get yours today!

We're still awaiting Fantasia's first CD single I Believe/Dreams and waiting to see if and when Diana will release one but, just in case you want to relive all of the exciting moments of American Idol, Season 3, from Fantasia's win to William Hung's unlikely rise to pop culture icon, the book will be available beginning tomorrow, the first day of June.

It's unclear when exactly the book will be ready for shipment, but you can pre-order yours today to make certain that yours is reserved.  Click here for all of the information and ordering instructions.

If anyone does purchase this, let me know if it was worth your money.  Write a review, and I'll put it here, giving you full credit, of course!

with apologies, i just cannot resist...

I didn't even know he was still on the radar, but, as bad as I am certain it was, it could not have been as bad as Ozzy Osbourne's at Wrigley Field.

When will our Will just go back to school?  Fifteen minutes expired more than fifteen minutes ago.

the best season ever?

We listened to Randy specifically, but also to Paula and Simon to a degree that this season of American Idol was its best ever in terms of overall talent.  Randy said from the very beginning that this was the best final 12 contestants the show had fielded.

I received a comment that calls into question Randy's assertion.  It's a good comment, so instead of linking to it, here it is:

I think the show stunk this year,I don't think the talent was as good as the other previous years. I  have watched every show and I voted every week.But I'm done watching the way the judges   treat the young people is terrible. WHAT DOES AMERICAN IDOL REALLY MEAN????  This should have nothing to do age,color or sex of a person. I don't think they give anyone a chance,the judges decide on who they want to win and thats it. Your votes doesn,t mean anything. I am very upset with the whole show and I'll never watch again. SIMON IS A VERY RUDE PERSON. For him to say Fantasia was the very best they ever had on the show wasn't fair to Kelly,Justin,Ruben,Clay and Diana.

Was this the best field of 12 in terms of overall talent?  Or was it the worst?  Is Fantasia the best contestant ever?  Or not?  These are all interesting questions.

Here is my viewpoint, but since talent is in the eye and ear of the beholder, it's impossible to come to a consensus over the "best" or "worst" of any of these seasons or performers.

Was this the best season in terms of most talented performers in the final twelve? 

That's a tough call, but I'd have to say I think yes.  During season one, I was a fan of Kelly and Tamyra and sometimes a fan of Justin.  Kelly and Tamyra were the most consistently talented, but Justin could pull a song from a hat and really impress me.  So, in my judgment, three out of ten were finds; the others weren't.  Sorry Christina Christian fans, she just didn't do it for me, and she still doesn't.  (There were only 10 finalists in season one for those who didn't watch.)  So that's a percentage of 30%.

In season two, the only finalists who impressed consistently and constantly were Clay and Ruben.  I adored both of them from their group performances to the finale.  Kimberley Locke had her ups and downs, but she proved herself to be the most talented of the women (after Frenchie got dumped, but that's a rant I've had before, so I won't go there.)  Trenyce was the only other finalist who I felt had enough great performances to outweigh the poor ones.  I think Vanessa might have developed into a decent singer, but when you're booted first, you don't get the chance to prove anything.  Now remember, this was the season of Carmen, Charles, and Kim Caldwell.  So, adding Trenyce into the mix, four out of 12 is 33%.

Now season three.  Of the twelve, I believe that Fantasia, Diana, LaToya, Jennifer and George all were quite talent-worthy.  Amy was too, but never had the opportunity to show it, aside from country night.  Jasmine had potential, but had really only one performance that blew me away, and that was on the first night of final-12 competition.  So omitting Jasmine, but adding Amy is six out of 12 for 50%.  But, even if you omit Amy, that's still a 42% talent score.

So, in my conclusion, half of this year's finalists brought with them talent as opposed to the 33% or less of the previous seasons.  That's why on this score, I agree with Randy.  However, I did not enjoy this season as much as I enjoyed season two.  During season two I developed much more of an emotional attachment to my favorites.  I adored Clay from the moment I first saw him.  When I heard him perform Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me during the wildcard show, that was it.  His was the most breathtaking voice I had heard in a very long time.  And his transformation was such fun to watch.  And then, as the season progressed, I began to adore Kim Locke.  Her transformation outdid Clay's.  And so, when I watched last season, I really ... really ... wanted them to do well.  This season I had no one clear favorite.  (Except, of course, Amy.)  So there wasn't the emotional investment in this year's competition that had existed the previous season.  So, for that reason, I do not believe that this season was as good as last.

Is Fantasia the best contestant ever on Idol.  I took Simon to task over this remark <FONTSIZE=2> because I felt it was ill-timed and flat-out wrong.  It's his opinion, of course, and he's entitled to his as much as I am to mine.  Fantasia is wonderful.  She's unique, and she's quirky, so I think that makes her possibly the most original of the American idol contestants.  But the best?  No.  And, considering the fact that just weeks before Simon made this proclamation, he was doing the talk show circuit promoting LaToya as the best, makes me take his Fantasia remark less seriously.

So that's what we think.  So, what do you think?

now it's time to pick up the tab

It's been a long season of American Idol.  There have been fun times, there have been not-so-much fun times and there's a bill to pay.  It's only fair.  After all, we give to FOX and the AI producers our time, hours from each week to sit and watch and study and analyze this bizarre but captivating series.  Some of us even buy the products that they so constantly and consistently hype.  And what does this show give us -- the viewers?  Aggravation. Anger. Astonishment. Amusement. Angina.  Something in this equation just doesn't seem equitable.  So FOX, AI big people, you owe me.

You owe me first and foremost an apology.  Why, you ask?  For not allowing Lisa Leuschner the opportunity to compete.  For not giving me the chance to vote for her.  For humiliating her (and the others) on national television after allowing them to practice and rehearse for one week, expecting to compete on the wildcard show.  And instead of being able to take the stage, they are told to take a seat.  Next time, let them all compete or don't choose them in the first place.

You owe me 1.5 bottles of Advil pain reliever.  Why?  For forcing me to listen to the warbling of Leah Vladawhatever later LaBelle.  For this child, Lisa is sacrificed.  And out of spite, she is chosen as a top-twelver.  Not elected, mind you, by the American people.  Chosen, picked, selected by one of your people.  Not one of mine. 

You owe me 7 bottles of Sominex.  Why?  I used to sleep like a baby.  Through the night.  Dreams, when I had them, were pleasant.  Now I am awakened through the night by the recurring nightmare of Matt Rogers in a bubble bath.  Introducing that image into my mind and into my dreams was unnecessary, unwise and inexusable.

You owe me the price of plaster and one quart of white paint.  Why?  This is to repair the damage done to the wall of my home office when, upon learning of Amy Adams' dismissal, a dent appeared in my north wall when said wall made contact with the television remote control.

You owe me a new television remote control.  Despite the damage done during the Amy incident, the remote remained in working order until the button called MUTE was rendered worthless from overuse during Elton John week.  I think it broke when the crocodile rocked the rocket man.

You owe me one can Formula 409 carpet cleaner.  Why?  Three words:  Camile. Dog. Puked.

You owe me two cans Formula 409 upholstery cleaner and one bottle Spray and Wash.  For what happened to me when Jennifer Hudson was booted.  And then again when Jasmine wasn't.

You owe me two new telephones.  Ones with functional redials.  Mine are broke.

You owe me one box Puffs.  Extra Strength.  Why?  Because disco week should have been scheduled earlier.  By the time that bossy little Diana told me no more tears, it was too late. 

So...does American Idol owe you anything?

 

someone pass the aspirin ... it's american idol hangover time

Well, the American Idol competition has concluded, and the American Idol hangover is just beginning.  It's time to reflect upon the season we're still reeling from and to consider next season and the seasons to come.  If there are any.

And it's already begun.  Linda Holmes, commenting for MSNBC.com, has an interesting analysis.  She contends the show is starting to stale around the edges, and proposes some changes to regain the freshness she thinks it has lost in its young history.

I concur with parts of her argument and dissent with other parts (sometimes strongly).  I adamantly disagree with her suggestion for new judges.  Even though I sometimes want to shove a Coke glass down Paula's throat, to replace her would give me no one to complain about.  I also take issue with her partial attack on theme nights, but I do agree that the theme nights need to be much more broad in scope, as opposed to putting these kids through the aural wringer just to accommodate an artist who is willing to sit in a judge's chair for one hour.  (Gloria Estefan week was just too much, even for me, but Big Band week gave the kids a massive library of choices.)

I totally agree that the voting process needs overhauling, because some of us have come to the conclusion that at the end of the competition, when the field has been whittled down to a handful or less, it is futile to pick up the phone to even try because the lines are so jammed by callers, many who have yet to earn a driver's license.

And I say a hearty Amen to her Jennifer Love Hewitt diatribe.  And yes, I agree, Jasmine was wretched.  But she kind of sounds that way on the same song on the CD too.  So maybe there's something we don't know.  Or maybe she just needed some Pips.  You can't do that song without a Pip or three.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

it's a finale simulblog...

It's my last chance to simulblog American Idol, so here we go...................

I'll skip over the red carpet interviews with celebrities I could care less about.  And the dressing room interviews with Diana, Fantasia and the judges.  And LaToya's, George's and Jasmine's performances, all of which are available on the AI3 CD, by the way.

It's time for the show!

I knew it.  Tamyra.  You know, she co-wrote the song the new Idol will record for her first single.  Really!  I heard that.  It's the national anthem and the longest rendition I think I've ever heard.

