Sanjaya and Britney?

That's the story.

See you tomorrow...

John

Can Idol give back 30 of those minutes?

I'm actually a bit surprised that Sanjaya is actually done. Honestly, it's fair at this point (and at many points in the past), but give the guy credit for all he's done. He came out week in and week out and gave his best effort. People like him. People vote for him. He stays. But now he can get ready for the tour and his millions of screaming fans.

So, the bottom 3? I had no problem with Lakisha, but seeing Blake there was a shock. Honestly, based on Tuesday alone I can see how he got there, but did you see the look of relief on Simon's face when Ryan sent him to safety? Simon saw the $$$ back in his pocket, that's for sure! I'm not sure any of the others will end up being as marketable and profitable as Blake in the short term.

Questions, question, and more questions. Of course I have some.

1. Why do we need to hear what people in Hollywood think? I have a sneaking suspicion they have less to do with the voting than pre-teens in the midwest. Just a hunch.

2. When will Blake bring back the "it" and the "yo?" If he wants to go the distance we need a little more edge from Mr. Lewis. Granted, country week may not be the ideal venue, but it's been a bit since we've seen vintage Blake, vintage sweaters notwithstanding.

3. How long is next week's show going to be? Holy crap! That's a lot of star power on one night. Just promise me that we don't have to listen to Hugh Grant sing!

4. Couldn't we just read the website to find out what the idols are listening to? More fluff and filler in my opinion.

5. Who are the music legends pairing up next week on Idol Gives Back? My money's on Gwen Stefani and Akon.

6. When did Ryan become so Dick Clarkish? Nothing against Mr. Clark and his decades of experience and success, but didn't Ed McMahon have his chance at hosting a talent show?

7. How did I miss the chance to comment on Randy's "accomplished producer" comment to Phil? I'm losing my touch!

Anyway, I have no idea what the theme is next week so all I can get geared up for is the Idol Gives Back Etravagataculopalooza. Block out plenty of time next week, America. You're gonna need it!

Sanjaya is going home

Nice kid, but right person to go home. I bet it's been really tough for him.

I found Martina McBride's song to be very inspirational for us. Thank you!

I'm tired and not feeling particularly witty or remembering much about the show. OH! Except that I am SO SICK AND TIRED of hearing what people on Hollywood Boulevard have to say! Guess what? I don't CARE what people on Hollywood Boulevard have to say. I'd rather have a half hour results show! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Ryan. I like Ryan. Always have. But he is seeming dorkier and dorkier ALL the time. I don't know what's happened to him. He's turning into dweeby uptight dorky TV show host guy. What happened to cool Ryan? Bring back the inside out T-shirts and scruffy looks. Throw out the skinny ties. Whaaaaa, where's the old Ryan?!

So, anyway, Blake does NOT deserve to be ranked lower than Phil. No way. No how. Phil is annoying the bejeebers out of me. I've had enough. He's a mugger. Blech.

I find myself totally digging Blake and really liking Jordin and Melinda. Believe it or not, I'm liking Chris more and more. Lakisha just seems so put out to be there. And Phil? Well, do I really need to go there again?

Top 7 Minus 1 - Martina McBride Performs (and Fergie)!

They're dragging this out for an hour!? Again!?

They certainly spend enough time on Simon's apology. Sheesh.

The group hoedown is alright.

Fergie kicks butt and takes names.

Is anyone else ready to gag at the 'Sponge Bob No Pants' commercial?

The contestant Ford commercial was pretty good, especially in contrast to Sponge Bob.

The AI Gives Back entertainment lineup sounds pretty awesome.

Elimination: starting with Sanjaya on one side and Phil on the other makes it vague to start, but when Jordin joins Phil, it becomes much clearer. Chris joins the high end; Lakisha and Blake join Sanjaya. Then they tell poor Belinda she's safe and make her pick between the groups. She declines, staging a non-violent sit-down protest of civil disobedience (Yay, Ghandi!), and is told to join the clear winners in Jordin's group. Randy is as surprised as I am that Blake is in the bottom 3. I'm a bit surprised that Lakisha is there, but apparently I really missed a crucial performance. Naturally, I'm glad to see Sanjaya there, but I have to wonder if the Dark Force will prevail once again and result in Lakisha's dismissal. I really can't see Blake going down just yet.

The whole Shrek 3 thing was little more than a blatant commercial. Ryan, the AI talk show host, with guests plugging their next film.

Martina McBride performs wonderfully, singing, 'Sing It Anyway', which is a poignantly apt song for an elimination show.

Blake is safe, not surprisingly. Will Sanjaya finally meet his end? YES!!!!! The audience is clearly pleased. Lakisha has one more chance to change her approach, barring a massive screw-up on someone else's part.

He has fun with his final performance: 'Let's Give Them Something To Talk About' - other than hair!...LOL!

See ya next week!

...John

Marie Osmond Week

Well, it was really Martina McBride week, but don't you think an Osmond week would be, er, interesting? Maybe not. Anyway, I thought this week's show was a good one, and I was glad to see how nicely A.I. (and even Simon individually) showed sensitivity and class about the events in Virginia this week. It must have been a difficult week for so many of the contestants.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: So, how can Simon pay attention to judge these idols when he's playing "got your nose" with Paula? I'm so tired of the extra attention this show give Sanjaya. It came off as condescending when Ryan jumped in and cut off Simon's criticism of his performance this week, although the ensuing banter was enjoyable. I think it's great how they found Jerry Garcia the Fiddler this week. Simon still seems to hate country music, but after 6 seasons he's starting to come around . . . slowly. Simon singing "Shining Happy People"--nice one. My choice would have been "What the World Needs Now," but Sanjaya's pick works, too. And while we're on the topic, what did Corey Clark do with Sanjaya. I was surprised to see our favorite Season 2 criminal back on stage. Shouldn't he be out promoting his "I Love Paula (and She Loves Me)" album? Is it me, or does Lakisha not take criticism well?

