Top 11 - The British Invasion!

I copied the headline straight from last year. Do they realize they've duplicated the theme? Is it a tradition now?

Randy does a pre-show yawn. Paula wants gumption. Simon wants skillz.

Amanda Overmyer - Arghh. More unintelligible screaming. Even the audience sounds better than her, with their screaming afterward, but I just don't get what they're screaming about. I am so bored with this one-trick pony. Randy and Paula give her some props, but Simon gives it to her straight, though much more gently than I would have expected. I just don't understand how she got in the top 12.

Kristy Lee Cook - First note is off and the soft beginning is shaky. She gets better as she ramps it up, and ends on a very good note, but the arrangement was pretty dull. Randy agrees. Paula notes how great she looks this week, and she does. Simon tells it true. I think she has talent, but she's blooming too slowly to win, unless she gets to stay another week and really, really brings it.

David Archuleta - The Long and Winding Road - absolutely perfect song choice for him. I get serious chills early on. This is my Idol, right here. Everybody else can leave now, and I'll just get to listen to him for the rest of the show. The judges all agree. Simon even calls it "master class."

Michael Johns - A Day in the Life - Good choice if he can shorten it properly. Tight performance, rhythmically. Well done, though there were spots where he wasn't quite true enough, such as to the sexy vocal tremolo at the end of the "I'd love to turn you on" section in the original. The judges didn't like it as much as I did. Another song dedication that didn't work for the performer, it seems.

Brooke White - Here Comes the Sun - She starts sitting, anticipating an Idol moment? A big part of the original, for me, was the exceptional harmony. Performing it solo is a bit risky, to me. She does the melody justice, but it lacks the thrill of the original for me, and I can't help but compare. Randy felt she never connected with the song. Paula noted, and I agree, that she's still a pleasure to watch. Simon didn't like anything about it. Brooke is incredibly quick to agree with all the criticism. She asserts she'll get back to what she does best next week, if she gets to stay.

David Cook - Day Tripper - Excellent song choice, right up his alley. He handles it with excellent nuance, faithful to the original, and even throws in some original voicebox effects, which worked pretty well. Randy liked it, Paula thinks he's ready to sell records, Simon didn't like it. I agree with Paula, for the most part.

Carly Smithson - Blackbird - One of my favorite songs, and a good choice for her voice. I get teary-eyed with her beginning, and then she powers it up another notch, and personalizes the ending like a pro. Wonderful! Okay, she can stay with David A. The judges like it except for Simon, inexplicably. The man has no heart.

Jason Castro - Michelle - Not a great showcasing song. He does a decent job with it, for someone who didn't know that "ma belle" was French (not the phone company), but it was just okay for me. Randy agrees. Paula nails the polka, singsong style he fell into. Simon liked it because he could see the performer, and thought his facial expressions fleshed the performance out, versus hearing it on the radio - a good point, but it seems clear that he's seeing dollar signs when the girls in the audience scream, hence the slack he gives him.

Syesha Mercado - Yesterday - Another sitting start. Ambitious, but she handles the soft and slow beginning without pitch problems - bravo! It's a decent performance, but lacked the power of the original. Still, possibly her best performance. Simon says the same. Randy and Paula both liked it. It may, as Simon notes, keep her alive for awhile yet.

Chikezie - I've Just Seen a Face - A tough song, and he's gonna pick up the harmonica for the first time? He slows the song down to a country ballad to start, which works okay. Then he does some 'monica and kicks it into a hoedown tempo, closer to the original, but still unique. It works pretty well, for me, but doesn't blow me away. Still, very entertaining. Paula liked it as a showcase for his scope. Randy and Simon were unimpressed. I don't think it will hurt him.

Ramiele Malubay - I Should Have Known Better - Not the best showcase song for a solo. Again, the group dynamics made the original. She does well by it, but it doesn't quite get there for me. Randy and Paula give her props, but didn't love it. Simon essentially agrees.





Tops and Props: David A. - Carly Smithson (a tie), David Cook, and, yes, Syesha, for tonight.

Bottoms: Amanda, Kristy, Chikezie.

Leaving: Amanda, please, though the audience response contradicts the likelihood.

So many thumbs

It seems The Boy and The Girl are getting a bit more discriminating, but the thumbs were flying all over the place again this week. We're actually watching it after the elimination so they can see the performances and say good-bye all in one day.

Syesha Mercado: two thumbs up (with a bonus from tThe Boy: "I just like the way she sings it")
Chizezie: two thumbs up (another bonus thumb from The Boy)
Ramiele Malubay: one thumb up, one thumb down
Jason Castro: two thumbs up
Carly Smithson: two thumbs up (bonus from The Boy: "I love her")
David Cook: two thumbs up (the expected bonus from The Boy for all the rock and roll)
Brooke White: two thumbs up + two more
David Hernandez: one thumb up, one thumb down
Amanda Overmyer: one thumb up, one thumb down (bonus from The Boy as usual, and the customary eye roll from The Girl)
Michael Johns: one thumb up, one thumb down (7-year-old girls apparently don't dig him like they dig David A.)
Kristy Lee Cook: two thumbs up (one bonus from The Boy, and an "oooh" during the recap)
David Archuleta: two thumbs up (plus the bonus from The Girl)

Top 12 Minus 1 - Katharine McPhee Performs!

Seems they're having the bottom 3 sing off before they're eliminated - much better!

Syesha is in the bottom 3 - no surprise. Her performance is pitchy and unimproved since last night.

Amanda is not even in the bottom 3! I knew the audience reaction was indicative that she probably wouldn't be going.

Kristy is in the bottom 3. I didn't pick her either to stay or to go, so I'm not attached, but, though the arrangement was a failure, I didn't think her skillz sucked enough to take her out.

---

The live questions portion was interesting. Sort of...

---

Katharine McPhee! My girl! She still gives me chills! - even if she did flub the lyrics at one point...LOL! At least she did it very professionally... ; ) And what a great ending!

David A. is safe, thank goodness.

Brooke is safe. No surprise.

Ramiele and David H. are the final picks... David H. makes the bottom 3. Good. I'd rather watch Ramiele another week than him.

Syesha is safe, leaving Kristy and David H.

David H. hits the road. That suits me, though he might have saved me from hearing Amanda for another time.

See ya.

Top 12 -- Keeping it Short

I like Ryan but he was hyper and I was uncomfortable--he can't get away with words like "baby" and "dude" and "bring it" without making me shift nervously in my chair and without making my nausea flare up. He seems SO gay (in the 80s sense of that word, NOT in the 21st century bigotry sense of the word).

