don't quote me on this one...

It appears as though the spoilers may have been correct.

Here is your final 44, shamelessly copied and pasted, so if names are missed or here and not there, I didn't write it.

Remember, tomorrow, this list gets cut by 20.

Aloha Mischeaux
Amanda Avila
Anthony Fedorov
Antoine Philippe Crymes
Anwar Robinson
Carrie Underwood
Celena Batchelor
Constantine Maroulis
David Brown
DeAndrae Perryman
Delma Jamar Jefferson
Donnie Williams
Erinn Marie Furey
Faith Gatewood
Gina Lucy McFadden
Harold “Bo” Bice
Ian Shelly Holmes II
Ivan Ganchev
Jaclyn Crum
Jamie Paul Koehler
Janay Castine
Jared Yates
Jessica Sierra
John Zisa
Joseph Murena, Jr.
Judd Harris
Kim Holloway
Lindsey Cardinale
Mario Vazquez
Matthew Kester
Melinda Lira
Mikalah Gordon
Nadia Turner
Nathan Herron
Osborne E. Smith II
Oswald "JR" Aquino
Rachel Leslie
Sarah Mather
Scott Savol
Tammy Wynette Nash
Travis Tucker
Vonzell Solomon
Warren Nolan, Jr.
Yolanda McIntosh

it's down to the wire...

We're still tossing dead wood, and will continue to do so, but we're getting a better idea of how the semi-final rounds will play out.

By Wednesday, 2/16, we'll know our top 24.  Then the live action starts.  Here's the only information I could find.  (Remember, we will be voting people OFF the show in the early rounds.):

Monday 2/21 -- top 12 guys will perform live.  8 p.m.
Tuesday 2/22 -- top 12 women will perform live.  8 p.m.
Wednesday 2/23 -- elimination show.  Four will be sent home.  9 p.m.

Monday 2/28 -- remaining 10 guys will perform live.  8 p.m.
Tuesday 3/1 -- remaining 10 women will perform live.  8 p.m.
Wednesday 3/2 -- elimination show.  Four will go home.  9 p.m.

That will leave the field at 16.  Presumably there will be a third week of semi-final competition to get the field down to the final 12, before we can finally get this game started!  If so, that would put the start date for live final competition on March 15.

Gotta love it.

episode eight...

Oooooo baby, baby...

What can be said about the group performances that wasn't said about the Hollywood prelims?  I like the group show.  It shoves the kids out of their private comfort zones and can really shine light on their strengths (teamwork) and weaknesses (irresponsibility). 

Plus it's usually just a hoot watching them try to be the Supremes.  Or watching Dezmond Meeks turning Constantine Maroulis into a freaky Temptation.

And watching Scott Savol and his groupmates grapple through their love/hate relationship was hysterical.  Almost as funny as Elizabeth Pha (remember fishnet girl?) reasoning with her girls how learning the song isn't as important as knowing how to sing.  [My question to you fishnet girl:  if you don't know the song, what good does it do to know how to sing?]  Well sweetie, you can sing all you want now, cause there are no more songs for you to learn! 

The kids should have learned a couple of lessons at this point.

* Choose songs with mono-syllabic lyrics, cause there are few songs out there with "ooooooooooooo" and "yeahhhhhhhh" as their only words.

* Parents are a pain and should be left at home.

 

*Abraham Lincoln did write the Gettysburg Address on the train to Gettysburg, but he was working alone.  In other words:  see rule one.  (I am thrilled, however, that Kurtis Parks, John Zisa, and Jamie Koehler advanced despite remembering exactly five words between them on Jump, Shout Boogie, one of the most difficult Manilow songs there is.  It was a priceless moment in AI history.)

* Anytime Paula and Simon get into a verbal tussle, just chill, cause that's what gets the ratings.  [Note to producers:  next time bitch slap both of them.  That will get even higher ratings.]

By this time next week, we'll have our top 24.

Here's my list.  I lost one pick -- one of the rockers -- but he deserved to go and was the least of my favorites.  I've added two new ones.

The Women:

Nadia Turner -- she's just a terrific package.
Rashida Johnson -- if she can sing that well sick, imagine her well.
Sarah Mather -- she impresses me more with each snippet I hear.
Carrie Underwood -- I'd be willing to predict a top 10 for her.
Lindsey Cardinale -- I didn't like her at first.  Last night changed that.
Vonzell Solomon -- beautiful girl with a beautiful voice.
Jennifer Todd -- I still think this show can handle a non-Barbie girl.
Mikalah Gordon -- she should make it through on spunkiness alone.
Rachel Leslie -- she has a lovely voice.

