American Idol 4/8/03

Cafe Society
1

Basically they should just stop this thing right now and give the prize to Ruben. Everybody else is playing for second at this point.

Billboard #1 night
Guest judge Lionel Ritchie

Clay: I have to admit, I really like listening to Clay sing, but he’s a product of the theater, he’s not a pop singer. Put him in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and I bet he knocks it out of the park everytime. I give him a 9 for performance, but a 2 for song choice. (I chuckled when Seacrest said that he thought about Family Ties while listening to it because I thought exactly the same thing.)
Kim L: She did a good job with a much overplayed song. I give her a 9 for performance and a 6 for song choice.
Ricky: A little “pitchy” I thought, and not the best Lionel Ritchie tune he could have chosen. I give him a 7 for performance and 5 for song choice.

Kim C: Does she have an upper register at all? She’s getting a little tiresome with the growly stuff. Another poor song choice. I give her a 6 for performance and a 4 for song choice.

Josh: I have a personal distaste for country yodeling but I guess it was ok for what it was. It fit his style. 7 for performance, 9 for song choice.

Carmen: Way too cute to sing Blondie. She has no badass in her. Made me remember how great Debbie Harry was in her prime. Even Simon had to admit that Carmen sucked this time. I give the performance a 5 the song choice a 2.

Trenyce: Very good, I thought, but we really didn’t need another Celine Dion song. Perfomance: 9, Song choice: 7.

Roooooo-ben! Seriously, is anyone going to beat this guy? He has an unbelievble ease on stage, as silky a voice as you’d ever want to hear, and he chose a perfect song for it. Performance: 10, Song choice: 10.
My top 3:
Ruben
Trenyce
Kim L.

Bottom 3:
Carmen,
Kim C.
Rickey

My predicted loser = Carmen.

I have to agree with the judges on the overall song choices, btw. What a bunch of safe, gutless numbers.

2

Just a few I had to comment on.

Kim C. - I can listen to her voice all the time, in fact I have to. She sounds just like me when I wash the dishes and that’s not a good thing.

Josh G. - I saw Lonestar in concert and heard them sing “Amazed”, even they didn’t have that horrible twang that Josh is so fond of. While listening to him sing I noticed that I can grind my teeth in tune to the music so something good came out of it.

Carmen R.- What a horrible song for her! It was painful and just lasted forever.

The rest pretty much blended in and didn’t really stand out to me in terms of horrible. I thought Ruben was outstanding as always tonight.

3

I have to agree with you on the bottom 3 and potential loser. Carmen was just painful to watch. I didn’t figure out what song Kim C. was signing until almost the end, and then I wondered “why?”, but at least she looked great. You would think that with knowing they were bottom two last week and the votes would carry over from last week, that those two would pull out all the stops and it just seemed like they weren’t even trying.

Some more comments:

Kim L. - I think I preferred her version of “My Heart Will Go On” over Celine Dion’s, but I think it was risky picking that song.

Trenyce - Great voice, but I could really see tonight what people have been saying about her having no stage personality.

4

Carmen was horrible. Kim C. could have done that song far, far better. Carmen had to know she was shooting herself in the foot with that song. She’s gone this week for sure.

Why did everyone pick ballads?

5

“Call me” is an uptempo rocker but Carmen turned it into bubblegum. I think they chose ballads because they’re easier to sing. I wish more of them had chosen rock songs. I hope they have a rock night sometime.

6

Y’know the problem with Carmen’s song choice? When Deborah Harry sang “Call Me,” you pretty much got the feeling she was just using a code phrase for “Fuck Me.” With Carmen, you got the feeling she really was just asking for a telephone call.

7

Clay: Hmmm…he didn’t impress me as much this time. Yea, I’m with Randy. He could have done better. Simon shocked me! Oh my!

Kimberly Locke: She started out quite breathy, but that was the only flaw in an otherwise strong performance. I wish she DID do the bigger parts, but Lionel was right. Kim showed that she didn’t have to have a big voice all the time.

Rickey Smith: My! He’s bold! BOTH PARTS of a very difficult song! OH MY GOD! His absolute best I’ve seen yet! I’m with Simon. Perfect choice, perfectly sung! I voted for him anyway since he’s still a little vulnerable.

Kimberly Caldwell: Best performance from her–EVER. I was very impresed! However, I used to like the song, but not anymore. I’m with Lionel, but I was still impressed. She missed a line though. It was supposed to be “Walk the World for you”. Not, “walk the wire”. Unfortunatly, I think she’ll be walking the wire this time. Bottom three. :frowning: She won’t tip though.