PHIL STACEY ("Where the Blacktop Ends"): To paraphrase Stacy's words tonight, he went and pulled a Josh Gracin on us. First, he did very well tonight. He seemed comfortable and natural, and really performed well. I just wish he'd let us in on his little secret a while back. We could have skipped the whole phony, "love me America, not for who I am, but for what I seem to be" act and cut to the part where Phil admits he's more Marie than Donny and just sings what fits. He spent so many weeks hiding his insecurities behind a people-pleasing facade instead of just showing us who he is and living with the consequences, good or bad. Rant. Off.

JORDIN SPARKS ("A Broken Wing"): Gutsy is right! Oh, and she was awesome, too! She connected with the song, gave a brilliant performance, and goosebumps abounded plentifully in our home tonight. Fantastic!

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About," or laugh, or cry, or whatever): Back to karaoke. Back to bad high school talent show memories. Give Sanjaya credit for coming out and giving an honest effort week after week. But Simon is right: eventually we have to really find the American Idol in all of this.

LAKISHA JONES ("Jesus Take the Wheel"): She may have connected with the sentiment of the song, but the performance was just aight for me. It was out of tune and she seemed disconnected from the whole of the thing. The song itself is incredible and that will save her a bit, but overall this was not her best effort. Her eyes glassed over about 3 seconds into the criticism the judges had for her. This does not help me like her any better. If one is going to get on stage as a performer, looking to be the best, she has got to learn to take the lumps with more grace than that.

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Mayberry"): I've never heard the original so I can't compare Chris's take, but I liked it overall. I can see where Country suits him just fine. His vocal tone fits with Rascal Flatts as well. This wasn't his strongest performance, but I think the judges were overly harsh. Simon's eye roll when Chris shared heart-felt emotion was juvenile at best (and expected), but looking back I can see how this could have been a week where singing, albeit on the Big Stage, took a backseat to life. I fear Chris could be the latest to be affected by the natural disaster that is Sanjaya.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("Trouble is a Woman"): Ah, she's back! This was a great song choice, and she did it well. Melinda showed why she's been a front runner from the start. I actually thought it was funny when Simon wanted Melinda to stop being shocked at the compliments he gives her. Funnier still is that Melinda honestly doesn't see the talent that she possesses. This is not an act. There is a reason she's been singing backgrounds for so long--she's never thought she could do it. One day she'll see that she can, and believe it.

BLAKE LEWIS ("When the Stars Go Blue"): How fortuitous that Martina and Tim were just talking about how this would be a great song on A.I. How am I not surprised that Blake would pick the song people would like to hear? He always picks great songs and infuses his own style into them. Out of curiosity, I went and listened to the original and I was surprised to hear that Tim McGraw has a decent falsetto in him. Blake's take is just different enough to make it his, and his arrangements always remind me of the great alternative music I heard during high school in the late 80s and early 90s. It wasn't his best performance tonight, but it was still a really good one.

MY TOP 3: Jordin/Melinda, Blake
MY BOTTOM 3: Sanjaya, Lakisha, Phil (more for the Fony Factor than the performance itself)
SANJAYA HATER NO. 6 (sounds like a cologne): Chris

So, at some point Sanjaya will take his rightful place among the also-rans to be seen on tour this summer. I'm predicting he'll be Top 5, no higher. I'm looking forward to another contemporary, relevant performance from Martina McBride tomorrow night. On a side note, I submitted my entry for the Songwriting contest. I just hope my vocal track doesn't end up on a "Worst of the Worst" segment on finale night!

Top 7 - Country, with Martina McBride!

Yee-ha!

Phil Stacey - Martina loves his voice - let's see. He brings it off quite well, I think. One of his better performances, for me. Randy agrees, wholeheartedly. So does Paula. Let's see what sourpuss has to say. He agrees, even in this hated genre! Very nice start for the show.

Jordin Sparks - A bit moderate to start, but kicks into high gear midway and soars to the powerful end. She feels it so much, it makes her tearful. Very good. Simon, for the first time, thinks she has a shot at winning.

Sanjaya Malakar - His choice of a song for Simon to sing was funny. 'Let's Give Them Something To Talk About' - He's way to soft on this song, and I don't mean his volume, though that's not as good as it could be, either. Definitely not good. Randy nails my take on it - karaoke. Paula placates. Simon beats the dead horse while it's down. Ryan interjects, and Simon puts him in his place.

Lakisha Jones - Martina finds her "believable" on 'Jesus Take The Wheel'. I do too. Randy didn't like it as much as I did. Neither did Paula. I was in the kitchen, so apparently I missed something if they all agree, but I got some chills off it, so, for me, it was good.

Chris Richardson - Martina liked his 'Mayberry'. His voice sounds great and blends with the band very nicely. He gives me some chills on this one. Very good. The judges completely pan the performance, however, Simon saying he thinks he hears something completely different than the audience. In this case, I agree with him. It seemed more like his prejudice against a "nasally" country style, to me.

Melinda Doolittle: - 'Trouble is a Woman' - an obscure song, as Martina notes, but Melinda owns it and has Martina riveted. I can see why. A very solid performance - Randy quotes me, exactly. Certainly the best tonight. Simon prefaces his compliment with a request that she not act surprised and undeserving. I think she might have done this anyway, but the reminder didn't hurt, except to preclude our knowing whether she could have handled it on her own.

Blake Lewis: 'Dancing When the Stars Go Blue' - one note was badly off, and there is some general pitchiness as he tries to go with the falsetto recommended by Martina. Just good, for me, and bordering on not so good. Randy and Paula don't notice anything I heard, but Simon only gives it, "It was okay."

Tops: Melinda and Jordin were too close to pick a 'best'. Phil, Lakisha and Chris were pretty much tied for second, in my book.

Bottoms: Sanjaya, by a long shot. No one else came close, but to hear the judges, second worst was Lakisha.

Taking country roads home: should be Sanjaya, but it's anybody's guess. Based on the bottom three last week, it will be Phil, as though tonight's very good performance counted for nothing. We shall see.

Manana...

