see if THIS will be it...Well, very good! It wasn't *the* performance I'm waiting for, but it was *comparatively* a very good job.

PHIL - Ugh again. Is it just me? They all sound off and blah. He tried to pull it off at the end, but ugh ugh ugh. I still like him though.

***"If you make it, will you squint next week?" RYAN wins the prize for the most entertaining tonight!!! At least someone was!!!

CHRIS S. - Finally, a TRULY good performance! Great job! Finally finally finally in the 11th hour. And coming after all those other "so-so's", it's even more impressive. Well the judges didn't like it! So they praise the bad ones and put down the one who actually did a good job! I don't agree with them on this one.

BLAH BLAH BLAH, a most unimpressive night.

TOP - RYAN and CHRIS S., though I guess Ryan doesn't count :) , so I'll say CHRIS S. and BLAKE.

BOTTOM - Gee, where do I start? Sanjaya, Chris R., Sundance, Phil??? Let's go with who should leave before the TOP 12 (and final 6 guys): SANJAYA and JARED, because I think Brandon may have pulled it off just enough to make it through.

Will people vote on favorites or performances tonight? I'd be very surprised if Sanjaya doesn't make it.

Where's a dancing panther when you need one?

I'm missing X-sentrikk right about now. This competition could use a guy that is not only a singer, but a dancer, choreographer, philosopher, poet, songwriter, busboy, bank teller, fashion designer, scale model maker, and comedian. Unfortunately we got a bunch of performances tonight that could have me screaming, "Bring back Ian Benardo!" Well, maybe not quite, but still I, like Randy and Simon, am not jumping out of my seat. For the record, I have never seen Simon move with anything but a methodical saunter, and I am guessing Randy hasn't jumped for anything since hearing the song with the same title in 1980-something.

SPOLED KID RANT: Being out of town I am working at a distinct disadvantage. First, I didn't have my Tivo to pause to write song titles (like I let that affect me). Second, I got to hear our son ask me "is it done yet" after seeing each 866 (not 800) number appear on the screen, and yes, it started soon into Blake's performance. Third, I had to wait an hour and a half after the show ended to get to the computer since we are away from our dining room network megaplex, thus severely hindering my ability to remember anything constructive from tonight's performance. And fourth, I'm working on a network that is connecting at "only" 36 mbps rather than the 54 mbps to which I have grown accustomed at home. OK, I'll stop ranting. And for the record, I'm really not that spoiled.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: I'm afraid to ask what the D in Randy D. Jackson stands for. Donut comes to mind, but I'll not be that rude tonight. What happened to nice Paula? She usually saves her nasty comments and hesitation for the ladies. I even found myself missing her generic "you look good" and "I love you" comments. Tonight Simon seemed almost cordial. I kind of wish I still didn't know a lot of that stuff about the guys tonight. Somebody save Sanjaya from his hair--three performances, three hairstyles, three thumbs down. Did Chris Richardson seem upset after having his weight loss pointed out excessively after his performance, or did I miss something? I'm tired of the advice to just "bring it." This is generic, useless advice at this point. Unless there is a secret item they are supposed to bring on performance night, I assume the contestants know they have to do their best. Let's give some constructive advice on a consistent basis. At the end of the show the guys looked like they'd just been chewed up, spit out, then stomped on, picked up by a stray cat, toyed with, chewed up some more, and left on the back porch for the dog to chew on in the morning. Rough night. At least only 2 of you have to leave.

BLAKE LEWIS (Something by 311): I, like the judges, enjoyed it. The song was a bit boring in the middle, but he did a great job of mixing his own flavor into it and making it interesting overall. I was looking for something with a bit more "wow" tonight from Blake, but he's Top 12 and we all know it.

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("This is a Crappy World--Whatcha Gonna Do About It"): As Randy says this year, "First, the pluses." This was Sanjaya's best Big Little Stage performance to date, but I think he's suffering from Phantom Sibling Pain. It's as if half of him is missing, and it's the half with charismer. I honestly wonder if he's having difficulties without his sister at his side. I feel badly that he's coming off as so young and inexperienced, and that the judges are pouncing on him so much. I hope he doesn't make it to the Top 12 because we'll just have another Camille Velasco situation where people kept voting her through although her eyes said "please put me out of my misery NOW!"