Poorly scripted intro to the first song.  Geesh, I saw this coming two miles away.  The Impossible Dream.  Always dream it folks!  Cue Diana.  Then Fantasia.  Then Kelly.  Then Ruben.  Very predictable, but I really liked it.  Hmmm.  What's wrong with me.  I liked it.  Towel for Ruben.

Checking in with the hometown.  Clay Aiken talks with Fantasia's county commissioner.  Now it don't get no bigger than that.  A billboard for their girl.  Hey, nice gesture.  Lots of loud people.  Clay is having audio problems tonight.  Time for Diana's people.  Her choir teacher.  Awww.  How sweet.  It's always nice to know our teachers are proud of us.  And, let's hear it for Snellville.  It's the mayor!  At least he's not dressed in a pink suit like the governor.  They're proud of their girl too.  I bet if she wins tonight, she'll get another trip to the Wal*Mart.  Could Kim Caldwell look any more like Barbie?  Just asking.

Commercial time.  Tinkle break.

Yea.  It's Kelly.  Beautiful Disaster.  That's one of the only songs I've liked from Kelly since she won season one.  Good performance.  But it's Kelly.

I knew it.  Cheesy commercial.  Tinkle time.  Maybe I'll take a shower.

Oh no.  It's the Cowsills.  Dressed in white and yellow.  Looks like neither John or JPL has taken any dance lessons during their time off.  And Camile hasn't taken any singing lessons either.  Neither has Leah.  Get her off of my TV.  NOW.  I love you Amy.  And they're still really not letting the guys sing.  Don't blame them.  Ahhh.  John.  He gets a big band moment after all!  And it's a solo.  And it was nice.  Well, the costumes were pretty Partridge Family-y, and the dancing was obscene, but that was a pleasant enough medley of the season's themes.  Please send Leah home again.  Rapidly.

Commercial break.  Gotta tinkle.  Maybe I'll walk the dog.

Now, what if Ruben came on stage and sang his new single.  Oh, that's what he's doing.  And it's called What If.  This is the first I've heard it.  Now, is it just me or does this song sound EXACTLY like Sorry, 2004 but just with different lyrics?  I was just wishing for 2004 to end already so that I wouldn't hear that song anymore and now I'm asking what if someone somewhere wrote a decent song for Ruben.  

Commerical time.  Time to tinkle.  Maybe I'll finish the laundry too.  And vacuum.

And we're back.  Laundry's done.  And it's time for a Diana performance.  More reruns.  Don't they know how much this retreading is irking me?  And, guess what...it's a song by Tamyra Gray.  She co-wrote it.  And it will be the first single for the new Idol.  She does a great job.  Better than last night.  Uh oh.  It's the Jasmine effect.  Diana honey, it's too late to cry.  The voting's over.  Besides, you don't cry out loud, remember?

Fantasia's turn.  Geesh Ryan, keep your hands to yourself.  And she's going to sing a new song?  A New Song?  Can't be.  No Summertime?  Damn.  It's a song called Dreams.  Is this a theme night?  First The Impossible Dream and now real Dreams.  I wonder if Tamyra wrote this too.  Fantasia doesn't cry tonight.  Maybe she knows she won't be the one crying tonight.  Or maybe she's saving those tears.  For later.

Commercials!  Time to wash the car.  And clean the refrigerator.  Maybe I'll tinkle.

It's duet time, and Diana is bossing the damn audience around again.  Hell she's waving the microphone at the ones on the aisle.  Diana, one more time, you are NOT the BOSS of them.  They can do what they want, so if they don't want to get up on their feet and party, they do not have to.  Okay duet, but I do wishthey would stop with all the kissing.  Ruben and Clay didn't kiss all over the place.

Time for the judges comments.  Oh the suspense.  Oh the votes!  Oh the drama.  Oh the B.S.  Oh Happy Day!  Mini-group hug.  Yep, she was saving those tears for now.  Fantasia breaks her shoe and her necklace.  But who cares when you're an American Idol.   Tons of graciousness from Diana.  More kissing. 

And Fantasia and the robed ones sing the show and the season to an end.  Confetti abounds.  And The Partridge Family joins her on stage.  Major group hug.

...as the news breaks in to announce that thousands of Idol votes were not counted.  Oh good.  I was so worried that we would not have another controversy to obsess about until the beginning of next season.

Idol...out.

 

tidbits about tonight

Two hours tonight.  Well, of course it is.  The finale of American Idol must leave enough room for the hundreds of minutes of commercials in, what should be, the highest rated show this week, if not this very important ratings month.  Check out Patrick's Place for a great explanation of the importance of May in the television industry, and he should know -- he's a part of it.

But back to Idol.  Of course the highlight will be the announcement, which will probably occur at the 1 hour, 50 minute mark, after Ryan has annoyed us up to the point of bedtime with his "after the break" nonsense.  (I really wish the writers would treat us as though we're not infants, but that's another entry for another time when there's no finale going on and I have nothing to write about and I'm bored and I just have to complain about something.)

But in the meantime, we have to fill space.  Well, what's on tap?  No one's is really saying too much, but we do know that Kelly and Ruben will be there.  They have front row seats, and it seems inevitable that both will step foot on stage at least, if not perform.  And Ruben will sweat.  Clay will be on the show, but he'll be reporting "live and in person" from North Carolina where the Fantasia people will be assembled.  And Kim Caldwell will be stationed in Atlanta to report on the frenzy called Diana.  Tamyra will probably be somewhere prominent also, seeing as though she co-wrote the song that the Idol will record, in case you haven't heard that.  Or have forgotten.  Plus there will be the requisite famous faces with whom Ryan will chat and pimp throughout the program. 

Also, the other ten are scheduled to perform.  Now, while I am really looking forward to hearing from Amy, George and Jennifer again, I am not, under any circumstances, anxious to hear from either Leah or Camile.  I've missed Matt Rogers' humor, and, believe me, I never thought I would say that.  I've somewhat missed JPL's unabashed fun at just being himself, and I have thought about John Stevens from time to time.  I hope John gets to sing something Big Band-ish, just because I think he deserves it after all the crap that was hurled in his direction.  Jasmine and LaToya haven't been gone long enough to miss.  I've been a very good girl, though, so I think that I do not deserve to have to listen to a group number or see one more cheesy commercial.

Now the producers have announced that the vote spread is just a tad over one percent between the two ladies.  Very close tally, but not as tight as last year when the difference between Ruben and Clay was statistically insignificant.

To be honest, I am torn.  Fantasia deserves to win this competition.  She has been consistent throughout the season.  She is unique.  A one-of-a-kind.  And on Tuesday, she left the stage with a clear edge.  She had a disaster of a first song, but performed Summertime as well (and many people say, better) than she did during movie week.  Diana performed her first two songs admirably, but crashed and burned in her third.  So my best comparison is the interpretation of the song that each of them performed.  While Diana was good, Fantasia was great.  And if I have to hear that song over and over and over while shopping at the supermarket, I'd rather hear Fantasia's version.

And so here is the dilemma.  I believe with everything I am that Fantasia should win tonight.  But I cannot, nor should anyone, ignore or discount the growth that Diana has shown in the second half of the season.  And she is so beloved and identified with by the teens and pre-teens that might be looking for another Britney or Hillary.  (God, please help us!)  And, while old people like me gave up dialing for bedtime, these middle-schoolers, have the energy and drive to keep dialing and texting.  Over and over and over again.  (I know...they should have been in bed.  School night and all.  But I remember being that age.  A lot of times I should have been in bed too.  But.....)  Hell, I don't even know how to text, much less have the desire to pay for it.  A 12-year-old does not pay for anything, so the financial restriction argument has no validity.

I will not be surprised either way.  If Diana wins I will be happy for her, but I will feel sad for us and for this show.  I will not feel sorry for Fantasia.  She will be fine.  She will record.  She will be on the radio.  If she has one twinge of sadness, all she needs to do is pick up the phone and call Clay Aiken.  Being the American Runner-up hasn't hurt him any.

If Fantasia wins, I will be happy for her, and my faithin the integrity of this show and the voting decisions of the American public might be partially restored.  And I will feel bad for Diana.  She is, after all, only 16 years old.  A little kid.  And it will hurt.  She might have some success in the short term, much like Justin, but I question her staying power.  Her primary support group, after all, is young, and they will move on to the next Britney, the next Hillary, the next Diana.  And so will their allowances.  And the ones who replace them will be looking for the new Hillary, the new Diana.  She's a talented young woman with a powerful voice.  But she needs the time to mature.  She needs the time to grow into the performer that Fantasia already is.

So I guess the bottom line is that I really cannot make a prediction who I think will win.  I just can't.  The voting is so fickle and so unpredictable.  I guess I'll just wait and see like everyone else.

Buckle up kiddos.  

 

as the votes are counted, the precincts are reporting in...

And the precincts are pretty much saying the same thing.  Fantasia by a landslide.  But why listen to me?  Here they are, as they are reporting in...

Sting7 from Reality News Online can't think of any other word but "triumphant."  That's a good word.  We should use it more often.

Nicholas Fonseca, commenting for Entertainment Weekly's EW.com, uses the term "Bobo" more often than Amy changes her hair color.  But I must object to his use of the term "honky-tonk torture."  Watch what you say about my girl, Nick!