John

Top 8 Minus 1 - JLo Performs!

They're squeezing an hour out of this!? JLo better perform twice!

The group sing was enjoyable. It's interesting how they seem to have paired people by their relative status - Sanjaya with Haley, most noticeably.

When they interviewed the little girl about who she liked, it seemed clear that Sanjaya has a similar appeal to young kids as Michael Jackson had. He does have that 'young at heart', playful vibe. The kid was quick to say she didn't like Blake or Jordin. Interesting.

Simon took the ribbing well about his man-breasts, as drawn by one of the schoolgirls in Africa.

Tony Bennett's fake audition was pretty funny, especially the 'other door' ending...LOL!

Blake keeps a crib sheet on his wrist...LOL! I probably would, too.

Phil's in the bottom 3. No real surprise. Sanjaya gets played - up & down. I'm betting he's safe. Haley's in the boot'em 3, as well. Yay! Chris and Sanjaya get played. I'm betting Chris is going down. Yep. But I'll bet he's not in the bottom 2.

Ellen Degeneres did a bit today about how Howard Stern and a certain website are encouraging people to vote for Sanjaya - as the worst contestant. She stole my joke and noted that we'd already tried voting for the worst, and look what's happened, and urged people to vote for the best. She really meant it. She loves American Idol, and, according to a poll of her viewers, on her website, Melinda is still winning by a landslide.

Chris is safe, as I thought.

Sanjaya wants JLo....ewwww!

JLo sings! Yes! Talk about goose bumps! It's easy to feel her even without understanding the words. She is awesome. I don't know if you've ever gotten to watch her act, but she's a joy to watch in the cinema, as well. It doesn't surprise me that she's in the 'Paula school of criticism', and I love her for saying so (not that we don't need our Simon).

Haley goes bye-bye. She sings us off with good spirits. I wish her well.

See you next week!

...John

I almost prefer Diana Ross week!

So, another lackluster week with a few really good performances. To quote some really insightful people, I wasn't jumping out of my chair, you looked nice tonight, and I actually didn't hate it.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: J-Lo is actually really nice. Not that I thought she wouldn't be, but it's nice to see some of these stars and find out they are a bit more normal than I expected. I don't think Simon likes Latin music. His comments are very similar to what he says on country night. It seems that Randy loves Latin music. He just couldn't get enough. I'm so glad I saw the cast of "Dive" tonight, especially since I haven't a clue who they are or what Dive is. I guess I'm supposed to Google it. Ah, we've reached the point in the season where Paula's bias against female performers comes out definitively. There just aren't enough people in this thing with the attitude to pull of Latin music, but there were one or two who made it work for them. And can we put a moratorium on Gloria Estefan in these weeks. I can only take so much of the original Sound Machine, and usually no one can pull it off. Jose and the Caribbean Conga Line were loving it tonight. The band (and especially the percussion) was awesome tonight!

This week is a bit hectic for us in general, so my comments might be a bit abbreviated (you can all stop cheering now!).

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("Sway"): I love the song, and I recognize it's old. J-Lo said it. Everyone could tell. She nailed it, brought more attitude than usual, and put on a great performance. The problem is that current Latin has more wow right now and she's starting to stagnate. On the up side, Simon did get to say something mean early in the show, and to Melinda for once! (OK, so much for abbreviated)

LAKISHA JONES ("Conga"): Hate the song. Lakisha did well with it and give her credit for going uptempo with attitude, although the attitude is nothing new. Didn't like her interview. It just made her seem a bit arrogant, but that may just be me.

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Smooth"): I think it was a great song choice for him in that it suited his style and was contemporary. The problem is Rob Thomas is a tough act to top. All in all, a respectable performance.

HALEY SCARNATO ("Turn the Beat Around"): You can turn the car around and take her home, too. This song has probably been done in every A.I. season, and except Diana Degarmo in Season 3, no one has really done well with it. You have to nail the "syncopated rhythm" and not come off like someone with no rhythm. And you may not like what Simon said, but he's right. If Haley doesn't like it, she can try dressing more modestly and singing well. Or, she can see if Blake can perform with her.

PHIL STACEY ("Maria, Maria"): I think I know who he was thinking about, and it wasn't his wife. I've been hard on Phil in the past, but I do listen each week with an open mind and I'm willing to give him credit where credit is due. But, this was a weak vocal week for him, accentuated by the fact that he doesn't have the Yo to go with this genre. Immediately telling Simon you appreciate his negative comments is done already. Give it up. We get it. You've got love aplenty. His shout outs come off as too calculated. Why are you still here?

JORDIN SPARKS ("The Rhythm is Gonna Get You"): Estefan song #3. At this point, if it hasn't gotten me, an A.I. performance is not going to make it happen. She's got the energy to pull it off, and did a good job. I did like how she put a fresh spin on a lot of the song, but I still was underwhelmed on this one.

BLAKE LEWIS ("Need to Know"): Simon was right. It was the best song selection of the night and his voice and style match it perfectly. He has the attitude to do the Latin week. He isn't the best contestant vocally, but he knows how to stay within his abilities and bring out his unique style. Great performance tonight.

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Besa Mi Mucho"): Great song selection. Great style on the stage. His vocals are still good, but not great. And Randy is right. He is the smartest contestant he's had in a while. Keep your fans happy = go far.

MY TOP 3: Blake, Melinda, and somebody else
MY BOTTOM 3: Haley, Phil, and some other contestant
TURNING THIS THING AROUND (AND HEADING HOME): Haley

J-Lo tonight. Let's see if we keep this show family friendly! Hey! You all wanted contemporary, and now you've got it!

Top 8 with JLo!

I love JLo, and her latest spanish language album is hot, hot, hot! And she looks for goose bumps, too! Definitely my kind of performer.

