# American Idol Feb. 20-22 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988 "2007-02-20T17:34:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/181 "2007-02-21T18:13:51Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I think it was the dig Chris made toward Il Divo. I’m not sure they’ve been the commercial success that Simon had hoped for. [/QUOTE] It was the comparison of Il Divo to the Teletubbies that rankled him. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/182 "2007-02-21T18:23:42Z")
[QUOTE=ouryL] Actually, I liked Chris’s version, unfortunately he didn’t quite pull it off. He ain’t no Timberline. [/QUOTE] I liked his version, too. And you’re right, he didn’t pull it off. I thought his herky-jerky movements were distracting. It was too much. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/183 "2007-02-21T19:05:48Z")
The only 2 performances I _enjoyed_ were Chris Sligh and Blake Lewis. But even Blake wasn’t very good on a strictly vocal level. Give a listen to [his performance](http://www.rickey.org/?p=2326) without watching. Go about your business as if it were a CD playing in the background, and try not to cringe in numerous places where the notes were badly off-key, especially towards the end. Everyone else brought the total suckage. Last night was painful to sit through, though Brandon Rogers sure brought the pretty even if he totally tanked his performance (I had such high hopes for him, \). I sure hope the girls do better tonight, or this may be the first time since I started watching that I completely forgo AI and find better things to occupy my time, like laundry. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/184 "2007-02-21T19:16:39Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] Give a listen to [his performance](http://www.rickey.org/?p=2326) without watching. [/QUOTE] I did as you suggested, though I’m not quite sure why not watching matters. I’m wondering whether it was the slight flub of the lyric that you were hearing, which a caused a sort of recovery that slightly affected the tone. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/185 "2007-02-21T19:17:18Z")
[QUOTE=Shayna] I sure hope the girls do better tonight, or this may be the first time since I started watching that I completely forgo AI and find better things to occupy my time, like laundry. [/QUOTE] That…that’s crazy talk! Let’s just try and remain calm. 🙂 I was a little worried when they showed the girls last night, though. I remembered the big black lady has a little girl that cried when her mom made it through to Hollywood…the rest have managed to make no impression on me yet. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/186 "2007-02-21T19:17:57Z")
Incidentally, I still think he sounds like Paul McCartney of old. ---
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/187 "2007-02-21T20:29:37Z")
All the guys sucked. Let’s get it on with the estrogen group. I’m ready to feel some gooseflesh forming. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/188 "2007-02-21T21:07:04Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] I was a little worried when they showed the girls last night, though. I remembered the big black lady has a little girl that cried when her mom made it through to Hollywood…the rest have managed to make no impression on me yet. [/QUOTE] I am waiting for the back-up singer to return (Ms. Doolittle, I think? Melinda?) I really hope she continues to be as good, and good-natured, as she was in auditions. I didn’t catch her in Hollywood… ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/189 "2007-02-21T21:51:15Z")
[QUOTE=yellowval] I also noticed that Ryan was really making an effort to point out that he’s straight last night. Early in the show he made the, “I’m glad you’re on that couch” comment to Chris Sligh after his remarks about everyone looking pretty. Later he was trying to flirt with the girls and making sure Simon knew not to call him “sweetheart.” [/QUOTE] So I’m not the only one who noticed this, eh? I was all about to post it but no one else mentioned it so I kinda figured maybe I’m reading too much into things. It isn’t humour I really find funny. ---
**Author:** ![8675309](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ea5d25/32.png) [@8675309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/8675309)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/190 "2007-02-21T22:41:08Z")
I wish Bo was on this season. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/191 "2007-02-21T23:32:08Z")
[QUOTE=8675309] I wish Bo was on this season. [/QUOTE] Oh my goodness! You’re Jenny! Ayep, took me all this time to realize it. I r smrt. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/192 "2007-02-21T23:48:37Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] Oh my goodness! You’re Jenny! Ayep, took me all this time to realize it. I r smrt. [/QUOTE] Took spelling lessons from Homer Simpson, eh? (“I am so smart, I am so smart, S-M-R-T…I mean, uh, S-M-A-R-T…”) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/193 "2007-02-22T00:35:44Z")
