American Idol 4/8/03

Cafe Society
21

Rickey’s best performance ever. This is the first time in a long time that he reminded us why he made it to LA in the first place. Ruben was just amazing - I didn’t want the song to end. If he did cut it as a single, I would buy it. Perfect song choice, perfectly sung. Beautiful.

Order of elimination:
Carmen
Kim C
Rickey
Trenyce
Josh (he should have been gone long ago, but for some unknown reason, people keep voting for him. Separate your feelings about the war from American Idol please, people!)
Kim L
Clay
Ruben (da big winnah!)

22

I know this has probably been discussed before ad naseum, but how can Josh fulfill his obligation to the show if he wins (or even if he doesn’t) and to the Marines at the same time? You can’t just give the Marines two weeks notice can you?

Oh - and Jim Verraro was in the audience tonight. Wearing one glove. Was he that weird when he was on the show, or is that a post-15-minutes development?

And did I see that chick from Full House in the audience? (Lori something)

23

They will let you out of the military if you fall into a large sum of money, maybe this would work the same way?

24

People still watch this show?

25

If one look at it as The Ruben Studdard Variety Show, yeah there is reason to watch. In fact, if they re-name it The Ruben Studdard Variety Show, even more people will watch.

26

The “recap” clips are actually from the dress rehearsal–so they don’t have to scramble to assemble them during the show itself. The recap clips from the Wednesday results show are from the actual live show.

27

it is endlessly fascinating to me how incredibly far apart people’s perceptions can be.

Even though I think he desperately needs to shake it up, I still love Clay. The voice is fantastic, and he has the sweetest smile in the world.

I think Ruben has a lot going on, but I don’t quite get the way nearly everyone sees him as flawless. I think his head bobbing and gestures can be quite repetitive, his performing ability needs work. I was SO glad he lost the 205 shirt, though. Wonderful change.

28

The second season has been going for 8+ weeks now and I havn’t heard one damn Beatles song! Not one Elvis song! Not one Chicago song! We go through Country Rock night without hearing an Eagles song! We go through Disco night without one damn Bee Gees song, or one damn Donna Summer song!!!

I’m sick and tired of the masters getting snubbed all the time! Ah, to hell with it!!

:frowning:

29

“The Ruben Studdard Variety Show” could have a seven year run and win some Emmys. You need a better name, though, which would depend on the network that picked it up:

CBS: The Studdards
ABC: Eight Simple Rules For Telling Simon to Go To Hell
NBC: Ruben’s Friends
FOX: When Gigantic Singers Attack!
WB: Yo, It’s Ruben, Y’all
CBC: Ruben Studdard’s Fiddling And Stepdancing Hour
HBO: 400 Pounds Over

30

Clay - Showed once again he has a great voice, but I really wish he’d try something different. I don’t know if he figures he’s safe for now, and wants to save the “show-stopper” for the final 3, but he always stays in that comfort zone.

Kimberley L - A good job, but I don’t know if that was the best song to pick. It was so overplayed that a) alot of people are sick of hearing it, even now and b) everyone knows exactly how Celine Dion sang it, and will be comparing Kim’s performance to that.

Rickey - I think this was his best performance so far. That should keep him out of the bottom three this week.

Kimberly C - Awful. She’s bottom 3 for sure this week.

Josh - Better than last week, but I didn’t really like his performance at all. The judges did, and my wife did, so maybe it’s just me.

Carmen - Finally, the scales fall from Simon’s eyes. There must have been a hunded songs that would have suited her much better. Bad song choice + bad singing = Elimination.

Trenyce - Good job. Not great, but competent. Whether competent will keep her out of the bottom 3 I don’t know, but it should keep her in the competition.

Reuben - Ruben is da man. Now that he’s ditched his 205 night-dresses and shown he can look smooth as well as sound smooth, I think he’s got it wrapped up. For the first week or two, I thought Clay was the one to beat, but Ruben has outpaced him since about week three, and keep widening the gap.

Top 3: Ruben, Clay and Kim L.

Bottom 3: Josh (my pick)/Trenyce (my prediction), Kim C, Carmen. Carmen takes the walk of shame.

I also have to agree with RickJay (who’s tastes seem to mirror mine most weeks): Lionel Ritchie was a great judge; probably the best so far. He came across as intelligent and seemed to have taken an interest in the previous shows. He should come back next week.