Melinda Doolittle: Does a fair job of injecting a sexy tone, per JLo. A guest on Ellen made the same point I hovered around last week. I'm not the only one getting tired of the undeserving demeanor when confronting the judges every week. She does the job with the song. Excellent. The judges agree except for Simon, who makes the point that she needs to exude some personality. She handles him very well, but he speaks to my earlier point. She does seem to be making an effort to turn that around, as evidenced by her double-take in response to Ryan's 'sexy' compliment - at first, she starts to hang her head demurely, but then lifts her head, smiles, and says, "thank you" like she actually deserves it. It seems she's reading the blogs.

Lakisha Jones: 'Conga' - doesn't drive home the rhythm vocally. It's driving her, but she should be driving the song, in my opinion, not the band. Paula picks up on this, and Simon agrees.

Both she and Melinda are losing ground to contenders like Jordin, who doesn't sing as well, but brings herself fully into every performance, and Blake Lewis, who manages something original and edgy most of the time. Well, let's see how Jordin and Blake do tonight.

Chris Richardson: This song seems like a long stretch for Chris. I'm not impressed. He does a decent job, with some very good runs, but it doesn't move me. The judges like it more than I. Still middle-of-the-road, for me.

Haley Scarnato: 'Turn The Beat Around' - Decent, but doesn't 'bite' the lyrics as well as JLo suggested, and her body isn't moving when the lyrics say it should be. Simon nails her on the skimpy dress.

Phil Stacey: Gave JLo goose bumps, so let's see. The hat is better than his bald head. I think his performance tonight is less intense than what he showed JLo, so, not great, but he does well, and the ending did raise a bump or two. Randy catches what I'm saying. His daughter's stuffed cow - Simon 'cow' - that's funny!

So far, they're doing roughly equally well...

Jordin Sparks: 'Rhythm's Gonna Get You' - low notes are borderline, but she's driving the song with her voice, and she puts herself into it and makes it her own. Definitely some goose bumps. Best tonight. Randy seems to agree. Simon has to knock her down.

Blake Lewis: 'I Need To Know' - 'Shake 'n' Blake' - also drives the song with the vocal rhythm, as it should be. A little better than Jordin, and the best tonight. Simon says it, so it must be true.

Sanjaya Malakar: 'Besa Me Mucho' - Good choice of song for him, and he does a suprisingly good job with it. His projection is appropriate for the song, rather than being too soft. Even Simon appreciated it.

Tops: Blake, Jordin, Melinda, in that order.

Bottoms: Sanjaya (I confess to writing tops and bottoms before hearing him), and Haley. I now have to reverse this: Haley, Sanjaya and Phil OR Chris, you choose.

Turning the beat around and taking it home: Haley.

Great Songs! Great Show!

I knew Tony Bennett night would be a good one. Not only is he a great performer with true staying power, the songs are classics, but I get ahead of myself. Unfortunately I still find myself losing interest in the show in general this season. Well, on with the show!

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Simply put, great songs make performers better. These songs are classics, evidenced by the fact that so many artists have chosen to interpret and reinterpret them over time. So Tony Bennett really likes Sanjaya? Interesting. Nice kid. Kudos to him for working hard each week, but it's sad already. The chuckle of the night happened when Sanjaya went into the crowd and sang directly to a 10-12 year-old girl. He knows his audience. Simon seems to have a hard time with positive emotions, but we've said that before. Is Haley getting cheated on her weekly clothing allowance, because the dresses are getting smaller. How many times did Paula cut off Simon? I bet he gets sick of that sometimes. I grew up listening to these songs, and still choose jazz preferentially so tonight was difficult in a way. I'm so familiar with the great artists that have done these songs, that it's nearly impossible to measure up in my eyes, but there were some pleasant surprises and a couple of "wow's." It seems that we now have to refer to "pitchy problems" rather than someone being simply "pitchy."

BLAKE LEWIS ("Mack the Knife"): Solid all around. I liked the performance aspect especially. He was in tune, showed the style for which people love him, and even interpreted the song pretty well. I don't think he was in the same league as a number of contestants tonight, but he did well enough to keep going.

PHIL STACEY ("Night and Day"): Tony warned him. You've got to have some beat behind the song. All of the good versions of this song are a bit more uptempo. And what the hell was with his voice tonight. At times I thought he was trying to imitate Tony Bennett, but mostly it sounded like his nasal passages were congested. He was out of tune much of the time, like his earlier performances. And to say he's reminiscent of a young Frank Sinatra is really just saying something like, "Didn't Frank Sinatra used to wear suits when he sang?" It doesn't (and shouldn't) mean that Phil actually sounded like Sinatra in the least. And his lame "charisma" act after his performances is so old . . .

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("I've Got Rhythm"): This is her genre. This is her style. And because of that she shines tonight. That is also part of the reason she starts to get a little stale on other genres. She will probably be an artist similar to Natalie Cole, recording lots of jazz standards, and doing songs here and there with more of a pop feel. I liked the fact that she went uptempo this week. And she is the best overall performer in this competition, by the way.

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Don't Get Around Much Anymore"): Not bad for learning the song this week. Before the judges said it Stacy and I both said he seemed to put his own style into the song. He was in tune, had fun, and did a solid job. He's been unfairly treated by the voting public in weeks past and I hope he gets his due this week. He seems to be one of the few contestants that really works hard each week to improve his performances. No way he deserves to even smell the bottom three.

JORDIN SPARKS ("On a Clear Day"): Amazing! She did a great job. She gets better and better each week. It's amazing what putting raw talent in with so much positive reinforcement and great coaching can do. I agree with what Simon said about it being a bit old for her, but you can't really begrudge her too much.

GINA GLOCKSEN ("Smile"): One problem with her song selection is that it's been done so many times it's ridiculous. And the edgiest performance of it I've heard recently is Steven Tyler's (yes, the Aerosmith Steven Tyler) version he did on Santana's album. With all that said, Gina did have a solid vocal and it's rough when Simon starts comparing everybody. Her style is different from the others, but she's still a good performer.

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Cheek to Cheek," alternately "Cheese to Cheese"): Next.

