# American Idol 4/22 and 4/23 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 22, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405 "2008-04-22T15:23:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/21 "2008-04-22T20:20:40Z")
For David Cook, I’d recommend [Judas’s Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC8qL0PpGbs). It’s tailor made for him, and he would knock it out of the park. ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/22 "2008-04-22T20:35:16Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] The threads, but not the show, are wearing a bit thin on me. The David A hatred and bashing is relentless, and even irrational (a word selected by one of his bashers). I’m apparently the only person who thinks he has any redeeming qualities, so in that sense I feel lonely in here. But it’s funny because some who trash him the most seem to like David Cook quite a lot, and find no irony in the fact that everything he does sounds exactly the same — Eddie Vedder channeling Sylvia Plath. He will chew on the mike as he croons. His eyes will scan the audience like a Secret Service agent looking for an assassin. He will muscle the mike stand to remind us he’s a rocker. And he will change the song to a minor or mixolydian melody, flattening all the thirds and sevenths. And people will go, “OMG wow!” […shrug…] [/QUOTE] Nah, you’re not alone. I think he’s an outstanding musician and I love his voice, if not his taste in songs. I also like David Cook. I like Carly, too, but… er… not for musical reasons, _per se_. But these threads frighten me, because people get _angry_ if you like someone they don’t like. So I just read every week. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/23 "2008-04-22T20:51:25Z")
Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from, **Liberal**. I really liked Phil Stacey last year and got sick of the immaturity such as those who thought it was funny to post pictures of Nosferatu every damn week. I hate it when people bash the contestants’ appearance constantly (I mean, if you want to say you hated Syesha’s dress this week, that’s fine, but do you have to resort to calling David Cook “Captain Combover” in every thread? Grow up!), and I also hate it when people just pop in to repeat the same B.S. every week, i.e. the “filth” on Carly’s arm or “Gee, who did David Cook do a cover of a cover of this week?” Maybe I just need to give up not only the thread but the show entirely. I’m not really enjoying it that much anymore, and it’s such a nice day that I think I’d rather go for a bike ride tonight than listen to music I hate. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/24 "2008-04-22T21:15:15Z")
I’m look forward to tonight just because, while ALW is far from my favorite, he does have a lot of choice material for the contestants to succeed wildly or fail fabulously, which we haven’t had in a while. Also, I sympathize with Liberal, who has mentioned a few weeks running that the threads are abusive and irrational. I think, every year, that both the praise and the criticism are exaggerated, to give false distance between what is really a range of mediocre talent. I’ve come to accept it, though. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/25 "2008-04-22T21:17:06Z")
[QUOTE=yellowval] “Gee, who did David Cook do a cover of a cover of this week?” [/QUOTE] To be fair, isn’t that actually discussing the performance? Especially when he’s being praised for “originality”? ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/26 "2008-04-22T21:37:42Z")
From someone who has openly admitted in these threads to thinking David Cook always sucks, no, I don’t think it’s a discussion of his performance. It’s beating a dead horse. ---
**Author:** ![accidentalyuppie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@accidentalyuppie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/accidentalyuppie)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/27 "2008-04-22T21:41:07Z")
[QUOTE=DudleyGarrett] Just curious, is anyone else’s interest waning this year more than others? I’m having a hard time getting excited about this year’s cast, but I’ll watch anyway. [/QUOTE] Oh yeah…and I think its the weekly themes, what’s next “Songs from the World War 2 era”? ---
**Author:** ![accidentalyuppie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@accidentalyuppie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/accidentalyuppie)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/28 "2008-04-22T21:45:18Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] For David Cook, I’d recommend [Judas’s Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC8qL0PpGbs). It’s tailor made for him, and he would knock it out of the park. [/QUOTE] I was actually hoping he would do Gethsename, it would be 10 different kinds of risky, though. And it’s one of the few ALW songs I like (even though I am a musical theatre fan in general, ALW is the exception)…I can’t think of any others off the top of my head. I bet someone picks that horrid “I don’t know how to love him” ditty, though ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/29 "2008-04-22T21:57:11Z")
Alleged early spoilers, from MJ’s Big Blog: [spoiler]Here’s what we got so far: ``` * Jason Castro - “Memory” per Joan in Popwatch comments. * Carly Smithson - “Jesus Christ Superstar” - Those who know claim she may have a “homerun” She could get the pimp spot tonight.according to Andrew Lloyd Webber. * David Archuleta - “Think of Me” - A more current and upbeat version per Idol Forums ``` There is also a rumor, per the David A song spoiler, that Syesha Mercado will be going first tonight…[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/30 "2008-04-22T21:59:58Z")