The Men:

David Brown -- if only I were 20 years younger.
Scott Savol -- my favorite, my favorite, my favorite
Anwar Robinson -- why didn't my teachers look like that in junior high?
Mario Vazquez -- now I understand why he's getting so much attention
Anthony Federov -- wow.  The Clay fans will love him.
Ross Williams -- half of the John Stevens fans will love him.
Jamie Koeller --  the other half will love him.
Constantine Maroulis -- he did the Box Tops proud
Bo Bice -- great voice, cute guy, love the hair
Aaron Kelly -- the third of the rockers.  The judges willwant all three in the top 48.  ELIMINATED
John Zisa -- The judges love him.  I do too.

 

 

episode seven...

It's Hollywood Baby...

Goodbye and good riddance to the annoying audition episodes.  American Idol is in boot camp, where the children are expected to [gasp!] work to earn a spot in the semi-finals. 

And work is defined as choosing one of the pre-selected songs to sing, accompanied by piano and backup singers only, which will either gain them a simple "yes" or "no."  No explanation.  No justification.  No coddling.  In or out. No excuses.

And that means you Tamesha Foote, who blamed everyone from the pianist to her second-grade teacher for her nauseatingly off-key performance.  Sweetie, if the piano player is playing the wrong key, stop.  Ask for a change and proceed.  You were terrible.  Go away.

As fast and furious as this episode was produced, it is hard to get a sense of who will have the best shot of making the 24.  The producers continue to spotlight the same contestants from the auditions, much like last year, which portends well for some of them, such as Sarah Mather, Carrie Underwood and Anthony Federov, who blew me away.  But, like last year, for every one that gets screen time at this point, there are two who have remained unseen.  And unheard.  No one saw or heard Latoya or Jasmine last season until the semi-finals.

But the overriding question in Tuesday's episode seemed to be:  Will Shunta grow a brain?  Oh, and will she make it to the correct group in time?  And why do we care?

We say goodbye to many of the little hopefuls.  And we wave farewell to several who sounded promising during the auditions, but proved that first impressions can be misleading.

Goodbye to Michael Liuzza, who ruined "Unforgettable."  Unforgiveable.  So long Regina Brooks, who pawned her wedding ring to get to the audition and, as we're reminded incessantly, swears she'll die if she can't express herself through music.  Good thing you didn't hock the karaoke.

Say bye-bye Rich Molfetta.  I don't think you choked; I think you are just bad.  And Jeffrey Johnson, our pastor.  So long.

But Bri!  Briana Davis!  You sunk when you needed to swim.  I'm heartbroken.  I think you're terrific, but now this means someone is gonna have to dye their hair.

Shunta makes it back!  Lucky girl.  She gets through.  Lucky us.

But Marlea Stroman, you're leaving us with a void, because you have a stunning voice, but if you're not ready for the competition and you miss your baby, best to leave now. 

Remember, they're going to whittle the field down to 24 -- 12 men/12 women and, from that group, we will eliminate six from each.

Okay, bearing in mind we haven't heard from everyone, here are my picks to make it through tonight's group performances:

The Women:

Nadia Turner -- she's just a terrific package.
Rashida Johnson -- if she can sing that well sick, imagine her well.
Sarah Mather -- she impresses me more with each snippet I hear.
Carrie Underwood -- I'd be willing to predict a top 10 for her.
Lindsey Cardinale -- I didn't like her at first.  Last night changed that.
Vonzell Solomon -- beautiful girl with a beautiful voice.
Jennifer Todd -- I still think this show can handle a non-Barbie girl.
Mikalah Gordon -- she should make it through on spunkiness alone.

The Men:

David Brown -- if only I were 20 years younger.
Scott Savol -- my favorite, my favorite, my favorite
Anwar Robinson -- why didn't my teachers look like that in junior high?
Mario Vasquez -- now I understand why he's getting so much attention
Anthony Federov -- wow.  The Clay fans will love him.
Ross Williams -- half of the John Stevens fans will love him.
Jamie Koeller --  the other half will love him.
Constantine Maroulis -- he did the Box Tops proud
Bo Bice -- great voice, cute guy, love the hair
Aaron Kelly -- the third of the rockers.  The judges will want all three in the top 48.

 

It's an Idol reminder...

American Idol, episode 7 -- HOLLYWOOD, Baby! -- is TONIGHT,  Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. eastern, on your local FOX channel!  It's Boot Camp!  Time to celebrate!  They will be crying!  They will be quitting!  They will be forgetting the lyrics!  It's gonna be a BLAST! 

Don't know which channel is your Idol affiliate?  Click the map to find out.