HALEY SCARNATO ("Ain't Misbehavin'"): When you choose to accentuate the way you look so heavily sometimes, the reality is that people may not take you seriously. Doesn't make it right. It's just how it is. Unless Haley brings the performance of her life each week, outfits like tonight will detract from what she has done. Bottom line is that it was a bit like Miss U.S.A., and it wasn't as good as others tonight. Shame on the judges for not coming up with anything better than "Paula, what do you think?" "Green is your color," and "(drool) um (drool) um, heh heh, um (panting) um."

LAKISHA JONES ("Stormy Weather"): It takes some serious nerves to basically say to a 6 decade recording legend, "I'm gonna do what I want, so @#$% you," which is what she did. He said don't do that extra stuff at the end (great idea). She did it anyway (mistake). As great as her performance ended up, that additional "ain't no sunshine when you're gone" took away from the total effect. She started out really out of tune, too. Ultimately she's one of the top talents in this year's competition so she's not going anywhere.

MY TOP 3: Melinda, Jordin, Chris
MY BOTTOM 3: Phil, Sanjaya, Haley
CRYING ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN, NIGHT AND DAY: Phil's shiny pate, and his personality, too.

I hope it's more than wishful thinking! The big wild card is how long Sanjaya will stick around. It's anyone's guess at this point.

Top 9 with Tony Bennett!

Is it that time of the week again? Alrighty then...

Ryan's looking spiffy, and Simon's wearing an open collar casual shirt.

Tony sings one of my very genres of music, so I'm looking forward very much to the song selections.

Blake Lewis - 'Mack The Knife' - starts with too soft of an edge, and the ending dweeb-do-wah is also a bit weak, but he holds his own in the middle. A little better than so-so, for me. The judges have nothing bad to say.

Phil Stacey - 'Night & Day' - Phil lives up to Tony's generous assessment of his skills, and delivers a very good rendition. Randy just doesn't know. Paula gives the good news, and despite Simon's incredulity, there is some resemblance to a young Frank Sinatra - I agree, though she's being a bit generous. Better than Blake tonight.

Melinda Doolittle - 'I've Got Rhythm' - Tony names her the best he's heard all day, though who knows where she was in the lineup. Great arrangement and faultless dynamics and delivery. Chills on this one, as usual. Crown her now. The judges agree except for Simon, who feels compelled to offer insightful judgment (he "likes being mean to people"). Poor, useless Simon.

Chris Richardson - 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore' - lousy arrangement and poor song choice, for me. He sang it well enough, but it didn't capture me, personally. The judges completely disagree with me. what.ever I just know what I like. His fans will think I'm mistaken.

Jordin Sparks - 'On A Clear Day' - Hard to compete with the unforgettable version by Barbra, but she doesn't really compete, but gives it her own style. She holds onto it well, and ends dramatically with a chill-giving finish. Very good. I disagree with Simon, and liked it better than Chris' performance. Maybe that means I'm a fan of her and not of Chris. I can live with that. Second best for me so far tonight.

Gina Glocksen - 'Smile' - lovely, big song, with lots of room for spectacular creativity. She does very well, and pulls some chills out of me, but I believe a more talented singer could have brought the house down with this song. I agree with Simon - one of her personal bests, but not on top of this group.

Sanjaya Malakar - 'Dancing Cheek to Cheek' - very first note is off-key. He recovers well, but the usual underkill in his volume is crippling, as usual. Randy's correct in that he is a better entertainer than a singer. Simon is brutally sarcastic, for a "change of tactic?". Hmph.

Haley Scarnato - 'Ain't Misbehavin' - I'm glad Tony straightened her out about the meaning of the song. Phew! In spite of that she still can't resist vamping the crowd and playing the seductress, sending a mixed message. Just okay for me.

Lakisha Jones - 'Stormy Weather' - pretty pitchy at first, but she pulls it together and closes well. However, it just didn't grab me the way I expect it to, coming from her. Somewhat of a low for her, for me. The judges are in love and disagree.


Tops: Melinda, Jordin, and Phil, in that order.

Bottoms: Sanjaya and Haley.

Entertaining elsewhere: Sanjaya, but for the perverse voters.

...John

JLo was on Ellen Degeneres Today...

They were chatting about American Idol, and when they mentioned Sanjaya, you should have heard the astonishing heartfelt booing from the audience at the mention of his name. JLo noted that he had a sweet voice and that he hadn't yet come into his own, but that she thought he was a good singer. They both agreed that the young girls were probably keeping him alive.

...John

A Day Late . . .

And I'm still not thrilled. Or as Simon says, "I'm not jumping out of my seat." When we answer the phone as we're sitting down to watch A.I., you know this season's not quite as exciting as past seasons, but we're not giving up on something amazing happening.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: They randomly told us titles of songs tonight. I guess they figured we should know them all. It makes for interesting comments later. This was the first short show for the finals, and you can tell: no titles, brief comments by Gwen Stefani, cutting off Simon "Oscar-style," less brainless banter (a good thing), etc. Now not only do you need the massive, dope, crazy, insane, yo-factor song, but you also need to be in the pocket. Paula looked like she was going for the Gwen hair tonight. She should have made it blond to complete the effect. And did you all like her ring pop she was sporting tonight. What was that thing? Why oh why do people pick Donna Summers songs when you don't have to? My rule of thumb is "disco when they make you, but ditch it when you can." They grouped contestants 4 and 5 together as part of their half-off advertising promotion. I was waiting for an ad for Crazy Eddies discount autos at one point, but it never happened.

LAKISHA JONES ("Let's Dance" but not Gwen Stefani style): Of course it was a strong start, and I hadn't realized it until Randy said so, but this was the first real up-tempo joint she's chosen. It was pretty good, but I just don't like Donna Summers disco songs. In the end I think this type of song choice when you don't have to (there were so many better songs from which to choose) will hurt her popularity tonight. But I was totally surprised when the song started out slow and then picked up in the middle.