The new set is nice but again I was disturbed and distracted by Ryan's introduction of it.

Here we go:

Syesha - SNORE! Why is she here? I've had enough. 3 weeks ago. And something about her reminds me time and time again of "The Cosby Show" though I can't put my finger on it--is it the hair? Is it the off-the-shoulder shirt with tank top underneath? I don't know.

Chikeze - I loved it! I feel like I'm watching Turk (SCRUBS) sing in his apartment. He's great, he's fun. I dig it.

Ramielemulabay - Her name is fun to say as all one word. But I'm bored to tears and I've tired of her personal tribute songs. She's becoming forgettable. Oh, and camera angles from the top down? Not good on someone who is 4 foot 6.

Jason - I love this guy. He's so James Blunt. I like his folksy, not-perfect sincerity and purity. Love him. He is unique so I look forward to and enjoy every performance. He's sort of my Elliot for this season, but yet not even close, if that makes any sense.

Carly (of "What's that Irish Girl's Name" fame) - I like her. She's likable. She's cute. She did a smashing job!

David Cook - I LOVE THIS GUY!! I've liked him for a long time and I personally dig that he's a smart and wordy nerd kind of rocker. The best kind if you ask me. He's fantastic and unique and I love love love what he does with his songs (a la Blake). Again, I always look forward to and enjoy every performance. He is this year's Daughtry and Simon sees dollar signs for sure. I really like this guy.

Brooke - Love her. She's great, folksy, fun, sweet, and good to boot! I like her style. Again, I say, she's unique and so I look forward to and enjoy every performance. Sensing a pattern?

David Hernandez - Yuck. I miss Danny. And now, after weeks of wondering WHO DOES HE REMIND ME OF?!?!, I've figured out that he's Eddie and so now I'm further disturbed. As if the stripping wasn't enough. I'm bored by him now.

Amanda - I tired of her week 1. She always sounds the same no matter what she does. I don't understand her either so it's not a British thing. She's this year's Bucky and a sucky bucky at that. Glad to see her smile, look pretty, and embrace where she is for a change, but I'm bored now.

Michael Johns - Hubba hubba and all of that. He's good. "I'm not jum'pin' out o' my chai'r" but it was very good. Sure, not a wow moment, but I enjoy him. I don't think he's terribly unique but he's certainly not bad either!

Kristy Lee Cook - Yikes. Now, that was uncomfortable. Horrible! And no one said how cute she looked to at least lessen the pain of the harsh judgment? You just don't do that to a Beatles' song, sorry. Yikes yikes yikes. No, no. No.

David Archuleta - Eek! He messed up the lyrics! Several times! Part of me wonders if he's been reading the press and blogs that say he's gotta mess up once or twice so we don't get complacent about how great he is. I still say the kid's making it to the tops, but this was a rough week.


They can all go home and it's fine with me: Syesha, Amanda, Kristy, and David Hernandez
Unique and I like them time and time again: Jason, Brooke, and David Cook
Unique or not, I like them: David A, Michael Johns, and Carly
Let's see, who have I forgotten?: Ramiele and Chikeze

TOPS for me tonight: David Cook, Brooke, Chikeze, and Jason
Going Home: Probably Syesha (PLEASE!) but could be any of the other ones I've listed.
Safe due to weeks of greatness: Michael Johns, David A, and that Irish girl

Beatlemania and a little regular mania

Finally! The Top 12 are here, and I feel the pain of the 6 guys, 6 girls format, although if we could just get rid of the first 3 or 4 now and give the rest some exhibition weeks I'd be more than happy. The Lennon-McCartney songbook, predictably, came off wonderfully for some contestants and destroyed some others. Not everyone can do The Beatles. OK, on to last year's format. . . .

RANDOM THOUGHTS: That's an impressive set, complete with mosh pit and the backdrop with a secret entrance. What the hell was going on with Ryan last night?! It was like he was drunk or on some drug or something. Last night was the first time I've actually considered this thought: Bring back Dunkelman. It was a oh so very brief moment. It occurred to me that Ryan, as much as I enjoy him as host, is a complete attention seeker, so the new set, the hype, the fancy lights, Band-in-the-Stand, Brooke's shoes, etc., just had him drooling. Simon's right: Paula is disrepectful to him while telling him to be respectful. The banter is interesting but sometimes they just gotta let him speak. Interesting that they put Chikezie and Amanda in the Brand-name Cola Chair for interviews. Of all the contestants they could use the positive attention the most. OK, brief comments on the contestants.

Syesha Mercado: Snore. You're a working actress (Ouch to all of you "aspiring," a.k.a. "out-of-work" actors out there) and have done commercials on the beach. Blah blah. I was unimpressed.

Chikezie: I thought his southern jug band thing worked. Loved the interpretation. The pogo stick impression after the performance was a little much, but luckily The Great White Hope made him look "normal."

Ramiele Malubay: No more songs with personal meaning. We're not getting it. She's starting to slip quite a bit in my mind.

Jason Castro: Welcome back Mr. Six String. Solid performance from this one. Jason is definitely one of Simon's $$$ projects. He has a recordable voice and distinctive style, Simon's kind of package.

Carly Smithson: I don't know that this was exactly the "moment" Simon was looking for, but it was her best so far. The style suited her and she seemed to eat up being on The Big Stage 2.0.

David Cook: Wise decision to drop the guitar this week and prove he's The Man. Simon's praise is not misplaced, and he is a Daugtry-esque money machine if he can make it as far, which Simon is already trying to help along.

Brooke White: Her voice was off a touch at times this week but her complete love for the music and the experience is why she is so incredible on stage. The tears are real because she is the music. She is the lyrics. She comes off as the consummate performer. Brooke is definitely one of the few this year that really believes this is the greatest experience (not just career jump-start) of her life.

David Hernandez: No, no. No. Don't do that. No. The Small Stage--Circular Version. No. Danny would have been more interesting, that's for sure. It doesn't help that my wife has finally pegged who he looks like. "Hey, man, check it out. I got some great stuff to dehydrate here. I got some grapes, I got some apricots... I thought it would be really cool to see what happens with these water balloons. "

Amanda Overmyer: At least she seems like she wants to be on AI at this point. This is a vast improvement. Aside from being the "authentic Amanda," I didn't really like the performance. I don't find myself wondering what she'll do each week and will it work. She could provide some interesting entertainment on the tour, however so I can persevere for two more weeks.

Michael Johns: I largely agree with Simon on him. I liked the performance a lot. He definitely has a career in the music business, but he's not bringing a whole lot of "wow" to the table right now. He'll step it up soon once the dead weight is trimmed from the Top 12.

