# American Idol 2012



## SueDonJ

Haven't watched all of the auditions but have caught bits and pieces here and there.  Did anybody else catch that Johnny kid tonight?  My goodness.  Simon would say "he has the whole package."  If he doesn't implode because of some stupid thing or another, then he's going to be right there in the running all the way to the end.  He reminds me, actually, of a young John Bon Jovi - the girls are going to LOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEE him!


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## scrapngen

Tonight's show hasn't aired yet on the West Coast, but I'll look for him. 
Actually, we always seem to watch a day or two late due to other activities...Glad there's a thread started for this season, tho.


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## BevL

The thing I miss about the auditions is they don't show as many train wrecks as they used to.  Too many heartrending stories about this, that and the other thing, and you know those people are going to get through if they've taken time to make a three minute video presentation of their story.

JMHO.


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## pjrose

BevL said:


> The thing I miss about the auditions is they don't show as many train wrecks as they used to.  Too many heartrending stories about this, that and the other thing, and you know those people are going to get through if they've taken time to make a three minute video presentation of their story.
> 
> JMHO.



Other way around - I don't want to see the train wrecks.  I wish the pre-screeners or pre-auditioners wouldn't even let them through, as that takes away spots for more talented contestants.  I also don't like the idea of making fun of someone who may have truly thought he or she was talented.  

I have been trying to figure out the videos of someone packing to go to the auditions, videos of them at home with their kids, and so forth.  Do the AI people go back and make these after the auditions?  Pre-pick people to film before the auditions?  Do they even know who's going to show up for auditions? The videos seem too professional to be home-made, but ??


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## DaveNV

+1 for this Johnny guy. Raw talent in spades. He'll go far, barring some sort of issue.  I wish him success on the show, and hope he does well.

I also don't care for the train wrecks.  Show me people with true talent I can look forward to seeing perform, and who I can root for.  Seeing William Hung again tonight ("I have no professional vocal training") makes me want to change the channel.  Almost as unappealing as watching The Batchelor reunion shows, where the women tell each other how fake they are, and how much they hate each other.  Ah yes, TV at its finest.  

Dave


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## scrapngen

BevL said:


> The thing I miss about the auditions is they don't show as many train wrecks as they used to.  Too many heartrending stories about this, that and the other thing, and you know those people are going to get through if they've taken time to make a three minute video presentation of their story.
> 
> JMHO.



That's exactly what my 13 yr. old daughter was saying to me tonight...if they show a heartrending backstory, you can bet they'll be good enough to make it through..However, if they show a short clip of them packing, or leaving a fast food place, then it's not as likely. :rofl:


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## pjrose

SueDonJ said:


> Haven't watched all of the auditions but have caught bits and pieces here and there.  Did anybody else catch that Johnny kid tonight?  My goodness.  Simon would say "he has the whole package."  If he doesn't implode because of some stupid thing or another, then he's going to be right there in the running all the way to the end.  He reminds me, actually, of a young John Bon Jovi - the girls are going to LOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEE him!





BMWguynw said:


> +1 for this Johnny guy. Raw talent in spades. He'll go far, barring some sort of issue.  I wish him success on the show, and hope he does well.
> . . .



Darn, wish I had seen him!  Maybe I'll check YouTube or the AI site.


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## TUGBrian

guy was goooood!!

I still like the guy from the first or 2nd audition with the guitar....perhaps the best "audition" ive ever seen on Idol.


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## Smooth Air

John? Is he the one JLO was drooling over? "OOOh, he's *soooo sexy*" she said after his audition.
Keeping in mind that JLO's current Boy Toy is 24 & John Keyser is 22 that was creepy & just plain weird. Hope she does not continue with this cougar talk the way Kira did a few years ago with one of the contestants.


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## icul8rg8r

BevL said:


> The thing I miss about the auditions is they don't show as many train wrecks as they used to.  Too many heartrending stories about this, that and the other thing, and you know those people are going to get through if they've taken time to make a three minute video presentation of their story.
> 
> JMHO.



Yeah - the auditions were my husband's favorite part of Idol (especially with Simon's take), but they just aren't as fun as in the past (miss that Simon!).  So he's stopped watching altogether....


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## BoaterMike

Personally, I liked the cab driver in the St. Louis show.   

Mike


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## pjrose

BMWguynw said:


> +1 for this Johnny guy. Raw talent in spades. He'll go far, barring some sort of issue.  I wish him success on the show, and hope he does well.



I found him on YouTube - very good!  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3O35J-3z14


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## BoaterMike

And, there's Ethan, who did a nice job in St. Louis.  Sings for a band in the area called (not making this up) The Well Hungarians.

Mike


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## DaveNV

BoaterMike said:


> The Well Hungarians.
> 
> Mike




Ok, I don't care who you are, that's funny right there.

Dave ROFL  :hysterical:


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## fillde

There was one contestant that I thought did not deserve to move on. The daughter of baseball player Joe Magrane. I believe the judges gave her the benefit of the doubt because of her father. But we'll see when she goes back.


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## pjrose

How many people have they shown fainting?  I don't recall seeing that in previous years, but I think they've shown at least four:

The girl who fell off the stage
The one who fell by the seats
And I think two of them wobbled and fell on stage

Since DD faints quite a bit, we could see the signs...seeing those girls glaze over, wobble, then go down hit us too close to home.


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## BoaterMike

pjrose said:


> How many people have they shown fainting?  I don't recall seeing that in previous years, but I think they've shown at least four:



I know they are trying to portray the drama, but it makes me wonder if they need to reconsider the demands on the contestants for that part of the competition.  

Mike


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## TUGBrian

doesnt bother me, if they cant handle the stress of a competition...how would they handle the stress of being on stage in front of thousands as a performer?


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## pjrose

TUGBrian said:


> . . .  if they cant handle the stress of a competition...how would they handle the stress of being on stage in front of thousands as a performer?



I agree, especially if it's stress - though dehydration could also be a factor. There also could be liability issues if AI let those contestants continue and they were injured in later falls.  

Does anyone remember seeing contestants fainting in previous years?  Surely there must have been some, with the stress, hot lights, perhaps not enough fluids, etc.....so I don't know if there are more than usual this time, or if they're just showing us more than in the past.

Either way, it's been hard for me and DD to watch.


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## scrapngen

pjrose said:


> I agree, especially if it's stress - though dehydration could also be a factor. There also could be liability issues if AI let those contestants continue and they were injured in later falls.
> 
> Does anyone remember seeing contestants fainting in previous years?  Surely there must have been some, with the stress, hot lights, perhaps not enough fluids, etc.....so I don't know if there are more than usual this time, or if they're just showing us more than in the past.
> 
> Either way, it's been hard for me and DD to watch.



First of all, I'm so sorry this hits you especially hard, PJ! It's not entertainment if it's a very real part of your life!

These are young kids in a high pressure situation, and a lot of "hurry up and wait..." I suspect it's mostly dehydration/not eating. In years past, they have shown people getting sick and going to the hospital for whatever reasons. Not sure about fainting so much. Wonder what the weather was like..overly humid or hot? 

In a way, I agree with Brian. They have a lot of tough stuff ahead of them, and if they want a career, it's hard to cancel a tour because you don't feel up to it. Singers, especially, need to know how to take care of themselves and their voices, period. That being said, seems like they need to educate them a bit better when they arrive in Hollywood "green."


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## pjrose

Article re the passing out and other illnesses:

http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv...llywood-week-gone-way-too-far/?cid=hero_media


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## SueDonJ

pjrose said:


> Article re the passing out and other illnesses:
> 
> http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv...llywood-week-gone-way-too-far/?cid=hero_media



I'm happy to see that article, PJ.  I think it's shocking that the producers let the show go on despite a flu bug taking out so many of the contestants, and they certainly took advantage of the shock value to viewers.  How unfair to the contestants, that they knew it was a bug - or rampant dehydration, what they called it  - and didn't do anything to help the contestants get through it and then compete when it all passed.  One or two sickies - yep, the show goes on.  A whole gaggle of 'em?  Cripes, let them at least have their dignity and a fair chance - shut the cameras off and give them a day to recover!  I'd much rather have seen none of the fainting/sickness and more of the contestants' best stuff.

Otherwise, and even though I say this every year, I am NEVER picking a favorite at the beginning again!  That Johnny kid who I thought showed so much promise got booted off last night, without even getting a chance to do anything stupid while a member of the Top 12!


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## pjrose

SueDonJ said:


> I'm happy to see that article, PJ.  I think it's shocking that the producers let the show go on despite a flu bug taking out so many of the contestants, and they certainly took advantage of the shock value to viewers.  How unfair to the contestants, that they knew it was a bug - or rampant dehydration, what they called it  - and didn't do anything to help the contestants get through it and then compete when it all passed.  One or two sickies - yep, the show goes on.  A whole gaggle of 'em?  Cripes, let them at least have their dignity and a fair chance - shut the cameras off and give them a day to recover!  I'd much rather have seen none of the fainting/sickness and more of the contestants' best stuff.



I guess showing contestants fainting and ill and showing the people with horrible talent are part of the entertainment factor   Neither is entertaining for me, though; I don't like seeing people miserable or embarrassed.



SueDonJ said:


> Otherwise, and even though I say this every year, I am NEVER picking a favorite at the beginning again!  That Johnny kid who I thought showed so much promise got booted off last night, without even getting a chance to do anything stupid while a member of the Top 12!



WHAAATTTT?  I missed that!!!!!

Grrrrrrr.


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## Karen G

I was sorry to see Johnny go, too. But, I was really impressed with some of the groups singing songs from the 50's and 60's. There are really a lot of talented kids this year.


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## TUGBrian

bah, havent watched it yet....did the johnny guy just suck?


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## SueDonJ

TUGBrian said:


> bah, havent watched it yet....did the johnny guy just suck?



Oh gosh, I'm sorry!  Somehow I'm going to have to remember that we're supposed to do the "Spoiler Alert" thing here.

They didn't show him at all, really, he was just included at the end when they were doing the, "... and also not returning ..." voiceover.  Really anti-climactic.


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## Karen G

TUGBrian said:


> bah, havent watched it yet....did the johnny guy just suck?


No, I thought he always did a great job. Right at the end of last nights show they said they were going to have to cut some more people so no one was safe. Then they just went through several scenes showing who was cut and that was that.  They didn't get a chance to perform again.


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## pjrose

TUGBrian said:


> bah, havent watched it yet....did the johnny guy just suck?



No, he was excellent, just google American Idol Johnny Keyser and you'll see lots of articles grumbling about him being cut.  They didn't even show his Vegas performance....and if that performance was the basis for cutting him, then I wish they'd show it.

And while you're on google, just look at his audition and you'll likely see what his fans mean.


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## TUGBrian

finally caught up last night...lots of good performances from that group stuff...although IMO its a singing competition for individuals...I dislike that they force them into groups...someone always gets screwed singing the wrong song etc.

anywhoo...favorites sofar are that Reed guy, Phil phillips, and the girl who wore the blue sparkly dress...sweet 6lb 8oz chocolate baby jesus that girl has some pipes!

On a side note, anyone else want to kick the skinny cowboy guy in the face every time he gets on camera?  or is it just me he annoys?


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## Blues

TUGBrian said:


> On a side note, anyone else want to kick the skinny cowboy guy in the face every time he gets on camera?  or is it just me he annoys?



Oh, it's definitely not just you, Brian.  Can't stand the guy.  Each time, my wife and I just look at each other and say, "What?  They passed through the cowboy AGAIN?!!?"

-Bob


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## SueDonJ

Blues said:


> Oh, it's definitely not just you, Brian.  Can't stand the guy.  Each time, my wife and I just look at each other and say, "What?  They passed through the cowboy AGAIN?!!?"
> 
> -Bob



Me three, the guy is obnoxious.  Talented, but obnoxious.


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## esk444

Blues said:


> Oh, it's definitely not just you, Brian.  Can't stand the guy.  Each time, my wife and I just look at each other and say, "What?  They passed through the cowboy AGAIN?!!?"
> 
> -Bob



They need him, he's the classic reality TV villain.  He creates drama and humor, making entertaining television.  If it was just a pure singing competition, American Idol would be boring like Star Search.

It still cracks me up that Korean guy said that he didn't even know his name and just called him "Cowboy" and then the other guys started doing it too.


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## TUGBrian

love the korean guy myself..."mostly water" has to be the best answer anyone's ever given to a seacrest question.


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## MommaBear

Any predictions on last night's cliffhanger? I don't have TV access tonight so am looking forward to the update here!

(Surprised but glad that Cowboy is gone)


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## DaveNV

I watched last night's show start to finish live, the first time this season that I've actually done that.  (Previous weeks were DVR'd, so I skipped through a lot of the blather-chat stuff.)  

I saw Jennifer from San Diego's performance for the first time.  What an awesome snger she is - and only 16?  Girl has a serious musical future.  With the right sort of coaching she will be a contender.

This Cowboy guy was a non-starter for me.  I'd only seen him sing once, in the duet with the black guy he kept grabbing around the neck, but he sang pretty OK then.  His antics afterwards with the neck-grabbing was pretty weird, and left me wondering what his game really is - sing well or mess with other contestants?  Last night, after seeing more of what he was like backstage, and how generally unlikable he was, I'm glad he's gone.  I did not care at all for Scotty McCreepy from last season, and wouldn't enjoy another season of the judges kissing up to another guy like that.  A guy in a cowboy hat with a deep voice and a Country attitude doesn't make for long term entertainment.

I'm still getting familiar with the quality of this year's contestants, but so far, it seems they have some amazing singers this year.  Hope it all comes together well.  And I wonder if we've seen the last of that guy Johnny?  He fell off the radar pretty quietly.

Dave


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## Karen G

MommaBear said:


> Any predictions on last night's cliffhanger? I don't have TV access tonight so am looking forward to the update here!
> 
> (Surprised but glad that Cowboy is gone)


The way they edit the show it seems that often people you think are being cut, are actually reacting to being told they made it. The cliffhanger at the end of last night's show with the dad makes me think he really made it. But, we'll see tonight!


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## TUGBrian

my vote is the guy stays.


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## Skittles1

They sure were making it seem as though the dad at the end of the show was gonna be eliminated.  I hope not, I think he has one of the best voices on the show.  I'm thrilled that the cowboy is gone!  And each week my love for Heejun (?) grows, he is hilarious!  I loved the sweating mostly water comment too.  They need to keep him around awhile.


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## pjrose

*not a spoiler....*

ok, let's see how I can word this so I don't spoil anything for West Coasters.....

First of all, watch until the very very end (pun somewhat intended) for something pretty outrageous    

Second, did anyone catch the names of the people in the four pictures shown at the end?  I glanced away.....Was one of them JK?

PJ


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## Skittles1

Yes, JK was one of the four!


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## pjrose

Skittles1 said:


> Yes, JK was one of the four!



Thank you!


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## BoaterMike

Skittles1 said:


> Yes, JK was one of the four!



A real surprise, as I sure don't recall him being in the top 48.  Just disappeared and then reappeared.


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## Carol C

Who's JK, is it Jermaine the baritone with a sweet disposition? I really like him and can't see him as Idol material...but he's got a future in Broadway musicals, methinks. I'd love to hear him sing "Old Man River"...he's that kind of singer, real old school.


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## pjrose

Carol C said:


> Who's JK, is it Jermaine the baritone with a sweet disposition? I really like him and can't see him as Idol material...but he's got a future in Broadway musicals, methinks. I'd love to hear him sing "Old Man River"...he's that kind of singer, real old school.



The four from whom the judges will choose one are Jermaine Jones, Johnny Keyser, Richie Law or David Leathers Jr.

JK is Johnny Keyser.....but Jermaine is in there too.


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## Skittles1

My guess is that it will be Johnny that they keep, since they brought him back, after being eliminated a few rounds ago.  Though I would like to see it be Jermaine, who is such a gentleman and has such a unique voice.