The Raging Critic has decided to end the self-imposed Idol exile, but may still be crying, so I don't want to kick someone in tears.  Dry the tears, baby doll.  It will be okay.  Hawaii still loves you.

Lisa is still jumping for joy!  And Bethany's still trying to get her to sit down.  I wonder if she got any more votes in cause I sure didn't, even though I had three phones using all three numbers and the word "redial" no longer appears on two of them.  Drats.  Foiled again.

The judges at Foxes On Idol are in complete agreement for maybe the first time this season.  Even though the Diana lovers are putting up a good case for their girl to win, all of them say they're fans of Tasia.

Tamar is ticked off at Verizon and at a hotel.  (Ask her.)  And she questions why anyone would vote 145 times for Diana.  (Personally, I want to know how anyone voted 145 times for either or both of them.  All I heard was busy signal.)  But she does agree that Fantasia will get a much better deal on her first single than poor Ruben did.

Sarah is keeping it short and sweet.

Professor Yin and Professor Althouse both believe that Fantasia should win but that Diana will win.

Ken Barnes of USA Today seems to think that Diana dropped the ball as opposed to Fantasia slam dunking it.  I apologize for the basketball metaphors, but the Pacers play tonight.  I also apologize for the lack of italics, but something wacko is going on when I use them, so I've opted not to.  Please insert italics wherever you wish.

Shack at TWoP gives us his recaplet, which will just have to hold us over.  He's not as concerned about the outcome as he is the public health and welfare concern Tamyra's song will cause.  It could get serious.  And deadly.  Heaven awaits.  I think it's heaven, anyway.  Decide for yourself.

Adam at Throwing Things starts throwing the lyrics of Don't Cry Out Loud all over the place.  A word of caution though ... he's never been a fan of Diana, and he's only a half-fan of Fantasia.  He's still crying buckets over Frenchie and, presumably, was happy to see Tamyra.  But he misses Scooter Girl.  Hmmm.  Let's examine this:  Frenchie, Tamyra, Scooter Girl.  What is wrong with this picture?

OOPS.  MY BAD:  I clicked my own link to revisit Adam's entry at Throwing Things.  And he makes it very clear that he's not just a half-fan but a full-from-the-beginning fan of Fantasia.  So consider me sufficiently embarrassed and self-slapped.  That will be the last time I try to rush through a blog jog entry.  At least until the next time.

___________________________________________________________

UPDATE:  Well, it looks as though Fantasia has made everyone look brilliant.  Thanks Fantasia!

the finale -- what a rip-off

I was so looking forward to the American Idol finale.  Last year it was Ruben v. Clay, friends going toe-to-toe, singing one song forced upon them and two of their choice.  The songs forced upon them were crap.  Both songs.  Then one sang Lennon, the other McCartney.  Then Clay put a forever new spin on Bridge Over Troubled Water.  The performances were a bit shakey, but overall it was a grand show, complete with robed choir.

This year.  I can think of a lot of words to describe this show, but grand ain't one of them.  Boring, cheap, lazy, ick come close.  They should have just plunked the ladies down on the sofa with Ryan while he grilled them about their favorite food, and then let them sing one of their favorites.  No originality.  They force the girls to sing the same song, co-written, in case you haven't heard about a thousand times already, by former Idol contestant Tamyra Gray, whose CD, produced by 19 Entertainment debuted today.  (And then Simon objects to the lyrics being sung by a 16-year-old, like she had a choice.  Give us a break.)

Yes Diana, the judges said you were wonderful when you performed No More Tears and Don't Cry Out Loud.  But why drag those songs out again?  Yes, Fantasia, your Summertime was magnificent the first time.  It was good on the "Ode to the Final Five" show.  It was good again tonight.  But by this time it just isn't special anymore.  It's predictable. 

And Simon.  You tell Fantasia that you believe she is the best Idol contestant in the history of Idol contestants.  Do you really want her to place second that bad?  You have collectively angered the Clay people.  (And we all know that ticked-off Clay people are a force that no sane person wants to reckon with.)  The Ruben people might also be feeling a little hurt.  The Kelly people might be taking offense about now.  The Kim Locke fans might be a little ticked.  The fans of Tamyra Gray -- the co-writer of the new Idol's first single, in case you haven't heard -- could be smarting.  There are still some of us that still love and remember Frenchie Davis, and might have our noses out of joint at that remark.  And there remains some LaToya London and Jennifer Hudson people out there, still smarting that their girls never had the chance to even crack the final three.  (Simon, wasn't it you just a few weeks ago that believed LaToya would and should have won the whole shebang?  Just asking.)  And, even though they don't vote, Simon, you may have just ticked off all of Canada and Australia, like America needs any more bad press.  Fantasia is wonderful.  No question.  But everything is subjective, Simon.  And the voting was just beginning.  Perhaps your comment was better suited for the results show.  Or better left unsaid on the show at all.  Save it for ET where you can just spill your guts all over the place.

And then Paul Anka.  Again this year?  Hell, he couldn't even make the top 32 nowadays.  And, once more, a recycled song.  How many times, how many possible ways can that song be revised to fit the event of the moment?  I think he should have sung Diana.  Just for fun.  And then he could have flipped the lyrics to that song to... Fantasia.  Just for fun.  I guess when you write a song you can just change it all you want.  But do you really have to?

It was nice to see the other Idol contestants, though. So the entire show wasn't a letdown.  Except for Amy.  Amy, some of us loved your pink hair.  How dare you color it boring black before the voting has concluded.  I love you anyway Amy.  I wonder what color it will be for the concert tour.

Did you like it?  Or was it just me?  (The show I mean.  Not Amy's hair.)

 

they came, they saw, they sang

And the robed choir showed up.  Dang, I was holding out hope for the bare-chested male dancers.  Oh well.  Maybe next season.  But at least we got a glimpse of the fallen Idol-wannabes.  Amy has black hair now.  And John's is still red.

And so, the American Idol competition is over, except for the coronation.  Why did the girls get to sing recycled songs?  That really wasn't the brightest idea.  When I heard that they would be able to sing songs they have sung already this season, I really hoped that each of them would leave their greatest moments right where they were, and grab something else.  Fantasia's best performance this season was Summertime during movie week.  Diana's was Don't Cry Out Loud, the song Clive Davis picked for her during the final three show.  And yep, both of them planned those songs again.  Why?  Great moments should be left right were they were:  frozen in time as great moments.  Don't take even the remotest of chances that the memory of that moment will be tarnished.  But neither of them called me.

Going into the second song, Diana had the edge.  Fantasia's struggle with the first number was obvious and, even though Diana's rendition of the original song (co-written by Tamyra Gray remember) was not what I would call stirring even with the robed ones, it was the superior performance.

Diana then drags out her disco night arrangement of No More Tears, and it sounds pretty much the same as the first time.  Why couldn't she have worked up a new one?  Was it just that much trouble?  And then Fantasia is there again.  Sitting.  On the stage.  She's gonna do Summertime.  Again.  And she does it.  Pretty much the same as last time.  Brilliantly.  But it's just getting a little old now.  How many times is this?  By my count, three.  Can't she come up with something new?  There's just something about this recycling of songs, something they did not do last season, that is irking me.  Did it really take the girls the entire preparation time to memorize a Tamyra song.  (Tamyra co-wrote the song the new Idol will record, in case you haven't heard or have forgotten since the previous paragraph.)

Score's even, and one more song to go.

And then it happens.  The proof to my logic.  Keep a great performance frozen in time.  Diana whips out the Davis selection.  And she whips it to death.  I've criticized this girl into next week for her automated, robotic performances and, on the final night no less, she decides to tank?  She decides to choke?  I don't know what that note was that she hit, but I'll bet it hurt someone three rows up.  What a disaster.  And what bad timing.

Fantasia takes the same Tamyra co-written song and, along with the choir, not only raises the roof of the Kodak Theatre, but blows the thing off like a tornado.  This was the perfect performance.  That performance alone should win her the title.  I now think we know who will be waving the pageant wave tomorrow night.  And it won't be the pageant veteran.

So vote.  Vote often.  They're giving you four hours.   They're giving you three lines per contestant.  (This is a good sign that FOX, etc. is listening to the criticism, and may just work on righting a few of the wrongs!  Let's hope so.)  Vote for your choice.  Not who the judges tell you, or who I or anyone else tells you.  Vote for the one you want to see and hear from for the next several months, because you will.  She will be everywhere.  Vote for the one who deserves to win.

And that's Fantasia.  If there was any doubt before, tonight shot that doubt all to hell.

* photo from msnbc.com/associated press

 

checking in with the pundits...

I'm taking a jog through all of the American Idol analyses.  And I'm finding some good stuff.  I'll probably find more tomorrow, as we get closer to the final performances, and lots more on Wednesday as we prepare for the finale.  Great news:  both Ruben and Kelly will appear on the finale and, presumably, will perform!

Back to the pundits.  Read a very convincing argument why Diana should win.  Her primary argument is that Diana has cleared considerably more hurdles than has Fantasia, and that Diana has the purer voice of the two.  She contends that Fantasia has "maxed out" and that Diana has tons of room left to grow.  I think she could have a point here.  Click and read for yourself, and let me know what you think.

Now...read why Fantasia should win.  She concentrates on the difference between natural and manufactured talent, between life experience and the naivety of youth.  Her point that these days performers like Diana are about a dime a dozen while there's really no one out there like Fantasia is well taken.