Josh–No shock he’d pick a country song. Perfect song for him! Again, impressive, most impressive. Yet another best performance! Very good! I was supposed to vote for him, but I figure he should be safe.

Carmen–Figures she’d countryie it. Too bad it didn’t work. AWFUL song choice. She was less cringe inducing than in other performances, but still cringe inducing. She sucked the LIFE out a great song. Yup. I’m with Simon and I’m glad he said it! Her elimination is almost certain.

Trenyce–Somehow I figured she’d do a Celine Dion song, I just wish it wasn’t “The Power of Love”. I’m too stunned to say much of anything because while she wasn’t bad, she’s been far better in the past. No, I don’t agree with Simon, but I don’t quite agree with everyone else either. She wasn’t as breathy as in previous performances, but not as powerful as some of the other performances either. Song choice did her in. :frowning: I voted for her more than anyone just to make certain that she’s safe. However, I think she’ll end up in the bottom three anyway, despite my mother’s reassurnaces that she won’t be. She won’t be eliminated though. She may not have been her best, but she was FAR from her worst.

Reuben—YES! No 205!! Looked wonderful! WHEEEE!! Perfect! Absolutly perfect! I HAD to throw at least a couple of votes to him! Perfect Huggy bear!! :smiley:

Top three: Reuben, Josh and Rickey Smith.

Bottom three: Carmen, Kimberly Caldwell and alas, Trenyce(hope I’m wrong). But, if there is any justice in this world, Carmen will be eliminated.

8

Okay okay, BESIDES Carmen, why did everyone pick ballads?

It was, besides “Call Me” and “Kiss This Goodbye” a parade of ass-sucking songs.

Did the Go-Go’s ever have a Number One hit? If they did, Carmen should have sung it. She’s got that Belinda Carlisle bleat. Ha! She’s got the bleat! I’ll be here all week, enjoy the veal.

9

What was that shite? Isn’t this show supposed to be getting better and better as the weeks go on?

There were 2 bright spots, though. First of all, Lionel Richie was actually somewhat useful as a judge! Way to go. Second, Ruben wore something else. And looked 1000 times better.

At this point, the only one who doesn’t suck is Ruben. Everybody else stinks to one degree or another.

In order of suckitude:

Carmen: Little Mormon girl bleats Blondie? Ha ha ha ha hahaha!

Kim C.: Totally off key through the whole thing.

Josh: Bleh.

Clay: Sings the exact same song the exact same way week after week. And he’s way creepy. I can’t stand the way he follows the cameras with his eyes. He does have a great voice, but damn, he’s boring.

Rickey: Eh.

Kim L: Oversang it. Boring song choice.

Trenyce: Great vocalist, but bad on stage. And why oh why did you have to pick Celine Dion??

Ruben: Sounded great as usual. Excellent song choice.

Why do I continue to watch?

10

What really bugged me about Kim L. was her breathing. Between every freaking phrase in the song you could hear her inhale very loudly. Distracted me completely.

And Ruben lost the 205 jersey! Now he doesn’t look like a fat man in a dress.

11

So true. I once heard Howard Stern talking about Debbie Harry. He said “She sings directly to my penis.” I don’t have a penis, but I think I understand what he’s getting at.

Carmen, on the other hand, is singing directly to that Jello mold sittin on the counter.

12

Clay-He still sounds like he belongs in Les Mis. But he’s good. Very good.

Kimberley L-Didn’t do as bad as I though she was going to, given the song choice. Her outfit was nice, but it wasn’t a good stage outfit. Kimberley has problems getting into the groove of her songs, which is a problem since they don’t get a lot of time up there.

Rickey-Wow. He also surprised me by doing an excellent job.

Kimberly C-Yeah, that was fairly terrible. I can’t decide whether I love or hate that dress.

Josh-I really, really, really liked his outfit. His stage presence was much better than the others. The performance was a little forced and pitchy, but overall he did well. Much better than last week.

Simon’s Girlfriend-Wow. That was awful. Awful outfit, awful vibrato, awful song choice, awful eyeshadow. Carmen, I want to like you, but you have to give me something to work with. I can’t believe Simon said something bad about her—perhaps they’re having a lover’s quarrel. Or maybe it was just. that. bad.

Trenyce-I want to hate her so much. But I can’t based on this performance. All I can do is critcize her for trying to sing in her upper register with her chest voice. Otherwise, good job.