CHRIS SLIGH ("Sting Had Magic. I Have Bunions"): Chris can sing. He cannot dance. Oh, and he doesn't have rhythm. And he said the song was hard. Even if it was, find a better way to frame it, like "I wanted to really challenge myself" or "It's a great song and I wanted the audience to hear the Police" or "I may have been sleeping when I picked this one." When Paula told him the audience wanted to groove but may have had a tough time, she meant "Chris, your moves on stage were so off beat and distracting that people were having visceral reactions to your performance, and now the staff has a lot to clean tonight." Not a great showing by Sligh.

GINA GLOCKSEN ("I'll Stand By You" but not in Sligh's mess): Great performance. It was the right style without being over the top. She kept gyrations to a minimum and focused on the song itself. I was impressed more than usual by her this week. And there was so much chalk and cheese I don't know what to do about it.

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Rubber Duckie"): Or something about bathwater. I thought the song was kind of cool. His hair was a bit surprising and I was waiting for a Simon smackdown, like when Ricky Smith wore an afro wig to sing some Earth, Wind, and Fire in Season 2. But you can tell the judges don't really think there's any point in saying anything. I can tell because Simon actually said that. He still has good tone, poor projection, and really no business competing at this point, but this is a voting, ahem, singing (?) competition so hats off to Sanjaya for going for it each week, even if this week he looked like a slightly more disturbing version of Marvin the Martian.

HALEY SCARNATO (I've never heard this song before, so I'm not sure of it's title): They already filled the contractual obligation to the guitar player to appear on stage once each season, so this week we just see his hands. It was a nice arrangement with the acoustic guitar, but she really didn't "bring it." This is a song that can be incredibly boring or quite emotional. Hers was the former.

PHIL STACEY ("I'll Be Watching You" so I can keep kissing up): Good song choice for him. He actually did a decent job. My big beef is that I'm now trying to shake the visual of a crazed Phil Stacey actually watching me and my every move. And he almost avoided the idiotic behavior Simon has been alluding to, and then he does that annoying scream.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("Heaven Knows" why people keep singing Donna Summers): Melinda needed to go a bit more contemporary this week since most everyone else did. No disrespect to the influence Donna may have had on Gwen Stefani, but the song was sort of boring next to some of the other performances. Melinda is the most talented performer they've ever had on A.I., and will likely win this thing, but I'd like to see her push herself a bit more with the (gasp!) song selection. The fact that she can pick a loser song and still be the front runner speaks volumes to her abilities, though.

BLAKE LEWIS ("I Will Always Love You"--didn't Whitney sing that?): I love what he does each week to make songs new and entertaining. I actually like that the beat boxing was left behind this time, and I really enjoyed the new rhythm he put on this very recognizable song. Stacy looked at me at the beginning of the show when Ryan said someone picked The Cure, and she said, "I bet it's Blake." He's the one who finds the songs that are off the beaten path, and then does it well. Technically not the best singer, but like Simon said, Blake's individuality and overall package makes him the top guy right now.

JORDIN SPARKS (I didn't catch the song title. I don't think she sang it enough): Number 1, good song choice in that it is hip, young, contemporary, and energetic. Like Jordin. Number 2, poor song choice because even Gwen was surprised at how melodic it can be. It's a good performance song, but the real magic is probably in the whole persona that Gwen Stefani brings to the stage. It's hard to really upstage that, but Jordin did a decent job overall.

CHRIS R. ("Don't Speak" especially if you didn't like it): Sing the runs. Don't sing the runs. The runs are cool. The runs take away. Melody. Runs. Lyrics. Runs. I feel like I have to go the bathroom now! Poor guy doesn't know what to do. He needs a week with Justin Timberlake as the mentor so he can get advice he cares about. Overall Chris did adequately, but I'm not impressed overall by what he's done to date. This week I will give him the bronze for Vocal Olympics, however.

MY TOP THREE: Gina, Blake, Melinda? Honestly, I didn't enjoy a third one that much more than the rest.
MY BOTTOM THREE: Sanjaya, Sligh, Haley
NOT SPEAKING ANYMORE ON A.I.: Haley

So tonight I think Gwen Stefani performs. Finally a contemporary artist with the potential to truly entertain. I think it will be much like Shakira's performance on A.I. recently. Should be good.

Top 10 with Gwen Stefani!

Getting right to it...

Lakisha Jones - 'Let's Dance' - very nicely done, but not spectacular, for me.

Chris Sligh - 'Every Little Thing She Does' - I liked it a lot! Nice song choice. I missed the rhythm problems noted by the judges.

Gina Glocksen - "I'll Stand By You' - WoW! That was a moment for me (major chills)! Awesome connection with the song, and her best performance ever! Paula agrees. Simon messes with her, but agrees. She just moved up a couple of notches, and it was the best so far tonight, as Simon noted. I now have great respect for this girl.

Sanjaya Malakar - Don't know the song, but I thought he did a decent job on it, though he's back to being weak. He seems intent on keeping the focus on the hair, eh?

Haley Scarnato - Here's Dr. Mark's jingle... ; ) - 'True Colors' - I thought she made it her own and sang it uniquely and with some surprisingly good dynamics. It was good, but it didn't grab me any more than it did Randy.

Phil Stacey - 'I'll Be Watchin You' - No Phil Collins, and a little weak in the softer sections, but I liked it very much when he hit the chorus. Very good. Paula picks up on exactly what I'm hearing.

Melinda Doolittle - Blew Gwen away, so I'm expecting the usual excellence. Sure enough, chills start early and don't go away. A poll of viewers on the Ellen Degeneres' website has her at the top by a large margin, with Lakisha next, but a long ways down.

Blake Lewis - 'I Will Always Love You' - Randy says it for me. Not the song that best showcases his talent, but, as Paula points out, it does showcase his tenderness. I agree with Simon that he's the front-running guy. The judges took the words out of my mouth.

Jordin Sparks - Low notes are weak, but a solid performance overall, with some chill-giving spots toward the end. Very good. Simon gives her "most improved".

Chris Richardson - 'Don't Speak' - Maybe his best performance yet, but, for me, still in the middle of the pack.