But again, read for yourself, decide and let me know!  Please!  I'm getting lonely.

time is ticking.......

It's nearly 24 hours before the last two American Idol contestants take the stage, sing three songs each, receive their comments and leave their fates to the public.  It's been a long season in many ways, and yet at times it feels as though the time has flown.  And it's been ugly.  Last season had the warring factions that any show of this type will inevitably create.  The Clay people and the Ruben people often employed cutting words toward each other, but somehow it always felt as though there was an underlying appreciation for the other contestant, if not a love for that person.  This season there seems to be much more vitriol directed at so many different contestants for so many different reasons, that I'm almost relieved that the show will conclude this week, and we can start fresh next year.  Although I will miss Tuesday nights with Simon.

The online straw polls that I've checked today indicate that Fantasia is the top choice.  The problem with these online surveys, aside from their scientific uselessness, is the fact that they cannot (or usually don't) reflect the voting ability of American Idol.  On most of them a voter is restricted to one click.  On Idol, voters will get four hours of constant redial.  So there is no possible way the online straw polls can predict anything of substance.  So, that's why I believe this competition is still too close to call.

Fantasia really is in the driver's seat.  She has it made regardless of Wednesday's results.  Clive Davis will have his nose so far up her butt it won't be funny.  And he should.  As should every other record producer out there.  She's a find.  She's a prize.  And she has a very dedicated fan base that has gotten her this far.  Plus, she will probably be the recipient of the many LaToya and George voters out there, as Fantasia best exemplifies their performance styles.  Of the two, Fantasia has the more natural presense.  Her "take-me-as-I-am" attitude is refreshing in comparison.  She exudes fun.  She's having a blast up on that stage, which is why it's so easy to detect the rare instances when she has been uncomfortable or a bit out of her element.

Diana is the polar opposite.  She has as powerful and awesome a voice as Fantasia, and but Diana still battles with the over-rehearsed, automatic, someone-flipped-the-switch-on-her type of performance style.  She has grown up on the stage, and it shows.  She has made great strides in the last few rounds to shed that image, almost seeming to throw out the "what I'm supposed to do" mindset and adopt a much-preferable "what I want to do" performance.  That switch has earned her the respect of Simon, her constant detractor, and the voting fans out there.  In addition, Diana has some advantages that Fantasia doesn't.  She's got the anti-Fantasia votes.  And there are many, and they are determined.  This has been a big part of the ugliness this year.  But to ignore that it exists is stupid.  Diana might also get the benefit of the Clay voters out there who have sensed that Fantasia is the annointed one this year, much as they felt Ruben was last season, and are determined not to let the judges get their way again.  She's also the most attractive to the pre-teens and young teens out there -- the ones with the energy and the tenacity to vote for a solid four hours.  Her annoying teenage mannerisms turn a lot of voters off, but those voters are not probably in the constant voter league.

I know who I believe should win.  And I know who I want to win.  But, honestly, I do not have a clue who I think will win.  It may just come down to performances tomorrow. 

As it should.

why i would prefer to finish second

This is it.  The final week of the American Idol competition, and it's ending right where it started, with Diana and Fantasia.  Of course the show will have all of the hoo-haa that has been customary for the finale.  It will be at the much-larger Kodak theatre, so the screaming and applause will be even more deafening (if that's possible).  There will be gazillions of "Tasia is Fantasic" and "DeGarmo is Dianamite" signs, and there might even be another choir dressed in church robes (although, personally, since this is being billed as the "Battle of the Divas" I'm kind of hoping for scads of shirtless male dancers, but that's just me).  On finale night, anything goes! 

I am surprised that the performance show Tuesday night is only one hour.  I fully expected them to stretch it to two hours to accommodate all of the sponsors that undoubtedly want their 30-second spot included in, what should be, a very highly rated show.  But it's not.  Six songs.  One hour.  Hopefully we will not be subjected to the two original numbers that they have tapped for both girls to record.  Six covers is sufficient.

Now if I were Diana or Fantasia, I might just consider holding a bit back on Tuesday.  Being the American Idol is fine if you're into those sorts of labels.  But there is something to be said for not winning.  So, if it were me, I'd almost want to be the American Runner-Up.

Look at Clay Aiken.  (That's not an unpleasant thing to do, but that's just me.)  He finished second in a photo finish last year, and he's arguably the most successful of all of the Idol contestants.  Kelly won the crown, continues to be successful, but is now just coming out from under the thumb of American Idol and 19 Entertainment.  Ruben has been pretty much successful, but still has another year to the two-year committment that is contractual upon winning the competition.  In fact, reports were that Ruben considered quitting early on in his reign over creative differences.  Clay (and the others who fall short of the Idol crown) must honor a six-month committment, and then they're on their own, to record as they wish with whomever they choose.  Kim Locke is with Curb and is enjoying success of her own.   There's a lot to be said for creative freedom.

Problem is, if you win, you don't have it.

* photo from idolonfox.com

has american idol lost its innocence?

Well, in some ways, I would say yes, American Idol has lost its innocence.  But it's three years old.  Even Survivor became a bit old hat after the first couple of seasons.

The New York Times is asserting, more or less, that the show needs to undergo massive change or die.  I'm not so sure.  I agree in part with the critique.  For instance, I have no problem with limiting the number of phone calls per number.  Now, not to just one.  BORING!  Perhaps 15.  Maybe 25.  I think that's a reasonable amount.  Text messaging has its own (cost) restraint so there should be no limit on those, but it's really not all that hard nowadays to find more than one phone line to use.

I completely and totally disagree with most of it, however.  To allow the judges to determine the winner would destroy the show.  The judges make no bones about who they support, usually by the second show.  Every now and then a performer surprises them mid-season (think Jennifer, Diana and Kimberley), but it's normally not enough for the judges to change their minds.  How boring it would be if we could predict with absolute certainty who was going to leave every single week? 

I also completely and totally disagree with the reporter's assertion that we should eliminate theme nights and allow the contestants to sing the songs from the genre of their choice.  Why?  That's also boring.  Part of the fun is watching them being shoved out of their comfort zones to see how they can (or cannot) rise to the challenge of performing a song they would not otherwise choose.  They either can do it, or they can't.  And that's why we watch.

Read the article.  If you're not registered with the NYT, you will have to, but it's just a few questions, and it will be worth your effort.  And then share your thoughts.  I like to think that people are reading what I write, but it would be so much better to hear from you!

Hint...hint!!!

yep...too close to call

Oh this is gonna be fun.  According to MSNBC, the finale is too close to call. 

Now this is the way it should be.  Anyone finding other odds, please let me know.

one last check in with hawaii

The people that were giving Hawaiians tips on effective American Idol voting seem to be satisfied with their girl's finish.  And, in addition, we are getting hints about next week's finale.

It seems Jasmine is staying in California, and Camile is heading out Friday for their appearances on the final show.  Looks like we'll be treated to one more performance from the finalists before we have to start paying for it.  I haven't decided yet if that's good or bad. 

I'm not paying to see them.  I bought the CD.  That's good enough.

idol machine keeps on churning...

These FOX network big people really do know (or think they know) how to milk this American Idol cash cow for all it's worth.  How long will it be before we have an American Idol network?  All Idol All The Time! 

Monday night was the final three spotlight show.  Tuesday the performances and Wednesday the results.  Okay, no surprises there.  They did the same thing last year.  But, despite what's listed in the TV Guide or other such viewing publications, there's more Idol this week!  Yippee!!  Oh Boy!!  Grab the kids.  Grab the dog.  It's Party Time.

Tonight there is two more hours of Idol.  At 8 p.m. FOX will rebroadcast the New York auditions, where Fantasia was discovered.  And, if I remember those auditions correctly, we were also introducted to Scooter Girl, Scat Girl and Army Girl, among others.  I really never did understand what people saw in Scooter Girl, but I thought Martha, a-k-a Army Girl, was a hoot.  Scat Girl was just plain scary.  I think I'll have to pee during Route 66.

UPDATE:  The American Idol website indicated that the repeat would be the New York auditions.  The episode is from the Atlanta audition.  That's okay.  But they showed Scat Girl anyway.  But they gave us Amy so it's all good.  Now, who knows what the next episode will really be.

Then, after we've been treated to a reprise of that audition visit, we get to revisit the Hawaii auditions, where we first met both Diana and Jasmine.  I'm trying to remember who else we met in Hawaii, other than the pancake-wielding Camile.  I think it was Lisa Wilson, the one with the mouth big enough to drive a car through.   Great.  I'd hoped to never see her again.  I wonder where Lisa Wilson is?  My guess:  a hot tub somewhere with that Alan "I'm way too sexy for this show" guy.  But why am I wondering?  I don't even care where she is as long as it's not on my television.

And life gets even more rewarding, thanks to FOX!!  Thank you FOX.  On Sunday, beginning at 9 p.m., we get a retrospective of the first three seasons of this "phenomonem" called American Idol.  Highlights from all three seasons.  A highlight reel.  I'm trying to catch my breath.  Please give me a moment.....

Okay, five nights ofIdol this week.  Holy Paradise Batman, can it get any better?  It could get better, if the geniuses at FOX would consider it.