Reuben-I didn’t think he did as good as he has before, but it was good and he gets my vote for taking off the damn 205 jersey.

My Top 3: Rickey, Reuben and Trenyce (as much as it pains me to say that)

My Bottom 3: Caldwell, Kim L. and Carmen (as much as it pains me to say that too. She’s cute, but she just can’t sing.)

Gundy, you’re killing me! (Don’t forget to tip your waitress!)

13

Well, the performances overall were WAY better than last week. Way, way better.

In the order I liked them:

1. RUBEN STUDDARD. The next six weeks are absolutely anticlimactic; he’s going to win, he deserves to win, and if he doesn’t win it’ll be either a miracle or outright larceny. Just another smooth, effortless performance tonight; at this point I don’t even think he’s trying. He’s got a perfect recording voice. He even changed his look and came out he looking like a million bucks. In seven weeks he WILL be a million bucks. The only person in the competition who could beat him was Frenchie Davis.

I harp about this every week, but I have to come back to it; song choice makes the singer. I would argue that the quality of song choice is at least 50% of the final result, and I’m not exagerrating; song choice is EVERYTHING. Almost any reasonable on-key person can sound like a Grammy winner if you let them practice for a week, providing they practice a song their voice is suitable for. Song choice has already knocked some people spang off the show - anyone remember Aliceyn Cooney, who had an absolutely awesome voice but got ripped by the judges because she sang the same damned song over and over?

Among the many other things he does well, Ruben always picks a perfect song. Great song choice.

2. CLAY AIKEN. He’s in second place, but he’s a REAL distant second. Technically, he is an absolutely magnificent, almost perfect singer, but once again it was Broadway Clay. Hei stage mannerisms, facial expression and even the way he holds the mike never change a single bit. He makes every song sound like Rick Astley, and to be honest he actually has less range than Rick Astley did. He’s GOOD at it, but what else does he have?

3. KIMBERLEY LOCKE. A technically fine performance, but a boring one.

4. TRENYCE. I thought she was pretty good. Of course, I thought she was pretty good last week, too, and she hit the bottom three, so what the hell do I know?

I said last week she looked like a velociraptor, and I take that back. She actually looks more like a deinonychus.

5. RICKEY SMITH. He FINALLY picked a song in his register, but he still could have picked 25 better ones. I thought he did a pretty good job, but he’s way behind in the overall standings right now.

6. JOSHUA GRACIN. Yeah, the twang is irritating, but he picked a perfect song and he delivered it with power and conviction. Back to song choice again here; Josh really isn’t THAT good a singer, probably not one of the 50 best who went to Hollywood, but except for last week his song choices have been very, very smart - and that’s keeping him in the competition, because while someone else handicaps themselves by 40% with a bad song, Josh always selects something that will let him use what limited voice he has to full potential.

I have him ranked sixth, but to be honest he did quite well. Really, he’s way above #7, and Joshua was closer to Clay than Clay was to Ruben. There’s two groups

7. KIMBERLEY CALDWELL. That was terrible. Terrible song choice, absolutely horrible, horrible delivery. She picked a dreadful song and she was off key for half the performance. Did she not hear herself rehearse? Too much macking with J.D. at the mansion and not enough practice. Any chance she had of pulling off a miracle win as the Rock Blonde Chick is gone now; that fiasco will cost her the contest. She looked pretty, but if you want pretty chicks, just walk around a university campus.

8. CARMEN RASMUSSEN. Was it just me or were the judges really honest tonight? Finally. Maybe Lionel Ritchie shamed them into honesty - anyway, Carmen was frickin’ horrific. What a terrible song choice. What a terrible performance. She looked like a nine year old grooving to Mom’s albums on the home stereo. I could find 3-4 people at any given karaoke night who could outsing her with a four-beer handicap.

About Lionel Ritchie: Hell, he looks good, he was honest and intelligent, he knows a lot about music, and he wasn’t dressed like Frohead The Pirate. Could you come back next week, Mr. Ritchie?

Predicted Bottom Three: Rickey, Carmen, and Kim C.

History Tomorrow Night: Carmen. When even Simon is willing to admit she sucked ass, the clock’s tickin’.

14

Every week Trenyce thinks she’s performing the encore on VH1 Divas. Maybe she’s done other things on stage, but all I ever seem to see her doing is standing behind a mic stand wearing a long dress. It’s like she wants us to think she’s giving a powerful, yet simple, diva-style performance.

