The Tale of the Thumbs

I rewatched the show with the kids and got their opinions today. My daughter was feeling a bit like Simon--tough critic this week. My son had the "I love you all" Paula vibe going on. I remain unchanged as to my opinions from last night.

Michael Johns: one thumb up, one thumb sideways
Jason Castro: one thumb up, one thumb sideways (my son liked his performance mostly because it sounds like this song from the Curious George movie)
Luke Menard: one thumb up, one thumb sideways
Robbie Carrico: one thumb up, one thumb sideways
Danny Noriega: one thumb up, one thumb sideways,
David Hernandez: two thumbs up
Jason Yeager: two thumbs up
Chikeze: one thumb up, one thumb sideways (extra props from the boy)
David Cook: two thumbs up (more extras from the boy)
David Archuleta: two thumbs up (apparently David rates well in the 7-year-old girl demographic, too)

Start trimming the waste . . .

Predictably, we've arrived at the 1970s. In my opinion the 70s offer more hope for stardom than the 60s week did, but apparently the contestants saw things differently. Overall the song choices were off with a couple of exceptions. The theme for this week actually seemed to be 180 Week since a lot of the guys came off quite differently than last week. Or, maybe it was 360 week. Randy, and thoughts? Simon is plain nasty this year, like he's bored or something. "All this crap for 7 years and only a few superstars compared to so many wannabes?"

Anyway, other than the Davids, no one really impressed me all that much. Michael was a let down--get it out now--as was Jason Castro. David Hernandez did a great job this week. Robbie Carrico tries too hard, although I do feel badly for him a little. David Archuleta is amazing! I agree with Randy completely about his place in AI history with that performance. The most amazing part to me is that he embellished the melody just enough to sound 100% fresh on a song so many people have interpreted. Just awesome! True confession time: his performance brought a tear or two to this old softy's eye, and that only happens once or twice in an AI season.

Alright, on to my impressions this week. No awards this time. Just sushi.

Michael Johns--California roll. Fantastic taste, but it can get old if not carefully prepared.

Jason Castro--Spider roll. Have you ever seen all the little legs sticking out of the roll? Now look at his hair.

Luke Menard--Those tuna rolls you get at the grocery store with cooked tuna from the can. It's an attempt, and in a bind it might do the trick, but somehow it's just not sushi-ish enough. This is not unlike my wife's canned tuna on rice with soy sauce fiasco--it only happened once . . . years ago.

Robbie Carrico--Philly roll. Do smoked salmon and cream cheese really belong anywhere besides a bagel?!

Danny Noriega--Inari sushi. Sounds sort of weird at first, but it kind of grows on you.

David Hernandez--Shrimp nigiri. It tastes good, but I'd rather have something else when I get my sushi plate.

Jason Yeager--Tamago (egg) nigiri. Why? Why? Scrambled eggs on sushi rice. Why?

Chikezie--Unagi (eel) roll. Strong flavor, and either you like it or you don't.

David Cook--Spicy tuna roll. Great taste, but too much is too much.

David Archuleta--Tuna sashimi. Pure. No frills. Just great!

* * * * *

MY TOP THREE: David Archuleta, David Hernandez, Chikezie

GOING HOME: Jason Yeager, Luke Menard

JUST KILLING TIME UNTIL NEXT WEEK'S GOOD-BYE: Robbie Carrico

Top 10 Guys! - Classic 70s Theme

Michael Johns - Not so much, I think. His voice cracks in spots and it simply didn't impress me. Randy and Paula let it slide, but Simon is with me on this one.

Jason Castro - The opening is a bit weak, but it gets better. He certainly will appeal to the ladies, but the performance, for me, was just okay. Randy agrees. Paula, being female, responds to the sex appeal, and is more forgiving. Simon is detailed and precise. He also seems considerably less insulting than the last two weeks, so far. That's a welcome change.

Luke Menard - He is magnetic and strong from the start. The song is difficult, and perhaps not the best choice, though it does showcase his ability to handle it. Randy and Paula acknowledge this. Simon is a bit more critical but makes some relatively valid points about being compared with the original. I think he did a bit better than Simon believes.