One sure winner for the bleak summer ratings months.  Show the reruns of the entire seasons of AI one and two.  Every single show.  In order.  Skip the auditions if time is limited, and go right to the good stuff.  It beats reruns of Friends or any other of those syndicated series found on any channel at any time of day.  People who love the show now might never have seen season one or two.  Or maybe they just caught portions.  And yet, we have seen Christina Christian, Clay Aiken, Tamyra Gray, Josh Gracin, Ruben Studdard, Kimberley Locke, Julia DeMato and I hope I didn't miss anybody either in the audience or on stage throughout this season.  I would be willing -- very willing -- to wager that repeats of these seasons will bring in scads of current viewers, longtime viewers who just want to revisit good memories and bring in new viewers who wonder why on earth this show is so captivating.

Are you listening big people at FOX??  I want repeats!

Am I totally off base here?  Does anyone agree?

 

aloha jasmine ... see you in a few years

Well, we've hit the end of the road.  Twelve have become two, and next week Kelly and Ruben will have to share the stage with someone new.  It's been an interesting and sometimes painful road, but Diana and Fantasia should put a fitting end to this strange season of American Idol.

Jasmine looked happier than I think I've seen her last night after her elimination.  She knew she was taking someone else's place on that stage at that stage of the competition, and I think she was so thankful to be set free from the pressure and from the crosshairs of the judges and the media.  She was quite fortunate to get to the final three (thanks, Hawaii), considering that she outlasted two superior performers in George and LaToya.  But enough of that.  She's gone, and we're down to two.  Jasmine, you are adored by your state, and that's more than most people can say.  You have a lot of fans.  You have a talent that can only improve with time and practice. Good luck to you.

Now, I know people are going to scream in the next six days that this is the wrong twosome.  Perhaps.  But season one came down to the wrong twosome, and hell did not freeze over, at least not that I'm aware of.  When it all boils down, LaToya and Fantasia were the two superior talents this go-round.  LaToya was the purest vocalist.  I would have considered buying her CD, but I would never spend money to see her in concert.  Maybe on Broadway.  Fantasia is certainly the better performer.  I would sit through a Fantasia concert and buy the CD.  That much is true.  But over the last few weeks, we've seen Diana grow up just a little.  Just a little, mind you.  But grow up nonetheless.  Would I pay to see Diana in concert?  Not in this lifetime.  Would I buy Diana's CD?  Possibly.  Probably.  This is why I was convinced before George was booted that Diana and Fantasia would be right where they are this morning.   LaToya left just one round too early. 

This one has the potential to be a barnburner.  It could be Clay/Ruben redux.  We have two powerhouse performers.  One more relaxed and natural than the other, with a maturity the other just doesn't possess yet.  But it's the youthful exuberance plus the talent of the other that may very well attract the voters who have the tenacityto keep voting for four straight hours.  Even on a school night.

Four hours they're giving people next week!  Gee, they really want to pimp those vote totals, don't they?

This contest really is too close to call.  It looks like Hawaii is out of the mix, so it may very well come down to Florida.  Lord, help us all.

*photo from idolonfox.com

it's a simulblog!

This will be my first attempt at simulblogging American Idol.  I'm normally not good at doing two things at once, but I thought I'd give it a try.  I'll probably wake up tomorrow, read this, find oodles of errors, ask myself what in the hell I was thinking, and click the delete entry button.  Nonetheless.

Okay, we've seen Tamyra and some of the audition stuff and the Australian Idol.  Filler, filler.  Geesh I hate filler.

Jasmine gets her judges comments from last night, like she really needs to hear them again.  And she goes home.  She gets lei'd.  [Okay, old and tired joke.]  The girl lives in Hawaii.  Why on earth does she want to move to the lower 48?  Send her home people.  Send her home to the beaches and the water and the sunshine.  If not, then send me!  Wow, you're third and you get a trip to Hawaii.  I'd take that prize anyday.

Well, Tamyra's back.  She's written the song that the new Idol will record.  Lord, let's hope it's better than what they gave Ruben last year.  Clay's song eventually grew on me, but Ruben's just never did.  And now Tamyra's gonna sing a song that sounds familiar.  Wasn't this the song that she sang the last time she sang?  ....  Oh yes.  It is.  I don't like it any better than I did before.  Let's get on with it Ryan. 

Fantasia goes home now.  Wow.  She gets a parade.  And the key to the city.  Gee, Jasmine got a state proclamation.  Fantasia got ripped off.  But she did get a fainting couch.  They have furniture in High Point, North Carolina.  She hears her judges comments.  They are as good as last night.  And it's time for another commercial, because they've only had about 35 minutes of those tonight and there's only 15 minutes left in the show.  But not to worry, Diana, you are next.  And I bet Snellville gave you something.  What do they have in Snellville?

Diana's trip home!  Yea!  Snellville, Georgia!   It's in the same direction as Atlanta.  She meets the mayor of Snellville.  Well, it must be bigger than I thought.  And they all dress alike.  Oh God, she went to Wal-Mart??  Well, we know what they have in Snellville.  And she didn't even get a key to the place.  Jasmine got a torch-lighting ceremony in Waikiki, and Diana gets to go to Wal-Mart?  Bummer.  Her judges comments.  No smiles from Diana and no giggling.  No Giggles!  That's a first.

Cheesy Ford commercial.  Cameras are watching the girls.  The best way for that to end is to not get into nationally-televised talent competitions.  Go back to high school.

FOX sure knows how to squeeze every last second of commercial time into its big fish.

Here we go.  Randy hopes the right two make it into the final.  Paula tells the girls to follow their hearts and follow their dreams.  Gee, great advice Paula.  Simon says last night's show was one of the best ever.  Huh?  He must have been at that other American Idol show.

And Jasmine is going home.  No big surprise.  Lots of group hugs.  That's the way it should have ended.  Two episodes ago.  Now she'll have to sing.  Wait!  She has to toss the coin for the show she doesn't even get to sing on.  That's salty.  Fantasia is happy.  She wins the toss, and she'll sing second next week.  Jasmine's eulogy.  Everyone cries but Jasmine.  Oh, that's right, she already did that.  Well, it's about 24 hours too late for tears, I guess.

Such a pretty girl.  And she sings the first song she sang as a top 12 finalist.  Her best effort.  And she looks happier than John Stevens did.

Aloha Jasmine.

 

checking in with simon

So Simon thinks Diana Seabiscuit will be the next American Idol?  Well, that's what he's telling the New York Times.

And he's saying a lot more.  Mainly snipes.  At everyone from Clay Aiken to Fantasia's kid.  (Well, not the child exactly.)  The only person safe?  Randy Jackson.

So the question is:  is he seriously predicting Diana, or is he just hedging his bets?  I say hedge.

Opinions?

checking in with hawaii

By this point, everyone knows about the advantages the state of Hawaii has with voting.  I tried, again consistently but not constantly, to vote last night and never connected.  But I had to compete with callers from the eastern part of the United States as well as my own time zone for the first hour and then the next time zone over during my last hour of eligibility.  Phooey!  No luck for me.  Busy.  Busy.  Busy.

Now, Hawaii is its own time zone.  And those Hawaiian Jasmine voters proved last week that they're a formidable bunch.  But now, look at what they've set up.

Uh oh.  Fantasia could be in trouble.  Because when Hawaii votes big...well, you know who goes.

no extra innings here, it's a shutout

And it's another installment of American Idol where vocal talent is not always required to stay in the game.  And those with the vocal talent do not always stay in the game.  Let the game begin.

The judges pulled out their gavels last night, and they pulled out Clive Davis, talent finder extrordinaire to sit in judgment of the three remaining ladies.  And, for one of the ladies at least, they brought out the noose.  Or hook, if you will.

It became evident very early that poor little Jasmine, dressed in that cute little number with the big bull's-eye target on the back, could have channeled Maria Callas while standing on one hand juggling bowling balls with her feet, and she would have been scolded for "playing it safe."  Poor kid.  She couldn't do anything right.  Her first selection Saving All My Love for You, the song she chose for herself [why in God's name???] was tokenly complimented by the usual suspect, and blasted by the other two while Davis emphatically reminded her and everyone else that "nobody sings as good as Whitney Houston."  Duh.  I've been saying that for months.  So why in hell do they keep trying?  Strike one.

Okay, out comes Fantasia singing Chain of Fools, her pick, the same song she recorded on the CD.  She was as good on stage as she is in the recording, but I have to wonder why she didn't choose something different.  She already had that song and that arrangement in place, so, instead of preparing three songs for the show, she really only had to work on two.  Hmmm.  A bit of laziness, perhaps?  It's kind of like recycling a gift.  It's easy, but it doesn't show a whole lot of thought.  The judges heap on the praise as is expected.  It's deserved, but everything is just starting to look very predictable.

Diana chooses Ain't No Mountain High Enough.  Okay, now I'm sensing some sort of conspiracy.  Like Fantasia, Diana doesn't really have to prepare this number.  She sang it with the group, both on stage and on the CD.  Hmmm.  I'm not really liking this.  She performs admirably, but Simon gives her the thumbs down, accusing her of shouting the lyrics.  I didn't hear the shouting, but I was a few thousand miles away, listening from my office.  So even Diana's voice sounds softer from that distance.

Now it's time to find out what the judges choose for the girls.  Jasmine is the lead-off, and she gets to sing a Paula selection, poor girl.  It's a Natalie Cole song called Mr. Melody.  I've never heard the song, and I don't want to hear it again.  The song is redundant, and Jasmine is worse.  And she's told so.  Strike two.