Kristy Lee Cook: I feel badly for this girl. She did what she thought the judges said to do. They are not always the clearest in their critiques.
"Dawg. You gotta, y'know, bring it. IT. Bring dat. YaknowwatImsayin'? Paula?"
"You're so beautiful. You need to exude this inner beauty and be the butterfly rising above the
cocoon. You know I love you."
"You'd be great doing country."

What is she supposed to get from this? She did country, but did it poorly. I think the arrangement had a strong back beat, and she was somewhere between on the beat and off. My instincts say she'll be back another week, but she needs to actually stop listening to the judges and just do what she wants.

David Archuleta: I was afraid of this. His youth hurt him on this one because he wasn't too aware of The Beatles and then picked a version by The Greatest Singer in the Known Universe(TGSitKU) (Randy's opinion, not mine). It came off like a Star Search performance and he came through as young, not "young and great." He'll be back. He'll stop singing Stevie Wonder, except for TGSitKU Week. He'll emerge again as a front runner.

MY TOP THREE: Brooke white, David Cook, Chikezie
MY BOTTOM THREE: David Hernandez, Kristy Lee Cook, Syesha Mercado
YOU SAY GOODBYE . . . AND SO DO I: David Hernandez

Top 12 Perform Lennon - McCartney!

Syesha Mercado - Got To Get You Into My Life - Very pitchy start for an Idol contestant. She risks an updated arrangement, which may get her a few points, but not really great. Randy likes the arrangement and calls her on early pitch problems. Surprisingly, Simon thinks it was better than last week. For me, it was two pitchy performances in a row - enough for me to drop her.

Chikezie - She's A Woman - With a hillbilly interpretation - I like it! Then he turns on the grunge and takes it home. He be havin' fun! Very exciting! I surely liked it! Randy's like, who knew? Paula loved it. Simon is surprised that he agrees with Randy and Paula.

Ramiele Malubay - In My Life - I love this song. She suggests that it's about all the people that pass through our lives and then adds that that includes people voted off the show. I'm telling you, she had/has a crush on Danny Noriega! She starts it very well, though she's a bit tentative further on when she could be building it, then depends entirely on the final note to bring it home. Randy agrees that it "just laid there." Paula starts by complimenting her looks, so you know she didn't love it, and felt the same as Randy. Simon agrees but finds it necessary to add insult to injury. Who knew?

Jason Castro - If I Fell - He plays guitar, the audience claps. He does some original runs to make it his own. His charisma may save him, but, for me, the vocals were mediocre. Randy didn't love the original runs in the falsetto range. Paula felt his charisma overrode that. Simon stuck with boring, maybe left over from his review of Ramiele. Ryan lands a good one on Simon and then pitches Jason's dreads to the listeners.

Carly Smithson - Come Together - a song she performs regularly. She does it pretty traditionally to start, and owns the song and the audience. She adds a little grunge and closes it well. Randy loved it too. Paula saw her as a star. Simon says this is (finally!) the right song choice for her. High praise all around.

David Cook - Eleanor Rigby - a tough song to do well, but he knows it and thinks he's up to it. His husky voice has a little trouble bringing power into the softer parts, but when he goes to high gear, he nails it! The final note is a triumph. The audience loves it. Randy calls him on the shaky start, but loved it when he took it over. Simon calls it brilliant.

Brooke White - Let It Be - Can she come up to David Archuleta's memorable version? - big risk, plus she plays piano which could take some needed attention away from her vocals. It's a pretty standard good performance, but no fireworks, for me, but I still love her heart, and maybe the audience feels the same way. All three judges do feel that way, and I'm mildly but happily surprised.

David Hernandez - I Saw Her Standing There - His voice seems to suffer when he runs through the audience. It's a competent performance, but doesn't really grab me. Both Randy and Paula think he overdid it for this relatively simple song. Simon calls it corny and desperate.

Amanda Overmyer - You Can't Do That - a song she only just learned. She tries her own spin, but it just sounds like yelling. Her performance lacks any of the melodious nature of the original.
She gets a lot of applause from the audience, but I thought it sucked. Surprisingly, the judges gave her props for filling her unique slot, though Simon did call it a bit "shouty."

Michael Johns - Across The Universe - A solid performance, though nothing unsual. Both Randy and Simon agree that it needed something else. Paula thought it was brilliant.

Kristy Lee Cook - Eight Days A Week - country style. A risk, but she does does well by it. Again, nothing spectacular until the final note, but a decent peformance. None of the judges liked it very much, but Simon pounds nails into her coffin. A failed risk, perhaps, but not as technically poor as some others tonight.

David Archuleta - We Can Work It Out - He says he's nervous about it. Wow! He forgets lyrics at a couple of points. He seems to be more focused on his original riffs, which, of themselves, are fine, but he ended up thinking instead of fully feeling it. Randy agrees. Paula agrees. They're willing to let it slide based on his past. Simon is less forgiving.


Tops and Props: David C., Carly, Chikezie, Michael

Bottoms: Amanda, Syesha, David H., David A., Jason, Ramiele,

Leaving: It should be Amanda, but audience and judges' reactions indicate differently. If the judges hold sway, it could well be David H., though Syesha seems more deserving, to me.

Top 12 Revealed!

Good to hear from Blake Lewis!

David Cook is safe - no surprise.

David Archuleta is safe - no surprise.

Jason Castro is safe - no surprise.

Brooke White is safe - no surprise.

Syesha Mercado is safe - I'm a little surprised, unless Amanda takes her spot on the flight out.

Kady Malloy gets the boot - no surprise. Her parting performance truly sucks, but that may just be emotions (though tearless).

David Hernandez is safe - no surprise.

Michael Johns is safe - no surprise.

Luke Menard gets the boot - no surprise. But if he buys a puffy-sleeved shirt, he'll have a career for sure.

Ramiele Malubar is safe - no surprise to me.

Carly Smithson is safe - no surprise.

Amanda Overmyer is safe - I'm surprised.

Kristy Lee Cook and Asia Epperson (acknowledging Bo's rant) are left. I think Kristy may get the boot over Asia, but we shall see. Their last performances were pretty even. Asia gets the boot! That's the first one that's bothered me, but only a little. I'd rather hear another week of her than of Amanda.

Danny Noriega and Chikezie are left. Danny gets the boot - not a surprise for me.

So three out of four predictions ain't bad... ; )

See you next week!

More thumbs . . .

As is expected, the boy and girl were incredibly complimentary and positive. Here are their somewhat predictable ratings.