Haven’t read the rest of the thread; just finished watching. None of the guys this year is compelling enough to keep me watching. Chris Sligh strikes me as a moderately talented, but very smarmy and insincere attention whore. Beatbox guy is not a good singer; don’t know what the judges were on. Except, apparently they think a guy who dresses like a 1997 copy of Teen Beat is “contemporary.” THAT was embarrassing: just because he’s hilariously trend-crippled, they think of him as fresh and original. The best voice of the night was the first guy, who did a numbingly unoriginal cover of a bad 70s song. Isn’t he the guy who did Journey in his audition? You can see where this is going . . . This group has a glut of guys fighting hard for the lowest spot, with only one or two worthy of even making the top 10. I actually fast forwarded through several numbers. Especially that Nick dude; his overplucked eyebrows make it impossible for me to watch him. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/194 "2007-02-22T00:41:52Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] Bald guy (Phil?) – some people just shouldn’t shave their heads. In my household, he was called (a) Cancer Survivor (b) Lex Luthor (c) mannequin. [/QUOTE] Yeah. YOu gotta have good facial bone structure to look good bald. He’s chinless, and his bald head looks like an accident; it’s not good on him. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/195 "2007-02-22T00:43:58Z")
That’s another thing wrong this year: There’s zero eye candy in the guys’ group. Blake is cute as a hamster’s butt, but only if you’re a subscriber to Tiger Beat. The Justin Timberlake wannabe has a certain sexiness to him, but it’s off somehow. Too bad Jenry didn’t make it. Jailbait or not, he would have boosted ratings. At least in my household. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2007, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/196 "2007-02-22T00:47:49Z")
One thing I really, really hate about American Idol is that it seems to promote a style of singing where everyone has to sing those four-note runs around the note they are supposed to be singing. Christina Aguilera does this constantly, and it makes her unlistenable to me. Whatever happened to interpreting a song? If the song is about fear, get the fear across. If it’s about angst, make us feel angst. If it’s a sad song, make the audience cry. But this emotionless warbling-while-smiling thing they all do is the vocal equivalent of Kenny G smooth jazz - a display of technique to no artistic end. Bah. Give me Janice Joplin or Frank Sinatra or hell even Meatloaf. Then I might actually have a chance to feel something while listening. At least last year they kept Chris Daughtry in to the end. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/197 "2007-02-22T00:49:53Z")
I don’t think there’s an excess of hotties on the girls’ side either. This could be a really dreary season. No one is raising any goosebumps yet. Maybe that backup singer will do something decent. If nothing else, maybe the Jersey girl will wear something skimpy. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/198 "2007-02-22T00:56:30Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] One thing I really, really hate about American Idol is that it seems to promote a style of singing where everyone has to sing those four-note runs around the note they are supposed to be singing. Christina Aguilera does this constantly, and it makes her unlistenable to me. Whatever happened to interpreting a song? If the song is about fear, get the fear across. If it’s about angst, make us feel angst. If it’s a sad song, make the audience cry. But this emotionless warbling-while-smiling thing they all do is the vocal equivalent of Kenny G smooth jazz - a display of technique to no artistic end. Bah. Give me Janice Joplin or Frank Sinatra or hell even Meatloaf. Then I might actually have a chance to feel something while listening. At least last year they kept Chris Daughtry in to the end. [/QUOTE] I agree one hundred percent (well, except about Daughtry, who was completely unoriginal and derivative, only in a “newer” style). I first noticed this awful modern Broadway style in Mandy Patinkin, who makes me physically cringe when he sings. THen I noticed that all the singers in all the big Lloyd-Webber musicals sing in the same style. Now there’s this nasal teen singing thing that Britney and Justin do, and the judges have begun rewarding THAT now. That’s what I liked about McPhee last year. I don’t think she was very smart, but when she was given a grand old standard to do, she usually managed to live up to it. Usually, unfortunately, she chose Aguilera vehicles when left to her own devices. She needs a strong producer, like Owen Bradley was to Patsy Cline, to reach her full potential. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/199 "2007-02-22T00:58:01Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] The best voice of the night was the first guy, who did a numbingly unoriginal cover of a bad 70s song. Isn’t he the guy who did Journey in his audition? You can see where this is going . . . [/QUOTE] That’d be Rudy. I voted for him all through Boston Legal with only one busy signal. I wonder if the judges were rethinking Hollywood week. **Sam Stone** , we’ve heard the judges criticize over-singing, but apparently nobody but us was listening. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988/200 "2007-02-22T01:08:21Z")
Simon is very fuzzy tonight. Sweater and personality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-idol-feb-20-22/392988.md?page=11)