Simon chooses Fool in Love for Fantasia.  Fantasia rocks the house.  Hell, she rocked my house, even causing my telephone to ring.  It's my step-daughter, the Fantasia hater, who now has "seen the light."  Told her she would.  Clive Davis says he'd sign Fantasia in a heartbeat.   I'll buy the CD.

Randy, why on earth did you choose a Celine Dion song for Diana?  Yes, we know she loves Celine, but geesh.  Enough already.  Diana is adequate, she gets faint praise, but she assures us, giggling, that she'll accept any words not directed at Jasmine. 

Now we get to the point of the show that I was looking forward to.  What will Clive Davis choose for the girls?  He has heard their strengths and weaknesses; what vocal acrobatics will he subject them to. 

Jasmine is handed the noose of All By Myself.  Could Davis be any crueler?  This is the song that introduced most of America to LaToya London.  And LaToya stopped the world with it.  Poor Jasmine.  Her rendition is a watered-down imitation of the LaToya arrangement, only without LaToya.  Simon all but threatens the voters if they don't end Jasmine's run.  He's right.  Strike three.

UPDATE:  If I read one more review where this song is referred to as a Celine Dion song, I will have a major (instead of this tiny, minor) rant.  It is an Eric Carmen song.  It might have been the Celine arrangement, but it is NOT her song.  Now back to the show...

MAKE IT STOP!!  No More Whitney Houston Songs.  Please!!  Fantasia can sing anybody.  But I am so sick of the Greatest Love of All.  I am just so sick of it.  But if I have to hear a rendition of it, I'm glad it was by Fantasia.  The judges love it.  I love it.  The phone rings again.  The step-daughter loves it.  The dog loves it.  The Pope loves it.  Hawaii does not love it.

Diana secures her spot in the finale with one of my favorite songs, the glorious Melissa Manchester's Don't Cry Out Loud.  She holds the final note through Ryan's "Seacrest Out" nonsense and halfway into "24."  Beautiful song.  Beautiful performance.

Fantasia gets the award for best-overall-performance of the night.  The best single performance of the night is a close one.  But I have to go with Diana's last one, followed ever so closely by Fantasia's final one.  The show itself ranks about a 6 out of 10, nowhere where it could/should have been and not even close to last year's final three.

I shudder to think of LaToya London sitting at home watching this episode.  Had she been one of the three, this would have been a toss-the-coin, dead-heat horse race.  But, instead, we end up with a shutout.

If Jasmine doesn't leave tonight, there is no justice.

 

it's not about the talent; it's about more than that

It seems that Donna at Foxes on Idol has come to the same conclusion about American Idol that I came to months ago after Amy was shamelessly eliminated while the likes of Camile, John and JPL remained.  It's NOT just about talent.  There are so many factors that go into this show, that to think that the most talented performer will automatically become the American Idol is naive and just plain silly.  And it's what makes this show fun.  If we knew from week one that LaToya was going to win, why watch except to see how poorly contestant so-and-so does or how badly Simon will rip up the cute little girl who can't hold a note in a basket.  Or to watch to see if LaToya accidentally falls off the stage.  There would be no point if the outcome were a foregone conclusion.  And so we get angry when the vote doesn't go the way we think it should.  So what?!  It's not like the ousted contestant is disembowled on live TV or anything.  They just move on to the talk shows.  And then we have stuff to complain about, the accusations flair up, viewership increases, ratings go up, ad rates skyrocket and everybody's safe and happy.

So we're down to three.  It's time to flip that coin.  Song selection will be everything tonight.  The judges choose a song for each of the girls.  (It is unclear how that will work, but I'm assuming they will do it the same way as last season -- one judge chooses for one girl.  Good luck Jasmine.)  Clive Davis, the guest judge, will choose a song for each of the girls and then the ladies will choose one for themselves.  No narrow genres to throw any of them off. 

The only way Diana won't continue in this competition is if she flips off the audience. (And, let's be real here, that could win her a lot of new fans; it beats tears!)  She is the safest of the three.  She also tends to be the most predictable, so I have no fear that Diana won't tear into all of her songs impressively.  She will just need to remember to relax, throw caution to the wind and have fun.  Any hint of the old pageant-girl robotics may spell disappointment and possible disaster for her.

Now I need the coin.  There should not be a bottom anything.  After all, the bottom three will also be the top three.  Ryan will probably just announce who's leaving.

There's Fantasia.  Again, anytime Fantasia performs, my assumption is that she will blow the place apart.  And she usually does.  But sometimes I've been disappointed, because I know her capability, so, when she falls just short of that expectation, it's seen as a lesser performance, even though it's far and away better than most of the others.  The judges comments will be critical for Fantasia tonight.  If they praise her lavishly, well, you know.  There will be those out there who will -- yet again -- try to show who's boss by voting anyone but.  [You really would think at this stage that childish game would have ceased.]  And, add to the fact, that there are many anti-Fantasia people out there, those who think she's too cocky or view her as a wanton woman because she's a teenaged single mom, the anti-Fantasia votes could hurt her.  Those two factors separately won't hurt her, but combined could push Jasmine into the final.  On the other hand, if the judges criticize her, she needs to accept it silently (or better yet agree with them, that would be new), or she will be seen as disrespectful.  I hate to think that someone with Fantasia's talent is at the mercy of such fickle voters.  But that seems certainly to be the case. 

Fantasia's one advantage will be the controversy and outrage over LaToya's elimination last week.  Viewership increased significantly after Jennifer Hudson's dismissal when Fantasia was again in the bottom two.  I fully expect viewership and voter participation to increase accordingly tonight, and if that happens, Fantasia should be the beneficiary, picking up many or most of the dedicated LaToya backers who are going to vote for anyone but Jasmine.

Then there's Jasmine in LaToya's spot.  Oh what might have been.  The Hawaii voters will be called to arms.  They are continuing to be schooled in effective AI voting, and she should get a couple million votes just from the island.  That leaves the mainland.  Everything depends on performance and composure for Jasmine.  She has to be in tune, on tune or near tune.  She cannot forget the lyrics.  The judges, I suspect, are not going to give her oneounce of the benefit of the doubt.  (Except for Paula, who will compliment her outfit.)  One tear will kill her.  I still believe that last week's tears really were genuine and not a pathetic plea for help.  But a repeat performance and that belief goes out the window.   Overall, I just do not believe Jasmine can muster up enough voter support, regardless of how well she may perform, to move to the finale.

And so the call is easy.  And I don't need a coin.  Diana will advance, as will Fantasia.  And with these three performers, that is exactly how it should be.  As I noted in my "making a case for...fantasia" that Diana and Fantasia were the first of the twelve chosen.  They should be the last two standing.

*photo from idolonfox.com

 

making a case for...fantasia

Fantasia Barrino.  The American Idol.  Kinda has a ring to it.  Sounds probable.  Even likely.  But before even going for the Idol crown, we need to make a case for Fantasia to make it to the final two.

There's really not much to criticize with this 19-year-old.  She has a unique vocal talent that is nothing short of terrific.  She has phenomenal and innately comfortable stage presence.  And she has an intriguingly-saucy personality.  Of the three remaining contestants, she certainly has the love of the judges and has shown the most consistency throughout the competition.  So score one in Fantasia's column.

I am really looking forward to finding out which songs the judges choose for her.  They clearly adore her, so I would expect two raise-the-roof numbers, which will allow her to show her strongest asset.  It will be just as interesting to discover what she chooses for herself.  She has a comfort zone the size of Rhode Island, so I doubt there is a song out there that she will not chew up and spit out and life will be the better for.

Fantasia's biggest hurdle is her personality.  Some, like me (I admit) find it quirky and fun.  Some find it cocky and disrespectful.  She will have to tone it down Tuesday night.  The LaToya voters are out there, loaded for bear, to avenge their girl's dismissal.  Most of those votes will go to Fantasia, in large part because it was Fantasia, not Diana, that stood next to LaToya in the bottom two last week as Jasmine sat in shock on the sofa.  Fantasia will benefit most from this immediate backlash voting, but Diana has the potential to pick up some of it if Fantasia decides to verbally play with Simon yet again.

There are as many non-Fantasia fans out there as there are Fantasia fans, for reasons too varied to go into.  Many of them might be voting, as I predicted last week, for Jasmine to see a Jasmine/Diana final.  Fantasia needs to forget about them and concentrate on keeping the fans she has and picking up the LaToya fans out there who have not sworn off voting in protest or disgust.

Will she make the final two?  This is too tough to call.  Should she be there?  Without question.  Would I bet the dog?  No way.  This season has shown time after time that the ones that move on do not always do so because of talent.  A strange epidemic has befallen the American Idol voting public.  Amy was a victim.  Jennifer was a victim.  LaToya was a victim.  Fantasia could, unfortunately, be the next.

Let's hope not.  Fantasia and Diana were the first two named to the final twelve.  They should be the last two in the final show.

*photo from idolonfox.com

making a case for...diana

Diana DeGarmo.  The American Idol.  Sounds plausible.  Even possible.  Diana has come a long was since the beginning weeks of this competition.  So let's make a case for Diana to move on to the finale as one of the final two.

She's young.  She's perky.  And she can belt out a song in a way that neither Jasmine or Fantasia can.  It's been a rollercoaster ride with her this season.  During round one, her rendition of I Got the Music In Me set the standard for the prelims that very few of the contestants were able to meet.  As the episodes continued, while her vocal talent has never been in question, her performances tended to reek of plastic.  She was going through the motions.  At one point I wondered where her wind-up mechanism was located.  There was never any evidence of a true connection to her music or to her audience.