Asia'h Epperson: two thumbs up (bonus from the boy--must be the truck driver's gear change at the end)
Kady Malloy: one thumb up, one thumb down
Amanda Overmyer: one thumb down, one thumb up (bonus from the rock-and-roll boy)
Carly Smithson: two thumbs up (one extra from the boy since she's a bit rock-and-roll)
Kristy Lee Cook: one thumb up, one thumb down (the girl is feeling the "positivity")
Ramiele Malubay: two thumbs up (bonus thumb from the boy since "she's awesome")
Brooke White: two thumbs up + 2 more (big smiles from both throughout, and "she's awesome" too)
Syesha Mercado: two thumbs up

According to the thumbs, Kristy Lee Cook and Kady Malloy will bid us farewell tonight.

The girls pick songs as well as David Hernandez . . .

. . . Picks his nose, and listening to his embarassing moment the other night you know how well that is. Honestly, how can one group of people pick so many bad songs. I feel like I've heard the phrase "song choice" way too many times. And everyone seems to have some very personal or touching reason for picking the songs. Great reasoning for a video tribute. Poor reasoning for a singing competition. I sing the typical Daddy repertoire pretty well (ABCs, Rubber Duckie, etc.). I could not sing anything by The Dave Matthews Band even though I like it.

Again, people wasted the 1980s. This was a decade with a lot of great music across a lot of genres. With a few exceptions I felt like I was listening to a who's who of American musical crap. There I go again. Song choice. Rant off.

Randy gave more love to the Other Dawg Pound this week than he's given to his usual Dawg Pound, and even Paula's talking like Randy. If I were the AI doctor I'd do an overhaul on Paula's medications. And check the Coke cup. What was with the judges this week? They messed around so much that they didn't say anything to Syesha, who deserved more of an assault than she got. Whitney? Are you kidding me? Why the woolly scarves and short sleeves on the guys. I don't know if I can get on board with that style. Danny Noriega looked like someone's Abuela with those glasses on. Can I boot 3 girls and keep an extra guy this week? (Sorry Luke, you're gone either way.)

OK, rant on again. Why do people insist on picking songs (and not even the best ones) by such artists as Whitney Houston? Don't they know that only one of two things is likely to happen. Number 1, it is an adequate replica of the original, which means nothing. Number 2, there is no way to even come close to the original (this is more common, by the way) and thus it is a catastrophic failure and waste of a minute and a half. Sure, other things can happen: they can do an original arrangement, which ends up falling into category 2 more often than not. They can actually "slay" the song, but I've seen that maybe one time in 7 seasons. It just doesn't happen. That's why those divas have a lot of hits and millions of dollars and why these contestants had to go through the cattle call auditions and subject themselves to public scrutiny and ridicule. Phew! Rant off, I think.

We'll have another matching test for the girls this week. There will be two versions so stay sharp!

1. Asia'h Epperson
2. Kady Malloy
3. Amanda Overmyer
4. Carly Smithson
5. Kristy Lee Cook
6. Ramiele Malubay
7. Brooke White
8. Syesha Mercado

a. Missed the memo on singing anything Scott Savol did, among many, many, many other idols.
b. Did her best with it, but just doesn't have "it."
c. Along with David Cook, performed the most original arrangement this week, and was (shockingly) one of the most entertaining.
d. Missed the memo on singing anything done by anyone who can be identified by one name only.
e. Missed the memo on singing anything done by anyone who can be identified by one name only.
f. Gave her best performance so far, but is so uninteresting I don't know if I can stand it any longer (it doesn't appear that she can either).
g. Picked a very strange song to "countrify," but was obviously looking for a few dawg treats.
h. Still proves she is the one to beat, even if she hasn't found "her song."

Key: 1-d or 1-e, 2-b, 3-f, 4-h, 5-g, 6-a, 7-c, 8-e or 8-d


Top 8 Girls for Dummies

1. Asia'h Epperson
2. Kady Malloy
3. Amanda Overmyer
4. Carly Smithson
5. Kristy Lee Cook
6. Ramiele Malubay
7. Brooke White
8. Syesha Mercado

a. Tops for the night with an original performance.
b. Actually could give the guys a real contest.
c. Blah, blah, blah. Ordinary. Adequate. Poor song choice. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Key: 1-c, 2-c, 3-c, 4-b, 5-c, 6-c, 7-a, 8-c

MY TOP THREE: Brooke White, Carly Smithson, ???
GOING WHERE SONG CHOICE DOESN'T MATTER: Kady Malloy, Syesha Mercado
EARLY EXIT ALERT: Amanda Overmyer

* * * * * * * * * *

EARLY PREDICTIONS UPDATE

Here's another look at my early Top 12 picks based on basically nothing. People already gone in bold. Predicted to go are underlined. No italics yet.

David Archuleta
David Cook
Michael Johns
Robbie Carrico
Chikezie
Danny Norriega

Asia'h Epperson
Brooke White
Carly Smithson
Kristy Lee Cook
Ramiele Malubay
Joanne Borgella

* * * * * * * * * *

I'm on pins and needles here! I wonder what the group will sing tonight, and whether or not Amanda will look like she just had a root canal.

Moth Balls and Melon?

Sigh. To be blunt--the girls, collectively, suck compared to the guys. However, there are a couple of bright shining stars in this group of x-chromosomes. The entire group, collectively, is full of unique talent, too, so let's hope *that* is who makes it into the oh-so-coveted Top 12!

Asia'h - Her name is pronounced like the continent. Why is there an apostrophe and an "h" in her name? I'm with "The Troll" who posted on our blog today--"I feel if . . . mothers are going to throw together meaningless random combinations of vowels and consonants and call it a "name", I have no obligation to validate that inane decision." (edited for PCness) :) So, seriously, are the contestants deaf, stupid, or simply not listening? The judges say "Don't sing Whitney" and "Don't sing Celine" yet these divas consistently charge ahead. And for me, it's not just that they're stupid, it's that they're BORING. There are so many boring, boring diva songs. And I tire of them. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" has got to be one of the most boring songs on the planet. So, this didn't do it for me. And I like Asia'h, so that's not good.

Kady - A Stepford Wife! Brilliant! Perfect description. I'm tired of her. I was tired of her 2 weeks ago and then again a week ago. As they say on Friends, "I'm bored with you now. Goodbye."

Amanda - Omigosh. Omigosh!! I'm so mind-numbingly bored with her voice and what happens? She does a good job. And the judges praise her to the hilt. Even during the credits. So, we have to sit through more. If you ask me, she was hoping to get booted 2 weeks ago. I was hoping she'd be done this week, but now I doubt it. I predict everyone tires of her rapidly when she's in the Top 12.