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## SueDonJ

This is so weird.  Johnny's going was barely a blip on the radar and now two rounds later he might be back?  Whether it's him or not, they went through the whole process to get to the Top 24 and then decided it needed to be 25?  Why can't they just follow the protocol and stop trying to manufacture drama that has nothing to do with singing?!?!


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## Clemson Fan

SueDonJ said:


> This is so weird.  Johnny's going was barely a blip on the radar and now two rounds later he might be back?  Whether it's him or not, they went through the whole process to get to the Top 24 and then decided it needed to be 25?  Why can't they just follow the protocol and stop trying to manufacture drama that has nothing to do with singing?!?!



Because that wouldn't create "drama" nor a cliffhanger causing people to talk about it and tune in next week.  The annoying cowboy is one of the 4.


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## pjrose

Clemson Fan said:


> Because that wouldn't create "drama" nor a cliffhanger causing people to talk about it and tune in next week.  The annoying cowboy is one of the 4.



They've done things like this before - adding wild cards and so forth.....
It's all created drama to keep people tuning in.  I'll be someone in AI tech is monitoring the net to see which one more people want.

Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny


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## SueDonJ

pjrose said:


> They've done things like this before - adding wild cards and so forth.....
> It's all created drama to keep people tuning in.  I'll be someone in AI tech is monitoring the net to see which one more people want.
> 
> Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny



HAHAHA!  Johnny, Johnny, JOHNNY, Johnny!

{eta} Hmmm.  Thinking about it, they could manufacture a story about it that would pretty easily explain why they had to give him a wild card.  "Do you know why you didn't see Johnny perform in the Vegas auditions?  Because of all the sickies that week, he was the sickest and was simply not able to perform.  We think our earlier decision to send him home was unfair, and want to give him a fair chance now."

Yeah?  Sound good?


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## pjrose

SueDonJ said:


> HAHAHA!  Johnny, Johnny, JOHNNY, Johnny!
> 
> {eta} Hmmm.  Thinking about it, they could manufacture a story about it that would pretty easily explain why they had to give him a wild card.  "Do you know why you didn't see Johnny perform in the Vegas auditions?  Because of all the sickies that week, he was the sickest and was simply not able to perform.  We think our earlier decision to send him home was unfair, and want to give him a fair chance now."
> 
> Yeah?  Sound good?



Yep!
Johnny Keyser Johnny Keyser Johnny Keyser Johnny Keyser Johnny Keyser

Hmmm...I'll have to do a google search and see if this comes up!


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## Mosca

Honest to goodness, this season has been a real drag, as far as I'm concerned. Not that the singers are not as good; they're probably about the same as any other year. But the production, the scripting has dropped below moronic. It's as if it is being edited for 7-year-olds. At least in the past it had good cotton candy value, like it was written to high schoolers (which I really appreciated; that's a compliment, being able to hit the spot where the most watchers can enjoy the show). And every year they make noises about bringing the performances "up to date", making them "more relevant"... and then everyone sings "Georgia On My Mind", written in 1930. Nothing wrong with a standard, but... c'mon. There are good songs being written and performed now, too. 

Now I'm watching with just half an eye, half an ear. Maybe it'll catch on, but if it doesn't, oh well.


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## pjrose

Mosca said:


> Honest to goodness, this season has been a real drag, as far as I'm concerned. Not that the singers are not as good; they're probably about the same as any other year. But the production, the scripting has dropped below moronic. It's as if it is being edited for 7-year-olds. At least in the past it had good cotton candy value, like it was written to high schoolers (which I really appreciated; that's a compliment, being able to hit the spot where the most watchers can enjoy the show). And every year they make noises about bringing the performances "up to date", making them "more relevant"... and then everyone sings "Georgia On My Mind", written in 1930. Nothing wrong with a standard, but... c'mon. There are good songs being written and performed now, too.
> 
> Now I'm watching with just half an eye, half an ear. Maybe it'll catch on, but if it doesn't, oh well.



They really dragged on the last two nights, with everyone on the hot seat.  That did NOT need to take three hours.

I'd rather see more performances, less manufactured drama.


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## BoaterMike

pjrose said:


> I'd rather see more performances, less manufactured drama.



Like Randy and Jennifer acting surprised when Steven stripped down to skivvies and dove in to the Le Reve pool?  All that water?   Safest bet in Vegas that someone was going in.  

Mike


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## laurac260

I am finding myself really liking the Korean guy.  I know how to say his name, but haven't a clue how to spell it.  I'm not saying he's the best singer, I just really like his personality.  His singing was completely surprising, beautiful voice.  He needs a speech therapist (or linguist coach?) though, not that I have a problem with him dropping letter sounds as he speaks English, but because it might hurt him in the future.  


My 11 yr old daughter is rooting for Eban.  I personally don't think he sings that great (maybe in a few years), but he's "from here", which is why she likes him.  And he's cute too.


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## TUGBrian

well that was uninspiring...

other than phil phillips, and "mantasia"....boys were a bore
noone on the girl side did anything spectacular (favorite was the country skylar girl though)

dont think ive ever fast forwarded thru 4 hours of idol in less than an hour before.

and seriously, who lets them pick these crappy songs to sing?


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## DaveNV

TUGBrian said:


> well that was uninspiring...



I really liked Jessica's performance.  Not necessarily this particular song, but her showmanship and amazing voice showed what I think is real talent.  When she settles into her niche as a performer, I think she'll be unstoppable.

Dave


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## BoaterMike

TUGBrian said:


> dont think ive ever fast forwarded thru 4 hours of idol in less than an hour before.
> 
> and seriously, who lets them pick these crappy songs to sing?



Amen to that.  

Mike


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## Elan

So far, the one who impresses me most is Phillip Phillips.  He's a Dave Matthews Jr.  Not the greatest voice, but interesting and he puts all he's got into his performances.  I also like Hollie Cavanagh.  A little girl with a BIG voice.  

  I also like Heejun Han for his personality.  He's funny in a very dry, witty way.  He can sing, but I doubt he'll make it past top 10, if that.

  Edited to add that I also find Reed Grimm intriguing.  He's a bit like Casey from last year, but I'm afraid he may be even more "out there", meaning too eccentric to be liked by the mainstream.


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## Carol C

Elan said:


> So far, the one who impresses me most is Phillip Phillips.  He's a Dave Matthews Jr.  Not the greatest voice, but interesting and he puts all he's got into his performances.  I also like Hollie Cavanagh.  A little girl with a BIG voice.
> 
> I also like Heejun Han for his personality.  He's funny in a very dry, witty way.  He can sing, but I doubt he'll make it past top 10, if that.
> 
> Edited to add that I also find Reed Grimm intriguing.  He's a bit like Casey from last year, but I'm afraid he may be even more "out there", meaning too eccentric to be liked by the mainstream.



I like the young lady Ms Sanchez...she's technical perfection. Doubt I'd buy her album though...I tend to like more unique performers, think: Adam Lambert. The guy with the long wavy hair is intriguing...I've always been a big Smokey Robinson fan and also like Maxwell, so guys with a big range who can hit good falsettos are appealing to me. But it all depends on the material and genre of songs they ultimately put out on record. There's alot of talent across the board this year, so it will be fun to watch.


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## Karen G

I like Hollie Cavanaugh. She intrigues me because when she speaks, it sounds like she has some kind of speech impediment, but when she sings she sounds like a Broadway star.  I also like Jessica Sanchez.

For the guys, I like Joshua Ledet and Heejun Han, mostly for his personality though.


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## TUGBrian

oh dont get me wrong, there are definately some amazing voices...but all in all I was just simply bored with both nights.

songs were poor choices, arrangements were poor....and the last thing I want to do is watch a dozen girls not as good as the one last year (mia somethingorother wasnt it?) just belt out ballads while they stand behind a microphone.

I really just dont get it, didnt they say at the beginning that they could pick WHATEVER song they wanted to perform?  fail.


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## puppymommo

Last night for me was too many girls singing Adele songs.  It may have only been two (I don't really care enough to remember) but that was too many!


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## Skittles1

It did seem like every other girl was singing Adele, and none as good as the original of course.  Even that young boy Eben sang Adele.  As Jimmy Iovine said, they all need to stay away from Adele songs right now.  They don't usually repeat songs to often on AI, so I think we may be done hearing them sing her songs.


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## scrapngen

Aahhh, but next week we get to hear them butcher Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston songs... 

To me, it's a little early in the competition to have them singing super challenging stuff. After all, don't they always fault the kids who "try" to sing Stevie or try to match Whitney?? Also, this plays to a certain type of singer, and will make others look ridiculous because it just isn't their type of voice or style.:annoyed: 

I don't know, I was also a little annoyed by J.Lo's fawning on that one guy who didn't make the cut, but they allowed to sing for the final places. He broke down, and they all went nuts about "how much it meant to him..." 
Excuse me, but doesn't it mean that much to ALL these hopefuls?? and don't they usually question those who can't finish a song? I guess he's a "super nice" guy and it's great TV to have a hug fest, but you could see the irritation of the next singer who knew she couldn't get that much attention following that display. J.Lo made it perfectly clear that he was in no matter what, because SHE knew he was great. Maybe he'll rise to her expectations, but I'm not that convinced that he's got what it takes. 

It is also interesting to see Randy become the voice of reason during judges' comments over the last few nights. He's the only one calling them out. Isn't it a little early to tell them all how great they are?? Steven and JLo seem to ignore pitch problems, wardrobe goofs, song choices, etc. I loved having Jimmy Iovine give actual input about each contestant - including the comment I made at home about the girl in the "prom" dress. :rofl: Beautiful dress, but hardly pop star. I really hate to say this, but: "WHERE'S SIMON?????"   (yes, I do know where he is, just sayin')


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## DaveNV

Now that I see the final 13, I can stop watching for a month or two, until it gets down to the remaining few finalists.  No sense living through the contrived melodrama in the middle.  Good luck to the Survivors.  Oh wait - that's a different show... 

Dave


----------



## TUGBrian

hope they replace tyler with jimmy as an actual judge.


----------



## Skittles1

TUGBrian said:


> hope they replace tyler with jimmy as an actual judge.



That would be great if Jimmy was a judge.  I loved all of his comments last night.  He was a bit mean, but pretty much spot-on.  Steven Tyler is a real waste of time.  He loves everyone, and he seems so awkward this season.


----------



## Jaybee

I agree about the drama.  If I want to watch TV with a box of tissues on my lap, I'll start watching soap operas.
It seems to be all about how much the contestants WANT to get through. Nobody seems to care about how much the DESERVE to get through.  
I haven't watched it much this year.  The other night I fell asleep in the midst of all the screaming/singing. How could THAT happen?


----------



## markbernstein

Last season was the most boring I can recall, sad to say, so I hadn't been watching at all this season.  But I'm on the road on business right now, sitting in a hotel room, and there wasn't anything else I wanted to watch, so I've now "met" the final 13.

The good news:  I'm more impressed with the best of the voices this year.  Of course there are some weaker ones, but there are a few I think hold real promise.

The really bad news:  The judges are almost completely useless.  (Well, Randy is trying a little.)  I found myself missing Simon, a lot.  (I may have to give X Factor a try when it comes back, which I haven't done yet.)  The worst moment for me was their praise for Heejun.  Did they hear the same performance I did?  Yes, when he hits the notes, he has a great tone, but some of the misses were just painful.

I know this is a battle-of-the-sexes week, but I'm going to ignore that.  My top three were all women - Skyler, Holly, and Jessica, in that order.  Joshua was my favorite of the guys, and DeAndre was fun.

Most likely to go home?  I'm going to say Jeremy.  He looked like the youngest performer up there, even though some were younger.


----------



## mbeach89

After tonight (IMHO) this competition is over, unless Tonya Harding gets some thug to take out Jessica Sanchez.  She took on Whitney Houston's (ok Dolly Parton's) "I Will Always Love You", and nailed it!  Game Over.


----------



## Clemson Fan

mbeach89 said:


> After tonight (IMHO) this competition is over, unless Tonya Harding gets some thug to take out Jessica Sanchez.  She took on Whitney Houston's (ok Dolly Parton's) "I Will Always Love You", and nailed it!  Game Over.



She was the only performance I watched (my wife and her family is Filipino) and yes she was fantastic.  She was actually on AGT when she was 11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5iQEjSln8U

Singing is a huge part of the Filipino culture and there are some amazing Filipino singers.  If you haven't heard of Charice Pempengco here are some videos of her on Oprah and singing with Celine Dion at Madison Square Garden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnhPBH48CWo

Lets not forget about Lea Salonga and all her classic Disney, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon songs.  We met her and saw her in concert about a year ago.

http://www.leasalonga.com/


----------



## esk444

mbeach89 said:


> After tonight (IMHO) this competition is over, unless Tonya Harding gets some thug to take out Jessica Sanchez.  She took on Whitney Houston's (ok Dolly Parton's) "I Will Always Love You", and nailed it!  Game Over.



I guess you never heard of the Frau Effect.  AI has basically lost a ton of male viewers over the years and the largest demographic that actually picks up the phone or text to vote are preteens/teenage girls and older women.

So cute white guys with guitars (WGWG's) will always win because they appeal to both of those demographics.  That means Philip Phillips is a shoe in and will win.  Very attractive females have no chance.  R&B is out too.  Anyone scary to older women are out too like Adam Lambert or rockers.

I thought this was all BS until everyone kept saying that the "Baby lock them doors and turn the lights down low" guy would win last year when they got to the Top 13 because he was the only one to fit the profile.  At the time I thought NO WAY, as I didn't think Scotty was all that extraordinary and seemed kind of a jerk for helping kick that kid out of his group.  

Scotty never even came up for elimination and the same thing will happen to Phil despite how strong the female singers or Mantasia are.


----------



## pjrose

esk444 said:


> I guess you never heard of the Frau Effect.  AI has basically lost a ton of male viewers over the years and the largest demographic that actually picks up the phone or text to vote are preteens/teenage girls and older women.
> 
> So cute white guys with guitars (WGWG's) will always win because they appeal to both of those demographics.  That means Philip Phillips is a shoe in and will win.  Very attractive females have no chance.  R&B is out too.  *Anyone scary to older women are out too like Adam Lambert* or rockers.
> 
> . . .



I agree with you on the demographic.  I LOVE Adam Lambert, so I guess

I'm NOT an "older woman," even though people in stores/restaurants are increasingly calling me honey, sweetie, and ma'am  

I love Joshua and Jermaine.  Listened to a few of the girls' performances, but fell asleep.  I do NOT like the Adam wannabee Colton, also do not like Philip.


----------



## Patri

Are the girls this year super tall or standing on a platform next to Ryan? They are huge.


----------



## Elan

Jessica Sanchez may have the best voice, but it's not just a singing competition.  From what I've seen thus far, I'd pay 10x more to see Phillip Phillips perform than I would to see Jessica.  Her voice will likely carry her quite far into this competition, but voice alone will not win it (based on past seasons).  Phillip Phillips appears to be the most interesting artist they've had on the show since David Cook.

  All MHO, and subject to change as we see more.


----------



## BoaterMike

I may not be the biggest Idol fan, but this is the first year the show really feels stale for me.  (Even including the contrived surprises.)   I agree that we need to see more as the performers have to venture out of their comfort zones.   More train wrecks predicted.  

One thing AI banks on is the road tour that follows the competition.  Well, that did not work so well last year, and I'm not sure there's going to be any improvement with this bunch of contestants.  

Mike


----------



## Skittles1

Jessica Sanchez definitely has the best voice, but I think Phil Phillips is the person to beat.  He is so talented, and interesting, like a young Dave Matthews.  Love him!


----------



## BoaterMike

Uh-Oh!  Per TMZ, Phillip Phillips was rushed to hospital today.   Hope he's ok.


