American Idol Top 13? Results

Quickie here, I got a late start.

Kanye, better than I've seen him before. A little bit autotune, a little bit raw. It worked.

Jasmine got bumped for real. Didn't even get to be part of the tease. Not surprising. Too bad this was one of the judges picks. America 1, Judges 0. She has been straight terrible every step of the way. I guess she must have had the "complete package" or been "marketable" or "looked great." Another reason why this show would probably be better without the four morons. Everyone has been saying more music, more music, more music, and the judges keep going more and more towards a pretty package.

The judges save is an interesting twist, and doesn't turn a vote around, but won't mean much before 5 left. Daughtry got kicked 3rd or 4th right? Seacrest said he'd be saved but

Anoop and Jorge bottom two. Just as I've predicted.

Jorge goes home. I thought he'd be safe because he was actually voted into the top 13?. But Anoop is a crowd favorite. Simon and Randy were "deliberating" so they didn't have to listen.

This is great!!! They ask the judges if they want to save them. High drama! Simon crapping on someone's dreams every week, sign me up!

Carrie Underwood singing the "go home" song. Sounds like she recorded it in a closet full of clothes. The chick on 94.5 won't like that very much. Long live Motley Crue!

No surprises. Kelly Clarkson set a low bar for the AI alumni. Not a lot of steam heading into next week.

Tops going forward: Danny Gokey, the theater kid, Allison for the girls.

American Idol 2009 - Top 36 #2

Went 1 for 3 last week. Michael Sarver wasn't even on the radar. He lucked out, but I like him, so it's okay. Pale chick moves on, she won't be terrible, should pick some interesting songs. Danny Gokey was no surprise. I'll look for the last performer tonight to be the best.

Jasmine - I thought they were going to start out the show with a strong performance, really get the ball rolling. I thought wrong. Love Song would be good to sing, but it's also all over. Everyone can sing along with it ... except Jasmine.

*The keyboard was really, really tin-y. It's one of rare songs on the radio that uses a real piano, they could have found a better synth sound. NOT going on.

Matt Giraud - Another terrible performance. Maybe it's time to stay away from anything that's currently on the radio. This guy needed his piano. Georgia on my Mind was sweet in Hollywood. This was sour. You can't take one of these over-the-top songs and try to do more with it. Similar to anything from Alicia Keys, to make it their own, they need to do less with it. He's still one of the judges favorites. Early favorite for wild-card?

*Speaking of wild-card, how is that going to work? I think it is an hour show next Thursday. It doesn't look like anyone will actually sing again, the judges will just pick from tapes? It would be better if everyone got another chance, but then it would be difficult to fit in three commercial breaks in the first 23 minutes.

Jeanine - Another recent pop song. Was it worse than the first two? Who cares. It sucked. Simon agrees; three performers, three terribles.

*Simon says wrong song choice AGAIN. Good singers could sing the phonebook, or any of these first three songs. I'm ready for the judges to own up. They picked these "singers," it's at least partially their fault that more than half so far have been "terrible" in Simon's words.

Norman - It's a big joke but I like it. The first thing worth watching tonight. He can kinda sing a little bit if he took it seriously. The fact he picked THE American Idol song "You're gonna love me." It was great that it was all about staying on the show. Tell you what, it was the best so far.

*More uncomfortable banter. Is this really necessary? Everything that Simon retorts to Ryan is accepted as a slam against his sexual orientation, even when the diggs are weak at best.

Allison - Uncomfortable banter, this time involving a contestant. They should test run the conversations with Ryan. This one wouldn't have made the cut. Ryan: "What is Idol School like?" Allison: "It's a room." The performance sounded good, the judges didn't seem into it, but then the comments are glowing. She benefited from the four terrible performances before her. Three will advance out of these last eight, she's got pretty good odds. Really stupid faces, could turn out to be really obnoxious.