Carly - I like her. I like the way she says "Hoosband." And I think she's cute. And she can sing. And she's unique. And I feel like I'm watching World Idol when I watch her and Michael Johns, so it's fun. She'll sail through to the finals, methinks.

Kristy - They tell her to do country so she "countrifies" Journey?? I thought Randy would hate it, but maybe he was just excited to name drop. Again. Seriously, was he the only sober judge tonight? It was interesting and okay, but I don't think it was great. I'm a bit bored with her, too. Can we cut 4 girls and send more guys through?

Ramiele Malubay - Heh. Her name is fun to say. It sounds like all one word or like I'm fluent in Tagalog. "RamieleMalubay." Tee hee. Boring, boring song. And she's better than that. My gosh she's tiny! And way to prod, Seacrest. I love her answer. "ST-uff!" You go, girl.

Brooke White - I loved it! Best of the night, IMHO. She did a wonderful job. She's refreshingly original and fun and unique and she has a personality and good voice to boot. I love her. I love it. I want to see much more of her. Best of the night, no question (despite the judges' mad stupid praise of the nurse).

Syesha - (Reference The Troll). She's a diva and I've tired of her. I spent the entire time confused about her outfit--are those shorts? Is it a skirt? And is it made of a Hefty bag? I don't know why they raked Asia'h over the coals for singing Whitney and then gave her a "Good. Good. Predictable, but Good." Idiots. They were running out of time because we spent precious air time talking about mutts and moths and melon balls. Seriously, I do love Paula, but I think her meds are ridiculously off this week. Tonight at one point it was actually painful to watch and I had a visceral reaction to the extreme awkwardness. Why don't they stop her from talking? It was horrible. There simply isn't enough "positivity" to counteract the pain and discomfort.

Best of the night for me for her: Brooke White
Going Home: Kristy and Kady? Asia'h and Kady? I go with the first 2.

Top 8 Girls! - 80s Theme

Asia'h Epperson - Big song, but she handles it well. The judges agree but Simon is obligated to bring everyone down to earth. Again.

Kady Malloy - The song is unfamiliar to me, so I have no point of reference. She sings it pretty straightforwardly, and seems to do a fair job, though still weak in the softer notes. Randy agrees, Paula likes the softer spots. Simon calls her straightforward delivery "Stepford wifish and unemotional."

Amanda Overmyer - Another unfamiliar song in the rock genre - good for her vocal style, but confirming her narrow range of skill, for me, though she does it very well. Randy and Paula like it. Simon loves it. Apparently I'm of the belief that an American Idol should have a broader skillset. I'll try to let that go.

Carly Smithson - Another unfamiliar song. I'm very impressed with how professional her stage skills are, not to mention the power of her voice in every place she puts it. Brilliant! Randy calls it "picking off targets." Simon points out that it wasn't "the" song for her, and I agree, but it was very well done.

Kristy Lee Cook - Great song choice. It feels good right from the start. Not perfect, but well done. Both Randy and Paula (when Simon lets her surface from a strange hug) agree that it could be a country hit. Simon is less optimistic, but didn't not like it.

Ramiele Malubay - Huge song, but worth the risk. She's a bit too loose with the phrasing through the first half, but she brings it to a great climax and close. Randy chalks it up to lack of confidence and overthinking it. Paula eventually gets around to swishing her into the top 12. Simon is not impressed. Danny is wearing her glasses? She's in L O O O O V E! Perhaps that's the "stuff" she was thinking about during the song that's TMTH. They would make a too cute couple!

Brooke White - A sitting start for this big song. Will it be a moment? The beginning is skillful enough, but she never stands up and never changes gears, and was a little pitchy toward the end. The judges like it all for different reasons. I think adding the band later to build it up, per Paula, would have made it better, but Simon liked it mainly because she stuck with only the acoustic guitar. Due to my crush on her, I'm inclined to overlook the pitchiness.

---

I thought the girls would bring it tonight and offer some real competition to the boys last night, but it hasn't quite happened.

---

Syesha Mercado - Her voice is way off tonight, at least in the softer opening. She handles the louder parts okay, but this was not at all her night for me. Judges are mysteriously brief, perhaps due to time constraints, but they all give her top 12.


Tops and Props: Carly, Brooke, Ramiele, Kristy, Asia'h, and, okay, Amanda, roughly in order.

Bottoms: Well, that only leaves Kady and Syesha (and Amanda. Ha!)

Interesting site

I was looking for proof that David Cook did not borrow a cover version of Lionel Richie's "Hello" (inspired by Magistra's reference to Daughtry and his "accidentally" unreferenced Chile Peppers cover of "I Walk the Line") and came across this site. Looks as though none of the covers listed here would quite resemble David's. Dean, the winner of Begium's Idool 2007 even covered it recently, in case you were wondering.

How many thumbs do they have?!

Today is the quickly becoming traditional AI Rebroadcast in our home. Oh, to be young and so positive!

Luke Menard: two thumbs up (plus one from the boy)
David Archuleta: one thumb up, one thumb sideways (bonus from the girl--see, 7-year-old girl demographic. His vocal "prowness" helps, too)
Danny Noriega: two thumbs up (bonus from the boy)
David Hernandez: one thumb up, one thumb sideways
Michael Johns: two thumbs up (plus one from the boy, likely for manly sport references)
David Cook: two thumbs up + two more (guitars, rock--it's got all the makings for greatness)
Jason Castro: two thumbs up (plus an extra one because he recognized this song from Shrek, one of his all-time favorite movie soundtracks)
Chikeze: two thumbs up (that's all)

Anyway, there it is. Enjoy.

Mmmm-hmmm.

Sure, you didn't notice the highlights, Ryan. Mmmmm-hmmmm. Here's a very quick run down:

Luke - Yuck, not powerful enough, Buh-bye.
David Archuletta - Loved it, he's so good at playing with the melody in a professional way.
Danny N. - I really like this kid. You either love him or hate him, I guess. I think he's refreshing.
David H. - Seemed nervous (probably because his skeletons hit the news) but it was okay, a bit off.
Michael J. - Great song for him! He'll sail into the Top 12.
David C. -LOVED it. Best of the night. WOW! True rocker, so so good. Loved the arrangement. And I love that he's a word nerd.
Jason - Loved this, too. I love that song and I love his gentle and vulnerable voice. I like him a lot.
Chikeze - Not great, but not awful.

Tops: David C., David A., and Jason C.
Leaving: Luke Menard and either David H (despite what Simon says) or Chikeze

I'm excited for the TOP 12 and ONE elimination per week!! I think girls will drop like flies compared to the boys for a while. The boys have SUCH unique voices--let's hope those are the ones moving forward. Very exciting. Even Paula is a little drunk with excitement (I really do like her).