Robbie Carrico - A little more wow than some of the others, but not enough for an Idol. Randy agrees, especially given that it's a rock song. Paula is vague and supportive. Simon gives it a thumbs up, though seems relatively unenthusiastic.

I'm just not seeing anything close to a star performance so far, and keep wishing I could be listening to the girls.

Danny Noriega - He tackles a BIG song - Long Ago And Far Away - He handles the low register opening fairly well, but doesn't kick it to high gear effectively at all. Add some minor pitchiness, and I didn't like it. Randy didn't feel it, either. He's riding on his looks and personality so far, to me, and that won't take him to the finals.

David Hernandez - Much better. Good song choice, good presence, good skillz. That's what I'm talking about. All the judges agree. My Idol for the night, so far.

Jason Yeager - I like how he personalizes the song, and I think he does a decent job, but it's a safe choice with a very limited range. I like his energy better than most tonight, but it wasn't the best song choice as a showcase. The judges essentially agree and Simon gets back in his comfort zone with an insult about the ending, which wasn't that bad, and was somewhat creative.

Chikezie - The song is totally unfamiliar to me, but it seems to offer a good showcase, and his voice and style are quite exciting. Number two for the night, so far, for me. The judges love it, too. Oooooh! He really lands one on Simon wearing the same clothes!

David Cook - He pretty much owns the stage with this performance. I could easily believe I was looking at the winner of AI. Randy believed him, too. Paula loved it. Simon cites a lack of charisma, and I can't disagree that the crossword-working "word nerd" segment didn't lend him any, but I'd rather he be honest than manipulative in letting us get to know him.

David Archuleta - Chills right from the start! I love this guy! He owns the song and does it better than the original. Beautiful and powerful. Definitely #1 for me, and the one to beat. The judges completely agree.


Top Dogs: David Archuleta, David Hernandez

In the Doghouse: Michael Johns, and one of the Jasons

Elimina-shi-on!

I'm with John on this one--not one of my favorite results shows. Nick Pedro wasn't a big surprise. Something just told me he was going this week, even though he performed quite well. A.J.Tabaldo ? I don't know about that one. I wasn't crazy about his performance on Tuesday, but I don't think he deserved to go. Well, deserving contestants have never consistently done well on A.I. and we all know it.

Alaina Alexander was a little surprising, but she wouldn't have made it past next week anyway. Plus, I think she's too emotionally fragile to handle much more of this. I kept wondering if the band would stop playing since she stopped singing. And Leslie Hunt. Again, no surprise. I enjoyed the scat singing tonight much more than last night. I think she and A.J. should have done a duet just to save time.

And Kellie Pickler, did Ryan just imply that you had "work" done. "You've bought more than shoes, haven't you!" Well, he said something like that. Unnatural is a word that comes to mind. Enough on that.

So we're back to the "singing" contest next week. Remember, "I'll vote for you if you vote for me and if you'll be my best friend and let me use your locker next week."

4 Go, 16 Stay! Kellie Pickler performs!

Sundance sounded better in the group song than he has in his performances.

Wow, y'all were right! Nick is the first to go! I really didn't see that coming. The judges even gave his performance more props than I did, but I didn't anything really bad about his performances.

Alaina is another surprise, though she would have gone soon enough anyway.

Kellie was refreshing. Glad to see her.

AJ leaving is absurd, and another example of the kinds travesties enabled by the limitless voting system. 'Nuf said...don't let me get started.

Antonella's safe, so bye bye Leslie. There's no way Jordin was going.

Paula twice makes a valiant effort to remind the teenie boppers that it's a singing competition and not a high school popularity contest, but we know how that goes...

Argh - Leslie's so far off key when she starts...thankfully she brought it off with a little humor.

Not my favorite results show.

...John

Dial Idol is at it again!

So I got curious and went over to Dial Idol to see what they are saying about the guys. Interestingly, the statistics they use show that Sundance (projected 1st through 6th) and Sanjaya (projected 1st through 8th) are safe. The other 8 guys could rank anywhere down to and including 10th place. It just goes to show how close things are in the early stages!