----------



## Karen G

BoaterMike said:


> Uh-Oh!  Per TMZ, Phillip Phillips was rushed to hospital today.   Hope he's ok.


Here's the report.


----------



## timeos2

mbeach89 said:


> After tonight (IMHO) this competition is over, unless Tonya Harding gets some thug to take out Jessica Sanchez.  She took on Whitney Houston's (ok Dolly Parton's) "I Will Always Love You", and nailed it!  Game Over.



Parroting the original singer may be good for a week or two but it doesn't win on AI.  So far Jessica - while singing virtually flawlessly especially last night - has shown no originally what so ever.  There was one like that last year Pia Toscano and she didn't even reach the top 5.  You need your own sound in addition to a great voice.


----------



## pjrose

Patri said:


> Are the girls this year super tall or standing on a platform next to Ryan? They are huge.



I don't know about that, but seeing Jermaine and Ryan next to each other is quite a sight!


----------



## beejaybeeohio

BoaterMike said:


> I may not be the biggest Idol fan, but this is the first year the show really feels stale for me.  (Even including the contrived surprises.)   I agree that we need to see more as the performers have to venture out of their comfort zones.   More train wrecks predicted.
> 
> One thing AI banks on is the road tour that follows the competition.  Well, that did not work so well last year, and I'm not sure there's going to be any improvement with this bunch of contestants.
> 
> Mike



Feels stale to me, too.  Having the contestants sing from recording artist's songbooks does nothing to show their individuality.  And doesn't Idol use Stevie Wonder' repertoire every season?  Sure seems so to me!


----------



## TUGBrian

certainly the most impressive version of whitney done on any talent show Ive seen period!

I still have my girls ranked:

skylar
jessica
the younger english accent one?


guys are easily

phil
mantasia

rest will just go home one by one....


----------



## scrapngen

I like Skylar a lot! More each time I see/hear her. She was the only one who seemed to know what to wear last night of the girls. She has personality and a great voice. She really does look like a young Reba in some ways. 

Jessica can sing (!) , but is young and hasn't developed her own sense of style in music..

None of the boys have "wowed" me yet, but I think several will be around for awhile. Phillip is one to watch, IMHO. He's considered "a musician," and seems to have a good sense of self. Deondre and Colton will also stay around unless they take a big misstep. 

I think they sent home the right guy...Maybe in person he is something different - the judges sure seem to like him - but he doesn't come across well on TV, as reflected in his lack of votes. Not a fan of his voice - not very full or rich, and boring. Wouldn't have bothered me much if the girl went home, though. But she was obviously out of her zone singing Whitney. Maybe she'll have better luck with the next weeks' song selection and surprise us, maybe not.


----------



## pjrose

My favorites are/were Johnny, Joshua, Jermaine, and Jessica.  I just noticed all the "J"s


----------



## BocaBum99

I have not watched American Idol at all this year.  Been too busy and got more interested in The Voice.  I was looking for a song on Youtube and I noticed that Jessica Sanchez is the top video on the home page.  I clicked and watched the video of Jessica singing "I will always love you" and I was stunned at just how good it was.  Then, I clicked on two of her prior performances.  They were equally as good.  I am going to watch now.

I just looked through the comments on this thread.  I am amazed that many think that Jessica is just an imitator of great singers.  Have any of you actually tried to sing any of those songs?  Have you seen the trail of dead carcuses of American idol contestants who tried to sing these songs and failed?  Pia Toscana was good, but nothing close to as talented as Jessica Sanchez. I am goin to root for her because the best talent should win a talent competition.


----------



## geoand

pjrose said:


> My favorites are/were Johnny, Joshua, Jermaine, and Jessica.  I just noticed all the "J"s



and we all know that has nothing to do with "joints."


----------



## pjrose

geoand said:


> and we all know that has nothing to do with "joints."



Well I DO have knee problems.....


----------



## geoand

pjrose said:


> Well I DO have knee problems.....



LOL!!!!!!

I see that you have figured me out!


----------



## Karen G

*Idol contestant removed from the competition*

It will be interesting tonight to see how they handle  this information about the "gentle giant" Jermaine.  It seems he has been hiding something!


----------



## pjrose

Karen G said:


> It will be interesting tonight to see how they handle  this information about the "gentle giant" Jermaine.  It seems he has been hiding something!



Whoops!

I love his performances  

Too bad they didn't give the 13th spot to Johnny instead


----------



## BoaterMike

A recording artist (potential, that is) getting in trouble with authorities?   Shocking!!!


----------



## pjrose

BoaterMike said:


> A recording artist (potential, that is) getting in trouble with authorities?   Shocking!!!



+ 1

I missed the show. 

I heard they played a segment with Jermaine being kicked off the show - tacky.  And he still performed?  Odd.  

I zipped through a few of the tracks on iTunes.  For Jessica Sanchez, I heard more back-up than Jessica.  I loved what I heard of Joshua, so will have to look on youtube.  I don't remember any others.


----------



## Karen G

pjrose said:


> I heard they played a segment with Joshua being kicked off the show - tacky.  And he still performed?  Odd.


It was Jermaine who was kicked off. They showed some of his rehearsal but he didn't perform on the live show.


----------



## BocaBum99

I only heard the first half of the show.  Jessica Sanchez made a terrible song choice with Turn the Beat around.  Not a good performance at all.

If you are going to have an off night, do it early in the competition.  She should be safe because there were a ton of very bad performances.

Step it up Jessica.  I am rooting for you.


----------



## pjrose

Karen G said:


> It was Jermaine who was kicked off. They showed some of his rehearsal but he didn't perform on the live show.



Whoops - keyboard malfunction!  I fixed it  .  I didn't realize they didn't show him performing on the live show; his song is listed on iTunes as one of those from last night.  Now I think I recall from a previous year that the iTunes recordings are done in a studio, and aren't the live ones.


----------



## BoaterMike

pjrose said:


> + 1
> I loved what I heard of Joshua, so will have to look on youtube.  I don't remember any others.



Definitely look that one up!   Hollie Cavanagh closed the show, so you know that was good as well.  

The musical productions have been over-the-top and have drowned out the performers in some cases.   Skylar's voice was lost in the accompanying music.  But then again, I'm no expert.   

Mike


----------



## Karen G

BocaBum99 said:


> there were a ton of very bad performances.


Really?? I thought they all did a great job.


----------



## pjrose

I just watched Joshua's performance.  For those who missed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-X4WkJBv5U


----------



## TUGBrian

yea, last night can be summed up by "mantasia" (joshua)...and then everyone else.

I fast forwarded through most of the performances...yawn....even phil phillips was suprisingly boring.

he (joshua) knocked it out of the park though.


----------



## pjrose

TUGBrian said:


> yea, last night can be summed up by "mantasia" (joshua)...and then everyone else.
> 
> I fast forwarded through most of the performances...yawn....even phil phillips was suprisingly boring.
> 
> he (joshua) knocked it out of the park though.



Oh THAT's who's meant by Mantasia !  

Good comparison.

And I LOVE that he says "yes ma'am" to his mom.  I did too; it's just the way it was!


----------



## geoand

TUGBrian said:


> yea, last night can be summed up by "mantasia" (joshua)...and then everyone else.
> 
> I fast forwarded through most of the performances...yawn....even phil phillips was suprisingly boring.
> 
> he (joshua) knocked it out of the park though.



Yowser!!!!!

The whole performance by Joshua was incredible.  The emotions from his face, the movements of his body.  Taking off the jacket emphasized the song and showed how professional he really is.  Talk about an "emotional response to music."  Where did you folks go when listening and watching that performance?


----------



## TUGBrian

I know I let out an audible "daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn" when he sang parts of that song  lol


just hope he doesnt fade like last years similar voice (wasnt his name jacob?)


----------



## Carol C

TUGBrian said:


> I know I let out an audible "daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn" when he sang parts of that song  lol
> 
> 
> just hope he doesnt fade like last years similar voice (wasnt his name jacob?)



Percy Sledge emailed to say how much he liked his rendition. Now THAT'S sayin something!


----------



## timeos2

America got tonights elimination correct for once. Too bad about Jerime - I liked his voice & singing style.


----------



## Carol C

timeos2 said:


> America got tonights elimination correct for once. Too bad about Jerime - I liked his voice & singing style.



I liked his voice and singing style as well. Too bad about his outstanding warrants...guess he'll be easy for law enforcement to catch up with now. Do you recall who "saved" Jermaine, was it Randy? He looked right into the camera when Ryan broke the news and when they ran that clip with Nigel interviewing Jermaine...Randy looking into the camera as if to say "I gave you a chance and you blew it dawg"...Randy looked crestfallen to say the least. I felt sorry for Randy...not for Jermaine.


----------



## Skittles1

It seemed a little inappropriate to me to televise the whole thing between Jermaine and the producers.  Yes, he should've come clean about his problems with the law, but it doesn't sound like he did anything too bad.  I feel bad for the guy, they totally exploited the situation.  As for the results, based on performances, I think it should've been Heejun to go home.  Don't get me wrong, I think he's hysterical, but clearly not the best singer.  My six year old daughter was devastated this morning when I told her who was sent home.  Shannon was her favorite.


----------



## Elan

I know it's early, but they could just fast forward to Joshua, Phillip, Hollie and Jessica as the Final Four.


----------



## Mosca

I think that the singers as a group are the most talented I've ever seen on the show, but that night's performances were not all that good.

Randy keeps getting away with something that just isn't true: "The best singers can sing the phone book." Well, no. They can't. Streisand can't sing Neil Young. Or better yet, Streisand would struggle with "Turn the Beat Around". Not that she couldn't hit all the notes, or drone out "Down By the River", but she couldn't do it convincingly. It would sound flat.

Iovine gave it away last night, when he said that the producers give each singer three choices, and then they go in with Iovine and the celebrity guest and work on their favorite, and if it isn't going well, Iovine makes another suggestion FROM A LIST. So sometimes we get ballad singers like Jessica singing uptempo. Sometimes we get soul singers like Elise singing a ballad. And sometimes we get singers with a song right up their alley, like Holly and Joshua. 

It IS a TV show, after all. Song choices are manipulated to create drama. We'll know when Elvis Week rolls around, and Jessica gets to choose from _Hound Dog_, _Jailhouse Rock_, or _Return to Sender_, and Colton gets _In the Ghetto_, _Suspicious Minds_, or _I Can't Help Falling in Love With You_.


----------



## DaveNV

Skittles1 said:


> but it doesn't sound like he did anything too bad.



I'm not sure I agree with that.  From what I recall hearing them say during their (inappropriate, in my opinion) airing of his dirty laundry, he gave false names to the police on more than one occasion while being questioned.  I'm not a criminal, but it seems to me that if you feel you need to hide your real name from the police, you've done something wrong that you don't want them to know about.  Apparently, he did it more than once, so there would be more than one occasion of wrongdoing.  What was he hiding on those different occasions, that he felt the need to repeatedly mislead the police?  Enough of a problem to result in multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest?  I think there's more to the situation than has been disclosed.   

Dave


----------



## pjrose

geoand said:


> Yowser!!!!!
> 
> The whole performance by Joshua was incredible.  The emotions from his face, the movements of his body.  Taking off the jacket emphasized the song and showed how professional he really is.  Talk about an "emotional response to music."  Where did you folks go when listening and watching that performance?



Even though I only saw it later on YouTube on my little screen, Wow, I was blown away.  We rarely see someone put so much into the performance (rewind to Adam in blue light singing Mad World, and in another show, Tracks of My Tears).   



Carol C said:


> Percy Sledge emailed to say how much he liked his rendition. Now THAT'S sayin something!


 :whoopie: 



Skittles1 said:


> . . .  I think it should've been Heejun to go home.  Don't get me wrong, I think he's hysterical, but clearly not the best singer.  . . .


With you on that; the little bit I saw during Thursday's show was not good.




Elan said:


> I know it's early, but they could just fast forward to Joshua, Phillip, Hollie and Jessica as the Final Four.



Yep!


----------



## BocaBum99

I really enjoyed tonight's episode since I am such a huge Billy Joel fan.  Jessica is back on track with her performance.  She really killed it.  So much for those trying to pigeon hole her as a copy artist.  

Also, I heard Jessica's studio version of Turn the Beat Around.  It was fantastic.  You can really hear the detail of her voice.  Jessica Sanchez studio version of Turn the Beat Around 

Also, Colton killed Piano Man.  That song was written for him.


----------



## Elan

Colton had the best performance, followed by Phillip.  Everone else was pretty boring, IMO.


----------



## Blues

Agree about Colton.  Funny, as soon as he appeared on the screen, I said "he ought to do Piano Man".  He did, and knocked it out of the park  

I think this week is a no-brainer.  As much as I really like Heejun's personality, it's clear that he's past his expiration date and needs to go.

-Bob


----------



## Mosca

Elan said:


> Colton had the best performance, followed by Phillip.  Everone else was pretty boring, IMO.



Huh. We thought PP was boring. Not bad, but not great, either.

Although my opinion of the show's production hasn't changed, I do believe that this is the best group of singers they've ever had. Across the board. Even the eliminees were pretty good. The only clinker in the bunch is Hee Jun, and he's not nearly as bad as some of the bad ones from previous seasons. And he bought himself another week with his schtick.  

How about Tommy Hilfiger for a stupid idea? Everyone went along, and then ignored him. Want to show how you're not hip and independent? Wear the cookie cutter clothes of your parents' generation!

Elise Testone's life as a bar singer (a GREAT bar singer) really shows up under the lights of the big stage. Nice person, great soulful voice, not gonna win this thing. She's easily the most likeable contestant, though. Maybe because she's old enough to have a personality. 

Everyone else is really good, even the kid with the goofy hair (both of them). I think Elise is going home, either her of the girl who changed her hair. Not because they weren't any good, but because they'll split votes by being the same "type", which is also a type without a strong fan base. She's been bottom three every week, and now her luck is run out.


----------



## pjrose

I always like Joshua, but _She's Got A Way_ was kind of blah for him. I'd have rather heard him do _Honesty_;  I think he could have really put more emotion into that than what he sang.  

DeAndre's _Only The Good Die Young_ was good....could have been stronger.

We thought Philip's _Moving Out_ was awful, he made it too weird.  He clearly has talent, but we just don't like his style.

Colton on _Piano Man_ was super.

Jessica's _Dream_ was excellent.

It's time for Heejun to go bye-bye.

I don't remember the rest.

PJ


----------



## pjrose

*March 22 results - NOT a spoiler*

Wrong result on AI tonight, IMHO.  The person's exit song is sooo gooood! 
   

And how anyone can sing after just being voted off is beyond me.  
  

The next-to-last will go soon.


----------



## Karen G

I was really surprised tonight. Not whom I thought would go at all.


----------



## Sandi Bo

pjrose said:


> And how anyone can sing after just being voted off is beyond me.



I agree -- it just amazes how someone can do that, I know I'd be bawling my eyes out.    

I don't like the save option. It feels like a kick 'em while they are down to me.

DeAndre, Colton, and Jessica are my favorites (although I don't think DeAndre's selection was good for him this week, I was glad to see him make it through).


----------



## timeos2

Sandi Bo said:


> I agree -- it just amazes how someone can do that, I know I'd be bawling my eyes out.
> 
> I don't like the save option. It feels like a kick 'em while they are down to me.
> 
> DeAndre, Colton, and Jessica are my favorites (although I don't think DeAndre's selection was good for him this week, I was glad to see him make it through).



DeAndre would have been the proper choice to be dumped this week IMO.  Phillip would be my #2 - then Heejun.  None of the ladies should have even been in the bottom three this week with the guys easily winning worse of the week honors (Colton & Joshua the notable exceptions).


----------



## TUGBrian

still think heejun's performance was the most "entertaining"

by far the worst singing though.