At this rate, we'll run out of decades

We are almost there! Paula was absolutely giddy about the fact that the Top 12 is around the corner. Either that, or she was overmedicated. Simon is as cranky as ever, but he still managed to get his last-minute plugs in for his Top 6. Other thoughts . . . I'm so shocked we did 80s week. I'm also so shocked that with so many great songs, Wham! made an appearance. Doesn't Luke know by now that lyrics are the key to elimination? It's interesting how David Archuleta comes off as older than he is, but has maturity appropriate for someone older than he is. He isn't picking songs to seem adult--he actually has depth to appreciate the meanings in these songs. And Simon just doesn't seem to have depth enough to truly get that. So Lionel Richie likes Whole Foods. Maybe they got an ad campaign idea from tonight.

Simon: Lionel, that cereal is dreadful. Simply dreadful.
Lionel: I was just trying to have some fun with breakfast. You know, show my taste out here.
Simon: I'd be surprised to see you here next week after a purchase like that. You might as well be eating Malt-o-Meal from a bag, drunk, at a wedding.

They can fix the script later. Oh, and does anyone else think the guys are stronger this year? Unless a few people wow me tonight, I do. On to the performances.

This week you need to match the contestants to their reviews. Good luck!

1. Luke Menard
2. David Archuleta
3. Danny Noriega
4. David Hernandez
5. Michael Johns
6. David Cook
7. Jason Castro
8. Chikezie

a. Showed how in a pinch he can balance out the guy-girl ratio on future Ford commercials.
b. Will provide the awesome track for that aforementioned Whole Foods commercial with Lionel Richie (best of the night for me).
c. Showed his James Blunt/current alternative vibe tonight--in a good way.
d. Proved once again that if you've got it, you've got it!
e. As my wife said, even his embarrassing moment came off as more manly than the others. Although he was in a kangaroo costume . . .
f. Seemed quite uncomfortable to be singing and dancing fully clothed. Maybe AI is orchestrating an understated goodbye to avoid controversy?
g. Just fits in better on the college a capella tour. Wham? "Wake me up before you go-go"? Honestly.
h. By now you should know who the last contestant is, plus how many others could be our yearly Donny Hathaway/Luther Vandross/Ruben Lite contestant?

Key: 1-g, 2-d, 3-a, 4-f, 5-e, 6-b, 7-c, 8-h

MY TOP THREE: David Cook, David Archuleta, Jason Castro
CORRECTING THE BALANCE IN THE UNIVERSE: Luke Menard, David Hernandez (one of the Daves has to go--Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss)
CAUTION--EARLY EXIT DANGER AHEAD: Chikezie

Bring on the 90s! Or something else. I don't mind.

Top 8 Guys! - 80s Theme

Luke Menard - Okay, but the performance was a bit weak, and certainly no improvement over last week. He has some charisma, but seems slated to leave sooner rather than later. Simon agrees.

David Archuleta - Plays piano, which I think weakens his opening a bit due to distraction from his focus on singing. Not his best performance, but good. Simon encourages more liveliness, which is a good point.

Danny Noriega - Pitchy and off-timing make this performance depend almost entirely on looks and charisma. Randy agrees, but is encouraging. Paula has a crush and encourages him. Simon is straight and brutal with him, and didn't like it at all, but he's right, in my view.

David Hernandez - Strong start and good skillz, but he loses some power in the softer phrasing. Good song choice. Overall, very well done, and it should move him along. Randy agrees. Paula agrees. Simon liked last week better, but agrees he's through to the finals.

Michael Johns - Puts his own twist on this song with some success. Randy and Paula give him props. Simon likes him, didn't love the song, and is waiting for him to find just the right song.

David Cook - Puts a rock slant on this popular Lionel Ritchie ballad. Owns the stage, again. Gives me some chills. Another winning performance. The judges all loved it.

Jason Castro - The song is unknown to me. Poor timing, at times. Flubs the tender ending. Not so much, for me, but he has appeal and charisma, so will likely stick around. Randy and Paula are more forgiving. Simon loved it. I'm surprised.

Chikezie - Great power in the strong parts, a little weak on high and soft notes. Good song choice. Randy and Paula liked it. Simon disses it 'cuz Whitney Houston made it a girly song, never mind that males have sung it too.


Tops and Props: David C., A. and H., in that order.

Bottoms: For me, Danny and Luke.

Leaving: Luke Menard

Top 10 Minus 2 + 2

I'm glad they called Simon on the hand antler. I was wondering about that, too.

Michael Johns is safe, and so is Jason Castro - two of my picks for getting kicked. The only one I got right was Jason Yeager, who I thought had more of a chance to stay than the other two. But I am indifferent and unattached to these early outcomes.

Asia'h is safe, as is Amanda, so again, two of my picks are safe. Alexandrea is leaving, but to be fair, I did judge her as about equal to Alaina, who was one of my picks. I just neglected to include her. Maybe I was reluctant to pick four, or maybe I unconsciously didn't want to name all four of the female contestants beginning with 'A'. Eh?

Kady and Alaina are the other two in the bottom three. Alaina is out, so I wasn't too far off. She and Danny take it pretty hard. I really admire her courage to sing after that.

---

I wonder if Simon's angrier impatience with the top 24 contestants this year is based on the new policy of kicking two each per show, thus decreasing the number of possible appearances in which to shine or screw up. Perhaps his sense of urgency for them to excel stems from that. My guess is they'll be doing this again to get to the top 12 faster and stay there longer.

Yeah, that seems to fit in with the renewal of Idol Gives Back in the next segment, and all the other goodies they have in store for us. They're cutting to the chase.

---

Robbie Carrico and Luke Menard are the others in the bottom three. And Robbie is out. Again, I'm indifferent.

See ya next week!

Tale of the Thumbs--Top 10 Girls Edition

If you ever want to feel really good about yourself, come over to our house and have our children critique anything. They are positive children who apparently see a lot of good in people. Ways to score bonus thumbs with my son include screaming rock-and-roll style and using a guitar. My daughter likes songs appropriate for dancing and people who can sing loud.

Carly Smithson: two thumbs up
Syesha Mercado: one thumb up, one thumb down
Brooke White: two thumbs up (she used a guitar, so bonus from The Boy, and The Girl really likes her in general so bonus there, too)
Ramiele Malubay: two thumbs up
Kristy Lee Cook: two thumbs up
Amanda Overmyer: one thumb down, one thumb up (there was definite screaming, so bonus from The Boy)
Alaina Whitaker: two thumbs up
Alexandrea Lushington: two thumbs up (Bonus from The Boy for her skater shorts?)
Kady Malloy: two thumbs up
Asia'h Epperson: two thumbs up (The Boy yet again gives a bonus thumb--he's just in the habit by now)

Sometimes I just don't care . . .