However, in the last few weeks, it seems that Diana has mellowed a bit.  She seems to have thrown caution to the wind, busting out of her Barbie mold and letting us have it with both barrels.  She's been the shining star on two nights:  Gloria Estefan night and disco night.  She has picked up bundles of fans, the ones she came in with who will vote for her for her youth and new fans who have watched a pretty young girl grow into a more seasoned, less-polished, less-automated performer.

It will be very interesting to see what song choices the judges give Diana Tuesday night.  Certainly one will be upbeat, and I'm hoping the other is a ballad.  She proved on Manilow night that she can belt out a power ballad.  Whatever the judges select, I do hope that she has a nice mix, a buffet of song choices to show her range and her vocal maturity.  I hope to see her continue to relax and remain less stilted and over-rehearsed.  I hope she keeps the giggling to a minimum (remember:  we're reaching out to the older LaToya audience as well as the younger ones now).  And I hope she continues to wow both the studio and television audiences as well as the judges.

It is quite possible that Diana will become the next American Idol.  It is almost certain that she will make the finale.  I'd certainly bet my husband on that, and might even consider betting the dog.

*photo from idolonfox.com

making a case for...jasmine

Jasmine Trias.  The American Idol.  Sounds improbable.  Also unlikely.  But let's make a case for Jasmine moving on after this week.

Jasmine's biggest asset is that she is the center between the immaturity of Diana and the brashness of Fantasia.  She needs to expoit that for all it's worth.  There were LaToya fans out there that appreciated LaToya just for that fact, vocal talent aside.  If she focuses on those voters, she may just move on. 

She's very pretty, especially without the flower.  If you examine the early photos and the most recent, she appears five years older now.  That's a big plus.  But she still has the youth of Diana, just without the giddiness.  She comes across as a mature young woman, despite the flowing tears of last week.  She does not have the cockiness of Fantasia or the giggles of Diana.  She's the happy medium between the two extremes, and, arguably, the most attractive.  Looks attract votes.  So put a plus in the Jasmine category.

She seems to have a good rapport with the audience.  Her obligatory stroll through the studio audience last week seemed less forced than a Diana stroll, but lacked the smoothness of Fantasia.  She really does appear to immerse herself in her performance, as opposed to just singing the lyrics.  She seems to feel the music, even during her less-than-stellar performances.

Vocally, she has a mountain to climb.  She's the softest vocalist of the three.  And two of the songs she will sing Tuesday night will be chosen for her by the judges.  Might it be possible for the judges to throw her a curve to prove she's out of her league?  I wouldn't be surprised.  She made one decent song choice and one disasterous one during disco week.  And ironically, her bad choice was the better of the two performances.  She needs to channel the Jasmine that sang Inseparable during the first week.  She needs to remember that she is not the powerhouse, and, because of that she becomes the alternative to the two belters. She should embrace that fact and run with it.  Choose a ballad, Jasmine, unless one has already been chosen for you.

Can she move on to the finale?  Sure.  She has the Hawaii vote which doesn't have to compete with any other states for available phone lines and she has the potential topick up a few of the LaToya fans who were not blindly devoted enough to blame Jasmine for LaToya's ouster.  Will she move on to the finale?  Doubtful, but I never counted on her outlasting LaToya, either.  I won't be betting the dog on it, though.  The husband, perhaps, but certainly not the dog. 

Jasmine, shake off any arrows being flung your way.  You've been called the most despised woman in primetime after LaToya's removal last week.  Unless you personally phoned in those millions of votes, it was as much your fault as Jennifer's dismissal was John Stevens' fault.  Show America that you're deserving of the title.  Blow the roof off of that place!  You've proven you have the talent, but that was many many episodes ago.  Now's the time to remind everyone why you're there.  Jasmine, your nerves have been showing.  Don't let anyone see them again. 

Make it a true three-woman race.

*photo from idolonfox.com

not surprising really, but still troubling

I don't think this allegation will come as a surprise to anyone who has tried to cast votes for a contestant in the final weeks of American Idol.  If you consider the size of the time zones, the number of states, the number of cities, with thousands, possibly millions of people all trying to cast votes at the same time, phone lines are destined to become bogged down.  This is why it is so much easier to get through when the field is 12 than it was last Tuesday. 

I tried to vote last Tuesday -- not gonna say for whom -- and I really did give it a good effort.  For about an hour.  Not constant redialing, but pretty consistent.  I never got through.  The week before -- I voted for George -- I got through maybe twice in an hour of trying.  Last week's effort was the first time I was unsuccessful since trying to vote for Clay in last year's finale.  And I really tried then, to no avail.

FOX and the producers of American Idol are really going to have to take this report seriously.  This story has already been reported on the Today show.  And the FOX representatives refused to address it.  They're going to have to address it.  They're going to have to take some postive steps to ensure that viewer confidence is intact before the beginning of next season.  Last year's allegations of rigging really centered around one group -- the Clay people.  This year's allegations of tampering are much more widespread.  And much more serious.  And so, even if there's really nothing to this report, and everything is really and truly on the up and up there at Idol, the appearance of impropriety is there.  There is a stain on the show, and, for some people, the stain is all they can see.  Time for some stain remover.

I am not buying the show's contention that to limit calls per line is too expensive a proposition.  This show is a mint.  But if that's the case, make it online voting.  Sure, that would disenfranchise those who have yet to get wired, but that's the case anytime something is limited to online participation.  And that should be easy to accomplish and less expensive than phones.  Hell, if StarSearch can do it, surely American Idol can.

If American Idol expects the winner of its competition to be accepted as legitimate, everything possible must be done to ensure that the Idol is chosen legitimately.

it was bound to happen

It was.  It's an election year, after all.  And the three Idol finalists got to visit their hometowns to shoot footage for Monday's milk-the-ratings-while-we-can American Idol special highlighting the final three.  (Gee, didn't they just have one of those?)

Jasmine's busy shoring up the Hawaii voters.  And Fantasia has been to the South Carolina statehouse.  But it's Diana that stirring up the controversy.  It seems she does not live in Snellville!  She does not.  She lives in a suburb of Snellville called Centerville.  And the Centerville pols do not like the Snellville people claiming her as their own.  When she's not.  She's not.  She's been fibbing to all of us.  Claiming to live in Snellville.  I suspected as much.  She just didn't seem like a Snellville kind of gal to me.  She's been stringing us all along, claiming to be from the big city when she's not.  And now she's got the county government officials on the verge of some sort of civil unrest. 

And we thought the civil war had been averted after John Stevens.

well i went and done it

Yep, I did.  I didn't plan on it.  I even said I wouldn't do it.  Not this time.  Not this year.  But I did.  I bought the American Idol Season Three CD:  Greatest Soul Classics.  I told everyone that I just didn't like this season as well as the previous ones, and so why would I want to buy the CD of all of them?  I've given it a couple of listens.  Here's my verdict:  I'm glad I bought the thing.

Now, there are a few tracks that I can go the rest of my life without hearing, but overall, it's really good.  Dare I say it?  It's better than the others...overall.  The others were worth it for a few tracks:  Kelly, Tamyra, Clay, Ruben, Kimberley...all the usual suspects.  But this one is worth it for virtually all of them.  Even some surprises!  It's really that good.

Now the tracks I would scratch if I could are, again, the ones I would expect:  Leah (Lord I had almost forgotten about that child), Camile and JPL.  (JPL's version of My Girl almost made me wish to hear John Stevens' -- almost.)  And then there's the obligatory ensemble piece:  Ain't No Mountain High Enough.  I really don't think one can, in all good conscience, call it an ensemble, though.  It's just a assemblege of solos.  (It really is a shame that this year's batch can't put together an ensemble number like last year's.)  But, honestly, four regrettable tracks out of 13 is pretty good.  And some people may like Camile's studio effort.  Not me.

I had some surprises, though.  Of course Fantasia and LaToya do well with theirs.  Shocker!  But who surprised me the most?  Several of them.  I know that I'm prejudiced, but the CD was worth the price alone for Amy's You Make Me Feel Brand New.  Beautiful!  And George with Me and Mrs. Jones.  Splendid.  Okay, those are my faves, so I would be expected to drool over those tracks.  But they really are wonderful.

Diana I didn't recognize you!  You sound like Aretha...or Gladys...or Fantasia.  Get this girl in a studio now.  Screw the show.  And John Stevens.  Keep working on that voice.  You should have chosen Youare Everything on soul night.  Very well done! It is sweet and light and refreshing. [My God, I sound like a 7UP commercial.]  And, probably the biggest shocker -- now this is gonna KILL me to admit -- I love Matt Rogers' (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay. I was so bummed that George didn't record it that I almost didn't play it.  Matt, if you had performed like that you'd still be on the show.  (But, lest we forget, the studio can play absolute magic with a singer's voice.  Right Britney?)  Jennifer's Neither One of Us is a good cut as well, but no surprise there.  Jasmine's Midnight Train to Georgia is not a must skip or must hear.  It's just kind of there.  I put it near the skip category.

So there it is.  A music review from a music know-nothing.  But I know what I like. And what I don't.