----------



## puppymommo

Heejun may well stick around for awhile because he has a fan base.  (Remember Sanjaya and Jason Castro?)  I think the last two guys will be Colton and Joshua (maybe Colton and Philip), last two girls will be Hollie and Jessica.  Erica and Elise, and maybe Philip and Joshua, may be too "unique" for the overall Idol fan base.


----------



## Blues

puppymommo said:


> Heejun may well stick around for awhile because he has a fan base.  (Remember Sanjaya and Jason Castro?)



Yes, in all the above cases, including Heejun, the fan base is/was http://www.votefortheworst.com/ 

I find that web site to be annoying.  Every season, the worst singer is "helped" along until they're down to 5 or 6 contestants.  At that point, the votes are concentrated enough among the 5 or 6 that VFTW isn't big enough to overcome it.

-Bob


----------



## Ann-Marie

In my opinion, Heejun was purely embarrassing.  He should have gone.  Can't imagine what stunt he will pull next week.


----------



## Blues

*Bottom 4*

Last night was terrific!  So many good performances.  But someone has to go, so I thought I'd post my bottom 4.  Why 4?  Because you'll all disagree with my first pick; as will the rest of America.  If nothing else, the tweenie girls will keep him alive to the end.  So it's a throwaway.  Here goes.

1. Deandre.  He's got a beautiful voice, if he'd just stick to his natural voice.  I even don't mind the occasional falsetto note or two as punctuation.  But when he goes into falsetto for all, or most, of a song, it's like nails on a blackboard to me.  He's always rubbed me the wrong way, just for that reason.  I fast forwarded through most of his performance last night.  First time I've done that since Hung, or at least since Sanjaya.  Wife agrees.  Nails on a blackboard.

2. Hollie.  I like her.  Sweet kid.  Good voice.  But "Jesus take the wheel"?  Carrie Underwood did it so much better.  And I'm sorry, but I've never been able to take that lyric seriously.  It sounds to me like a bad charicature of fake religiosity.  Sorry if I offend some, but that's my opinion.  Anyway, she has a good voice, but there are so many better voices this year.  She'll have to go sometime.  My guess is in the next 3 weeks.

3. Skylar.  Reba-lite.  I really like her.  Spunky, energetic, nice kid.  But she's gone stale.  She not only does country every week.  She does the same *style* of country, week after week.  Where she jumps up and down and screams into the mike.  I honestly can no longer distinguish one of her performances from any of the others.  They're decent performances, but how about something new?

4. Heejun.  I've always appreciated his humor.  I genuinely like the kid.  And he really turned it around this week.  When I saw what he poured into his performance, I thought finally, he's gotten out of the bottom 3.  Until, of course, everyone else performed.  Really, so many good performances, someone's got to be at the bottom.  Unfortunately, I think that will include Heejun.  It may be a case of too little, too late.  At least he has VFTW going for him, so he may not go home.

Just about everyone else blew me away last night.  Phillip Phillip Phillip Phillips is really beginning to grow on me.  He hit it out of the park last night.   Colton was excellent as always.  Joshua was not quite on his game, but has been so terrific in the past, it doesn't matter.

But you know who really impressed me?  Elise.  When Ryan announced she was doing Zeppelin, I started to clean out my ears.  I thought I had mis-heard him.  And when he came back from break and said "Whole Lotta Love", I thought no way.  She couldn't possibly.

She did.  And blew it out of the park.  I was wondering if she'd do the Robert Plant finish; if she could pull it off.  She did.  Unbelievable.  Kudos!

-Bob


----------



## Karen G

I was impressed with every one of the contestants. It will be sad to see any of them leave.  I really want to see their summer tour. The trio numbers were very enjoyable, too.


----------



## timeos2

I am tired of Skylars one note style. My quotient for that country twang sound is filled within a few bars of a single song. Each week she's the same & it's old now. DiAndre is a nightmare. Hopefully voted off tonight. And I have no use for the two note range of "singing" (closer to growling) of Phillip. Also like to see him go even before Heejun (who is ultimately domed).  

On the bubble due to bad song choices are Hollie (two bad outtings in a row) and an untypical bad week for Colton & Joshua.  But the REALLY bad night by DiAndre will hopefully outweigh those subpar performances. 

As for Elise - WOW! That was impressive. She moved way up. The top five are Colton, Jessica (she is still doing too many ballads but very very well), Elise, Joshua and Skylar. Top three Jessica, Colton & Joshua IMO but Elise is making a strong run for a top three spot.


----------



## Elan

Most of the performances were very good last night.  Heejun mostly redeemed himself, while the better vocalists of the group (Joshua, Jessica, Hollie) were good, but pretty vanilla.  Only performance I didn't really like was DeAndre, although the judges loved it.  I also find the overuse of his falsetto very annoying.  

  Elise was the star last night.  Anyone who sings Zeppelin well gets a 10x multiplier from me.  There are oodles more singers out there that can cover Mariah/Whitney than there are who can cover Robert Plant.  I don't think Elise will last much longer, but she proved last night that she definitely belongs.


----------



## DaveNV

You folks are all reflecting exactly what I'm thinking.  For me, it's the marketability of the singer's voice.  I don't care about looks or costumes or live performing style.  It's all about whether I would buy music they record.

DeAndre's falsetto is interesting - for about 30 seconds.  Then it seems affected and contrived and annoying.  I doubt strongly I'd ever buy a song sung in that way.

Skylar?  I can't understand a word she sings, so why would I ever buy her music?  The band is way too loud, and seems like it's covering up her annoying vocals.  Jumping around on stage may make for a good show, but if I'm listening to her while driving my car, all I can hear is the song she's singing.  She always sounds overproduced, and like she's doing bad karaoke Reba.  Leaves me completely disinterested.  (Simon's comments about cruise ship performers comes to mind...)

Philips reminds me of a guy doing a bad impression of early Joe Cocker or Bruce Springsteen, with a dash of Bob Dylan thrown in.  Interesting to watch for awhile, but I'd never buy music like that.  I prefer the originals.  And I think he thinks he's "all that."  Something else I find very annoying.  LOL!  

Colton has an interesting voice, but his song last night didn't appeal to me.  If I could listen without the visual distractions, I might buy his music.

Jessica:  I'd buy her music, if she would stop trying to channel big-voiced female singers.  I don't see "her" in there anywhere.  But it's easy to see how she's been groomed all these years to get to this point.  Like a singing version of a beauty pageant contestent.

Joshua:  His voice amazes me.  I'd buy his music.

Elise:  Just one word:  Dayum!  The girl has an amazing voice.  I'd buy her music, especially if she stays in the rocker vein she's so good at.

Hee Jun?  I don't get him.  He's not up to the talent standard of the other contestants, and his singing just doesn't do anything for me.  I'm neutral about him.  Doubt I'd buy anything he recorded.

None of the others stood out for me, so I guess that means I wasn't that impressed.  Not that my opinion counts for anything.  

If I was choosing the final three, I'd say Colton, Joshua, and Jessica.

We'll see who goes home tonight.  I'm not voting, so I guess it must not really matter to me that much, one way or the other.   

Dave


----------



## BocaBum99

timeos2 said:


> I am tired of Skylars one note style. My quotient for that country twang sound is filled within a few bars of a single song. Each week she's the same & it's old now. DiAndre is a nightmare. Hopefully voted off tonight. And I have no use for the two note range of "singing" (closer to growling) of Phillip. Also like to see him go even before Heejun (who is ultimately domed).
> 
> On the bubble due to bad song choices are Hollie (two bad outtings in a row) and an untypical bad week for Colton & Joshua.  But the REALLY bad night by DiAndre will hopefully outweigh those subpar performances.
> 
> As for Elise - WOW! That was impressive. She moved way up. The top five are Colton, Jessica (she is still doing too many ballads but very very well), Elise, Joshua and Skylar. Top three Jessica, Colton & Joshua IMO but Elise is making a strong run for a top three spot.



You are finally starting to make sense.

Jessica may be in trouble tonight only because so many others had great performances and voters may think she is safe.   I actually picked up the phone and voted because of that concern.  However, if she does get voted off there is absolutely no doubt in my mind the judges will save her.

Jessica does a lot of ballads because the judges told her to do ballads.  She is also a fantastic R&B singer.  She will show it later.  She is one of the best vocalists ever on American Idol.  She already shows professional maturity in her vocals at the age of 16.  It's a good thing she missed the cutoff last year by 2 weeks.  She really did mature a lot in the last year when listening to her other Youtube videos.  She may not win and she may not be a mega star, but there is no doubt she has tremendous talent.

I loved Elise.  She won the night.  Unfortunately that is a one trick pony and she just had her 5 minutes of fame.  She will be out in the next couple of weeks.

I loved PP as well.  

I hated Deandre.  He was out of tune in many places.  That falsetto hurts my ears.  

Colton going first hurt him.  He was good, but I think he was outdone by the later performances.

Joshua was unbelievable as well.

My order of performance for the night was:

1) Elise
2) Joshua
3) Phillip Phillips
4) Jessica Sanchez


----------



## geoand

I have always disliked the falsetto that Deandre uses.  DW last night asked how come I dislike it so much.  I just said that it is grating on my ears.  He uses it as a trick.  DW then asked me what about Aaron Neville.  I responded that Aaron has an outstanding falsetto and that is the difference.


----------



## Mosca

Again, across the board this is the best group they've ever had. The weakest, Hee Jun, would be top 6 most other seasons. Any of those eliminated would also be right up there in other seasons. 

That being said, there are performers among these whose style or manner I don't care for. I don't care for most of them, actually. 

I liked the girl who was eliminated last week, she was damn good. 

I don't care for Colton, or Philip. Or Hee Jun. I like Joshua OK, but he's starting to get on my nerves. Jessica and Holly are like singing androids. Deandre seems like a nice boy, but I don't like his music. Skylar is OK, but she'd better sing something different soon. And who sabotaged her by putting her in with those two little teenagers, and then dressing her in an outfit that basically made her butt stick out, showcasing it like a rump?

Elise. Man, watch that old pro work it. Go back and watch it on Youtube. You know how many times she's sung that song? I'll bet it's well over a hundred. Note the modulation of the volume at 22-25 seconds. Watch the hips, at 30 seconds, and again at 40-46 seconds. You can't see it because of the camera, but at 52-58 she does a James Brown side shuffle with her feet; she does it a little bit again around 1:30 or so. And that knowing glance at 1:54, because everyone knows what's coming... and then, on the chord, _that shimmy_, while the band waits for the climax, man, I just melted. But yeah, she's done "Whole Lotta Love" probably a hundred times A YEAR, for the last few years! 

Yeah, tell me that wasn't a setup. But they were all given the chance to pick the song that they were best at. *The real question is: Is that Elise Testone's floor, or is it her ceiling?* My bet is, that's as good as she gets. And that ain't gonna win, and it isn't superstar. Hell yeah, I'd pay to see her sing in a club. But there are lots of women singing in that style today, who aren't stars, and who are at least as good as she is. Here is Beth Hart, whom I never heard of until I picked a name at random from a google list of "white female blues singers". She's fantastic, and this will probably be the only time you'll _ever_ hear of her.


----------



## vkrn

I agree about Deandre. I did not like the falsetto all the way through the song. I was surprised when the judges said how great he was. 

I still think Phillip Phillips is the best "artist." He may not make it to the end, but he has potential to be a recording artist.

Colton was really great last night.

I agree about Skylar. She does a lot of jumping and screeching. Even though I am a country fan, I don't really like her much.

I postulate that the reason all the performances were so good this week, is because the artists were able to pick their own songs that fit them. If we could hear them do that every week, we would have a different competition. Not everyone can do  The Beetles, or Michal Jackson or Mowtown or whatever 1960s them the producers pick.


----------



## BocaBum99

Mosca said:


> Again, across the board this is the best group they've ever had. The weakest, Hee Jun, would be top 6 most other seasons. Any of those eliminated would also be right up there in other seasons.
> 
> That being said, there are performers among these whose style or manner I don't care for. I don't care for most of them, actually.
> 
> I liked the girl who was eliminated last week, she was damn good.
> 
> I don't care for Colton, or Philip. Or Hee Jun. I like Joshua OK, but he's starting to get on my nerves. Jessica and Holly are like singing androids. Deandre seems like a nice boy, but I don't like his music. Skylar is OK, but she'd better sing something different soon. And who sabotaged her by putting her in with those two little teenagers, and then dressing her in an outfit that basically made her butt stick out, showcasing it like a rump?
> 
> Elise. Man, watch that old pro work it. Go back and watch it on Youtube. You know how many times she's sung that song? I'll bet it's well over a hundred. Note the modulation of the volume at 22-25 seconds. Watch the hips, at 30 seconds, and again at 40-46 seconds. You can't see it because of the camera, but at 52-58 she does a James Brown side shuffle with her feet; she does it a little bit again around 1:30 or so. And that knowing glance at 1:54, because everyone knows what's coming... and then, on the chord, _that shimmy_, while the band waits for the climax, man, I just melted. But yeah, she's done "Whole Lotta Love" probably a hundred times A YEAR, for the last few years!
> 
> Yeah, tell me that wasn't a setup. But they were all given the chance to pick the song that they were best at. *The real question is: Is that Elise Testone's floor, or is it her ceiling?* My bet is, that's as good as she gets. And that ain't gonna win, and it isn't superstar. Hell yeah, I'd pay to see her sing in a club. But there are lots of women singing in that style today, who aren't stars, and who are at least as good as she is. Here is Beth Hart, whom I never heard of until I picked a name at random from a google list of "white female blues singers". She's fantastic, and this will probably be the only time you'll _ever_ hear of her.



Elise peaked last night.  She can't do any better.


----------



## Mosca

BocaBum99 said:


> Elise peaked last night.  She can't do any better.



Nope. But it was a heck of a lot of fun, wasn't it.


----------



## BoaterMike

I'm glad that my wife and I are not the only ones that don't get the Deandre performances.   Unfortunately the voting demographic seems to see things differently than we do.  

Mike


----------



## Blues

BoaterMike said:


> I'm glad that my wife and I are not the only ones that don't get the Deandre performances.   Unfortunately the voting demographic seems to see things differently than we do.
> 
> Mike



I agree with both your points.  In my post, I said you'd all disagree with me.  I'm very happy to discover I was wrong  

Your second point - I'd guess that almost all of us who are agreeing are probably over 40.  The demographics they're targeting for a singer like DeAndre are the tween and teen girls.  I'll bet they spend more per capita on records than any of us do, by far.

In fact, my paranoid side suggests that perhaps the judges really aren't that honestly crazy about his singing.  Perhaps they're promoting him so heavily because they need him for their demographic target.  Nah, they'd never do anything that calculated, would they?  :hysterical: 

-Bob


----------



## pjrose

I like Deandre but I do think he overdid the falsetto.  I want to hear a range.

Jessica was fabulous, so poised and mature and an amazing voice.

Skylar, yuck, I just don't like her.

I love Joshua.

Heejun, yeah, he's good, but I think the disconnect between his looks and voice is part of why he seems good.  He's not THAT good IMHO.

I think I'm alone in this, but I just do not like Colton.  DH and I thought he was off key the whole time.  But then the judges loved him.  Who said "perfect pitch", was it Stephen? I don't know that he's one to recognize perfect pitch!

Philip, I just don't like his style.  

I would love to see a Jessica/Joshua finale and a tie (not that either will happen).


Ewwwww.....Nikki whoever was not appropriate for a family show.  So what else is new, unfortunately


----------



## Mosca

Buh-bye to Heejun. Funny, he might have the kind of smoky voice that winds up being popular.


----------



## icul8rg8r

I love both Elise and Phillip ... both are very original and true artists ... I would buy their music today and/or attend one of their concerts!  Can't stand the falsetto of Deandre, or the diva ballads of Jessica & Holly, or the twang of Skylar.  When Joshua and Heejun and Colton are having a good night, they are very good; but when they have a bad night...well, they're boring to me.  