Kris Allen - This could be one of my favorite performances ever. I've liked "Man in the Mirror" as long as I can remember. He's sings the song pretty well, but the arrangment makes it sound like an 80's soft pop song. Kara hits it on the head, the second half was really pretty good but the first half was rough. This is the way that all of these performances have been in the top 36. He went for it and is my top guy tonight.

-A second great song, part of the British female soul-pop thing going on. Good song choice for her, wasn't sung very well. Was SHOUTING the second half. She thinks she's great. Now Simon hopes America votes for her because she is "current." Not that she has sung well before tonight, or might sing well going forward. I wouldn't vote for her. Second to Allison.

*I might quit watching if I hear anymore about "package artist" "viable" "current" "camera loves you" "in this market," etc. I think the judges feel the need to justify the popularity of the show by producing a commercial success.

Breitzke - Not great, but not nearly as completely horrible as most have been tonight. I bet at least one judge calls it kareoke. And none call him "commercial" or a "package artist." Simon hated, hated the song. And he's fru-strated.

Jesse - She looks good. Sings alright. I bet the judges love it. She is also an "entertainer." Like Jackie Tohn, and the "Put Your Records On" girl, and I don't mean that in a good way. Too much talking after the singing. Just stand there and take it. She's in the running though. The judges didn't love it.

*When kids oversing, they say it's too much. When the singers take it easy, the judges want more. Sub-par singers will always sound bland when they're laid back and horrible when they oversing. This comes back on the judges choices for the top 36. A good, semi-professional singer can sing soft or slow and still bring it with some purpose.

**Fox is really pimping that new show Dollhouse. I tried watching the first episode. It wasn't very good, and if a show can't muster a good show for the series opener, it doesn't hold a lot of promise for the rest of the 7 shows that air before it's cancelled.

Crazy Hair Kai - Boring. Next.

Misshavanna - Curious song choice. Not terrible. Some register problems. The held notes had good tone. She actually would have benefitted from a slower song eventhough the judges thought she should loosen up. BTW, she dwarfed Ryan.

*No parents in the coke room this time. They probably just wanted to change up the formula, but I'm all for cutting out the parents - these kids are lame enough on their own.

Adam Lambert - He should have sung Dude Looks Like A Lady because he does. He stole Rihanna's haircut and glove, and was wearing ugs throughout hollywood week. All over the place, but because the band actually tried on this arrangement, he sounds alright. Another lock for the top 12.

Lambert for the guys, Allison for the girls, Kris Allen for the wild card. I'd be a little surprised if the wild card is guys for both first weeks. Others in the running, but not because everyone was extraordinary - Misshavonna, Jesse, Breitzke, and surprisingly, Norman.

First up on the news on Fox, this heartwarming story - Less Traffic During Morning Commute, presumably because fewer people have jobs to drive to.

American Idol 2009 - Top 36 Show #1

I'm back live blogging this stuff. If the first performer is any indication, this will be "interesting"

Jackie Tohn - Not a great performance. Katy Perry's top, M.I.A's shoes and pants. She's over the top. An "entertainer." I guess. Not good. She'd better start practicing for the wild-card show.

Ricky Braddy - That dude wasn't bad. Started out slow but really got going. I didn't know about the song choice at first, it's usually more safe to go with a fast song, especially early in the show. He sang the song quite well.

*Simon has already brought out the "star potential" bit. Why can't it just be about a singing competition. If they worried more about great singing and less about looking good, jumping around, I really think the show would be happier with the results. Last year's talent was sub-par at best. 100,000 audition, you'd think they should be able to find 36 that had some serious chops.

- This girl looks pretty pale. She looked fine in some of the pictures and videos but she looks weird here. Not top 3. Not much else to say. Well, the judges didn't agree with me. Simon LOVED her. Comparisons to Kelly Clarkson. I suppose that means she'll have to move on.

Brent Keith - some country. Haven't had a guy ride the country train all the way yet on AI. It might be time. But it won't be Brent. Seems like a decent guy. Fighting for third right now. Not a good sign. He'll have to rock the wild-card show.