But it’s just bo-ring.

Happy

15

Was I dozing. . . or did they NOT mention this week that last week’s and this week’s votes will be combined?
I liked Ruben’s leather jacket, but I miss the 205 shirts. (There’s an article in this week’s ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY about the shirts. They’re custom made by an Alabama entrepreneur, cost a bundle of money, but Ruben gets his free. And they’re in a size 8-10XX! I am not sure if the entrepreneur’s name is Omar.)
Hated Rickey’s little mini stocking cap! And what was with the glasses all of a sudden???
Carmen? Poor baby. Go home now. Don’t bother us any more with your blah singing and your painful vibrato.
Trenyce? Stop with the fingers-only waving. Stop with the grin that goes off your face. Stop with the spiderlike gestures. Go home next week.
Kimberly Caldwell? Go back to Branson. Take your flat blonde hair and your trashy costumes with you.
Boys? Just keep singing your hearts out and entertaining us. Then hand the prize to Ruben.

16

And Carmen’s singing reminds me of Jim Carey karaoke-ing Jefferson Airplane in “The Cable Guy.” I’m just waiting for her to rapid-fire rub her adam’s apple to sustain one of those heinous vibrettos of hers.

17

Are we all pretty much in agreement that Carmen will be saying goodbye tomorrow night?

If so, I see Caldwell following her, and the other Kim has never been one to garner very many votes… basically, the potential exists for the last four weeks could be a total sausagefest. Of course, Ickey and Josh could easily get the boot earlier.

In what order do you all think they will be eliminated?

18

I didn’t see Clay’s performance so I can’t comment on that.

I didn’t think Kim Locke was all that great. I thought she looked like she was in pain while singing her song.

For once, I thought Ricky picked a perfect song for his voice. He’s got that falsetto thing going and “Endless Love” did seem to showcase it. As much as I hate to say it, I think he did a great job. (What was the deal with the sunglasses during the recap? Do they always have a different performance than what was actually broadcast during the show? Ruben’s performance was different too. He waved at the very end of his song and in the recap, he started the wave before the ending.)

Kim C was dreadful. She looked nice.

Ditto for Carmen.

I absolutely hated Josh’s version of “Amazed.” He sounded like a really bad impersonation of Garth Brooks singing Lonestar. Plus his facial contortions just to get the song out is absolutely painful to watch. I want him to. go. home. NOW.

Everyone keeps getting after Clay for picking the same style songs over and over. I think Trenyce does the same thing. Not only that but she yells the whole performance. And for God’s sakes, put those stick arms down. Blah. Put her on the same plane home with Josh.

And then there’s Ruben…

There’s nothing to say. He was perfect. Many years ago, when I was still a sexy young thang, I broke up with a guy while “Let’s Just Kiss and Say Goodbye” was playing on the radio. I always think of him whenever I hear that song. Ruben made me forget it and I just sat there and enjoyed the performance. The man can sing.

Top 3: Ruben, Ruben, Ruben

Bottom 3: Carmen, Josh, and Kim C. I predict that Carmen will be a goner.

19

I want Ruben to hurry up and cut an album so I can buy it! I want that man’s voice where I can get to it whenever I need to. Just listening to him makes me feel like I’m sexy!
He’s much too young for me, but I can dream. Maybe it’s that leather coat–the kid has always had class, and now his clothes show it as well. If only he was even 10 years older. <heavy sigh> :frowning: Yeah, I’m that far out of the demographics for this show, if they do a hip-hop show, I’ll be lost. But I bet Ruben could make me a fan.

Next week, let’s just have Ruben sing for the hour–okay, Clay and Kim L. can sing, too, but the rest of them can stay home.

20

I concur with you that it’s going to be Carmen tomorrow and Kim C. next week. After that I think it’s Ricky, Trenyce and Kim L (but possibly not in that order).

The last three will be Josh, Clay and Ruben. I think Josh is getting a lot of support just because of the Marines thing and not necessarily his performance. He gave the worst performance last week and still didn’t get into the bottom three. He may even make it to the final show based on the patriotic vote and not because of his ability (which is really only so-so. He’s could sing Garth Brooks cover songs in C&W bars but he really doesn’t have ant star quality).

I think it’s pretty much a lock that Ruben will win, and even if, by some unforseeable circumstance, he loses, he’s still going to get a record deal from somebody…and of all the contestants on both shows, including Kelly Clarkson, I think Ruben is the only one with potential for a long-lived career. He has genuine star power.