Nobody was really bad tonight, so picking the bottom won't be easy...

Tops: Melinda, Gina, and Lakisha

Bottoms: Sanjaya, and if the judges are right, Chris S., but I don't really agree, and no one else stood out for me as not so hot, tonight.

...John

Kilroy Was Here!

So the only thing that would have made this night even more authentic would be to have shown that little girl (the one who was crying) using grainy file footage type film. She looked like someone straight from the JFK airport when The Beatles first arrived in the 60s. Classic! Oh, so many things to say. I hope I remember them all!

RANDOM THOUGHTS: The intern must have been doing the directing in the beginning because there were a lot of bad cuts when they introduced the contestants. Now you see them, now you don't! If the performances tell us about the mentors, then back in the day Herman's Hermits and Lulu were infinitely better than Diana Ross was. Their coaching was so much more helpful, and it showed. I can't believe someone actually referenced Kilroy tonight. How authentic! Randy's got a new cosmetic line he's pushing: Yo Factor. Why did Ryan have two mics so conspicuously placed tonight? He looked so dorky, but not as dorky as his toss the cell phone, "Oops! I broke it!" fake runaway routine. Ryan, you're better than this. I feel like I'm watching the Miss U.S.A. pageant (and not in the good way, if there is such a thing) with these Cola-Beverage-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (but recognized by the swirl and bubbles) questions each week. What would you do for world peace? Sing good.

HALEY SCARNATO ("Tell Him" I paid way too much to be missing this much fabric): But seriously, where the hell are the clothes? No back, no legs, too much heel. This time Simon told us exactly what he was looking at. Overall, a solid performance. She seems more confident, and she must really, really want to go on tour.

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" after Simon's comments): Peter Noone did a great job with Chris. He is the first one to get Chris to sing the melody. He borrowed one of Daughtry's tricks and brought out the guitar guy. He sang on tune, brought in his own style. Nice. Now if only Chris could stop singing through his nose!

STEPHANIE EDWARDS ("You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," especially since you don't): Ouch! This was a bad night for Stephanie. I have never liked her, but I've never doubted her singing talent. She is just too serious about this thing. Like her Miss U.S.A question. The hardest thing? "Picking the song" is the obvious and boring answer. Spice it up a little. Walking in this dress, sitting on these crappy stools, looking at Simon's mug each week--any of these would show more personality, which is what she needs right now 'cause the singing was off this week. Lulu may be reminded of Beyonce, but sometimes people look at me and are reminded they left the toilet seat up. Memory is a funny thing.

BLAKE LEWIS ("Time of the Season" where we break dance): The judges must have read our blog (and every other blog with any sense) because all of a sudden contemporary and individuality work. Blake made it his own, sang it well, and really "performed." It was a "Cool vibey massive yo factor edgy tasty super size quarter pounder version tonight, dawg!" Simon's right, it is a singing competition as this show was conceived, but Peter Noone hit the nail on the head: it's become more of a voting contest in reality. People should vote for Blake this week.

LAKISHA JONES ("Diamonds are Forever" they are, and if you don't believe me, I'll sing it ad nauseum): Being a huge Bond fan, I was excited at the prospect of a "shaken, not stirred" performance, but this song is not one of the best Bond themes. Lakisha can sing, blah blah blah, but the bling was the most exciting part of the performance. I did enjoy her comeback to Simon. Simon liked it, too.

PHIL STACEY ("Tobacco Row," isn't that in Virginia?): So he had fun up there. He was really feeling it. It was bad. Not terrible, but bad. And his excuses and camera mugging and pathetic kissing up and incorrect math--your number was 6, not 5!--it's old already. He seems to be trying to beg his way into the upper eschelon of this year's contestant pool, but it's not working. You never know who will end up leaving each week, but he's a strong candidate.

JORDIN SPARKS ("I Who Have Nothing" but plenty of years ahead): This was a great performance. She's got some real talent, and it shows. The fact that she's "so excited" doesn't hurt, either. If she can keep it up she'll be a legitimate contender for a while yet. She is definitely the best, young contestant we've had in 6 seasons of A.I. Wow!

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("You Really Got Me" makin' a fool of myself): Hey, if you're going out, go out having fun. When the judges don't even want to make fun of you any more it's a bad sign. I'm actually really shocked that Randy and Simon didn't rip him to shreds up there. Mad props to Sanjaya for having the cajones to do what he did, and to make no apologies for being around. If America, and by "America" I mean that sweet little girl he hugged, wants Sanjaya here, all he can do is keep on keepin' on.

GINA GLOCKSEN ("Paint it Black" and it's still crap): At least the laser show lights were hot! The thing about the Rolling Stones is they can't sing, but they have style. It's not one I particularly care for (and I understand people enjoy it better stoned out of their minds), but they do have "it" or "yo" or "dawg" or whatever it is these days. So, it's not surprising that the song is repetitive, boring, monotonous, loud, tonally impaired, etc., etc. Simon was right (gag!) on this one: it was style over substance tonight. Gina's a better singer than this song showed.

CHRIS SLIGH ("She's Not There" but I'll find her here somewhere): I'm a fan of sauntering about at a leisurely pace. It's good for digestion. But I got distracted very quickly by Chris's stroll through the crowd. He did pick the perfect song. He did sing it well. He did impress me this week. He did wear his glasses. He did fix his hair. He did enough to stick around another week or two.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("As Long As He Needs Me" to give him chills, I'll do it): Melinda always gives me chills, even on a song that is a bit boring. I rarely like it when singers choose songs from musicals on non-Broadway nights, but given the lack of Melinda's 1960s global awareness I'll cut her some slack. She is a consummate performer and there is no way she will not have a successful career ahead of her. Even an adequate performance from Melinda beats 99% of what A.I. shows week in and week out. She. Is. Amazing.

MY TOP 3: Blake, Chris S., Melinda/Jordin
MY BOTTOM 3: Sanjaya, Phil, Stephanie
PURCHASING A TICKET TO SEE IDOLS ON TOUR 2007: Phil (you've got a young one at home anyway--enjoy.)