Top 10 Guys (Well, Top 3 and the Other 7)

So I'm sitting on the couch with Stacy thinking, "I wonder if anyone will be any good this week," and by the end I have no idea who isn't moving on (well, I know one person leaving, but #2 is a bit fuzzy). I am so glad the guys got the jitters out last week because now we have an actual competition to watch in the foreseeable future.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: I learned a lot of math tonight. You need 6 guys and 6 girls to add up to 12; 866 vs. 800 numbers; joint = illicit drug, but also joint = song; and the attributes of geometric shapes (trapezoids have 4 sides, 2 of which are parallel lines). Now who's the "Geek in the Pink?" Tonight, it's actually blue. So does Jeff Foxworthy really like American Idol, because if not, what a way to spend an evening waiting to plug your show. I'm not going to watch "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" for 3 reasons: (1) I don't need another show to watch, just when I'm scaling back; (b) The last Fox show that had a premiere with multiple episodes just ended up making me feel dumber (anyone remember Ian Bernardo, Crouching X-sentrikk Hidden Talent, et. al.?); and (4) I'm pretty sure that whether or not I am smarter than a 5th grader, I don't need Jeff Foxworthy to validate that. Simon seems a bit silly tonight. Sometimes I wonder what show he's watching. Some comments seemed alright, but he appeared to be stretching for some ridiculous analogies. What the hell are they drinking?! And I guess girls aren't in the Dog Pound yet. I'm a bit confused because in the past they have been. Keep an eye on that one.

OK, one by one, song titles, maybe they're correct, blah, blah, blah . . .

PHIL STACEY ("Missing You"): This was actually a good song choice for him in that his voice came through quite well. The song itself is just OK, but he did a good enough job to stick around. First can be the worst spot in the order because I always find myself saying, "Oh yeah! That's right," when I see the numbers played back. He got 2 + 1 (that's 3) yo's, too!

JARED COTTER ("Let's Get It On"): I did say he was one of my 2 "something to prove guys" tonight and I think he did. I'm with Jared: the Love Boat would have been something with that guy singing. Great performance. Much better than last week.

A.J. TABALDO ("Feeling Good"): First off, I have real difficulties with anyone singing anything Michael Buble has done because I think he's one of the recent great artists, and he has such a great sound it's hard to beat it. With that, I think A.J. did a great job switching it up this week (overhead helicopter notwithstanding).

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Steppin' Out"): Sanjaya is a nice kid with a million-dollar smile, but he has no power and he seems young out there. I had the same thoughts as the judges, with a bit more tact and compassion however. He did seem like a performer in a high school talent show. He'd win, no doubt, but he's just not quite there as far as A.I. goes.

CHRIS SLIGH ("Trouble"): Great song choice! These were the vocals I was waiting for. It's as if he was actually reading this blog! Big improvement on last week. Brilliant dedication. Show the talent and the rest is taken care of.

NICK PEDRO ("Fever"): I was glad he picked this song since that's the kind of thing that got him to Hollywood in the first place. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we knew he would not be singing another Richard Marx song. Maybe Jon Heeter can get him a few votes to keep him around. Oh! And the happy drummer should be good for a half dozen or so more as well.

BLAKE LEWIS ("Virtual Insanity"): Cap on sideways = beatboxing tonight (more math!). I knew he'd do it, but I loved that he kept it short, blended smoothly into a dope scat solo, and slid right back into his vocals. Awesome! It actually gave me a younger, hipper Al Jarreau type vibe, which is a good thing in my book since I like the older, less hip Al Jarreau as well. I think Simon was right in that he was out of tune in a couple of spots, but as far as originality of moves? I checked out the Jimiroquai video to see for myself, and unless I missed cockroaches, ravens, sliding couches, and enormous fuzzy top hats in Blake's performance, tonight's was quite different from the original!

BRANDON ROGERS ("Time After Time After Time After Time After . . ."): OK. My most frequently accessed memory of this song is of a Japanese guy I met when I lived in Japan, playing his guitar, and singing this song with the most stereotypical accent possible. And that version is the most interesting I've heard, including Brandon's tonight. I don't agree with Simon that sentimentality is "rubbish," and I'm not surprised that Simon can't get beyond the surface of real emotion. A heartfelt song can be quite powerful. But Simon's point is well taken: he has got to do more to stand out, or his stay will be a short one.

