If I remember correctly, his family backed the sister as the bright star. Years of the people you love (and who really do love you) telling you you are second best makes for genuinely shy people.
I hope he doesn’t turn into this year’s girl with the flower. I’m not good at names, but the second or third idol had a girl who wore a flower and was sooooo petrified. I think people kept voting for her to torture her. Does anyone remember who I’m talking about?
Instead of “congratulations” Ryan screams “He takes a spot! He takes a spot!” Just awful.
Jasmine Trias. God, I’m embarrassed that I know that.
You got her name wrong: it was “Jasmine-Trias-from-Hawaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaai’i!” 
I just don’t get the Jersey girl thing. I also don’t get the whole my-life-is-over-because-I-got-cut-from-American-Idol thing.
I have picked Sundance as the contestant I will hate irrationally.
I would pick Antonella, except I think my dislike may be rational.
As you might have guessed, my irrational hatred is for Antonella. Also Rudy.
My favorites: Chris, Sanjaya, Melinda
As a few have mentioned, Antonella hatred is not irrational.
I don’t think Sanjaya is all that great a singer.
Top 12 girls:
Antonella Barba
Haley Scarnato
Lakisha Jones
Jordin Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Melinda Doolittle
Alaina Alexander
Gina Glocksen
Amy Krebs
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
Nicole Tranquillo
Top 12 guys:
Phil Stacey
Jared Cotter
Chris Richardson
Nicholas Pedro
Brandon Rogers
Sundance Head
Rudy Cardenas
A.J. Tabaldo
Paul Kim
Chris Sligh
Blake Lewis
Sanjaya Malakar
Stole the list from a very reliable source because, even though I wasn’t on a treadmill, I didn’t take notes.
I haven’t picked one yet, because I’m all like, “… Who?” about half these people anyway. (Or, as my new inexplicable superstar hero Ian Benardo put it, “… Carrie Underwhere?”) Have we even seen these girls before? I remember Gina, Jordin, Melinda, and Antonella. Everyone else draws a blank.
Oh, but about Sundance: I kind of feel bad for him. I hate when they put two people in the room at the same time, and only one makes it through, like an American Idol Cage Deathmatch, or something. He did what is probably the only thing you can do when all that is over, which is try to crack a joke. It didn’t work, but Tommy Daniels had clearly lost his shit there at the end, when he started flipping off the ElevatorCam and giving Ryan the stinkeye.
The fun begins next week! Hope my Cingular plan is updated, and I get free messaging now.
Why are we hating Antonella? She is the prettiest girl ever on American Idol! I have a total crush on her. I might even vote this year, just to keep her around. I don’t care if she just burps the national anthem of Persia every week. (I am not helping her case, am I?)
At any rate, it sucks to be on the final two and not being able to celebrate getting in.
Not bad. I expected Chris to make it through. Also the beat box guy(Drake, is it?)
It was a bit disconcerting to have the woman crumple in the elevator as if to say “I was better than you! How can this be?”
My fave: Melinda!
Because she’s a bitch, dear.
I am so geeked my moppet Chris made it, although I thought Tommy would have been totally justified in smacking Sundance. I liked Sundance’s initial audition, but he royally tanked over and over during Hell Week, while Tommy’s performances were more like sweet creamy chocolate with a side of buttah. sigh
I was really liking LaKisha until our local news had a ghettorific interview with her tonight, apparently she’s got Michigan roots or some such. I’m so over her now, and missing lip-ring Tami even more.
My impressions, favorites and irrational dislikes always seem to shift throughout the season, but for right now, I like Chris Sligh (I agree with Lib that he’s got an Elton John quality plus he’s got an endearing, self-effacing sense of humor), Blake (the beat box guy), Sanjaya (seems like a sweet kid and he’s got nice voice), Sundance (not sure why, just a personality thing) and the back-up singer (whose name I don’t remember). There were quite a few who I haven’t seen enough to get a strong impression about. There’s no one I really hate yet. I’m sure that will change. I did think that Rudy guy kind of sucked and probably didn’t deserve to make it through ahead of the guy that went into the room with Sundance (Tom?).
Well, shit. 
I remember Antonella’s friend Amanda being nasty, but I don’t recall that of Antonella.
In the little clip of Antonella shown before her fate was revealed, it was said that she struggled with the words. She looked slightly distracted, but didn’t seem to stumble on the lyrics. What impressed me, though, was that she seemed to be singing effortlessly (and well), as if it were as natural as breathing.
I’m getting really, really sick of the fat black judge guy (sorry–first season watching American Idol, and I don’t have the names down yet) calling everyone “dawg”.
I don’t even notice it anymore.