SUNDANCE HEAD ("Jeremy's Smokin' Crack Tonight"): A bit cocky he has gotten, hmm? I don't know what Randy was listening to, but he wasn't in tune until the last few notes, and even then it's debatable. Don't confuse edgy tone with being in tune. His performance was alright, but nothing to write home about.

JARED COTTER (Stevie--need I say more?!): Why? Why? WHY? Why do people insist on picking not only "joints" by The Best Artist in the Known universe, but stupid songs by TBAitKU? It makes no sense. I said halfway through that his performance was solid, and Randy used the same word. I don't have a Magic 8 Ball, but I'm glad Randy's is working. And after all that silliness about the J.C. Face Rake he didn't do it? At least that would have been a bit more interesting.

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Tonight I Wanna Cry"): I love this song, and now I wanna cry for all the wrong reasons. Chris did an okay job, but again, no jumping up here. Simon's right, his voice was nasally, and he was in and out of tune throughout. Here he goes, trying to distance himself from the whole Justin Timberlake vibe, and it didn't work. Give in. It's who you are.

BRANDON ROGERS ("I Just Wanna Celebrate"): I hated his performance from the start because all I could picture was some 2007 model pickup being sold at 2006 prices. How a guy on the brink of elimination, coming off two so-so weeks, can pick a song that was more exciting for the backup singers than the rest of us is beyond me.

PHIL STACEY ("I Need You"): Like I need a hole in the head. That was painful. His high notes were screams, his low notes were out of tune. If this were week 1 he'd be packing tonight, but he's lucky his first two showings were a bit stronger. And stop being such a kiss up. It's sickening, and a bit off putting. You can't take the same things seriously that you are taking with a grain of salt at the same time. Make your picks. Own up to the response. Improve next time. 'Nuff said.

CHRIS SLIGH ("We All Need Love" or something like that): Best of the night. But that's not saying much. I enjoyed it a bit more than the judges, but on a lackluster night I was hoping for a bit more luster from Sligh. I think part of the ambivalence the judges showed Chris tonight was because they had lost interest after Blake's performance. And stop apologizing!

MY QUICK HITS

BLAKE: Out of obscurity with obscure songs. Love it!
SANJAYA: At least your performance was better than last week's.
SUNDANCE: One good week doesn't a star make.
JARED: Fight the urge. Boycott Stevie!
CHRIS R.: Solid performance--Top 12.
BRANDON: I know "it" is in there somewhere. Better find it quick!
PHIL: Betcha can't grow it back now!
CHRIS S.: Best on a night of crap. "Bring it" next week!

MY TOP 3: Chris S., Blake, Ricky Minor and the Band
MY BOTTOM 3: Sanjaya, Phil, Brandon
OH SO CLOSE TO THE BIG STAGE, BUT NOT QUITE: Brandon, Jared

Honestly I have no idea what will happen, but I'm fairly certain Sanjaya will make it through even though the experience will likely end up stripping him of a lot of confidence in himself. They are brutal to him! For what it's worth, our daughter wanted me to vote for Sundance and Chris S. I got through on the first try for Sundance, and couldn't get through on two separate phone calls for Sligh. I also couldn't get through on my one try for Blake. I'm no Dial Idol, so you can draw your own conclusions.

Top 8 Guys!

Oh boy, TV minus Tivo. I don't like it.

Ryan's on one tonight. Weight loss, extensions, etc. I've never seen so many guys discuss hair
care and weight in one show before. And I've seen David Letterman interview Richard Simmons. No comparison.

Blake Lewis - I have no idea what that song is either, but I don't care. I love him, I love
his voice, he will be here next week!

Sanjaya Malakar - He hulas? That and the hair? A little effeminate, though that seems to be the theme of the evening, if you ask me. But I'm digging the John Mayer sound on him. I mean, he is so not my favorite, but it was his best week yet and a good song choice. That poor kid. Just once, I bet he'd like to hear some praise from that troika. I think even he could tell it was better. They couldn't cut him the slack to acknowledge that?