I wonder if Rolling Stone is hiring.

okay so it won't be fair...but that's the game

My expectation of a LaToya/Fantasia/Diana final three has bitten the dust.  It's been Tamyra-ed.  It's been Trenyce-ed.  And Jennifer-ed.  Next season we'll be saying it was LaToya-ed.  Instead we have a Fantasia/Diana/Jasmine showdown.  It won't be as much fun.  Or as fair.  Or equal as it should have been, but that's the game.

Next week we have Clive Davis as the guest judge.  Okay, now I can live with that.  Davis -- the founder of Whitney Houston -- should bolster Simon with honest evaluations of performance.  (Although Donna Summer did a great job during her stint at the table.  It was good to get a real performer's perspective.)  I really hope we are not subjected to any more lectures on voting for talent (as the camera pans to the sofa for a John Stevens close-up of Jasmine).   But I really hope the anti-judge sentiment goes out the window at this stage of the competition.  Perhaps the judges can crucify all three ladies.  That should negate any lashback voting.

Apparently the format is much the same as last year's final three show.  Three songs each.  The judges choose one, Davis picks one, and the girls select their own third.  [Gee, I wonder what Paula will choose for whom.  Last year she gave Clay Mack the Knife, the ultimate lounge song, so that Clay could "prove he was more than a lounge singer" or something to that effect.  Maybe she'll give Jasmine Tiny Bubbles so that she can show she's more than just a Hawaiian girl.]

To say that I'm disappointed about the final three show would be an understatement.  This has been a strange season.  I was looking forward to next week, because I was anticipating -- finally -- an episode where I could watch expecting great performances from all three contestants.  All season I have watched expecting at least one wretched performance, probably more.  And sure enough, there was at least one, usually more.  There hasn't been a single episode where that hasn't been the case.  In the early rounds there was [sorry, another flashback -- arrgghhh] Leah.  Then there was John Stevens.  Then Matt.  And Camile.  And John Stevens.  Of course, JPL.  Then John Stevens.   Then, just as the lesser talent has been dismissed, Jasmine, who, though I never put her on the same level as Camile or JPL, has failed to do anything for me since her first performance of Inseparable, decides to have a complete vocal meltdown at the same time that Diana has decided to break out of the Barbie mold and come alive.

But at least I would have the final three.  I have never dreaded a LaToya performance or a Fantasia number.  And now I even look forward to Diana.  So it's gonna be a great show!  Right?  Wrong.  I'm gonna cringe (again) for Jasmine.  I'm going to expect the worse and hope for the best.  I really don't want to see her cry again, but I have this gnawing feeling that her next performances might make this week's disaster seem grammy-worthy.  I hope not, but she's got way more than a hill to climb here.  And with the releasing of the LaToya voters, who no doubt will be dialing fools and out for blood, it's gonna take more than the five-phoned Hawaiian troops to save her again.

I don't need no stupid psychic to predict our final two.  [By the way, what was up with that stupid space filler?]  Fantasia and Diana should give us a great show. 

so long latoya...it was fun while it lasted

LaToya's ouster on American Idol was much more of a shocker than was the dismissal of Jennifer Hudson from the field of eight.  And yet I wasn't lectured on stupid voting practices.  Hmmm.   I wonder if they learned their lesson? 

Okay, we have four girls.  Three of them are very talented, one less so.  The one-less-so makes the top two.  How did that happen when the one-less-so was nearly booted just one week prior?  I think this one's easy to explain.  But it's a combination of many factors.

Tears.  Watching a beautiful face become covered in tears can melt a cold heart and turn passive, sympathetic people into mad power dialers.  Hawaii is proud of its favorite daughter, and rightfully so.  And it's the last precinct to vote, giving the Hawaiian voters ample warning that their girl was in trouble, mobilizing the troops at high alert.  [I'm an hour behind New York, and I knew Jasmine had cried before the show even started here.] Could it be that the Hawaiian legislature met in special session Tuesday evening to require each household maintain five phone lines?  After all, the hometown newspaper is giving lessons on how to most effectively and efficiently cast votes!   The lessons obviously paid off.  Out of 5 million phone attempts Tuesday night, 1.32 million of them were completed, an increase of 21 percent from the week before when Jasmine stood next to George as he was eliminated by a mere 200 votes.  [Recount anyone?]  This could now be called the Jasmine effect.  Waterworks can win votes.  Lots of them.

Simon and the anti-judge sentiment.  This is a catch-22 situation.  The show just isn't the show without Simon's biting critique.  And yet, that same critique, which is usually on the money, can send some voters into a "I'll show you" mentality.  Simon told Jasmine she was leaving.  Paula calls LaToya the American Idol.  Randy says "dude I'm not feelin' ya dawg."  The voters show Simon who's the boss, screw up Paula's prophecy, and are still trying to decipher Randy.  In other words, we will not do as we're told despite the fact that the result will compromise any integrity this competition has left.  [And after this season, that may not be much.]

Arrogance.  I had a hunch LaToya's cool demeanor was going to bite her on the behind eventually.  I was ready to predict her dismissal next week, but I really expected her to hang in there longer than Jasmine.  Technically LaToya has the purest talent of the four. But she comes off as arrogant and snooty.  Her "we'll-all-make-it" comment to Ryan sealed her fate.  It really revealed her smugness.  And smug isn't pretty.  Give me good, old-fashioned humility anyday.  After she digs that foot out of her mouth, LaToya will, undoubtedly, "make it."  Just not on American Idol.

Race.  Yes, it's a fact.  But it's not the overriding factor here, despite the screaming.  Yes, of course, racism exists.  To say that we're a colorblind society is naive.  There are some voters choosing contestants on the basis of complexion.  And Diana's the whitest in the group.  The problem with that argument, though, is that Diana also has the talent to back it up with, so this is not a John Stevens situation.  Race may play a part in voting, but it's a very very very small part.  If it weren't, Clay would have won.  Enough said.

Several weeks ago I was begging for people to stop voting for John Stevens because he was clearly out of his league, and he was being made a scapegoat and was being further and further humiliated.  I really hope this does not happen to Jasmine, but I must say that I have far less sympathy for Jasmine than I did for John.  Her reaction to being in the top two, while typical for a 17-year-old who has just been named to the homecoming queen's court, was far less dignified and mature than John's behavior throughout.

Of course she was happy.  I think it's fair to say that she was astonished, probably moreso than the rest of us.  But at this stage of the game, it's about saying goodbye to a colleague.  [Fantasia and Diana, also take note.]  You can celebrate your victory tomorrow.  Off stage.  Be humble, respectful and grateful on stage.  I recognize the pettiness of my criticism, and I know that's a lesson that comes with age.  But humility is important.  Even if you have to fake it.

Just ask LaToya.

*photo from idolonfox.com

welcome to my american idol blog

This is entry number one (Whoopie!) in my blog devoted to American Idol.  I've been blogging about Idol in my main blog, Random Ramblings, this season, but I found that there was so much I wanted to write about, that my main blog was becoming an Idol one.  And I didn't want people to think that my life really was entirely devoted to American Idol, so a second blog made perfect sense.  Here I can just comment and comment, and it's completely okay!  Because that's what it's for.

I do make a few promises.  I will be objective.  I will not favor any one contestant, even if I have a clear favorite.  (But I will tell you who my favorite is.  So any pimping will be completely intentional and obvious.  If you don't like it, start your own journal!)  And I will not let this blog become stagnant.  There may be days when I don't post an entry, but that's usually because there's nothing to post about.  This will not be a two or three-entry blog and then left to wither away in the cyber-sun.  I love reading other people's take on this show, but it's frustrating to no end to find what looks like a good blog through a search, only to find it has just two entries from two months ago with just an "I love so-and-so..." as the Idol-related search find.  I will remove quickly any offensive comments.  One of the reasons for starting this blog is to get away from the increasingly-disgusting AI message board(s).  And I will try to be funny.  I usually always try, but I don't always succeed.

Now it's total suck-up time:

I was asked a while ago by the AOL entertainment people if they could feature Random Ramblings on the cover of TV Talk.  Well, Ramblings is not a TV blog, so I decided against it.  (Then I was never able to respond because the e-mail was cyber-shredded.)  So, I'm not gonna play humble here, I'm hoping for a re-invite!  Hey Editors!  Here I am!!  (Dang, I'm feelin' a lot like LaToya London right now!)  But it really don't matter, cause I'm gonna have a great career anyway.  Hey Editors!  Pick me!  Pick me! 

I know that it's kind of late in the Idol game right now.  I mean, we're down to three, and I'm just starting.  I'm sorry editors.  :::tears:::  But I didn't think about it until late.  ::::::more tears::::::  And it never occurred to me that anyone might want to read what I wrote.  ::::::sniffles:::::::  So, I'll try to do some cutting and pasting from Ramblings to this blog, Idoling, from the last show.  I said I'll try. I'll do my best.  Please don't be harsh with me.  :::::tears:::::  I love you Hawaii!  [Hey, why not...it worked, didn't it?]

Okay now AOL Editors:  I can git down wit da git down.  You know dawg?  So here I am!  I'm down here!!  I'll be waiting!!!  I mean I don't wanna be one of those high fallutin top 5 editor's picks or anything.  (How do you spell fallutin?)  There will be no poetry here.  And very few photos.  I'm just a young blog from a small town, but I have a big voice.  Come on y'all...everyone on your feet!  Pick me!  Pick me!

I'm your American Idol blog!