So here's hoping my favorites, Elise & Phillip, are the final two!


----------



## TUGBrian

elise blew led zep away....best performance of the season for me easily.

no real complaints about heejun leaving...easily his best performance and still in the bottom 3.


----------



## Skittles1

Elise was amazing!  How cool was it to hear Led Zeppelin on AI?!?!  She is by far the best singer, but she doesn't have a chance of winning.  I just don't think the young girls will vote for her.  But definitely one of the best performances I've seen on AI.  I love Phil Phillips, every week he blows me away.  Jessica is great, but boring and predictable.  Same goes for Joshua and Holli.  D'Andre needs to go, I can't stand his voice, it's like nails on a chalkboard for me, but the judges love him, I don't get it.


----------



## Elan

Haley Reinhart did the Zeppelin tune "What Is and What Should Never Be" on AI last year.  She did a very nice job as well -- easily one of the best performances of last season.  I'd venture that most AI contestants have never heard of Led Zeppelin.


----------



## Mosca

Skittles1 said:


> Elise was amazing!  How cool was it to hear Led Zeppelin on AI?!?!  She is by far the best singer, but she doesn't have a chance of winning.  I just don't think the young girls will vote for her.  But definitely one of the best performances I've seen on AI.  I love Phil Phillips, every week he blows me away.  Jessica is great, but boring and predictable.  Same goes for Joshua and Holli.  D'Andre needs to go, I can't stand his voice, it's like nails on a chalkboard for me, but the judges love him, I don't get it.





Elan said:


> Haley Reinhart did the Zeppelin tune "What Is and What Should Never Be" on AI last year.  She did a very nice job as well -- easily one of the best performances of last season.  I'd venture that most AI contestants have never heard of Led Zeppelin.



What, everyone's already forgotten this?


----------



## timeos2

Mosca said:


> What, everyone's already forgotten this?



The fact that Adam lost to the no name, done nothing since "winner" shows that talent doesn't necessarily win AI. He may have been the most talented contestant ever on the show - including some that have since gone on to great careers (and, like Jennifer Hudson, another top talent that didn't win the "losers" often outshine the so called winner).  That said I actually think Elise did a better job on that song than Adam did.  

Singing / showmanship is sort of like pizza.  Each one is different and may have good and bad - there is no one "best".  It's all singing (or pizza) but very different depending on your taste or even mood at that time. I like to enjoy them all but also avoid those that are consistently less than good.  Both singers and pizza. There are too many Chuck E Cheese singers around and those I really try to ignore. There are still two or three in this years AI group that fall into that category.


----------



## TUGBrian

id also gander the majority of people who vote arent zepplin fans either....just their parents =)


----------



## Skittles1

Elan said:


> Haley Reinhart did the Zeppelin tune "What Is and What Should Never Be" on AI last year.  She did a very nice job as well -- easily one of the best performances of last season.  I'd venture that most AI contestants have never heard of Led Zeppelin.



How quickly I forgot!  Though I wasn't a big fan of Haley last year, even though all last season people kept telling me that I look just like her, lol.  I think you're right, the majority of the contestants, as well as the voters have probably never heard of Led Zep.


----------



## Carol C

timeos2 said:


> The fact that Adam lost to the no name, done nothing since "winner" shows that talent doesn't necessarily win AI. He may have been the most talented contestant ever on the show - including some that have since gone on to great careers (and, like Jennifer Hudson, another top talent that didn't win the "losers" often outshine the so called winner).  That said I actually think Elise did a better job on that song than Adam did.



Adam is fantastic and should have won. Clay Aiken is great and should have won. Jennifer Hudson should have come in first or second...but then she's doing very well, thank you veddy much. Oh yeah, then there's Daughtry...nuff said, you don't need an Idol win to come out on top!

Anyone have a youtube or other link to Elise's full Zep performance since I missed that show? Thanks! 

P.S. Whatever happened to William Hung?


----------



## Elan

Skittles1 said:


> How quickly I forgot!  Though I wasn't a big fan of Haley last year, even though all last season people kept telling me that I look just like her, lol.  I think you're right, the majority of the contestants, as well as the voters have probably never heard of Led Zep.



  I never really cared for Haley either, until she did the Zep tune.  

  That's one cool thing about AI.  One good "out of my element" performance can make one see a contestant in a totally different light.  I need to start seeing some of those type of performances from this year's group, particularly Hollie, Joshua and Jessica.  Those 3, probably the best vocalists of the lot, are starting to bore me to tears.


----------



## Skittles1

Elan said:


> I never really cared for Haley either, until she did the Zep tune.
> 
> That's one cool thing about AI.  One good "out of my element" performance can make one see a contestant in a totally different light.  I need to start seeing some of those type of performances from this year's group, particularly Hollie, Joshua and Jessica.  Those 3, probably the best vocalists of the lot, are starting to bore me to tears.



I couldn't agree with you more about those 3.


----------



## DaveNV

TUGBrian said:


> id also gander the majority of people who vote arent zepplin fans either....just their parents =)



Or their GRANDPARENTS!   

Dave


----------



## fillde

Elan said:


> I never really cared for Haley either, until she did the Zep tune.
> 
> That's one cool thing about AI.  One good "out of my element" performance can make one see a contestant in a totally different light.  I need to start seeing some of those type of performances from this year's group, particularly Hollie, Joshua and Jessica.  Those 3, probably the best vocalists of the lot, are starting to bore me to tears.



I thought Haley did a great job with Benny and the Jets.

Phil Phillips picked a great song for his style. I thought he did ao great job.


----------



## BocaBum99

I am surprised nobody commented on Scotty's song.  I never before heard it or any of his recently released songs.  However, I can say without a doubt that country music sucks.  I have no idea why anyone would like what he sang, let alone buy it.  But, they do.


----------



## pjrose

timeos2 said:


> The fact that Adam lost to the no name, done nothing since "winner" shows that talent doesn't necessarily win AI. He may have been the most talented contestant ever on the show - including some that have since gone on to great careers (and, like Jennifer Hudson, another top talent that didn't win the "losers" often outshine the so called winner).  . . .





Carol C said:


> Adam is fantastic and should have won. Clay Aiken is great and should have won. Jennifer Hudson should have come in first or second...but then she's doing very well, thank you veddy much. Oh yeah, then there's Daughtry...nuff said, you don't need an Idol win to come out on top!
> . . .



    
Oh yeah, but I'm afraid Adam would have been too constrained by an Idol contract.


----------



## timeos2

I only wish Jimmy Ivine was a judge as he manages to REALLY hit the mark but without being mean (and seemingly enjoying it) the way Simon was.  

On the other hand we now hear more from him over the two shows each week than we do from the judges so maybe it's better as it is.  The total lack of anything worthwhile - or any type of actual commitment when asked straight out for a comment - makes the judges a worthless waste of time now.  At least Simon used to make some outrageous comments and wasn't afraid to say a singer did a poor job when they did.  The cheerleader style they have adapted now - 5 standing ovations last week, come on! - does nothing for the singers or the audience.  But I listen to every word from Jimmy.  He doesn't even have to name drop (Randy).


----------



## scrapngen

timeos2 said:


> I only wish Jimmy Ivine was a judge as he manages to REALLY hit the mark but without being mean (and seemingly enjoying it) the way Simon was.
> 
> On the other hand we now hear more from him over the two shows each week than we do from the judges so maybe it's better as it is.  The total lack of anything worthwhile - or any type of actual commitment when asked straight out for a comment - makes the judges a worthless waste of time now.  At least Simon used to make some outrageous comments and wasn't afraid to say a singer did a poor job when they did.  The cheerleader style they have adapted now - 5 standing ovations last week, come on! - does nothing for the singers or the audience.  But I listen to every word from Jimmy.  He doesn't even have to name drop (Randy).



You've said exactly what I have been thinking!!
cheer:


----------



## BocaBum99

I am surprised there are no comments on Wed night's performances.

I think for me, the top 3 are Joshua, Jessica and Colton.  They all really killed it last night.  Joshua edged out Jessica for me.  But, their duet really convinced me that they should be in the final against each other.  If any of these 3 wins, I would be fine with it.  My heart is with Jessica though because she got me interested in this season.  Colton's duet really stunk it up.  So he gets third for the night.

I really didn't like Wind Beneath my Wings.  I don't like the Dolly Parton rendition.

Hollie's going home tonight.  Bottom 3 = Hollie, Elise, Deandre


----------



## SueDonJ

My top three are Phil, Colton and Elise.  Really like Phil, and I can see paying for his music.  I also like Skylar but can't figure out why she won't do something different with her hair - and normally I couldn't care less what they do as far as style and make-up.     Maybe it's just so noticeable because the others change their look every week.

I liked Jessica and Joshua okay at the beginning but now they both seem to be trying too hard.  Jessica oversings too many notes, and Joshua must be exhausted from investing so much emotion into every line.  They're both forcing it.   Deandre, I just don't get it.  Hollie was an early favorite but not any more.  Does she appear to anyone else to have a deer in the headlights look?  Maybe she just isn't ready.

I've gotta say, Gwen Stefani looks FANTASTIC!  Man, that girl is gorgeous and still manages to be down-to-earth and just nice.  There's not enough nice in that world.


----------



## timeos2

America got it right (& so did the Judges letting it stand). Just one no talent to go & we could have a top 5 or 6 any of them could earn a deserved win.


----------



## Elan

Adios, DeAndre.  I'm not sure how he survived this long.


----------



## dundey

Agree with the last 3 posts, although I think I may be the only one that thought Jessica was awful on Wednesday.  

I think Hollie deserved to be in the bottom 3 but she can sing and could rebound now that she has another chance.  My guess is Elise goes next week.
After that they are all very good, but my favs are Phil, Skylar and maybe Hollie - I think she has a great voice but does seem to be a little over whelmed right now.


----------



## SueDonJ

I turned it on at the beginning tonight but kept it on only long enough to learn that Joshua wasn't feeling well and could faint at any minute.     What is with all the drama this year when they're sick, and why couldn't they just let the poor guy know that he was safe and let him go lie down somewhere?  Or was he in the bottom three, so they had to keep him on stage for that drama-fest?

Anyway, turned it back on just in time to see JLo say that hers was the only vote to save DeAndre.  No surprise there, and at this point I can't say any of them being voted off will be a surprise either.


----------



## pjrose

SueDonJ said:


> . . .
> 
> I've gotta say, Gwen Stefani looks FANTASTIC!  Man, that girl is gorgeous and still manages to be down-to-earth and just nice.  There's not enough nice in that world.



Using the blonde hair and red lipstick as clues, I guessed she was Madonna.  That's my prosopagnosia (face blindness).  Oh well.

I liked DeAndre's "save me" song; I think he is fun and talented.  I guess he wasn't going to win anyway, but I still like him 

Joshua and Jessica for the finals, please - I just do not like Colton or Phillip. To me, Colton sounds off-key, and I don't like anything about Phillip, especially his weird expressions.  DH likes Holly.


----------



## Elan

dundey said:


> Agree with the last 3 posts, although I think I may be the only one that thought Jessica was awful on Wednesday.



  I thought Jessica's solo was ok, but she's incredibly boring.  Jessica, please do something other than Whitney, Mariah, and/or Beyonce.   She strikes me as someone who has spent her whole life in front of the TV and mirror, learning to mimic the antics of the "stars".  Great voice, very polished performances, no imagination.   If that was her "fun" alter ego cutting loose on Wednesday, I can't see her changing my mind.  To her credit, she's only 16.  She's yet to figure out what being "fun" is all about.  

  Having said all that, I sense that she's easily the most determined to win AI, and she might.  I'd venture that winning AI means a lot more to her than some of the more mature contestants.  Whomever likened her to a seasoned beauty pageant contestant was spot on.  Because of her determination to win, I would guess that she won't take any unneccessary chances unless forced to do so.  

  Barring catastrophic performances by the others, I think Hollie and Elise are the next to go (either order).  They both caught breaks this week by having DeAndre suck more than they did.  After those two, I see Skylar exiting next.  From that point on, it's a crap shoot.  

  As the season progresses, the only performances I find myself anticipating are those by Phillip, Colton and Joshua, and only because Joshua has totally sick vocals.  Otherwise, he's nearly as boring as Jessica.


----------



## geoand

I, too, have a hard time liking Jessica.  On her first song at the beginning of the competition round, I thought she was amazing.  Then, I realized that all she is someone who mimics other artists.  She is boring to me and she has been going downhill from the first.

When she stated that there were not very many songs in the 80's category that were good enough for her, I saw that as a weak excuse.  

I honestly think that she is a puppet on strings and that she is also the person controlling the strings.  There is no "life" to her singing.

I don't see Joshua as boring.  Amazing singer.

Phillip has not done anything different with any of his performances.  He is boring to me.

Those are my top 3.

Colton is one I never liked.

Of course, all of this reflects my likes in music.


----------



## DaveNV

Elan said:


> I thought Jessica's solo was ok, but she's incredibly boring.  Jessica, please do something other than Whitney, Mariah, and/or Beyonce.   She strikes me as someone who has spent her whole life in front of the TV and mirror, learning to mimic the antics of the "stars".  Great voice, very polished performances, no imagination.   If that was her "fun" alter ego cutting loose on Wednesday, I can't see her changing my mind.  To her credit, she's only 16.  She's yet to figure out what being "fun" is all about.
> 
> Having said all that, I sense that she's easily the most determined to win AI, and she might.  I'd venture that winning AI means a lot more to her than some of the more mature contestants.  Whomever likened her to a seasoned beauty pageant contestant was spot on.  Because of her determination to win, I would guess that she won't take any unneccessary chances unless forced to do so.
> 
> Barring catastrophic performances by the others, I think Hollie and Elise are the next to go (either order).  They both caught breaks this week by having DeAndre suck more than they did.  After those two, I see Skylar exiting next.  From that point on, it's a crap shoot.
> 
> As the season progresses, the only performances I find myself anticipating are those by Phillip, Colton and Joshua, and only because Joshua has totally sick vocals.  Otherwise, he's nearly as boring as Jessica.




I think I was the one who said that about Jessica.  When I see her perform, and hear of her background, I can easily see how she got to where she is.  Her parents allowed/pushed her all these years, and the judges of the contests she was in would have naturally compared her to the big-voiced female singers.  "Such a big voice for such a tiny person!" and similar comments would have given her the pathway to follow.  But as you say, now that she's on AI, where is the "real" Jessica?  Once the other non-winners are gone, I think she will either have to step up and be "real," or follow them out the door.

Because of the teenage girl voting demographic, I see Colton and Philip going far.  For performance talent, I see Joshua and Jessica rounding out the Final Four.  After that, it's anyone's game.  So far, my expectations are being met.

As for Deandre's departure:  I think what did him in was ALL he did well was falsetto stuff.  When he tried to sing in a normal register, his voice just wasn't that good.  But a little falsetto goes a long way, and I think the voters got tired of his one-method performance style.  He's not reggae, he's not R&B enough, and he just isn't that good.  If he would have sung normally with periodic forays into his falsetto range, he'd have been as interesting as Joshua, and may still have been around.  With more time and maturity, that may happen for him sometime.  I wish him well, but I'm glad he's gone.

Dave


----------



## BocaBum99

geoand said:


> I, too, have a hard time liking Jessica.  On her first song at the beginning of the competition round, I thought she was amazing.  Then, I realized that all she is someone who mimics other artists.  She is boring to me and she has been going downhill from the first.



I am a huge Billy Joel fan since when I was a kid.  Please go to Youtube and tell me how Jessica's version of "Everybody has a dream" is just a copy of Billy Joel's version.  It isn't.

More recently, please tell me how "Sweet Dreams" is like Beyonce's version. 

Your comments just don't bear out the performances.