So, the invasion is over. Who will be our casualty tomorrow night? Who will miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime? Tune in tomorrow--

Enough of that.

Top 11 - The British Invasion!

Hi all!

Sanjaya must have heard of my Michael Jackson remark...now he's wearing a half-glove?

Simon undressed?! Please, no, Paula! If that's what she thinks about, no wonder she needs 'medicinals'... ; )

The British Invasion, eh? Isn't Simon enough?

Haley Scarnato - It was just okay for me. One of her better performances, but I didn't like the song choice as much as Randy and Paula. As dirty ol' Simon noted, her outfit helped her out a lot.

Chris Richardson - 'Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' - one of my favorite songs - he starts off very weak and stays there until near the end...ramps it up to where he should have started off, and lets it die. Not good, for me. Someone singing in the dorm shower. Randy and Paula see something different. Even Simon liked it. Am I in a bad mood, or being too picky? No! This is American IDOL! You'll see what I mean when Melinda hits the stage...

Stephanie Edwards - 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' - another favorite, and another weak start, though she recovers fairly quickly, and takes it up a notch in the bridge. Bringing it up a notch makes her pitchy, though. A little better than Chris R and Haley. Finally the judges seem to be hearing what I'm hearing. Are they more forgiving of Chris R and Haley based on personality?

Blake Lewis - I hope for something interesting on this. 'Time Of The Season' - Good song choice if he can handle the register changes. I like it! Gives me some chills. Just enough beatbox. A smidge pitchy in spots, but overall, the best so far tonight. Paula seems to agree, by her gestures. Randy loved it, too. Simon, too, approves, even if he can't say he 'enjoyed' it. Is he capable of such a thing? Now we know why Ryan is an emcee and not a performer. Yikes!

Lakisha Jones - 'Diamonds Are Forever' - Combined with her outfit, I think it was a great song choice for showcasing her big voice. She could have used her performance for the sound track. Perfect, and lots of chills. Randy's hard on the would-be winner, but Paula makes up for it. Simon ages her along with the song, which seems absurd to me. I'm glad she can shrug it off. Randy finally gives some concrete advice about risking some runs, which she could have done.

Phil Stacey - 'Tobacco Road' - Good song choice, and he owns it pretty well. He risked losing some of his connection with the audience by running around a bit much at times, but hung in there and ended very well. Randy and Paula like it, and, of course, Simon is more critical. There's some truth in that Phil could use some grit in his voice for that song, but I don't think it's as bad as Simon says (oooo - Simon says - let's not play, shall we?).

Jordin Sparks - She's so excited! - 'I Who Have Nothing' - Lulu wants her to scream...let's see how that goes over. This is a big song, and she's a wee bit shakey until the bridge, but she really owns it from there on. Very, very good! Actually better than Lakisha tonight, and Randy agrees. Paula likes it, and Simon is disturbed because the song made him feel something. That's the point, you rube!!!

LOL at the few non-positive Brits moving over here!

Sanjaya Malakar - Wild side? This should be different. 'You Really Got Me' - OMG, the teeniebopper crying in the audience makes it clear where his votes are coming from! It's a glimmer of the Beatles effect on the female population, and he definitely picked the right song to change his image! Completely different performer, and the judges agree. Simon sees dollar signs in the tearful teeniebopper, and is completely satisfied. If he can keep it up, he'll stay in the top 6, where that performance put him. Quite a jump up the ranks!

Gina Glocksen - Gina's looking very hot tonight. Let's see if her performance matches, and she presents better than she did in the interview with Ryan. 'Paint It Black' - She starts pretty far off key, but gets back quickly. She doesn't have the tension in her body to project the song with the power it needs. She definitely improves towards the end, but it wasn't enough for me. Simon overkills the criticism, but there's some truth in what he says.

Chris Sligh - I'm thinking he'll do well with this theme. 'She's Not There' - a pretty limited song, with a lot of repetitive words and chords. But Sligh OWNS the song, and connects well with the audience. Very good, but not the best tonight, which is what Simon finally pronounces, as well.

Melinda Doolittle - saving the best for last, eh? Good move, and they know it. 'As Long As He Needs Me' - another favorite of mine, and very challenging, but if anyone can do it, Melinda can. Right from the start, her enunciation and phrasing are excellent. Starting seated, she is clearly aiming for a 'moment', which is very ambitious with this song. But she pulls it off and makes the teeniebopper and me both tearful. Simon's 'impeccable' is the right word.


My tops for the night: Melinda, Jordin, Sanjaya (believe it or not), and Lakisha, in that order.

My bottoms for the night: Stephanie, Haley, Gina, Chris R, in rough order.

Letting the sun catch him crying: Chris R, though the judges think differently.

Later days!

...John

Top 12 minus 1 - Diana Ross performs!

The group song, 'Stop in the Name of Love' was nice. There were some obvious weak spots. Gina Glocksen was off-key in her solo bit. Sanjaya was as weak in the group as when he solos.

Oh, last night it occurred to me that Sanjaya's soft-spoken speaking voice reminds me of a younger Michael Jackson talking. If only he could belt it out like Michael.

Diana Ross performs 'I Love You More Today Than Yesterday'. She seems past her prime, vocally, but still has star quality. She's quite a woman.

Bottom 3: Brandon Rogers, Phil Stacey and Sanjaya, with Phil safe for another week. Pretty predictable bottom two (I picked them, anyway), but Sanjaya stays, Brandon goes.

See you next week!

...John

Top 12 with Diana Ross!

Well, I got a post error (no more than 200 characters in the labels, which I know there weren't) and lost my entire post.

I'll simply say that Melinda and Lakisha ruled, Jordin Sparks was good, but not in their league as the judges suggested, and Brandon and Sanjaya were on the bottom, for me. Sorry you missed the rest of my detailed analysis, but I haven't the time or patience to reconstruct it.

Oh, and Diana ranks chills up there with me, so she knows something... ; )

...John

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

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.