Take last night's performances from the "Top 10" Girls. Bleh. I'm unenthused, and like Simon I find myself picking at my own hair to find something interesting to do while they screech their way through the 70s. There are a few gems there, but nothing that exciting. I think Ryan was the first to mention the Dog Pound by name. To this point Randy has been more interested in trying to hang the moniker "Mr. Happy" on Simon than in pointing out the Dog Pound. I noticed a lot less booing last night when Simon would criticize the contestants. Either last night's crowd was more brain dead or they don't like the girls as much. I don't know. Just my random thoughts.

Since I can't even bring myself to put much effort into reviewing the evening's happenings, I will give my Top 3 and Bottom 2

MY TOP THREE: Brooke White, Carly Smithson (who, in my opinion is critiqued heavily because they expect so much from her, not because she is doing poorly), and ____________ (name of female contestant here).

MERCIFULLY RELEASED FROM THE TOP 24 TO TOP 12 LIMBO: Amanda Overmyer and Kady Malloy

The other 3 or 4 girls could just as easily be sent home tonight or next week so it's all on the line now!

* * * * * *

CHECKING IN ON ORIGINAL PREDICTIONS

Here are my original Top 12 predictions, based on very little (those already elimintated are in bold). Predictions for elimination this week are underlined. I should add italics to something just for confusion's sake.

David Archuleta
David Cook
Michael Johns
Robbie Carrico
Chikezie Eze
Danny Norriega (think, Sanjaya)

Asia'h Epperson
Brooke White
Carly Smithson
Kristy Lee Cook
Ramiele Malubay
Joanne Borgella

Top 10 Girls! - Classic 70s Theme

Carly Smithson - Very good! I thought she owned it pretty well. The judges liked it well enough. I think Simon's right about her needing to find the perfect song to win.

Syesha Mercado - Her baby cry imitation is good, but it's just strange watching her while she does it. Her voice is great when it's louder, but it loses all power in the lower ranges. It was okay, but not a winner. Both Randy and Paula comment on the same thing. Simon points out that it's also a song for a male singer, but has to call it silly. Like Bush, he sorely lacks in diplomacy.

Brooke White - The Carly joint 'You're So Vain'. She's not quite big enough for the song, and gives it a country ballad flava, but it was very enjoyable overall. I'm actually amazed that Simon liked it as much as he did, but then, he probably thought the song was about him. Oh. Surprise. He did.

Ramiele Malubay - The song is unfamiliar to me, or is it just the way she is singing it? It seems like a nice, tight performance to me - well-modulated. Randy and Paula acknowledge her talent but dis the song. Simon agrees as well.

Kristy Lee Cook - Another decent performance. As I hinted at yesterday, all the girls' performances seem better than the typical guys' performance. She didn't kill with it, but it was very well done. Randy agrees. Paula approves. Even Simon gives it the nod.

Amanda Overmyer - She can kick it when she's belting, but I don't like her voice in the softer passages. Simon's "contrived" comment may have some merit. I can empathize with the judges' frustration with attempting to give winning advice to an almost certain loser of the contest at hand.

Alaina Whitaker - Great. An obsessive eater. Nice voice on a nice song. Somewhat better when she kicks it into gear, but it left me feeling she needs a couple of more years of training. Again the judges do their best to build her up (even Simon!).

Alexandrea Lushington - Some nice, original changes, but she felt strained, like she was holding back a bit, and slightly pitchy in spots. Like Alaina, she might benefit from a couple of more years of experience. The judges think it was the song, but I'm not sure.

Kady Malloy - I don't think she owns this rock genre song (Magic Man). It doesn't impress me. Randy agrees.

Asia'h Epperson - A shaky start to a HUGE song. Low and slow is not working. She also grinds the gears going into second. She manages to throw it into third and finishes big, but I was soooo scared for her. Randy and Paula give it to her, but Simon brings her down to earth.


Top Cats - Carly Smithson, Brooke White, Ramiele Malubay, Kristy Lee Cook, roughly in order.

In The Litter Box - Asia'h / Amanda / Alaina

See you tommorow...

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

I had no picks for the guys, but bye bye, Garret Haley.

I called Amy Davis, whose parting song was painful to experience.

I didn't realize we were losing two of each tonight, so let's see what's next.

Wow! Paula Abdul's track on Randy's album is hott! Props to the judge that walks the walk!
True, it's not a live performance, but it's very good!

Well, it's between Joanne and Amanda. I thought Amanda might last longer than this. Joanne's voice wasn't big enough for the song last night, but I thought she had decent control, and might grow into it or pick better songs, but she is more forgettable than Amanda, so it's hard to guess.

It's Joanne, so I guess Amanda's appeal to viewers outweighed other factors.

Ha! It seems Simon has been forced to replace his coffee mug with a Coke cup - and sarcastically pointed it out. LOL!

Chikezie wins out over Colton. Simon has to try to bury his dreams along with his hopes for this competition. His parting performance isn't really that bad. Well, I guess both Simon and Colton will be true to themselves.

And so it goes...

Thumbs Sideways for Me

Borrowing a line from my 5-year-old I am able to sum up my feelings on these early weeks. I usually prefer male vocalists in general so the Top 12/10/8 Girls is not my favorite. With that said, there were some bright spots and even some positive awards to hand out. First, my random thoughts . . .

Wardrobe must love Simon. Did he actually sleep in his clothes last night? Oh wait, it was a v-neck last night. These guys from last night are pretty duddy in general. They hardly get into the girls' performances. I remember in past seasons the constestants seemed to actually enjoy the others. This has been a rotten cold and flu season. I understand what the judges are saying about being sick is no excuse, but at this stage of the game do we really want to see legitimate "I can stand to watch you for 14 more weeks" talent go by the wayside because someone's on day one of a Z-Pak? C'mon. I'm glad Randy the mathemetician showed up because thanks to the professor we now realize that 360 degrees is not only a complete circle (meaning, we get back to where we started), but it is also a turnaround that is twice as powerful as the 180. Also, the professor astutely noted that 3 boys and 3 or 4 girls is not the exact same number. Next week, grammar. And did Paula actually say "dope"? School must have been in session because we even learned a thing or two about foreign culture--washing-up liquid.