----------



## SueDonJ

Oh boy, I'm excited!  This duet by Elise and Philip is my latest New Favorite Song, "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye.  I don't care what the judges are going to say, they both were fantastic and I loved it!


----------



## DaveNV

Tonight's individual performances, for me, for you, for me, dawg, were kind of dull.  Nothing new, nothing special, and nobody is changing my mind.  Jessica, Colton, and Joshua continue to stand out.  Philip, Hollie, Elise, and Skylar continue to be average.  I expect it'll be Hollie and Elise in the bottom two.  Will be interesting to see who goes home.

The duets were actually better than the solo stuff.  What's up with that?  

Dave


----------



## Elan

BMWguynw said:


> Tonight's individual performances, for me, for you, for me, dawg, were kind of dull.  Nothing new, nothing special, and nobody is changing my mind.  Jessica, Colton, and Joshua continue to stand out.  Philip, Hollie, Elise, and Skylar continue to be average.  I expect it'll be Hollie and Elise in the bottom two.  Will be interesting to see who goes home.
> 
> The duets were actually better than the solo stuff.  What's up with that?
> 
> Dave



  I was going to post nearly the same thing.  Seems like "Groundhog Day", in that the performances weren't really much better/different than they have been.  None of the contestants had a standout performance, or even tried to do anything outside of their comfort zone.  

  At the end of every show, I try to assess which of the contestants I'd most likely pay to see perform.  In order, it would be Phillip, Joshua and then Colton.  Next would probably be Elise.  Jessica, Hollie and Skylar would fight for last, not because they're the least talented, but because they're boring as entertainers.  

  I think Joshua is the closest thing to a complete package.  Sick vocals, smooth, and at least semi-entertaining.  Having said that, I think everyone except Hollie and Elise has a decent shot at winning.


----------



## Mosca

Yawn.

(Parenthetical addition to reach minimum post length.)


----------



## BocaBum99

Elan said:


> I was going to post nearly the same thing.  Seems like "Groundhog Day", in that the performances weren't really much better/different than they have been.  None of the contestants had a standout performance, or even tried to do anything outside of their comfort zone.
> 
> At the end of every show, I try to assess which of the contestants I'd most likely pay to see perform.  In order, it would be Phillip, Joshua and then Colton.  Next would probably be Elise.  Jessica, Hollie and Skylar would fight for last, not because they're the least talented, but because they're boring as entertainers.
> 
> I think Joshua is the closest thing to a complete package.  Sick vocals, smooth, and at least semi-entertaining.  Having said that, I think everyone except Hollie and Elise has a decent shot at winning.



Actually, I think you are just boring as a consumer.


----------



## geoand

We all have our opinions about the show and we should be allowed to express those opinions.  My opinion may not be the same as others, but that does not make my opinion invalid.


----------



## SueDonJ

Mosca said:


> Yawn.
> 
> (Parenthetical addition to reach minimum post length.)



This post style is great, made me laugh right out loud.  :rofl: 

I agree with the rest of you, last night wasn't anything special.  The Elise/Phillip duet is my favorite moment but the rest of it was blah.  If "would I buy?" is the question to be answered, a couple of Phillip's tunes are the only ones I'll be picking up on iTunes.

It's funny how music affects us.  No doubt Phillip's not the best performer of the whole bunch but for whatever reason his style is what I most like.  Same thing last year with Paul McDonald - not the best but he was my favorite.


----------



## timeos2

The top three appear to be Colton, Jessica and Joshua.  Elise is up & down while Skylar could sneak in if the country vote somehow wells up.  Phillip has become one note (was that the same song for the 7th time?) and even the normally gushing judges have finally started saying it's not enough.  Unfortunately Holley is probably out this week as her overall inexperience is definitely showing despite her likability.  I'd prefer to see Phillip go. Overall I found last night to be a big HUH? night. Who is the mentor? What are those "songs" - none seem to have any melody whatsoever.  The songs undid the overall (except Phillip) good voices.


----------



## Skittles1

I have to agree with the previous comments, that last night's show was pretty boring.  No real stand-out performances.  Even my fave Phillip didn't do so good.  I'm guessing that the bottom two will be Elise and Holli.  I'm gonna go out on a limb, and predict that if Elise gets sent home, the judges will use the save on her.


----------



## pjrose

Had to go on an unexpected 5 hr RT drive to bring DH home from her now-Ex-BF, so missed the show.  With so many yawns, I guess it was no loss.  I'll go check out Joshua on YouTube, and maybe watch the little snippets of the performances tonight.  

Anyone know who tonight's guest is?  

PS - Geoand, did someone bash your opinion?  I missed that.  

PPS - Mosca, I love the parenthetical addition.  I'll have to remember that.


----------



## brigechols

pjrose said:


> Anyone know who tonight's guest is?



Jennifer Hudson and  James Durbin.


----------



## pjrose

brigechols said:


> Jennifer Hudson and  James Durbin.



Thank you!  Sounds good to me!


----------



## DaveNV

While pondering things about Philip being so intractable, it makes me recall when Chris Daughtry was a contestant.  Every song Chris did sounded the same, his look and performance style never changed, and that is how I'm perceiving Philip.  We all know Daughtry went on to have a pretty good career after AI, in his performance niche, and I suspect Philip will do the same.  (And even Kelly Pickler, who went out 6th that season, has had a good career -- so I think the same will happen with Skylar.  She won't win AI, but will have a nice career.)

That said, in his season on AI, Daughtry went out 4th, if memory serves.  I can see Philip doing the same, leaving Joshua, Jessica, and Colton as the Final Three.

What do you think?  And of those three, who do you predict will win?

Dave


----------



## icul8rg8r

*Final Four*

Well, I may be in the minority, but I think we'll see Phillip, Elise, Colton, and Joshua in the final four. I think regular folks do not like/appreciate Jessica's talent and although she's a powerhouse with amazing talent, I really think she's not going to make it that much farther...


----------



## Carol C

icul8rg8r said:


> Well, I may be in the minority, but I think we'll see Phillip, Elise, Colton, and Joshua in the final four. I think regular folks do not like/appreciate Jessica's talent and although she's a powerhouse with amazing talent, I really think she's not going to make it that much farther...



I think you're probably right...but don't count Skylar out. I think Elise might go and Skylar be in your Final Four group.


----------



## pjrose

*Not a spoiler...*

But I think somebody was in shock...surprised s/he didn't faint.  
It could have been handled better........


----------



## Skittles1

Wow, crazy results show tonight!  I'm not gonna give anything away, so I don't ruin it for the people on the West coast.  But definitely not who I thought would be in the bottom 3.  I think the final 4 will be Jessica, Joshua, Colton, and Skylar.  Though I'd really like to see Elise or Phillip in there, I think they'll be gone in the next couple weeks.


----------



## judyjht

I missed it - so...........who went home???  Close your eyes if you don't want to know!!


----------



## BoaterMike

judyjht said:


> I missed it - so...........who went home???  Close your eyes if you don't want to know!!



Spoiler Alert!!!!



If this was twitter it would be: #idolsave


----------



## judyjht

What???  I don't do twitter!


----------



## SueDonJ

That was a sickening, saccharine, contrived? display by the judges and they just turned me off of their message completely.  When are they going to FINALLY get it that for the voters it's as much a personality contest as it is a singing contest, and it doesn't matter how perfectly a singer sings if s/he has the personality of a doorknob?

Way to go, judges.  Way to make the other contestants feel lower than dirt, that you have your minds made up about exactly who deserves the top spot and IT'S NOT ANY OF THEM.  And Randy?  Quit lecturing America.

Gah, this show ticks me off royally sometimes.


----------



## SueDonJ

SPOILER ALERT 
*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*
They saved Jessica without making her sing for it.  Because evidently they know that she's The Most Perfect Singer EVER, even if America isn't enamored with her.


----------



## DaveNV

Susan, you crack me up.  And you're completely right, of course.  

I'm not wasting my time voting, because everyone knows the winner of the show is not always the best performer.  At this point they'll all get music contracts, so why bother voting?  It's not as if the non-winners will fade into obscurity.  If they have talent, they'll go on to bigger and better things.

I don't know what to say about the results show tonight.  They have to manufacture drama to keep the tween girls voting, I suppose.   

And the judges are worse than anyone.  I miss Simon, but even he has mellowed over the years. :zzz: 

Dave


----------



## TUGBrian

am I the only one that thought jessica's song last night sucked?


----------



## Elan

SueDonJ said:


> That was a sickening, saccharine, contrived? display by the judges and they just turned me off of their message completely.  When are they going to FINALLY get it that for the voters it's as much a personality contest as it is a singing contest, and it doesn't matter how perfectly a singer sings if s/he has the personality of a doorknob?
> 
> Way to go, judges.  Way to make the other contestants feel lower than dirt, that you have your minds made up about exactly who deserves the top spot and IT'S NOT ANY OF THEM.  And Randy?  Quit lecturing America.
> 
> Gah, this show ticks me off royally sometimes.



  :hysterical:  Great rant.  Very funny!  And right on target.

  The reason the judges stepped in early last night was because they were afraid they'd doze off if they let Jessica complete her performance.  

  It doesn't bother me that the judges used their save, as I think it would have been used this week regardless of the vote, but it does bother me when the judges try to influence the vote going forward.


----------



## Sandi Bo

Yes, I agree with Sue and all.

To me it was very disrespectful to the other contestants as well as the voting public.

Our DVR shut off right when Jessica started to sing (again) - I'll consider myself fortunate.

I loved seeing James Durbin and hearing of his success.  A little too hard rock for me these days, but I do admire his talent and performance skills.


----------



## BocaBum99

I am done with American idol.  There is no way that Jessica Sanchez should have gone home last night.  Any singing competition that has that type of result with so many piss poor performers left loses its credibility with me.

This show is just a popularity contest, not a serious competition.  So, why don't they just have teen idols enter the competition and not even sing.  

Now I remember why I stayed away from this show.  I am going back to watch the serious competitions like The Voice and The Sing Off.


----------



## Elan

Sandi Bo said:


> Yes, I agree with Sue and all.
> 
> To me it was very disrespectful to the other contestants as well as the voting public.
> 
> Our DVR shut off right when Jessica started to sing (again) - I'll consider myself fortunate.
> 
> I loved seeing James Durbin and hearing of his success.  A little too hard rock for me these days, but I do admire his talent and performance skills.



  Agree with you on James.  Not my cup of tea as far as the hard rock (well, I still like hard rock, just not that style), but it was nice to see him perform and be so enthusiatic about his career and life.  I always liked that kid.


----------



## BocaBum99

Curious.  Just a question.

Does anyone believe that Jessica Sanchez should have been the contestant to go home last night?  If so, why?


----------



## timeos2

BocaBum99 said:


> Curious.  Just a question.
> 
> Does anyone believe that Jessica Sanchez should have been the contestant to go home last night?  If so, why?



No. But it shows that the total ability to give a performance - not just oerfectly stand & sing songs - counts in a big way.  Her youth & thus lack of experience with a true audience shows. A bit more show & feeling and she'd nail it. Unlike Pia, who was older & seemingly unable/unwilling to change style Jessica still can. Perhaps not in time for this show but for any career she may eventually have.


----------



## TUGBrian

I think she had one of the (if not THE) worst performances of the night yes....I still think she has one of the best voices on the show though.

I did note that this seasons voice has an ex american idol dropout on it (the very last guy to sing this week..forget his name...sang lenny kravitz?)

Pretty sure he was danny gokeys best bud a few seasons back, cut in hollywood week?


----------



## SueDonJ

BocaBum99 said:


> Curious.  Just a question.
> 
> Does anyone believe that Jessica Sanchez should have been the contestant to go home last night?  If so, why?



Yes.  Because last place is where she ended up after America voted.

That's the only thing that counts!  As we've seen time and time again, technical proficiency isn't the most important factor on Idol.  And that's how it should be - the show isn't called, "America's Most Proficient Singer!"  Like you said before, we have The Voice if that's the kind of competition we want to see.

It takes much more than technical proficiency to be a successful "american idol" - not in capital-letter terms of this show, but in lower-case-letter terms of a star who will grab America's attention and churn out legitimate hit after hit on the charts.  Female balladeers, which is what Jessica Sanchez wants to be, have to have the technical proficiency as well as whatever "it" is that will make America love them.  Barbara had it, Celine has it, heck even Shania has it!  Beyonce has it, no doubt.

IMO, this Baby Beyonce does not have it.  And as much as they keep telling me every week that she's unquestionably technically proficient, I don't see that in her either - maybe I need to clean out my ears or something because she's been off on plenty of notes that I've heard.  And if I ever figure out just exactly what "pitch" is, maybe I'll be able to say that she's been pitchy, dawg!  I completely agree with Brian up there - there are times when she just doesn't sound good.

But personality makes a true idol, and it's her personality that makes me want to see her go home sooner than any of the rest of them.  She's cold and distant and projects an air of self-indulgent superiority up there.  Her B B Chezz, or whatever name she gave to her self-imposed alter ego?!  Man, that is arrogant!!  Beyonce has her Sasha Fierce, but Beyonce EARNED the right!


----------



## BocaBum99

timeos2 said:


> No. But it shows that the total ability to give a performance - not just oerfectly stand & sing songs - counts in a big way.  Her youth & thus lack of experience with a true audience shows. A bit more show & feeling and she'd nail it. Unlike Pia, who was older & seemingly unable/unwilling to change style Jessica still can. Perhaps not in time for this show but for any career she may eventually have.



It's cultural.  She would do extremely well in Asia.

Pia was totally overrated.  I am talking purely about ability.  

I think Pia got voted off by a truly unfortunate set of circumstances.  First, Casey was just saved the week before, so the save was off the table.   Then, I think America took their eye off the ball and didn't think of saving her.


----------



## BocaBum99

SueDonJ said:


> Yes.  Because last place is where she ended up after America voted.
> 
> That's the only thing that counts!  As we've seen time and time again, technical proficiency isn't the most important factor on Idol.  And that's how it should be - the show isn't called, "America's Most Proficient Singer!"  Like you said before, we have The Voice if that's the kind of competition we want to see.
> 
> It takes much more than technical proficiency to be a successful "american idol" - not in capital-letter terms of this show, but in lower-case-letter terms of a star who will grab America's attention and churn out legitimate hit after hit on the charts.  Female balladeers, which is what Jessica Sanchez wants to be, have to have the technical proficiency as well as whatever "it" is that will make America love them.  Barbara had it, Celine has it, heck even Shania has it!  Beyonce has it, no doubt.
> 
> IMO, this Baby Beyonce does not have it.  And as much as they keep telling me every week that she's unquestionably technically proficient, I don't see that in her either - maybe I need to clean out my ears or something because she's been off on plenty of notes that I've heard.  And if I ever figure out just exact what "pitch" is, maybe I'll be able to say that she's been pitchy, dawg!  I completely agree with Brian up there - there are times when she just doesn't sound good.
> 
> But personality makes a true idol, and it's her personality that makes me want to see her go home sooner than any of the rest of them.  She's cold and distant and projects an air of self-indulgent superiority up there.  Her B B Chezz, or whatever name she gave to her self-imposed alter ego?!  Man, that is arrogant!!  Beyonce has her Sasha Fierce, but Beyonce EARNED the right!



All I can say, is WOW!  You sure are filled with a lot of hate for a young and inexperienced 16 year old girl.  I find your rant truly eye opening.

I think the best way for Jessica to stay on the show is simply to post your message to all of the Filipino and Mexican message boards with a telephone number to call and a time to call it.


----------



## SueDonJ

BocaBum99 said:


> All I can say, is WOW!  You sure are filled with a lot of hate for a young and inexperienced 16 year old girl.  I find your rant truly eye opening.
> 
> I think the best way for Jessica to stay on the show is simply to post your message to all of the Filipino and Mexican message boards with a telephone number to call and a time to call it.



Oh, come ON, Boca!  I don't hate her - I don't even know her!

