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