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Geek in the Pink"): A few good things. Not a song done by Elliott Yamin (you're no Elliott, right Stacy?). Great song choice for him. And he had a lot of fun up there. He definitely has that boy-band, front guy type vibe, just like Justin Timberlake. And if Chris ever says that he doesn't try to look or sound like Justin, I think he's lying.

SUNDANCE HEAD ("Mustangs, Driving, Wax On, Wax Off"): The other of my 2 guys to watch this week really did his thang! I am glad to see Sundance return from the nearly dead. You can see the relief on his face to finally be out of the "box." As a father I can relate to the distraction and difficult emotions he must be feeling while he's away from his son, but it looks like he finally realized what he needed to do to stick around. If he keeps singing like this, I'll forget all about the "between auditions and week 2" period of his life.


MY QUICK HITS

PHIL: Better start this week = see you next week
JARED: Way to step it up. Now you gotta keep it up
A.J.: Unless you're planning to land on the roof of the building, your arm motions are just distracting.
SANJAYA: It's been a pleasure hosting you on A.I.
CHRIS S.: Keep picking songs like tonight, and you have a way to go.
NICK: What a shame that your best performance coincided with so many other bests.
BLAKE: Perfect blend of talents to keep that degree of difficulty up.
BRANDON: Maybe backgrounds are better for you. Prove me wrong if you get the chance.
CHRIS R.: What a geek.
SUNDANCE: Way to advertise for Ford. You'll get the check at the end of the week.


MY TOP 3: Blake, and the 2 C's (kind of like my freshman Physics classes!)
MY BOTTOM 3: Sanjaya, Brandon, and Nick (too close to really tell)
STEPPIN' OUT TIME AFTER TIME: Sanjaya and Brandon.

Admittedly, the guys are mostly on even footing in my mind, and there is no way to really differentiate them in my mind. Tweeners and Grannies make the difference tonight in Sanjaya's life. Even the Top 6 are tough to pick at this point. At least the guys brought it this week!

Top 10 Boys

I'm so much smarter than a 5th Grader. I'm blogging instead of watching more Fox tonight. No boob tube for me. (Ha! I said "boob." I wonder if we'll get more hits from people seeking Antonella Barba pictures).

Yo, dawg, that was a HOT show! Paula was great tonight. I like her. And those boys brought it ON (and apparently white sneakers are in?)! There was some nice falsetto tonight, mmmmmm. Lots of stupid finger tricks though. I've given this some thought. I do NOT think it helps us remember who's got what numbers, so they should probably just not do it. Though TWO boys showed some real originality when it comes to finger tricks tonight. Read on.

Phil Stacey - "Missing You"
I dislike that song. Yuck. He was off in parts. He has a bizarre voice--I kind of like it and I kind of don't. Very odd. But yo, yo, that was pretty good! I'm not sure what poor Phil is to make of the words "very, very good" and "karaoke singer" in the same sentence though.

Stupid Finger Tricks: a "#1, Baby" shout out

Jared Cotter - "Let's Get It On"
Okay, I love this song, but the best I've heard ever so far is Nikko Smith. Boy, I miss Nikko. Jared has great control and a great falsetto. The judges suck. Too much stupid banter. Very little constructive anything. I'm still not sure what Pauler thinks even though Simon seems to know.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Simple peace sign

A.J. Tabaldo - "Feeling Good"
Isn't he cute? Great song. Very good. I am LOVING the falsetto tonight. Not sure about the whole "It's a new Don" pronunciation. He seemed shifty-eyed and nervous at first, but once he got into it, it was great.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Wow, an "0" and a "3" and a mouthed "vote for me!" Huh.

Sanjaya Malakar - "Stepping Out"
Well, crap. I was hoping that outfit meant some early Michael Jackson. Which would have been oh-so-much-better than what we heard tonight. That poor kid. He has a nice, sweet, smooth voice, but it's not powerful enough to compete. He picked a not very challenging song and it was too Broadway. Geez, the judges don't even think it was that (and they're right--it really was more high school musical than Broadway). Poor Sanjaya was trying not to cry. It takes guts to wear a fedora at age 17 on national television like that. Good for Ryan for being so sweet. What a nice host.

