American Idol Feb 27-Mar 1

Just reading an NYTimes article about AI’s perennial watchability, in which the second paragraph begins–

Um, is being taken as gospel now that those pics are fake? Those pics are not fake. But for the NYTimes to state that, unequivocally, suggests that there is some authoritative source on this?

Anyone know?

Yeah. I really liked Blake’s performance, but I went back and watched it again after hearing Simon’s comments. And he was spot on. The first part wasn’t particularly original, the middle (the beatboxing and scatting) was awesome, and the third part (especially right after the scatting) was all over the map.

Just a quickie to note that Blake is still my top pick to win the whole thing.

Also, I agree with Lissener, that Sanjaya and Brandon should be the next to go home.
p.s. While Sundance was one of my early favorites, I pretty much think that he’s forgettable and kind of suckass now.

For those who may be interested, here are the dialidol rankings from top to bottom:

Sundance Head
Sanjaya Malakar
Chris Sligh
Blake Lewis
Phil Stacey
Jared Cotter
AJ Tabaldo
Chris Richardson
Nicholas Pedro
Brandon Rogers

I agree, on all three counts. However, I think Chris has more ability to “sell” a song–largely a function of a high ratio of charisma to talent–than any other of this year’s guys. But I’m not sure he can win on charisma alone; we’ll have to see how he navigates the theme weeks. If he’s smart, he’ll bone up on old-school scatting–listen to a lot of Ella, Anita O’Day, even Rose Murphy–or he’ll be lost on Tony Bennett Week.

So . . . we can deduce from this that Sanjaya Malakar is this week’s VFTW anointed?

I think that once it gets down to the obligatory 6 guys and 6 girls, the 6 guys will be the first ones booted off the show.
The women are by far the better singers so far this season.

I think you’re probably right; the best six girls are way better than the best six guys.

I agree. Those pics are not fake (SFW)

No, I think it’s the same as last week:

Sundance

Incidentally, I agree with just about your entire post, except I like Chris a bit more than you do.

Simon’s comments to Brandon – Man, he has had it with people tugging at heartstrings!

Also, something I wonder about re: Antonella. I wonder how awkward it is for her to be around the other contestants? The vibe I get from her is that she’s one of those who says, “Oh, I don’t care what anyone thinks!” until she’s actually in a vulnerable position. I wonder how the others are reacting to her.

Well, accept, from personal acquaintance experience, it seems often to be the case that people who can be talked into posing for dirty pictures are usually trying very hard to please someone who may have a camera, but does not have her best interests at heart. Total armchair psychoanalysis here, but the fact that she allowed those pictures to be taken tells me she’s susceptible to manipulation, which is pretty much the same thing as caring desperately what other people think of you. So I imagine she’s in some kind of special hell right about now.

Also, anyone who can pose for such pics, and then go on American Idol, is someone who thinks that you can successfully separate your “real” life from your “secret” life, so I imagine, on top of everything else, she’s undergoing the shock of a violent reality check.

Again, all this is speculation; total armchair psychoanalysis.

Exactly. “I don’t care what anybody thinks” would apply to people like the RA in her dorm, or less attractive girls (who are jus’ jellus anyway) or guys she wouldn’t go out with. But people who say that do care what a lot of people think, and it’s all good until those people turn on them, like posting those photos on the net. So when they find out what those people were really thinking, they’re devastated. Plus, I daresay she does want to get along with the other contestants, and some of them may not be particularly friendly with her right now, which probably also hurts.

That’s another thing that strikes me. Those pictures are probably pretty recent, and they’re not from just one situation, either. It’s not like it’s a phase she outgrew; it’s a phase she was probably still in when she auditioned. (Remember her friend telling her not to flirt with guys during H’wood week because “we can have all the guys we want back home”?) She’s been forced to a turning point in her life very abruptly and publically, and that can’t be easy.

Wow. I am amazed at how my aging brain more and more types words aurally. This happens to me all the time anymore, and I honestly do not understand it. I’ve always been known for my pedantic insistance on carefully distinguishing there/their/they’re, but I often find myself typing one when I’m thinking another. I should see if I can get Oliver Sacks to write a book about me.

Or maybe alcohol will help.

My evaluations:

Phil Stacey, I Ain’t Missing You A-

I already admitted that I don’t like this guy, but props where props are due. His performance and his voice both were good. His interpretation was a bit ordinary, however. With a song like this, I’d like to see someone do it Reggae or something.

Jared Cotter, Lets Get it On A

This is another guy I don’t particularly like. But his soulful interpretation of the song, while not groundbreaking, was spot on. His voice was excellent, and his performance very good. It stepped close to the line of “contrived”, but did not cross over.

A.J. Tabaldo, Feeling Good A-

I don’t know whether this song will save him, but he was headed straight to oblivion and this was the right thing to do about it. Not a perfect voice by any means, but a suitable one, and a confident performance.

Sanjaya Malakar, Steppin’ Out With My Baby F

Just please end this. I’m afraid the love-child of Michael Jackson and Paula Abdul just lacks the mental and emotional maturity to pull this off. He really does have a seed of talent, but he needs sooooooo much coaching. I’m embarrassed for him, and I wish he’d just stop making me uncomfortable.