Am I the only one on the whole board who actually likes Andrew Lloyd Webber? It may not be the Best Music In the World but I find a decent amount of it to be very listenable. I have the _Phantom_ and _Evita_ soundtracks on CD. I’ve never heard/seen _Jesus Christ Superstar_ because I have traumatic, childhood-rooted issues with the subject material, but I have heard people say the music is good. I’m looking forward to tonight, actually. I was actively dreading (and rightly so in hindsight) Mariah Carey night. I give a hearty “agree!” to whoever said that David A. is this year’s Melinda Doolittle. I complained about the same things in her last year that I do in David A. this year; namely that while they both have good voices, they are boring to listen to. (I think Melinda had a better voice than David A., though–I think he can be a bit nasal/shallow voiced at times) I agree with Liberal that David A. is kind of funny looking and don’t understand the cute bandwagon. David Cook may sound similar every week, but it’s a sound that is at least interesting (to me) to hear. If you had to watch a looping 30-second video clip for hours on end, which by default is the same thing over and over, would you rather watch a really cool dance number over and over or, say, footage of some old guy combing his hair? I find it difficult to pay attention all the way to the end of the song with David A. And with Melinda Doolittle. And with Syesha. I just start to zone out because it’s so boring. I’m perfectly well aware that tastes vary, though. I mean I’ll sit (repeatedly) through a 4 hour DVD recap of a juggling convention that I attended, which I think would bore most people after about 2 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/31 "2008-04-22T22:55:10Z")
I hope the spoilers are wrong because Jason Castro’s song choice is terrible, and “Any Dream Will Do” is absolutely the right choice for him. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/32 "2008-04-22T22:57:31Z")
[QUOTE=yellowval] From someone who has openly admitted in these threads to thinking David Cook always sucks, no, I don’t think it’s a discussion of his performance. It’s beating a dead horse. [/QUOTE] Well, if a discussion of how someone sings a song isn’t about the performance, I don’t know what is (and if it’s the same discussion every week, well, it’s because it’s the same performance every week!) (and please note that your being bored with something doesn’t mean it’s not about what it’s about.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/33 "2008-04-22T23:03:50Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Am I the only one on the whole board who actually likes Andrew Lloyd Webber? [/QUOTE] Speaking only for myself, but no. He’s not my favorite overall but he has produced some of my favorite songs. (I _love_ Memory, for example- it just suffers from the _Imagine_/_I Will Always Love You_ problem of having been done too many times.) I actually like David Archuleta also, though as I’ve said many times he’s more Broadway than pop (but then I prefer Broadway to pop most of the time) and too young to have the life experience to really inform his songs (imo). I also feel sorry for him if the stories about his “Mama Rose” dad are true. David Cook though— swoon. I _love_ his voice, and as for the cover of cover allegations, that’s pretty much what the show is. He’s confined to certain songs and only has a couple of days to put together an arrangement- there’s not really time to risk getting super inventive when there’s a million dollars at stake. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/34 "2008-04-22T23:07:17Z")
I’d like to see Jason Castro do _Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats_. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/35 "2008-04-22T23:10:13Z")
PS- It’ll be interesting to see what the group song is tomorrow night. So many of his big group songs are book related, but probably something from _Cats_ or _Joseph_ will work. I’d pay good money to see them group-sing _Tell me Christ how you feel tonight/do you plan to put up a fight_ while Seacrest is taken in chains to Trial Before Simon (“Who is this closet case/cluttering up my studio?”), or better yet see them all singing and dancing to “Come on, King of the Jews!” (Herod’s Song), but I’m guessing it’s not to be. If the spoilers are true then I don’t think that’s a great song choice for David A… It’s too female (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and too… stage musicaly. If he had to go with a Christine song I’d go with _Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again_ (one of my favorite ALW songs). How accurate are they usually? . ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/36 "2008-04-22T23:22:06Z")
I think Herod’s Song would be great for Jason. (ETA for **Sampiro** : They’re _usually_ — but by no means always — right.) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/37 "2008-04-22T23:23:39Z")
And for the drinking game: 3 Shots if Paula once again mentions David Cook’s _package_ like she has for the past 2 (possibly more) weeks. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/38 "2008-04-23T00:05:46Z")
Oh, lord. This show is already making me _like_ Andrew Lloyd Webber. :takes own life: ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/39 "2008-04-23T00:09:46Z")
Syesha was more interesting tonight than she’s been in a long while. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405/40 "2008-04-23T00:10:23Z")
I liked Sy tonight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-4-22-and-4-23/446405.md?page=3)