*Simon digs on Bucky Covington. He's starting this season out rough. Kara is taking it easy tonight. I think by next week, the two of them will be at each other's throats.

Stievie Wright - I'm really crapping on people here, but I like her with her hair up in the front instead of flat. Sometimes she looks older than 17, so they put her in a shirt/skirt, skinny jeans and bedazzled shoes. Now she looks like she belongs on the disney channel. Really not good singing. Last place so far. Her parents are huuuuuuge.

Anoop Dogg - Said he was going to bring energy to the show every week. Then sings "Angel of Mine." That song doesn't even bring energy to a high school dance, let alone the biggest show on television. Disappointing. It looks like I'll have to pick a different favorite. Uh oh. He just said he picked a song because it meant something to him. Kiss of Death.

Casey Carlson - Her facial expressions are over the top. Vocals are weak at best. She should have done some easy country song and dressed the part. Would have made it on easily. Surprise, her mom is a fan.

*What's with the microphone? It looks like they borrowed it from Carrie Underwood.

Michael Sarver - Middle of the road, I guess. Not great, not as terrible as a couple of the others. Maybe third so far? Not worse than Carlson or Wright. Somewhere between 3 and 5. Up tempo song, that helps.

*Ted Danson in the house!

Anne Marie Bostovich - Big song. Wasn't terrible. That probably means it was pretty good. Unfortunately, Randy Jackson doesn't think anyone should sing this song. They should take it off the list, I guess. Along with Mariah and Whitney and the Police and ... Good looking, didn't suck. Close to the top three.

Stephen Fowler - Old school Michael Jackson. I really liked the song. Randy didn't like it. Simon didn't like it. Add Michael to the list of songs you can't sing. I bet Paula likes it. Ooh, she doesn't. I didn't think it was that bad. I would have said top half. But with the judges crapping on it, he won't move ahead with it.

Tatiana Del Toro - Before she sings: If she makes it, I might not watch the next show she's in. Possibly the most annoying person ever on this show. She's singing a Whitney song. Hopefully it is terrible. After the song: Well, it wasn't terrible. Unfortunately. Really weird faces at the end. Wouldn't be surprised if she goes on. Early favorite for votefortheworst.com. Simon lays it down! Excellent.

Danny Gokey - Top 3. He touched the untouchable Mariah. Started out rough but Kara LOVES it. Paula likes it. Randy likes it. Simon thought it was "good." He hit it on the head. End was great. Beginning was rough, but it was rough for everyone tonight. And usually is this early in the competition.

Top 3, consensus between me and mrroby: Danny, top guy. Anne Marie, top girl. Ricky Braddy, freebee. Others in running for the third spot: Pale Girl, Anoop Dogg, and unfortunately, Tatiana.

More next time...

Democratic National Convention - the speeches

The four days of the DNC will bring many speeches. I listened to a couple last night and read another just now. The response is overwhelmingly positive at the convention, as can be expected. The Republicans are trying to jump on anything they can, which is expected. Generally, I lean left, but there are some items which I've got problems with.


Bill Clinton's speech was good. Really, really good. Clinton is probably the best orator of our time. Instead of delivering the speech to the camera, which I find odd and annoying, he spoke to the crowd assembled. It's a lot like American Idol, most people who perform or speak before a live crowd and television would benefit by forgetting about the camera. A transfixed stare into the camera is disconcerting. Take care of the people who are actually standing in front of you, and it will translate just fine to television.


The content of Clinton's speech was good, as well. He drove home that he and Hillary are fully behind Barack Obama while seeming sincere. McCain and the Republicans were a target, but he wasn't chippy. Paralleling Clinton's quick rise to the presidency with Obama might win over some Democrats with questions about Obama's (lack of) experience.



While Obama will surely benefit from the whole-hearted endorsement by Clinton, the biggest result of the night might have been Bill Clinton's ascension to the Democratic Party patriarch. The ovation he received was surprising, especially since he had been campaigning for Hillary. Also, his events had begun to draw smaller crowds toward the end of the primary campaign. Just when it seemed as though interest in Bill Clinton had waned, he came roaring back.