Chris Sligh, Trouble A+

A superb and powerful voice. Excellent interpretation of the song — he clearly sang it from his heart to hers. I was happy to see that he and Simon apparently have made amends. And I hope he’ll learn from that mistake. Nothing is harder to control than a quick wit.

Nick Pedro, Fever A-

Well done, and surprising. Another possible rescue from the grave. The voice was truly wonderful, and the interpretation not as cliche as it might have been if say, Sanjaya had done it. The camera directing was good at first, but became tiresome. Two or three shots to the drummer on-beat is exciting. Doing it every time is predictable.

Blake Lewis, Virtual Insanity A+

Bebop, scat, beatbox, just plain melody. Is there anything he cannot do? He proved last week that he has a beautiful voice and mature performance skills. This week, he proved that he has an interpretive range. I’d like to see him grow up a little. But just a little.

Brandon Rogers, Time after Time B

Better than last week, but I’m afraid he really just doesn’t get it. He has a lot more talent than Sanjaya, but is almost just as clueless. And that’s a shame. His voice is very good. Smoky, with a solid tone. But his performances are lackluster, and the heavy-lidded stoner eyes are just sooooo distracting.

Chris Richardson, Geek in the Pink A+

He’s got it all. Looks. Charm. Skills. Maturity. All this without a trace of hotdog attitude or entitlement mentality. He needs to work just a bit on his switches in and out of falsetto. But an hour’s worth of coaching would take care of that. Great stage presence.

Sundane Head, Mustang Sally A+

A bravo performance. It was an excellent interpretation that just seemed to well up from inside him. A good strong voice. It was an exercise in pure tonal emotion. We’ll find out tomorrow whether it’s too little too late, but I suspect he recaptured some fans he might have lost.

But the natural implication to take from that, whether you intend it or not, is that American Idol producers are racial bigots, and that’s just absurd. They make their money through ratings, sales, and promotions. The African-American music market is huge, and the white market is sufficiently enlightened that such bigotry would have a profound effect. Sometimes coincidence is just coincidence, and I think that’s so in this case.

I think Sundance has a great voice when he picks the right song, but the guy can’t move worth a damn. He needs to work with a movement coach and/or a choreographer- he looks so uncomfortable out there, like he’d rather be hiding in a recording booth. He was nervously fiddling with his shirt much of the time, and I think at one point he inadvertently undid one of his shirt buttons, then buttoned it again.

Sanjaya has a similar problem- very uncomfortable on stage. He has a nice, soft, quiet voice, and although people tend to compare him to Michael Jackson, he has none of Jackson’s stage presence. Jackson is a meek and timid person offstage, but onstage he has charisma and a real star presence. Simon was right- it was like a livingroom MJ-inspired performance for his family, wearing his dad’s fedora.

American Idol isn’t just about the best voice, it’s the total package, and charisma is a not insignificant element of that.

How is it irrelevant? You slammed him for singing a song. The song means the opposite of what you said it means and the lyrics are extremely clear.

Phil - He was good, but I’ve only been liking him on a trial basis, provided he was planning to grow some hair. Last night, when I didn’t even see any token peach fuzz, I lost a lot of interest. Besides, the mention of 9/11 felt like an attempt at manipulation.

Jared - keep for now

AJ - keep for now

Sanjaya - Poor thing…I liked him, but he just can’t do this. The sooner we let him go the better.

Chris Sligh - Still my favorite.

Nick - So boring, I got some chores done during his performance.

Blake - I’m really liking this guy, more and more all the time. Also, I am an old lady who never listens to new music, and although I’d never heard the song, I have heard of Jamiroquai. He did some video with a room that rolled around as he moved through it, right?

Brandon - Instead of sending home two contestants, can we just send Brandon home twice? Oh wait…guess that won’t work. Can we just have someone kick his ass before he goes then? And happy birthday, Simon’s mom! :slight_smile:

Chris R. - Don’t remember

Sundance - I missed his original audition, so last night was the only time I’ve ever heard him sing anything decently. Still, when you add in the weird beard and the new baby, I’m perfectly willing for him to go home.

Phil - Not a bad performance. Good song choice. I think we’ll see him again next week.

Jared - Not the best performance I’ve heard of that song, but it was passable. He looked great except for the giant white shoes. They blinded me.

AJ - He really impressed me. I didn’t know this song but thought it really showcased his vocal abilities.

Sanjaya - So, so bad. As Simon said, he practically whispered the song. Top that with the deer-in-the-headlights look, and it was a trainwreck. I wish we could bring him back in five years. He’s just not ready yet.

Chris Sligh - Another great performance. He’s not going anywhere.

Nick - I still hate him. Loved the drummer though.

Blake - I thought he was great. He seems to be the contestant this year who’s damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. If he changes things up, the judges are going to tell him to get back to his roots. If he does that, they’ll tell him to change it up. I think he’ll be one of the top male contenders for a long time.

Brandon - I really like him, but his performance was just okay last night. Simon can eat a dick, though. The reason he doesn’t get to wish his mother a happy birthday on the air is because the show isn’t on in November. Oh, and Simon? November isn’t six months from now.

Chris Richardson - He did nothing for me.

Sundance - Now this is what I wanted to hear from Sundance! He does look a little uncomfortable on stage to me, though, waving those baseball glove hands around.

I’d send home Sanjaya and Nick.