# American Idol 3/25, 26 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745 "2008-03-25T23:59:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/201 "2008-03-27T05:10:45Z")
And lo, I get slapped in the face _again_. :mad: Look, I don’t give a damn about yet another of my predictions being completely off the mark (it’s not like anyone cares 🙂 ). This just plain _stinks_. I don’t care how “ordinary” he was (and he definitely wasn’t the only one), he had a great voice and it was nice listening to him, and that alone should’ve kept him alive for two more weeks. And this _never_ would’ve happened if votes were for the one going rather than the all-but-one staying. Kathy would also certainly go out at least three weeks sooner than she will now. Honestly, I don’t know what the hell to make of this show anymore. Used to be that you knew who the favorites were, who’d stick around for a while, and who’d falter early. But then the megafans with their texting and autodialing and e-mailing mobilized, and then Americas divides…gender, racial, class, political, etc…entered the picture, and then this Vote For The Worst nonsense began (personally, I think all they’re really after now is the perverse thrill of ruining things for everybody). Is there any prestige to winning anymore? Is there any _point?_ (Ask Taylor Hicks how silly these questions are.) I’ve loudly criticized reality programs before, but at least you have some idea of how The Amazing Race or So You Think You Can Dance works. AI right now looks just plain screwed up. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/202 "2008-03-27T05:16:19Z")
Part of the appeal of this show is that you get to follow someone on the path from nowhere to true stardom. But that only works if they crank out true stars. And frankly, their last few picks have not done all that well. Most have been dropped by their label. If people start believing that winning AI is no big deal, it will lose a lot of audience. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/203 "2008-03-27T08:52:28Z")
[QUOTE=simply\_cats] AI love David Cook, thought he was brilliant last night. When he held that one note forever… then, when a mere mortal would have faded out, he kicks it up an octave stronger than ever. Awesome. Love him to pieces. [/QUOTE] He did well enough without making stuff up. 🙂 He went up a step, not an octave. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/204 "2008-03-27T08:59:57Z")
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99] BTW, I’m not really following the show this season, and since Michaela is out of the house for the week, the only reason I’m looking at this thread is to find out for **kaylasmom** who’s gone and what song they did. Perusing the thread, I have not found one of the report cards **Lib** did so well last season. [/QUOTE] Not sure if you’re whooshing, since the post is on the same page as yours, but just in case: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9616519&postcount=165](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9616519&postcount=165) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/205 "2008-03-27T12:06:19Z")
Awww, Chikezie!!! I liked him. Neither he nor Syesha deserved to get the boot. I thought his song was beautiful. Though I didn’t vote for anyone but Brooke, so shame on me. I actually kinda liked Ramiele’s “Alone” upon watching it on DVR. Don’t know why everyone slayed her. However, she was the weakest of the remaining, IMO. They show Carly’s tattooed husband, she’s in the Bottom 3. They don’t show Carly’s husband, and she’s safe. I think there’s a correlation. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/206 "2008-03-27T13:14:00Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] And frankly, their last few picks have not done all that well. QUOTE] Actually, it may be a little early yet to say for sure about Jordin Sparks, and Carrie Underwood (Lacey Underall?) is probably the biggest star they’ve produced to date. If they produce a big star every 2 or 3 years, they’ll be doing pretty well. Not sure why, but I’m going to miss Chickeze (sp?). ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/207 "2008-03-27T13:52:15Z")
Carrie Underwood was a while ago though, wasn’t she? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/208 "2008-03-27T14:00:12Z")
Dang. I liked Chikezie. I would have put him in the top three. I think whoever said it is right, though - his song choice on Tuesday cost him the whole shebang. Jim and I stopped watching AI after they voted Academy Award-winning Jennifer Hudson off in 6th place a couple of seasons ago. It was made abundantly clear at that point that the people who should win very often don’t win because apparently the American public is quite stupid. We’ve come to the conclusion now that the real stars will be stars regardless of how stupid the public is, so we’re watching again. I don’t think there’s any danger of David Cook not having a recording career even if he doesn’t win this (and he probably won’t). I agree with you, **Sampiro** - David has an undefinable quality to him. I don’t think he’s great looking, but when he performs, I can’t look away. When Jason Castro performs, he makes some weird-ass face that just creeps me out. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/209 "2008-03-27T14:44:42Z")