Joe Biden is feisty. He showed some fire in his speech, unfortunately, he had to follow Clinton. It will be nice to have someone in the campaign who isn't quite so scripted. Ultimately, I can't remember him saying anything that I thought was too disagreeable.


Some are making a big deal about the stage set up for Obama's speech. Seeing the columns, I didn't immediately think of Romans and Greece or any of that, but apparently pundits did. Seeing it everyday, they must forget that Washington, D.C. is full of columns. Much more pretentious was Obama introducing Biden (after kicking off his campaign) in front of the old Illinois state capitol, the same place where Lincoln cut his political teeth. It is my assumption that Obama was trying to parallel his run with the significance of Lincoln's presidency. Indeed, Lincoln was rather green, having only served at the state level briefly and then nationally only briefly before becoming the president. Obama's analogy is a little much. While Obama's nomination has already been historic, it was what Lincoln did in office that was special, not how he got there.

Obama's speech was pretty decent. He offered some more details than I'd seen before in his speeches. I think he could have spoke more about expecting more out of Americans, but it was good he mentioned it. Republicans see Democrats as advocates of handouts and that's what sours a lot of people to the Democratic party. He reminds listeners that they are the party of Roosevelt, they are the party of Kennedy. Roosevelt helped thousands through the Depression with his alphebet soup, but he made them work for it. The WPA, CCC, TVA and others put Americans in direct employment by the government. Money wasn't handed out, it was earned and the government wasn't a charity. These projects (Hoover Dam, hydro electricity in Tennessee) benefited the nation. Kennedy told citizens to ask what they could do for the country. The space race leaned heavily on hard-working, intelligent Americans in pursuit of something worthwhile. Obama should suggest that America demand more of its citizens.

Overall, Obama's speech was good. All of the speeches at the convention were good, with Bill Clinton's being the only one I'd consider great. It would have been nice if everyone who spoke elevated beyond the politics of criticizing John McCain, but that's probably a naive thought. The convention was a good show, and one that apparently appealed to many Americans.

American Idol - Weeks 4 and 5

I've gone 0-2 in picking the losers so far since the top 12 started. And only 2 for 6 in picking the bottom three. Kristi Lee was my pick to leave both the top 12 and top 11. Instead, David Hernandez left last week and Overmyer left this week. They were NOT in my bottom three for either week. Hernandez could sing, even if he did overdo it from time to time and Overmyer was nothing if not for a little different. We won't get anything different or better out of Kristi Lee, Michael Johns, Brooke White, Castro, Ramiele, basically any of them. I had it as a three horse race between Cook, Carly, and David Archuleta, but since Carly was in the bottom three this week, it's evident that no one is safe.

Something seems fishy. It is unlikely, at best, that someone would be the last person to stay three weeks running, especially when the bottom three have been different every week! I've read some articles purporting various conspiracy theories. The two most prevalent: David H was let into the top 12 because of his talent, but then was kicked off because of his past; Overmyer was kicked off just before the top 10 because they (the AI producers) didn't want her on the tour. Both of these are plausible, and I think maybe explain what I see as people in the middle of the pack getting kicked off or ending up in the bottom three.

New Style?
My power poll worked well during the Top 24. Even if I started over after the top 12, I still only would have predicted Kristi Lee in the bottom three. We'll see, I'll start keeping track both using the rankings in the top 24 and a new ranking just using the top 12 ratings.

No predictions, just the facts

Picking the losers (top 12):
0 for 2 0%
bottom three: 2 for 6 33%

Picking the losers (overall):
8 for 14 57%
bottom three: 15 for 22 68%

AI Season 7 - paired to the top 12

All in all, not too terribly surprising. I called Kady and Asia'h getting voted off, and it wasn't hard to see that Luke M. should be getting kicked off. The spot that I struggled the most was between Chiekieze and Danny. What's most surprising is that I'm disappointed with Danny leaving the show. He was a little over the top, but the sass and back talking he gave to Simon was a little entertaining. He wasn't a bad singer, either. Chiekieze advanced based on the strength of Week 2's performance.