Sundance Head - Yikes. Jeremy has spoken? I loved his interview about the fat suit--LOL! But the performance was way, way off. Those background singers are loving life with the song choices this season, though I bet it's tough to sing back up when someone is way off. I wonder if they'd like to try out for American Idol. Now, there's a backstory! Oh, and too much makeup for Sundance. Eek.

Chris Richardson - He did make it his own, but too many runs for me. I don't like that guy that much.

Jared Cotter - Oh no, a Stevie song! But he pulls it off! Pretty solid that for me. Geez, Paula's harsh on him!

Brandon Rogers - Classical pianist, too, eh? Huh. Cool. Simon called him Travis. Did you catch that?! LOL! What a dork. He so doesn't get very close to people, does he? Okay, big pet peeve of mine when the contestants say, "I just want to have fun!" Really? Is that all you want to do? Okay, well that's easy. Goodbye. Only one guy has to get the boot on Thursday. Hello?!?!

Phil Stacey - What is going ON this season?! He's top 24? Yikes, he's scaring me. Weird voice for me. "I Need You" by LeeAnn Rhimes? Too much make-up. Eek, it's like someone hit the transpose button for the band and they're 2 octaves too low, oh wait, and too high for him. He's yelling, it's strange. NOT good. His kissing up really bugs me, too.

Chris Sligh - More hair talk! UNreal. Chris just wants to be loved. He's doing the Chris Daughtry mic thing. Kind of funny when Sligh does it, but MAN OH MAN that was awesome! Best one tonight! He has a great falsetto, too. I like that. But what the hell is wrong with Paula tonight?! That was fantastic!

My tops - Blake and Sligh
My least favorites tonight - Phil Stacey and Sundance Head

What I want to know is who are the "4" to which the judges refer? It's Blake, Chris, Chris, and ?????? Who?? I have no idea. Of those that are remaining, I like Jared Cotter best.

Top 16! - 8 Guys

Blake Lewis - Unfamiliar song, and not my personal genre, but quite well done, I thought. But perhaps not up to Idol standards. The judges agree, seeming to have read my mind, including Simon, even!

Sanjaya Malakar - Come on, boieeeee....shock me, surprise me, wake me up! Not so much. "Raise you game", indeed. Hair extensions? Only their hairdressers know for sure. Speaking of which, Sanjaya may have a shot as spokesperson for the sponsor, Garnier Fructis if he

Sundance Head - Fat suit - funny! Not my genre, not my style, unfamiliar song, but well enough done. Caution is warranted, as Simon agrees, quipping, "careful".

Chris Richardson - A little bit weak and pitchy through much of the song, making me a little nervous. He did some good runs though. I was hoping for more. Simon agrees, but is being uncharacteristically generous.

These guys need to crank it up a notch in view of what the girls have shown and are likely to bring tomorrow.

Jared Cotter - Oops - a Stevie song. Jared's voice isn't quite up to it, though he does a decent job of connecting with the audience. It's not bad, not great - just good enough. Randy was generous. Simon mugs for the camera during Paula's turn, explaining next that she was not understandable, and translating for us. Thanks, Simon. I feel edified...or maybe simonized?

Yep, it's too late to kiss up.

Brandon Rogers - Let's see how the classical piano player does. About equal to Jared, to me. I agreed with Randy that he didn't hold up well through the end of that song. Brandon just wants to have fun, until Ryan nails him with, "how bad do you want it?".

Phil Stacey - Starts a little too breathy, but kicks in with a little more bite later, and connects well. A little above the rest for me, tonight, or about even with Blake.

Chris Sligh - Another unusual song choice, for me, but strongly performed! Best performance tonight, though that doesn't say a whole lot. Randy agrees. Paula doesn't. Chris steals a hug from Ryan. Simon signals 'cut'. Okay.

Overall a bit disappointing.

Tops: Chris, Blake, Phil...in that order.

Bottoms: Sanjaya, and Chris or Sundance.

Ready to sign up as spokesperson for the sponsor, Garnier Fructis: Sanjaya, if the teeny boppers and grannies don't save him once again.

Tomorrow should be better...

John