And I didn't think what I was doing was "ranting."  You asked if we each thought that last night's results were correct and why, and I answered you. Granted, I used a lot of words (no surprise there, I'm sure  ) but none of them were "hateful."  At least, not that I meant them to be.

Jessica's not among my favorites on the show.  My favorite AI contestants are the ones whose personality engages me somehow, and hers doesn't.  But not only does she not engage me, she projects negatively to me.  I suppose I could have answered your question with just those words but then you'd still be wondering how in the world it can be that I don't find her engaging, because you obviously do.

You don't see me accusing you or anyone else of "hating" based on your preferences, do you?  No.  Geeze, now I have Randy and you lecturing me!  Quit it!


----------



## geoand

pjrose said:


> PS - Geoand, did someone bash your opinion?  I missed that.



Depends on what you mean.  Someone was asked to explain their opinion and you can see the result of that.  There are some who think they are the only ones with a valid opinion and of course those that agree.  If the opinion is not to their liking, they take you to task for it.  My way of thinking is that there is validity in all opinions.  I do not ever have to justify my opinion to anyone.  I also noted that an opinion was stated and as a result, someone else made an opinion about the person.


----------



## SueDonJ

geoand said:


> Depends on what you mean.  Someone was asked to explain their opinion and you can see the result of that.  There are some who think they are the only ones with a valid opinion and of course those that agree.  If the opinion is not to their liking, they take you to task for it.  My way of thinking is that there is validity in all opinions.  I do not ever have to justify my opinion to anyone.  I also noted that an opinion was stated and as a result, someone else made an opinion about the person.



You don't fool me, Geo.  You're just a hater like the rest of us not-able-to-recognize-REAL-idol-talent-when-it-jumps-up-and-bites-us-in-the-FACE haters!  You hater you.

:hysterical: :hysterical: 

I'd love to know what you think, and I promise I won't hate on you for it.


----------



## geoand

SueDonJ said:


> You don't fool me, Geo.  You're just a hater like the rest of us not-able-to-recognize-REAL-idol-talent-when-it-jumps-up-and-bites-us-in-the-FACE haters!  You hater you.
> 
> :hysterical: :hysterical:
> 
> I'd love to know what you think, and I promise I won't hate on you for it.



You got me!!!

First of all, I have never been confident that the vote results are accurate.  Is there a chance that the results on stage is a reflection of how the producers want?  Are the results contrived to get the best viewership?  I was surprised that Joshua was on the last 3.  As DW mentioned after the show, Joshua had another song in a previous show that did not get him high marks and it also was a fast paced song that he danced around.  DW mentioned that Holly might have benefited when the show was so rude to her.  I do know that in another show, she sang an Underwood song and Carrie twitted or texted (not into either methods of communicating).  Ryan only mentioned it but read the tweets for the other singers.  Speaking of Carrie, I knew from day 1 that she was going to be the winner.  DW still can't believe I picked that one correct.  It is also the only one that I have ever made a prediction.

I have never bought a single tune from any of the winners.  Don't know if we have any tune from any of the contestants.  According to our ITUNES library, we have something like 20 days of music.

I like Jessica's voice.  I am bored with her.  She needs more experience to engage the listener

I really enjoy Joshua's singing.  Wasn't that thrilled with his performance on this latest round.

I really enjoyed Elise's Led Zeppelin.  Didn't think much of her before that.  Enjoyed her performance on latest round.  Disappointed in the round in between.

Coltan turns me off and it is because I have a hard time hearing his lyrics.  Don't have that problem with the others except for one.

I like Holly's voice.  She needs more experience to engage the listener.

I think Phillip has potential.  However, it has been all the same for me and this is the one.

I like Skylar's personality.  I am not found of Country.  However, her voice to ME is nasal??? and it turns me off.

I grew up in the 60's and that is where a lot of my music comes from.  DW has turned me on to so much other music that I enjoy a wide variety of genres other than RnR, Blues, and RnB.  The American Song Book is out of this world.  I didn't know or appreciate the first Nancy Wilson.  Of course I don't know if she was the first, but because she is prior to Heart, I think of her that way.  Jazz Alley is a place that we enjoy ourselves, along with BBKings and the Blue Note.  Etta James sang everyone of her songs to me at BBKings as well as Nancy Wilson at the Blue Note.  DW tells me that is because we were sitting in front directly opposite both.  I like my story and I'm sticking to it.


----------



## Skittles1

geoand said:


> First of all, I have never been confident that the vote results are accurate.  Is there a chance that the results on stage is a reflection of how the producers want?  Are the results contrived to get the best viewership?  I was surprised that Joshua was on the last 3.



I've always wondered this as well.  My husband is convinced that the producers manipulate the results, to keep things interesting and dramatic.  Last night's results had me thinking this again.  Here's the thing with the save:  I'm guessing that the producers of the show would prefer that the contestant who is saved, then hang around for several more weeks, thus justifying the save.  It would seem almost embarrassing to the judges if the saved contestant was then sent home the following week.  Therefore, I think we'll be seeing Jessica for a couple more weeks, whether she deserves it or not.


----------



## scrapngen

BocaBum99 said:


> All I can say, is WOW!  You sure are filled with a lot of hate for a young and inexperienced 16 year old girl.  I find your rant truly eye opening.
> 
> I think the best way for Jessica to stay on the show is simply to post your message to all of the Filipino and Mexican message boards with a telephone number to call and a time to call it.



Why do you need to bring up posting to specific groups of people?? Sue's comments were generally answering your question without any reference to race. They didn't sound particularly ranting or hate-filled. 

I find Jessica an uninteresting young girl who has an amazing voice, but doesn't quite know how to put the whole package together, although she clearly has been primed to be a star. To me, she seems to be very contrived and "safe/planned" with what she says. 

There is nothing natural about her, and I think this is what turns some people away from being a fan of her.  She is very pretty, trim, wears clothes well and is stylish. For me, while I wouldn't call her arrogant, she DOES seem to have an attitude...and is convinced in her own mind that she's better than everyone else. In her defense, I suspect she's been told all her life that she's a star, and the greatest thing ever - now she has a chance to prove it, and when the world doesn't quite agree, she doesn't know what to think. (no one told her what to do in that situation, because it would NEVER happen in their perfect little world) But it's different from belief in herself. 

I think she'll find people who will shape her into a success, but she is not original and never will be. Therefore, she won't be a Beyonce... 

All of this is my opinion, of course. I guess I'm a "hater," too. I wouldn't consider myself this way, though. I think she'll do well - she's just not in the same league as Kelly C., Carrie, Fantasia, Jennifer H. Daughtry, Adam, etc...

 Truly, I have enjoyed some of her performances, but others have been lacking. I'd actually rather watch Skylar - nasal and all, sameness and all - despite the obvious better quality of Jessica's voice. Jessica really has a beautiful voice and is a pretty young girl, but I'm reminded of Diana DeGarmo from several seasons back. Someone who came from a wealthy family and had all the singing lessons and backing, and was too stiff and scripted to win. Of course, Diana was not perceived as physically attractive as Jessica clearly is.


----------



## DaveNV

Skittles1 said:


> It would seem almost embarrassing to the judges if the saved contestant was then sent home the following week.  Therefore, I think we'll be seeing Jessica for a couple more weeks, whether she deserves it or not.




I think that has happened, actually.  Someone was saved, then sent home the following week.  Oh wait, maybe that was on Survivor...  LOL!   

Early on I said Jessica appeared to be like a singing version of a beauty pageant contestant.  I think she still is.  Nice voice, obviously great talent, but she lacks the showmanship of the less-polished AI contestants.  She's a packaged performer without individualized personality, because that's not what it takes to win the singing contests she's been in.  You saw that when Ryan asked Jessica how it felt to have the judges use their save on her.  She seemed indifferent, overwhelmed, and lost.  Then she mumbled some "I'm just doing what I know how to do" response.  I don't think she's been allowed to be a person on stage, just an "item."  And  think her family is behind it.  I'm reminded of hollering Mama Rose in Gypsy:  "Sing out, Louise!"

I went to the Seattle Dog Show recently, and found the same thing.  I saw beautiful dogs, but the few I was able to interact with had zero personality.  Some of it was training, and some of it was the show-ring environment, I'm sure.  But overall, it made for a very two-dimensional impression.

If AI was only about raw talent, then no, Jessica should not have been the one to go home.  If it's about the total performer package, then I'd have to say yes, she did deserve to go.  But so do several others.  Given time and training, I'm sure any of them would be able to improve.  But some folks just have a natural flair, and others have to work for it.

My opinion.  YMMV.

Dave


----------



## TUGBrian

I personally only get excited to watch skylar, phillip, elise, and jacob.

none of the other people have ever done anything to make me think next week is going to be any more interesting or different than the last.

while that could be said for phillip too (as admittedly, he does have the same sound each week)...the songs he picks are engaging, and I am entertained listening to him sing them.

the only thing that interests me about jessica or the other blond power singer...is the one or two notes/runs they hit that blow everyone else out of the water.

then again for me, if celine deion came on the radio, id wanna kick the knob off my stereo....yes she has an amazing voice...I just dont care to listen to it for entertainment purposes.


----------



## SueDonJ

I'd be really disappointed to find that the producers finagle with the votes.    Aren't they the one aspect of the whole show that are quantifiable??

There are so many factors that affect the outcome other than the contestants' actual voices - the obvious favor and direction that the judges push from early on, the song choices that the contestants are "gently persuaded" (ha!) to make every week, the "It" factor that can be different for every voter, the apathy of a large number of viewers who can't be persuaded to vote (that's me!,) the strength-in-numbers benefit for contestants who come from highly-populated areas, the one consistent voting demographic that obviously favors BWG's (Boys With Guitars - a GREAT acronym that I unabashedly stole, I think from the disboards!) etc etc etc

All those things make winning difficult enough - I don't want the votes messed with!


----------



## SueDonJ

Here's an experiment for next week.  After watching Wednesday, try to pay attention to whichever tune is running through your head, whichever performance is echoing, when you wake up Thursday.

Usually for me it's whatever song Phillip or Phillip and Elise performed, and admittedly, that's probably because their genre is familiar.  But a couple weeks ago I found myself singing Joshua's number from the night before and it surprised me.  I like him okay, think he's one of the most talented voices the show has ever had actually, but don't really connect with his music stylings.  (Loud demonstrative church music and irish catholic girls don't play well together.   )  But that day I had to admit that if I was an AI voter, Joshua deserved my vote that week.  Pretty sure that's not a conscious decision I'd make.

So give it a try - see what your subconscious mind tells you this week.


----------



## dundey

SueDonJ said:


> That was a sickening, saccharine, contrived? display by the judges and they just turned me off of their message completely.  When are they going to FINALLY get it that for the voters it's as much a personality contest as it is a singing contest, and it doesn't matter how perfectly a singer sings if s/he has the personality of a doorknob?
> 
> Way to go, judges.  Way to make the other contestants feel lower than dirt, that you have your minds made up about exactly who deserves the top spot and IT'S NOT ANY OF THEM.  And Randy?  Quit lecturing America.
> 
> Gah, this show ticks me off royally sometimes.



Chiming in a little late this week, but I agree completely.  

As for Jessica's voice - it is good but certainly not consistently better than the rest remaining.  In fact, I think she has had 2 of the worst weeks of any over the last 4.  At this point they are all good, alot of it depends on the style of music and performer that you like.   Jessica has zero personality and that's what hurts her the most.
I said it a couple weeks ago, and I'm sticking with Skylar, Phil and I'm not sure about the 3rd.  I think Hollie has the best voice, but there are better preformers.


----------



## DaveNV

*Broke down and finally voted!*

I swore I wasn't going to do it this season, but tonight's performances convinced me I had to pick up the phone and finally vote.  So I did.  For Joshua.  Several times.

The guy amazes me every time he opens his mouth.  The other singers are good at what they do, but there is something so amazing about the way Joshua sings, it leaves me wondering how so much power and range can come out of one person.  Adam Lambert impressed me the same way.

I don't know if Joshua has the fan base to stay in the competition, but I'm not ready for him to go home.

Do you vote?  Do you break it up among more than one person, or do you vote all for the same one?

Dave


----------



## pjrose

BMWguynw said:


> I swore I wasn't going to do it this season, but tonight's performances convinced me I had to pick up the phone and finally vote.  So I did.  For Joshua.  Several times.
> 
> The guy amazes me every time he opens his mouth.  The other singers are good at what they do, but there is something so amazing about the way Joshua sings, it leaves me wondering how so much power and range can come out of one person.  Adam Lambert impressed me the same way.
> 
> I don't know if Joshua has the fan base to stay in the competition, but I'm not ready for him to go home.
> 
> Do you vote?  Do you break it up among more than one person, or do you vote all for the same one?
> 
> Dave



No, but I feel the same way about Joshua, so if he's still there I'm going to start next week! 
It's not just power and range but feeling - he puts everything into his singing, much more than his lungs and larynx.


----------



## Elan

BMWguynw said:


> I swore I wasn't going to do it this season, but tonight's performances convinced me I had to pick up the phone and finally vote.  So I did.  For Joshua.  Several times.
> 
> The guy amazes me every time he opens his mouth.  The other singers are good at what they do, but there is something so amazing about the way Joshua sings, it leaves me wondering how so much power and range can come out of one person.  Adam Lambert impressed me the same way.
> 
> I don't know if Joshua has the fan base to stay in the competition, but I'm not ready for him to go home.
> 
> Do you vote?  Do you break it up among more than one person, or do you vote all for the same one?
> 
> Dave



  I'm starting to feel the same way.  I don't care about the outcome enough to start voting, but I think Joshua is starting to seperate himself from the others.  He's very consistent (without being boring) and yet he has a couple moments every song where one just goes "Wow!".


----------



## Phydeaux

Joshua for the win. Hands down. He's in another league. 

Did anyone else hear how off pitch Hollie was (and has been)? Last night, she was just OFF. She's sweet and all, but sorry, if you can't sing on pitch, you shouldn't even be on the show. 

If you didn't hear it, listen a bit closer next time. It was very obvious last night.


----------



## tlwmkw

Hollie has often had problems staying in tune but I didn't think it was as bad last night.  I don't think she'll be around too much longer but you never know.

Colton's second song was a total train wreck.  It looked to me as if he had tears in his eyes as he sang because he knew it wasn't going well.  Didn't really enjoy his first either so it was a bad night for him as far as I was concerned.  I'm not too impressed with him- he doesn't seem to be getting better over time.

I liked Philip last night and thought he was the best of the night.  Everyone says he reminds them of Dave Matthews but I really was reminded of Sting with the first song.  Really liked the first and was OK with the second.

Everyone seems to like Joshua, and I can see that he is a good singer, but he doesn't do anything for me.  I'm not a fan of all the vocal gymnastics that his type of singing involves- fast forwarded through both of his performances after the first few bars.  And what's with the little boy jackets?  They always put him in short, tight jackets that look as if he grew out of them.  Are they trying to play up the "young church singer" with this or is it some sort of fashion that I don't know about.  Weird.

Elise is so up and down.  I don't think she can be consistent at all and that really hurts her.  I can hardly remember either of her performances from last night.

Jessica's voice is excellent, and reminds me a lot of Jennifer Hudson, but as everyone else has said there doesn't seem to be much personality.  Perhaps she is too young.  Looks like a singing barbie doll.

I thought Skylar did well last night.  I wasn't expecting to like either of her songs when they announced what she was singing but then was surprised by the actual performance.  The country fans are very supportive (think Scotty Mcreery) and I could easily see her in the final three.  Her clothing is improving now- initially they had her in those outfits that made her behind look big but now she is looking much better.