I've got Carly as the overall favorite (so she gets tagged on posts from now on). She's a good enough singer that she'll give above-average performances every week, no matter the genre and she'll really connect with a song every couple of weeks or so (as she did with Crazy on You). David A. is the favorite for the boys, but David Cook is very close behind. Michael Johns bumped up three spots amongst the boys. No one really fell all that much and no one really got hosed.

It will be interesting to see how the top 12 pan out. I'm excited that the girls will be performing with the boys. The general thought is that the boys are stronger than the girls and I think that will be very evident next week. Looks like one person will be kicked off next week. Kristi Lee Cook needs to have a good performance, I think she's in trouble.

Picking the losers:
8 for 12 75%
including the bottom three: 13 for 16 81%

AI Season 7 - 8 girls

The girls just haven't been getting any better. The pack here is scrunched together, too. Questionable song choices are hurting some good singers and "good" choices are helping some of the poorer singers.

1. Overmeyer - gave her top spot because the judges did
2. Carly* - the best singer, I'd agree she still hasn't found a song she can hang her hat on
3. Syesha* - pretty good singer, I think she's found her niche (Alicia Keys-ish), which should do well later on in the competition
4. Brooke White - weak singer, good song choice again
5. Ramiele - 2nd best singer, hasn't been picking good songs
6. Kristi Lee - judges are contriving her country gimmick
7. Asia'h
8. Kady

Kady should have been voted off last week. She basically had a second chance, and she squandered it. Asia'h isn't terrible, but I don't think she's going to get any better. I'd rather hear someone with a bigger voice, like Ramiele, sing some Whitney. I think Kristi Lee gets another week (and a makeover) to fit into the role of the country songstress. Otherwise, I think everyone is safe.

Idol Season 7 - 8 guys

Everyone was pretty close this week. No one stood out. Nobody was really terrible, either. It's going to be a close vote this week. Still confused by the song choices, there's got to be some better songs. Cook did something unique, which definitely helps. Michael sang INXS, which is his (very small) niche.

1. David Cook* - this week helped him
2. Michael - this week helped him a lot, but i don't feel like he's getting any better
3. David Archuleta* - came back to the pack a little, still the favorite
4. Castro - judges loved it, but it was a strange song. don't think the public will appreciate it quite as much
5. David H - Celine?
6. Danny
7. Luke M
8. Chiekieze

Luke should finally be done this week. I think Chiekieze is probably out. Danny is close, too.

American Idol - Season 7 - Four more voted off

Well, I'm surprised. Even though I picked two of the four voted off, I was caught off guard by the other two. I had Alaina and Robbie right in the middle of the pack. Kady (Houston native) just barely made it by in the bottom 3, which is where I had her. And Luke M. made it through again when I didn't think he should have. Looks like he was in the bottom three as well.

David Archuleta remains the overall favorite. After two weeks, I think Carly is the favorite for the girls. Brooke White was the big gainer over last week, bumping up 5 spots amongst the girls. Alexandrea was the biggest fall, dropping from where I had her as the 3rd best performance last week to being voted off (9th place) this week. Hosed was Alaina, who I had as the 4th best girl before she got voted off.

There's still a lot Idol left for the year and Idol voters can be fickle.