When Jason Castro performs I rest my chin in my hands like a little girl and little pink hearts pop above my head. Especially when he did “Michelle” because that’s the song my momma named me after. I finally really knew the word swoon. I giggled like a school girl. And then I come back to reality and realize he probably has no time for a divorced mother of two. Damn, damn, damn. Anyway, I propose that to break out of his Disney image and incorporate my previous reference, David Muffaletta should come out with a video, premiered on Jimmy Kimmel, of him singing “I’m F\*cking Josh Grobin” - it will be just what he needs to change his image and scare his dad away. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/210 "2008-03-27T15:35:10Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Am I the only one who thinks that David Cook is (to “cover” a line from Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil) a “walkin’ streak of sex” when he’s onstage? He’s far from the prettiest (that would be Jason “Dude, where’s my range?” Castro [here seen skinny and [shirtless](http://www.realitytvscoop.com/gallery/jason-castro-no-shirt/) and as stoned as usual) but there’s just something about Cook that’s incredibly “have him brought to my rooms, leave wine and lamb and assorted flavors of oils, then take the rest of the night off” to me. [/QUOTE] Hear, hear! ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/211 "2008-03-27T16:47:26Z")
[QUOTE=Kallessa] _Billie Jean_ is an iconic song–the way M. Jackson sang it. It’s a song that has been ingrained into our collective conscience, something everybody recognizes right away. Singing such a song any way other than the way Jackson sang it is daring. Most of us had never heard the Chris Cornell version of the song before and I for one thought Cook was brilliant! Cook’s version of the Cornell version may have been note-for-note, the exact same arrangement–that’s beside the point. The contestants often do that. I saw no attempt to try to pass the arrangement off as Cook’s; it was introduced as the Chris Cornell version of _Billie Jean_ . Cook’s willingness to sing that different of an arrangement of such a well-known song was gutsy. [/QUOTE] I know I’m a little late to the game (didn’t watch the show live), but I agree that David shows guts for choosing different arrangements of well-known songs. However, when I listen to both versions side-by-side, I hear that the arrangement is the same (sort of), but they certainly aren’t note-for-note. I thought the Cornell version was screamy and shouty and Cook’s version was haunting and melodic. His _voice_ is absolutely beautiful, and I can’t tell what kind of voice Cornell has through all the yelling. I thought the same thing with the side-by-side versions of Eleanor Rigby, as well. He may have done someone else’s basic arrangement, but he sounded so much better because his voice is so much nicer than the one he’s copying. [QUOTE=featherlou] If the name of the game is going to be pandering, I’d like to hear Chikezie trying to do [Marvin Gaye’s version of “The Star Spangled Banner.”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRvVzaQ6i8A) That gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. [/QUOTE] Wow. Just, wow. Prior to hearing that, my all-time favorite version was done by Lou Rawls at one of the World Series games in St. Louis (can’t find an online version of it, though). This just blew me away. Too bad we won’t get to hear any more Chickezie on the show anymore. ☹ He was my 2nd favorite after David Cook. I had kindof hoped to see them as the top 2. \ At least he gets to go on the tour. And I suspect he’ll get a recording contract anyway (fingers crossed). [QUOTE=PunditLisa] They show Carly’s tattooed husband, she’s in the Bottom 3. They don’t show Carly’s husband, and she’s safe. I think there’s a correlation. Seriously. [/QUOTE] Interesting that you point that out. I read an article just the other day that was specifically about why he wasn’t shown in the audience any earlier, and they said it was precisely because Carly and her husband thought the AI audience would freak out seeing him and it might hurt her chances. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/212 "2008-03-27T16:57:17Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] I know I’m a little late to the game (didn’t watch the show live), but I agree that David shows guts for choosing different arrangements of well-known songs. However, when I listen to both versions side-by-side, I hear that the arrangement is the same (sort of), but they certainly aren’t note-for-note. I thought the Cornell version was screamy and shouty and Cook’s version was haunting and melodic. His _voice_ is absolutely beautiful, and I can’t tell what kind of voice Cornell has through all the yelling. [/QUOTE] Totally agree. Plus, people seem to forget that the Idol contestants have, at most a few days to choose the song _and_ do the arrangements; you can’t do anything that’s particularly innovative in that time without a very very serious risk of it seemingly incomplete or being a total misfire by performance time. That said, my main disappointment over seeing Chikezie go was his totally original (at least to my knowledge) take on a mostly forgotten filler-space Beatles song (_She’s a Woman_ was never in the league with other early Beatles hits] and that brilliant bluegrass opening which just knocked it out of the park. He hasn’t been that good in the last couple of weeks, but it lets you know he’s got it and I’d love to see what else he has up his sweater vest sleeves. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/213 "2008-03-27T17:00:57Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] Wow. Just, wow. Prior to hearing that, my all-time favorite version was done by Lou Rawls at one of the World Series games in St. Louis (can’t find an online version of it, though). [/QUOTE] Can’t help but imagine if one of the Idol contestants were to lose track of the words ([like this poor gal did](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4880PJnO2E)), would Simon step in to save the day? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/214 "2008-03-27T17:22:22Z")
HOLY CRAP! I just watched the [Back Where We Started From Dance Number](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txysLO6v22s) from last night. What, were the rights to the Brady Bunch’s _Sunshine Day!_ not available or was this just some sort of unchecked sadism on the part of Murdoch? The rockers must have wanted to barf over the song (though David Archuetcetera seemed to be enjoying it and I don’t think Jason knew where he was). ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/215 "2008-03-27T17:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=LilyoftheValley] Chikezie’s name really is Chikezie Eze? Now I know why he goes by one name. Boring, do not like that kind of song. [/QUOTE] Amen amen amen. I am just not a fan of that genre _at all_. Maybe one in a million songs will interest me, the rest blend together into a sort of irritating fuzz. I get bored about 20 seconds into it and start finding other stuff to do until it’s over. (I feel bad fast forwarding through the actual performances, though I do ffw through all the interviews and filler bullshit. I wasn’t sad to see him go because I think he’s boring. [QUOTE=Sampiro] Am I the only one who thinks that David Cook is (to “cover” a line from Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil) a “walkin’ streak of sex” when he’s onstage? [/QUOTE] Nope. I made a point about it in the thread a week or two ago as well (I always come to these threads late because I watch on my DVR usually Thursday or Friday). I think it’s ridiculous for people to criticize contestants for choosing already-done alternate arrangements of a song. I mean really, give me a break. They don’t have much time, and most of them have not been professional musicians with experience doing arrangements and stuff. And the WHOLE SHOW IS COVERS, people! Most of the people do a fairly straight-up version of the original, most of the time. David Cook goes and finds the most interesting arrangement he can and sings it. How is that wrong? MOST of the contestants are not coming up with their own arrangements but I don’t see everyone spazzing out that they aren’t giving credit to who did their particular arrangement first. If anything, David has done that MORE than other contestants. Hell, as noted, Ryan even said what version it was when he introduced the song! People whining about this are being snobby and ridiculous. Carly looked like she was constipated and trying to take a dump on stage the whole time, and that last note scared my cat. Little David bouncing around looked exactly like Simon said–like a theme park musical act performer. You expected pink pants and a baby blue shirt and some sparkly tie or something, and several people dancing behind him dressed as furry woodland animals. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/216 "2008-03-27T17:26:42Z")
[QUOTE=Queen Tonya] **Drainy** what’s the title of that Sting song? Did he really add Spanish lyrics where there weren’t any? Why would he do that? [/QUOTE] I adore that album, and while that song may or may not have any Spanish lyrics, other songs on the album do and so it fits the style theme. My favorite (but it makes me cry) is [http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Sting/They-Dance-Alone.html](http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Sting/They-Dance-Alone.html) ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/217 "2008-03-27T17:50:16Z")
I am not sure, but didn’t David Cook say straight out that he went to iTunes to find interesting arrangements of songs to use? I have NO problem at all with him doing that. He still has to sing, after all. It’s not like I could pull up a interesting cover of _Everybody Wants to Rule the World_ and perform it in any worthwhile fashion. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/218 "2008-03-27T18:03:04Z")
Black people do not vote in as great numbers as whites. Especially white teenage girls. The results have always been skewed away from black singers who often are voted out before their time. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/219 "2008-03-27T18:24:57Z")
You mean like Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino? ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745/220 "2008-03-27T18:47:05Z")
[QUOTE=Rachael Rage] I second what \*\*Reloy3 \*\*said. Quite insightful and, in retrospect, accurate. [/QUOTE] Thank you, probably the nicest thing anyone ever said about me on the SDMB. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-3-25-26/442745.md?page=12)