Stupid Finger Tricks: A *sideways* "4" Wow.

Chris Sligh with conditioned hair and a cute, cute wife - "Trouble"
He almost made me forget that Taylor sang this song. GREAT voice! Wow!

Stupid Finger Tricks: A simple 5. Hello.

Nick Pedro - "Fever"
Cute girlfriend. Holy SIX cuts to the crazy drummer! Paula was grooving and Simon was snapping. He hit some GREAT notes and has a great falsetto! Everyone was so good tonight that I hope his apparent lack of "charismer" doesn't hurt him this week. I like him. What a good Portuguese boy.

Stupid Finger Tricks: 6 fingers and a "Vote For Pedro" shout out that I like and hope helps him

Blake Lewis - "Virtual Insanity"
Cute boy, great (be prepared for an onslaught of that word) stage presence, great falsetto (Damn, falsettos are sexy), beatboxing, scatting, wow! That is a HARD song to sing--there's very little breathing! Great song choices again and again! Great name, very marketable. Great, great, great. He is my favorite male contestant hands down. Speaking of hands . . .

Stupid Finger Tricks: 7 fingers and Mad Props for the very original beatboxed "7!"

Brandon Rogers - "Time After Time"
Urgh. I know he's better than he showed tonight. Cute boy, but holy BORING song. I like the cool cross gender thing that many contestants do, but Cyndi Lauper?? That just wasn't challenging or showcasing. Bad choice, bad mixing (that's not his fault). You can tell Simon likes him despite the slam and hey, he likes puppies, too. What a mood he's in.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Have you noticed the worse the judges' criticism, the more the nervous finger tricks? Brandon broke out 8 fingers and then he showed us that he is indeed smarter than a 5th grader by breaking it into a study of 4 and 4 and then oooooh, criss crossing them! Yeah, sorry, that is not going to compensate for the crappy song choice (nice dedication though).

Chris Richardson - "Geek in the Pink"
Yeah, that song is new to me, too. Funny dedication song for a grandmother, but it worked. He's good and I like him better this week. He's very Justin Timberlake this week, wow. I disagree with Simon, however. He is NOT the best tonight.

Stupid Finger Tricks: Hmmm, I didn't write it down. And shocker, I don't remember it.

Sundance Head - "Ride, Sally, Ride"
Sweet dedication, awwwww. He has redeemed himself and his thank you to America was very smart. That was good.

Stupid Finger Tricks: He has no need to put up any fingers with a performance like that and he knows it.

Best tonight for me: I heart Blake Lewis and Nick Pedro
Bottom Two: Sanyaya and Brandon
Who's getting the boot? Sanjaya and urgh, I'm nervous for A.J. and Nick even though they both did very well

Oh, and a word to the contestants. When you're standing behind Ryan and he's promoting the next Fox show to premiere next (for three days in a row!!), don't do stupid head antics in an effort to mug the camera and get more air time. You'll only annoy the hell out of people. This means you. Don't annoy me, Chris. I like you tonight.

Top 20! - 10 Guys

I liked the subtle nod Ryan gave to Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson at the start of the show in which he emphasized (literally) how the AI judges had discovered her (even if they thought she wasn't good enough) - a sad attempt at damage control, but a good example of what we psych people call 'reframing'... ; )

I also fine-tuned my home stereo system this week, given the sucky audio I encountered last week. So far it sounds much better.

Phil Stacey - I agreed pretty much with Simon. Good, but not outstanding.

Jared Cotter - Sounded a little strained and unpolished to me. Paula picked up on him pushing the song. I didn't disagree with Simon's cabaret appraisal. About the same as last week. He may survive on looks for awhile.

AJ Tabaldo - Very smooth start, and adds some kick and owns it pretty well. Best so far tonight, but not huge.

Sanjaya Malakar - Let's hope he's found some fire. Not so much. Smooth and pleasant, but he needs some growl in his voice, especially with that song! Randy agreed. Paula remains the patron saint of diplomatic, positive feedback, and Simon remains intent on squashing her like a bug when she does that. Still, it wasn't bad, so maybe he'll last another week and finally show us something more impressive. I was the same way as a singer - too sweet, and not enough bite, though I did manage to make a lot of girls cry... ; )

Chris Sligh - Nice looking wife, and I'll bet he deserves her completely. The song is unknown to me, but he certainly kept me interested in it. I like his suit and sneakers. He gave me some chills, so that's the key for me. Very good, and I'm glad to hear the judges agree.