I’m not sure after this week what the order of elimination will be. Kim C is probably gone next week, but after that, it comes down to the genre and song choice. I see Rickey, Kim L and Trenyce fighting to stay out of that elimination spot. Josh should also be in with them, but like other people, I suspect he’s getting votes because he’s a marine, not because of his talent (last week lends alot of support to this theory). I think Clay is safe until the final 4 anyway, and Ruben should be safe to the final 2.

31

Naturally, having ears and all, I think Ruben should win. I get very stressed out just thinking that people might think he’s such a sure thing that they don’t vote for him. And, btw, I thought he looked great in his new outfit last night.

For suckiest, I think it’s a tie: Kim C. and Carmen. My son liked Kim C., but what the hell does he know. He’s 4.

32

You know what concerns me? That people (read: teenagers) have their favorites, and are voting for them no matter how they perform that week. I called last night (yes, I admit it!) for Ruben. I voted about 10 times and I only got a busy signal 3 times. I also voted for Trenyce and got through every time. I’m hoping that there aren’t millions sitting at home thnking that Ruben has got it made, so they aren’t voting for him and instead are voting for say, Ricky or Carmen because they don’t want to see them go.

Remember that Tamyra was off the show before Nicki last year. I’m afraid something like that will happen again this year.

33

I don’t have anything new to add, I agree with the Carmen predictions. And, like Kallessa, I cannot wait for Rueben to cut an album so I can listen to that voice all the time. I’m going to be first in line for that one, and I never buy cds.

Josh - I love country music, but listen to it! By and large the twang is gone. He’s definitely getting Marine votes.

Clay - Love his voice, think he’s a cutie, but Rueben is starting to really pull away from him. Please, please shake it up next week. Wouldn’t it be odd if he cannot sing anything else, and realizing this he sticks to Broadway? Then he is just a genius.

Kim Locke - I really like her, but I think I am in the minority.

Trenyce - She frightens me.

Rickey - Eh. Just don’t care for his voice.

Kim Caldwell - Loved her in the beginning, but she loses ground each week.

Bye Carmen. Nice job, good try.

34

My understanding is that they’ve given him a special dispensation, the logic being that losing one enlisted guy for this competition will pay off dividends in future recruiting. Josh’s participation is great PR for the Marines – why would they want to throw that away?

35

Another point: what the hell was up with the gratuitious slam on “Endless Love” directed towards Lionel Ritchie by Simon? If I were Lionel, I think I’d have pointed out that the song sold enough records to make Simon’s opinion stupid.

I mean, really, isn’t that why Simon’s opinion is supposed to be valuable in the first place? Because as an A&R guy he has a knack for spotting artists and songs that will sell a lot of records?

36

The only thing that I have to add is did anyone else notice that Rickey has been deliberately sucking up to the guest judges? This week, Lionel Richie is the guest and Rickey does “Endless Love”, last week, the guy from Earth Wind and Fire and what song does Rickey do? Hmmmm.

37

Ruben wore something other than the jersey and I missed it?! I was on the phone trying to change some trip plans so I missed some of the comments and bits of some performances, and each time I looked at the set while Ruben was singing they just showed him close up. Darn.

By the way, with Kim C., did she move at all during her performance? Maybe I just happened to be looking away at those times?

38

Well, hell, I got here late and have nothing much to add, except that, unlike some of you, I could almost feel my ears bleed at Rickey’s howling. Carmen may be out tonight, but she and Miss Mascara have to be the next 2.

Ruben may be popular in part because more of us look like him than like most of these fit young folks. But that voice and that stage presence … yep, I want that CD, now. The 2 stars that this show has made are him and Josh, and Josh will be one in Nashville, not Hollywood.

Julia Demato was in the audience, too - I thought we voted your bony butt out of there already, honey, now go away please.

39

I noticed that too. I’m just glad he didn’t start earlier and sing “Hopelessly Devoted To You” when Oliva-Newton John was the guest judge. My ears are ringing just thinking about it!

And Tiramisu, Ruben looked pretty stylish last night. If you watch the results show tonight, hopefully they’ll show it during the recaps.

40

I personally thought Carmen sounded like Morgan Fairchild trying to do Blondie as a lounge act. Bleah…