Picking the Losers:
5 for 8 62.5%
including bottom three: 7 for 10 70%

American Idol Season 7 - 10 chicks

Well, the 10 girls were tough to rank, but not because they were good. The first two started off strong, but it quickly got worse after that. It's going to be a while before we get strong performances out of all the girls. The boys sound pretty good comparatively. Again, these decade weeks should be lending themselves to the girls. A * is a lock to advance, anyone marked with an -x is in the danger zone (note how many more x's there are)

1. Carly* - good performance, got after it, didn't look real comfortable, though
2. Syesha* - better than the judges gave her credit for. could get really annoying though
3. Alaina
4. Ramiele - bad song for her, but she's definitely in the top 3 for female contenders
5. Brooke White -x - good song choice, mostly because she looks like 70's Carly Simon
6. Kristi Lee Cook -x - didn't think she was good enough to advance, but then four other people performed
7. Overmeyer -x
8. Kady -x
9. Asia'h -x - very, very bad, but I think she'll move on
10. Lushington -x - was stoked for some Chicago. she picked the lamest Chicago song ever. I thought they only came out with good songs in the 70's. Turns out I was wrong

Based on my own American Idol - Season 7 Power Poll, I think Kady and Alexandrea are out this week but wouldn't be surprised if Kristi Lee Cook or Overmeyer got bumped.

American Idol - 10 dudes

The guys started really slow last night. There wasn't a standout performance until David Hernandez halfway through the show. Four out of the last five were really good. Again, the * designates a J.Meeks lock to advance.

1. David Archuleta* - Still the favorite. Really, really good rendition of Imagine. People always sing it, but he made it his own. He's had the two best performances so far.
2. David Hernandez* - I've liked him from the beginning. Simon's criticisms have really driven him.
3. Chiekieze* - I liked his performance last week. We'll see how he does after the decade weeks.
4. David Cook*
5. Noriega - again, unfortunately, he passes to next week
6. Robbie
7. Castro - I like the guitar, not the strongest performance, but he'll pass on, too
8. Michael Johns - he's middle of the pack at best. seems to have lots of potential. he'll get by on that for at least one more week, should do well if next week is the 80s (INXS!!!)
9. Yeager - didn't think he did that bad of a job, judges harsh and he was towards the bottom last week
10. Luke M. - weird performance. I had him at the very bottom last week. its over this week.

American Idol Season 7 - First Vote Off

I did pretty well. 3 of my bottom 4 were voted off. And the one dude who wasn't in my bottom four was in my danger zone. Obviously, I have an eye for this. Or I've just watched way to much AI in the past. No surprises yet, either good or bad. The group song sucked - which is to be expected. Don't know what next week's theme is. Look for David A. to do well again, look for David Hernandez to get a little more face time. I think Alexandrea Lushington is one to watch, even if she isn't the most talented. Again, I say the top of the dude pool is strong, even if the girls might be a little deeper top to bottom. If we're counting advances, I'm 19 of 20. Should hav started an AI pool.

American Idol Season 7 - 12 Girls

The girls started out slow. They picked up towards the end. Same format as with the guys. No one really stood out. There's a lot of potential with the girls, but the top guys had better performances than the girls - not good, considering the genre nights generally lend themselves better to the females.

Ramiele*
Carly
Alexandrea Lushington* - fun performance, gets props for singing Amy Winehouse during Hollywood week
Asia'h
Syesha - maybe thinks she's better than she is
Alaina Whitaker
Kady Malloy
Overmeyer
Brooke White
Kristy Lee Cook
Joanne
Amy Davis - yawn

American Idol Season 7 - 12 guys

For the real American Idol fans, the season has finally begun! Just got a chance to watch the 12 guys perform for this season's American Idol. You can find recaps anywhere else on the internet, so I'll just drop my rankings from the first show. Looks like 10 will advance, and I didn't see 10 worth advancing. With the rankings, some comments. Also, the * designates a J.Meeks lock to advance.

1. David Archuleta* - got after it while singing, immediately knew he didn't nail it, favorite so far
2. D. Hernandez
3. Cook - good take on familiar song
4. Jason Castro* - AI finally caught on to let people play an instrument. They probably wish they would have with Chris Daughtry.
5. Robbie
6. Michael Johns - he thinks he's a little better than he is. liked the beginning of the song, lost intensity/focus
7. Chiekieze
8. D. Noriega - unfortunately he'll move on
9. Colton - ditto
10. J. Yeager
11. Garrett - not good
12. Luke M. - didn't even listen to the whole song