Nick Pedro - Smooth and smokey...about the same as last week, with a couple of tries at adding some pizazz. Unfortunately, those attempts took him off-key. Just okay for me. I think the judges liked it a little better than I did.

Blake Lewis - I can see he gets a lot of his strength and confidence from his parents. He let himself be himself in tonight's song choice. Once again he owned the stage, the song and the audience. Awesome! Randy agrees. Paula nails how smart he's being, and I agree. Simon's being tough, but I know where he's coming from - he's expressing his disappointment as though he's talking to the American Idol already. What's clear to me is how strongly the energy of his performance has affected the judges. Both last week and this week they are all over each other. Clearly they were strongly impacted and it manifests in energetic interactions. I've seen the same thing with mental health clients with powerful energies surrounding them - the entire treatment team becomes galvanized, and no one remains indifferent.

Brandon Rogers - Pitchy and timid, to start, and the song wasn't played fast enough. I understand the dedication and intent to express feeling, but I agree somewhat with Simon that it's still a competition, and this wasn't up to par.

Chris Richardson - A good example of a dedicated song with feeling and some pop to it. Simon's point is made, and Paula has nowhere to hide except humor. Up there with Blake's performance, though I liked Blake a little better.

I must say I'm liking the pace of the show much better tonight.

Sundance Head - He makes a good attempt at bringing it and not sucking. I admire his efforts, but I don't think it was as impressive as Randy and Paula. Like Simon, I feel like, "let's not get carried away".

Tops: Blake Lewis, Chris Sligh, Chris Richardson, AJ Tabaldo.

Bottoms: Brandon Rogers, Jared Cotter, and, for me, if I'm honest, Sundance Head.

I'm expecting much better from the girls...

...John

Idol Chatter from the Good Doctor, Episode 5

Since my children, especially my son, are Star Wars obsessed lately I was tempted to subtitle this "The Guys Strike Back" (you know, "Star Wars" Episode 5 . . . never mind), but I've been getting geared up for the next round of performances, thinking of some people to watch. Here are some things that crossed my mind.

Guys

Blake Lewis--he needs to follow up his somewhat surprising first performance with something great. He can't afford to be just OK this time around if he wants to keep the momentum going.

Sanjaya Malakar--NO STEVIE!!! First round jitters should be out of the way this week, so this is his "make it or break it" week in my opinion.

Nick Pedro--This guy could jump up quite a bit since his first week's performance was somewhat less than inspiring. But if he comes out singing "Hold On to the Night" I will write him off!

A.J. Tabaldo--Pointing to the sky and doing a helicopter maneuver will not do a whole lot this week. After last week's solid performance he's in a good position to keep on keeping on.

Brandon Rogers--This is one guy I want to see bring it. Look for him to step it up and wow us this week.

Chris Richardson--(this is for Stacy) Let's not do an Elliott impersonation. What if he come out in some wild afro wig like Rickey Smith in Season 2 (think Earth, Wind, and Fire--"September"). Given the weak performances last week he's in good position to do well again.

Chris Sligh--I like him and think he's got the potential to do quite well, but I'd like to see something a bit "reined in" from him this week, something a little more "musical."

Phil Stacey--This guy has got to sing the beginning of a song well! If he can do that his stock rises a bunch.

And my 2 with something to prove . . .

Jared Cotter--His performance last week was a weak one, but I could tell he has got some real talent there. A good improvement tomorrow and he will be rapidly on the rise.

Sundance Head--Listen. I like him. I have nothing against him. But he seems "lost" up there. If he can finally pick a good song befitting his bluesy style, this guy stands to gain the most of anyone this week. If he's got "it" at all, it will come out this week.

So, the guys I'll be watching a little more closely this week will be:

Blake (an early favorite for me)
Sanjaya
Jared
Sundance

So there is the chatter on the guys. Stay tuned for thoughts on the girls. . . .