MILLION-DOLLAR SMILE/TWO-BIT PERFORMANCE AWARD: Amy Davis

SUDAFED-INDUCED ZOMBIE AWARD: Kristy Lee Cook

DIDN'T WE HEAR THIS CHEESE LAST NIGHT AWARD: Alaina "Buy Me Some New Shoes" Whitaker (Although, it was better than last night's serving)

LATOYA LONDON SPIRIT AWARD: Syesha Mercado

STOP SCREAMING AT ME AWARD: Amanda Overmyer

HOW DID WE NOT HEAR MORE ABOUT YOU BEFORE NOW AWARD: Alexandrea Lushington

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE HOLDING HANDS AWARD: Brooke White

HOW ARE YOU SO BORING AWARD: Kady Malloy

WHY DO YOU KEEP SAYING "PLUS-SIZED" AWARD: Joanne Borgella

IF YOU START PACKING NOW IT WILL SAVE TIME NEXT WEEK AWARD: Kristy Lee Cook

GOOD THINGS IN TINY PACKAGES AWARD: Ramiele Malubay

BAD NEWS FOR THE OTHERS WHEN I'M HEALTHY AWARD: Carly Smithson

MY TOP THREE: Carly Smithson, Ramiele Malubay, Asia'h Epperson
WHO'S GOING HOME: Joanne Borgella, Amy Davis
ON DECK FOR NEXT WEEK: Kady Malloy

Since I'm watching today with my 5-year-old and 7-year-old I'll give the recap in terms of thumbs:

Kristy Lee Cook: two thumbs up
Joanne Borgella: one thumb sideways, one thumb up
Alaina Whitaker: two thumbs up
Amanda Overmyer: one thumb up, one thumb down
Amy Davis: one thumb sideways, one thumb sideways
Brooke White: two thumbs up
Alexandrea Lushington: two thumbs up
Kady Malloy: two thumbs sideways
Asia'h Epperson: one thumb up, one thumb down
Ramiele Malubay: two thumbs up
Syesha Mercado: one thumb up, one thumb sideways
Carly Smithson: one thumb up, one thumb sideways

Most of my son's thumb ratings were based on whether or not each song was rock and roll. My daughter likes "happy music."

Please, no themes next week. (I'm not holding my breath.)

Top 12 Girls!

Kristy Lee Cook - Likable, and competent, and an animal lover. What's not to like? Good but not great. I'm glad Paula brought out the fact that she has bronchitis. Simon is still colored black. Maybe he's just committed to equal opportunity slamming of the girls as well as the guys.

Joanne Borgella - Her voice was well controlled, but wasn't big enough to wrap around this song.

Alaina Whitaker - Hard to believe she's only seventeen, the way she's decked out tonight. The first part feels a bit too slow, and pitchy, but she certainly brings it when it goes to high gear. Her precision and power definitely bring on some chills, but I'm not sure if she can handle slow tunes adequately to make it to the top. Best yet tonight, though, and I can easily see another Jordin Sparks in her.

Amanda Overmyer - If she does Joplin (Janis, not Scott), I'll be disappointed but not surprised. She's got talent, but a voice which is only good for a narrow range of songs, so I'm actually surprised she got this far, but maybe she'll surprise me. Oh good - no Joplin. Her performance is good, but the song doesn't really offer a good showcase for vocal skillz. She passes muster with the judges, but so far is not singing the kind of music I personally like, and I think her style will only appeal to a smaller proportion of fans. She'll stay around for awhile, but eventually be surpassed by contestants with a broader appeal, like Alaina. So says I.

Amy Davis - Badly pitchy. Randy agrees. Paula deflects, but agrees. Simon drives the stake into her chest.

Brooke White - I love this girl's smile and eyes, so I'll try my best to be objective and not be hypnotized. Slightly shaky start. Another well controlled voice but, as with Joanne, not quite big enough to wrap around the song. If Simon's "niceness" equates to lacking the slightly angry edge it might take to give her the power to really "slay" this song, as Randy called it, then Simon might just have a point.

---
Now my stomach is growling and I'm ticked off at my muse for sucking me into this instead of cooking. : (

Now I realize why I had pizza so often on AI nights.
---

Alexandrea Lushinton - I completely agreed with Simon (what?) on this one. She had good presence and moves, but I didn't think the vocal artifacts she threw in worked. I don't agree with Randy and Paula that she nailed it, and it was kind of cabaret for me, as Simon said. Still, she's got a very appealing personality and good looks, so those may carry her further than I'm inclined to think she rates, or she may grow into it.

Kady Malloy - I really wanted her to nail this, but she was unhappily pitchy in spots. Randy says it well. It was constrained, and she never really kicked it into gear.

Asia'h Epperson - She DID have a big enough voice for this Joplin joint, and gave it her own twists. Very enjoyable. Even Simon agreed. Kudos!

Ramielle Malubay - Another song requiring a big voice. She handles it well in low gear and keeps it together when she kicks it up. I think she could have taken it up yet another notch, but it was good the way it was. Randy says precisely the same thing. I may agree with Simon's "best of the night," so far.

Syesha Mercado - I'm looking forward to hearing this girl sing without any hoarseness going on. Her song choice is unusual (Tobacco Road), but she handles it very well. She's definitely a contender.

Carly Smithson - I'd hate to be last tonight. Good luck, Carly. Ohmigod. She picks one of my favorite songs of all time, The Shadow of Your Smile, and sings it like my soul knows it - major chills. One or two tiny pitch problems, but very, very well done, overall. Randy totally agrees, as does Paula. Simon's on his own on this one.

Favorites: Carly, Syesha, Ramielle, Asia'h, and Alaina, in no particular order.

Going home: Amy

Season 7 - Top 12 guys

I watched all the auditions and checked in here several times. When I didn't see y'all bloggin', I wondered if you were skipping the whole deal this year. I also got quite comfortable being able to cook while watching, without having to worry about blogging live, which is how I preferred to do it.

So I'm gonna minimize my reviews this year and not concern myself with predictions until the field is a bit narrower. G'head, call me lazy... ; )

I pretty much tend to agree with what you guys have said, anyway, both historically and now, and you both say it so much more colorfully.

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As for the show, David Archuleta is, of course, wonderful, though I was actually surprised that Simon quit his mood and said he liked him. The other favorites y'all picked were admirable, as well, for the reasons mentioned, but nobody really blew me away, and I'm already thinking it'll be like last year, where the girls blow all the guys out of the water.

Sadly, the most memorable part of the show was Simon hassling Paula about her language and ranting about how there were no performances worthy of a recording artist. His color was definitely black.

But I'll watch faithfully, of course, and see if and when the muses move me to resume blogging while I'm watching - like tonight, maybe... ; )