 

 

episode six...

Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco treat...

Problem is the last audition installment of American Idol was as much a treat as castor oil.  What was that?  Were there really that few decent and/or hysterically bad auditions that the producers had to fill the hour with mediocrity?  Or have the producers burned out already this early in the season, and just didn't care.

Whatever the reason, at least the idiot-fest is complete and we can now spend the next couple weeks watching semi-talented and mega-talented young people crumble under the pressure of the Hollywood cuts.  How fun.

There were just not that many highlights from this show.  So I'll do my best to remember what I can.

The John Stevens slot has been filled with Jamie Koeller and Ross Williams.  Williams, hat and all, was probably the most talented of the two, but my heart will be with Jamie, considering how he lost his in San Francisco.  But, it doesn't worry me to predict that neither will see the final 12.

Nadia Turner, though will see the final 12.  She'll see the final 10.  Maybe final four.  That girl can sang.  And the hair!  So reminiscent of Stacy J., the "crazy" girl from last season's The Apprentice.  Great voice.  Great package.

Unlike Elizabeth Pha, who apparently forgot to dress and then got caught in a fish net on her way to the audition, and then breaks Jennifer's Golden Rule #417.  She sang a Whitney song, and her name isn't Whitney.  Why Simon let this child through is a mystery, but, if the previews are any indication, Miss Lookie-At-Me is gonna be fish bait by the end of the first Hollywood round.

And who was that guy channeling Freddy Mercury?

This just in:   J.P. Molfetta, the lesser half of twins Molfetta, was last seen pouting on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Hundreds of American Idol fans were heard shouting "jump!!"

We left J.P..........in San Francisco.........

episode five...

Cleveland or bust...

And so we're nearing the end of the audition episodes, with "highlights" from the Cleveland and Orlando stops.  Did we find any potential finalists?  Maybe.  But vocals aside, most the featured ones might be called "image-impaired."

My new favorite is Scott Savol, who put Ruben to shame with his abbreviated rendition of "Superstar."  Who woulda thunk it?  Guest host LL Cool J was on the money when he said "they'll never see you coming."  That voice coming out of the that face was startling.  And wonderful.  He will undoubtedly encounter "style" obstacles, moreso than Clay Aiken, but I cannot imagine a final 24 without that voice.

Most of the Clay Aiken analogies were reserved for Anthony Federov, who also got a gold ticket to the Hollywood stylists.  Told he would probably never speak after undergoing a childhood tracheotomy, his story will undoubtedly build him an early fan base, and we will soon, no doubt, see a different looking young man, even though I think he's pretty cute as is. 

Seems this show is becoming American Idol -- The Swan Edition.

Pat Norman, resplendent in denim overalls and fresh from the dairy farm,  got a ticket to advance as did Jaclyn Crum, after nearly Crumling from nerves.  I failed to see her appeal, and Randy was right in casting the no vote.  I don't think she's ready to withstand the pressure of the next step.  But it's early. 

And maybe Blue is this year's Pink.  Briana Davis, of the stunning blue hair (not your grandma's blue, mind you), the understated makeup and the tailored, impeccably-matched wardrobe, chose a questionable audition song in "Phantom of the Opera" but impressed the judges, and me, enough to advance.  I hope she avoids any more Sarah Brightman imitations, though, until she has some instrumental backup, because those high notes can resemble screaming otherwise.  And I always root for the most colorfully tressed in the bunch.

And what can be said about the 10-minute visit to Orlando?  Where was Ryan's visit with Mickey or his ride on the teacups?  Come on cheesy segment producers, you're slipping!

There was Vonzell Solomon who was "born to sing," according to Randy.  Don't know if she was born to or not, but she does have a CD under her fabric belt.  She's a shoo-in for the top 24.  (SPOILER: Actually that's not as fearless a prediction as it appears -- it's all over the internet and in the print media.)

And Dezmond Meeks.  Oh Dezmond.  Mr. Entertainment.  Where is Gene Simmons when we need him?  Randy says no.  Simon says no.  Paula cries and stomps her feet and holds her breath until she turns purple.  Poor Paula.  Paula will quit the show unless Dezmond gets promoted.  (Apparently she thinks she will return to the exciting and soaring career she left behind and is still waiting for her.  Oh wait.  That was 20 years ago.  Never mind.)  So Randy buys her the toy.  I mean changes his vote.  Paula is happy once again, punches Simon once again, and will interrupt happily ever after.

And so we await, impatiently, the end to the torture known as the auditions.  Tonight is the LAST one.  The Hollywood shows start next Tuesday.

Now we're talking fun.  Let the game begin.