I noticed that they didn't talk to Jimmy when they did the second song- was he not mentoring on that?  It would explain why the second was worse in all cases.  I think Jimmy gives good advice to these kids and really steers them in the right direction without being mean.  He ought to be a judge but perhaps it is better that he help them prior to the performance night so that they can do their best.

tlwmkw


----------



## SueDonJ

tlwmkw said:


> Hollie has often had problems staying in tune but I didn't think it was as bad last night.  I don't think she'll be around too much longer but you never know.
> 
> Colton's second song was a total train wreck.  It looked to me as if he had tears in his eyes as he sang because he knew it wasn't going well.  Didn't really enjoy his first either so it was a bad night for him as far as I was concerned.  I'm not too impressed with him- he doesn't seem to be getting better over time.
> 
> I liked Philip last night and thought he was the best of the night.  Everyone says he reminds them of Dave Matthews but I really was reminded of Sting with the first song.  Really liked the first and was OK with the second.
> 
> Everyone seems to like Joshua, and I can see that he is a good singer, but he doesn't do anything for me.  I'm not a fan of all the vocal gymnastics that his type of singing involves- fast forwarded through both of his performances after the first few bars.  And what's with the little boy jackets?  They always put him in short, tight jackets that look as if he grew out of them.  Are they trying to play up the "young church singer" with this or is it some sort of fashion that I don't know about.  Weird.
> 
> Elise is so up and down.  I don't think she can be consistent at all and that really hurts her.  I can hardly remember either of her performances from last night.
> 
> Jessica's voice is excellent, and reminds me a lot of Jennifer Hudson, but as everyone else has said there doesn't seem to be much personality.  Perhaps she is too young.  Looks like a singing barbie doll.
> 
> I thought Skylar did well last night.  I wasn't expecting to like either of her songs when they announced what she was singing but then was surprised by the actual performance.  The country fans are very supportive (think Scotty Mcreery) and I could easily see her in the final three.  Her clothing is improving now- initially they had her in those outfits that made her behind look big but now she is looking much better.
> 
> I noticed that they didn't talk to Jimmy when they did the second song- was he not mentoring on that?  It would explain why the second was worse in all cases.  I think Jimmy gives good advice to these kids and really steers them in the right direction without being mean.  He ought to be a judge but perhaps it is better that he help them prior to the performance night so that they can do their best.
> 
> tlwmkw



Well I'm just going to go right ahead and cheat this week by stealing every word of this post - I agree 100% with all of it!  

Phillip was by far my favorite last night - which might not mean much because he's my favorite every night, but last night I thought he stepped it up a level or two.  Sting?!  Yes!  In fact as soon as the show was over I went to YouTube and found Sting's performance of The Rising from the night Springsteen was honored at the Kennedy Center.  Now if Phillip would just pick an activist anthem one of these weeks I'll be in heaven. 

Joshua, I don't know what it is, I like him and I LOVE his song choices, but I want to see one performance where he doesn't appear to be soooooo-so-so emotionally invested that he needs 'ludes to get through life.     Usually contestants get singled out because they don't invest enough emotion - with him IMO it's just too much.  Oh, about his "little boy church jackets" - first, LOVE that description!  I think it was the first week they met with Tommy Hilfiger that Joshua said that's how he likes his jackets.  No explanation, just he likes them that way.

This year really is a deep pool of talent, and for the first time ever last night I thought about voting.  But you have to register to vote online and I'm not thrilled with that idea, so next week I'll have the phone beside me and be ready.  I'll probably vote for my top two, as many times as I can within 20 minutes or so.

And for my little experiment?  I woke up singing Rolling In The Deep.  Makes some sense as Hollie was my second-favorite last night.


----------



## pjrose

When I vote, I do it via text; if you have ATT and unlimited text it's easy and you don't have to register.  Just text the word vote to whatever the number is.  Then I keep hitting "send again" or "forward" or whatever, depending on which cell phone I have that particular year.  When Adam was on I kept hitting "send" over and over and over........
I think there should be a limit on the # of texts from a given number, but there isn't so if I really really care about someone and am not busy, I'll do that.


----------



## timeos2

IMO the top six are all very good with perhaps Joshua the purest & most entertaining so far.  Again IMO, Phillip who has shown zero originally (simply mumbling & groaning through every song with a two or three note range is NOT originally it is lack of ability) is the only one I would be very happy to see sent packing. It is very revealing that the Judges, who maybe have gone tone deaf, aren't really listening when they can stand at the end of one of Phillips abominations. I didn't like his style all along but the total butchering of "Midnight Hour" sealed it. He has ZERO  talent. Any garage band singer could have done far better on that classic. 

As for Jessica vs Hollie I think Jessica has the better voice overall but Hollie has much more upside potential as an artist not just parroting the original version (although done technically very well).  Jessica just isn't an appealing package of voice & presentation.  

Elise is likely gone this week as she doesn't fit the teeny bop voting profile.  She isn't likely to be the winner anyway so if it's her or Phillip nothing lost. The rest may be the best overall talent AI has ever had even if no individual has yet shown the best of past contestants up they may in the longer term.  

Except for this years one irritant this is a fun group to watch as they evolve.


----------



## Phydeaux

Except all of them are capable of singing the entire song on pitch with the exception of Hollie. For me, that's a deal breaker.


----------



## Elan

Phydeaux said:


> Except all of them are capable of singing the entire song on pitch with the exception of Hollie. For me, that's a deal breaker.



  I don't think Hollie was "off pitch" on Rolling In the Deep, and apparently the judges didn't either.  Sure, she missed some notes, but they all do that.  To me, Elise is off pitch far more often than Hollie (and I like Elise).


----------



## pjrose

*Ewwwwwwwww....*

Tonight's guest "entertainment" was horrendous.  Can't AI afford a better group than LMFAO?  Ewwwwwww.  I noticed some long-ish bleeps, too.  Ugh.  
They were like a bad Saturday Night Live parody of a very bad band.  Blech. Completely out of character with the type of talent they're trying to develop. 

Oh, and did i mention that I think tonight's band (if they can be called that) was horrible?


----------



## timeos2

*Don't read if you haven't seen it - partial spoiler*

I wasn't aware that only National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the proud technical College here in Rochester at RIT, were allowed to vote! There is no other explanation for tonights result or the past wins by Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard & Chris Allen (who showed HIS total lack of talent live tonight). 








Don't continue if you don't know the results!





One of the 6 true talents gone while the talent challenged lived to punish us at least another week.  It's crazy. I guess the Vote for the Worst bloc is bigger than I gave them credit for.


----------



## BocaBum99

timeos2 said:


> I wasn't aware that only National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the proud technical College here in Rochester at RIT, were allowed to vote! There is no other explanation for tonights result or the past wins by Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard & Chris Allen (who showed HIS total lack of talent live tonight).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Don't continue if you don't know the results!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> One of the 6 true talents gone while the talent challenged lived to punish us at least another week.  It's crazy. I guess the Vote for the Worst bloc is bigger than I gave them credit for.



I thought the teenage girls would have saved him.  But, you have to admit, he really butchered the Earth Wind and Fire song.  It was incredibly bad, especially since I am an EWF fan.  Off the charts bad.


----------



## BocaBum99

Phydeaux said:


> Joshua for the win. Hands down. He's in another league.
> 
> Did anyone else hear how off pitch Hollie was (and has been)? Last night, she was just OFF. She's sweet and all, but sorry, if you can't sing on pitch, you shouldn't even be on the show.
> 
> If you didn't hear it, listen a bit closer next time. It was very obvious last night.



I like Joshua, but I didn't like either of his performances.  I thought Skyler and PP were the best last night.  I think they are the favorites for the finals at this time based on performance.


----------



## BocaBum99

BMWguynw said:


> I swore I wasn't going to do it this season, but tonight's performances convinced me I had to pick up the phone and finally vote.  So I did.  For Joshua.  Several times.
> 
> The guy amazes me every time he opens his mouth.  The other singers are good at what they do, but there is something so amazing about the way Joshua sings, it leaves me wondering how so much power and range can come out of one person.  Adam Lambert impressed me the same way.
> 
> I don't know if Joshua has the fan base to stay in the competition, but I'm not ready for him to go home.
> 
> Do you vote?  Do you break it up among more than one person, or do you vote all for the same one?
> 
> Dave



I did the same and I never vote.  I was really ticked off that Jessica Sanchez got voted off last week.  I think she has the most talent and long term potential and deserves to continue over others.

We voted on 7 phones in 2 time zones since we have multiple area codes.  We also voted via Facebook.  I'd say we got in over 1000 votes as a family.   Felt a very strong need to contribute to neutralizing the teen vote.

As a side note, voting on the East Coast was easy.  All calls got through without an issue.  In Hawaii, we got more busy signals than completed calls.  There is no doubt that the West is owned by Jessica.  Dial Idol stopped measuring busy signals when it got to Hawaii.  I think they are missing the Hawaii and online voting which are very important this season.


----------



## timeos2

BocaBum99 said:


> I thought the teenage girls would have saved him.  But, you have to admit, he really butchered the Earth Wind and Fire song.  It was incredibly bad, especially since I am an EWF fan.  Off the charts bad.



I have to agree on that one song - but thats against what, 6+ weeks of nearly unbearable, monotone howling - makes no sense at all. Are we in for yet another Taylor Hicks? Never heard from again after "winning". With such an otherwise talented group it would be a crime.


----------



## BocaBum99

Right now, here is how I rank the remaining 6 contestants.

1) Skylar
2) Phil Phillips
3) Joshua
4) Jessica
5) Holly
6) Elise.

My favorite is Jessica Sanchez, but she is not knocking it out of the park.  I did listen to her studio version of Try a Little Tenderness.  That was a home run.  She didn't over sing it and showed something we haven't seen yet.  I also think it worked better because she sang the whole song instead of half to fit the TV schedule. But, the studio version doesn't count.  It does count for sales though.  She will be an international star.  Much more so than any of the other contestants.  If the contest were open to the global audience, it wouldn't even be close.  She would be like Yao Ming in the all star vote.


----------



## pjrose

timeos2 said:


> I wasn't aware that only National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the proud technical College here in Rochester at RIT, were allowed to vote! There is no other explanation for tonights result or the past wins by Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard & Chris Allen (who showed HIS total lack of talent live tonight).
> 
> . . .
> 
> One of the 6 true talents gone while the talent challenged lived to punish us at least another week.  It's crazy. I guess the Vote for the Worst bloc is bigger than I gave them credit for.



I don't get it.  I thought Colton was horribly off-key.  Yet you're saying he's one of the 6 true talents?


----------



## dundey

BocaBum99 said:


> Right now, here is how I rank the remaining 6 contestants.
> 
> 1) Skylar
> 2) Phil Phillips
> 3) Joshua
> 4) Jessica
> 5) Holly
> 6) Elise.
> 
> My favorite is Jessica Sanchez, but she is not knocking it out of the park.  I did listen to her studio version of Try a Little Tenderness.  That was a home run.  She didn't over sing it and showed something we haven't seen yet.  I also think it worked better because she sang the whole song instead of half to fit the TV schedule. But, the studio version doesn't count.  It does count for sales though.  She will be an international star.  Much more so than any of the other contestants.  If the contest were open to the global audience, it wouldn't even be close.  She would be like Yao Ming in the all star vote.



I agree totally with your top 2!  Put Holly in 3rd and I'd agree with the rest as well.  Jessica's total lack of personality drops her a few notches.  But she's so young that she'll have a bright future either way as will most of the top 5.  I do not like Joshua -


----------



## BocaBum99

pjrose said:


> I don't get it.  I thought Colton was horribly off-key.  Yet you're saying he's one of the 6 true talents?



He was. As a musician myself, when someone sings out of tune, they lose a lot of points from me. He had one of the worst performances of the year and he got eliminated for it.  His average was better than some of those who remain, but he sunk his own ship by having such a poor performance right before the most important vote of the year.    

The reason I like ballads is because it isolates the singers voice from other distractions like loud drums, background music and bass.  I am entertained by the quality of the vocals.  That is why Jessica is so sublime to me.  Her problem is that she is only 16 years old and all she does is sing.  That got her to where she is now which is one of the most technically sound 16 year old vocalists in the country.  That is what the producers and other musicians see.  They are excited because it is so rare for anyone to have such talent at such a young age.  But, she lacks the emotional depth required to convey pure emotion with that perfect voice.  She needs a couple of years away from home, getting a boyfriend and having her heart broken.  When she has the emotional depth that she will get naturally with time, Jessica Sanchez will be unstoppable.  That is what Akon sees.  That is why he predicts she will be a legend.  I agree.


----------



## Skittles1

BocaBum99 said:


> I like Joshua, but I didn't like either of his performances.  I thought Skyler and PP were the best last night.  I think they are the favorites for the finals at this time based on performance.



I agree completely!  Sklar has definitely been the most consistent the past few weeks.  I am not a fan of country music, but I love her performances.  PP has been my fave from the very beginning.  I love his Dave Matthews (or Sting) style.  Depending on the route he takes when the show is over, he may not be the most successful Idol alum, in terms of record sales, but he'll have an amazing career.  All of my 30-something friends who grew up in the 90's listening to grunge music, love him.  I don't think his style is for everyone, and therefore, would be surprised if he won the whole thing.  I can't wait to see how it all pans out!


----------



## Elan

Skittles1 said:


> I agree completely!  Sklar has definitely been the most consistent the past few weeks.  I am not a fan of country music, but I love her performances.  PP has been my fave from the very beginning.  I love his Dave Matthews (or Sting) style.  Depending on the route he takes when the show is over, he may not be the most successful Idol alum, in terms of record sales, but he'll have an amazing career.  All of my 30-something friends who grew up in the 90's listening to grunge music, love him.  I don't think his style is for everyone, and therefore, would be surprised if he won the whole thing.  I can't wait to see how it all pans out!



   Skylar has been very consistent.  I tend to overlook her because I don't really like most country music.  I wish she would "tone down" her twang a little.  I know it's her dialect, but good country musicians have the ability to minimize their accents.  

  There's no doubt that PP doesn't have the best vocal ability, but he's been the most interesting of the lot all along.  The cool thing about PP is that because he does have limited vocal ability and he knows it, he makes every song he performs, by definition, his own.  That's what the judges love about him.


----------



## BocaBum99

Just learned that Queen will be the theme next week.  Should be good for Elise and whoever gets to sing Bohemian Rhapsody.  Jessica is in trouble.  Queen doesn't fit her style.


----------



## SueDonJ

I'll miss Colton, but I think the voting this week finally matched the performances.  How many weeks do we get to say that the contestant who actually performed the worst, is going home?

His reaction to being voted off was great!  No drama, no histrionics, just a pledge to take what he's learned and try to incorporate it into the career he wants to make for himself.  Nice.


----------



## DaveNV

SueDonJ said:


> His reaction to being voted off was great!  No drama, no histrionics, just a pledge to take what he's learned and try to incorporate it into the career he wants to make for himself.  Nice.




You don't think his "praying" posture while singing his vote-off song on his knees and looking skyward wasn't "drama?"  I thought it was pretty contrived, and a little insulting.  But if he is truly the religious person he claims to be, maybe this comeuppance was the lesson in pride and humility he needs.  

Don't get me wrong - I liked the guy, but I think as the competition went on, and the Judges continued their saccharine gushing over him, he started to believe his own press.

Dave


----------



## DaveNV

And as for guest performances last night: Did anyone else feel that Kris Whatshisname hasn't improved a lick since being on the show?  He looks more polished, but his singing is just as boring as it was when he was a contestant.  

I still think the only reason he beat Adam Lambert was because once the anti-Adam voters had lost their favorite, they jumped over to the Kris camp, so they could vote AGAINST Adam.

Added in there with Taylor Hicks and Reuben Studdard (anyone remember them?) it shows once again that it's not a signing contest, it's a popularity contest.  Or a voting bloc contest.   

Dave


----------



## Elan

Queen will be excellent for all of the contestants.  It will allow the pseudo-rockers (Elise, Phillip) to shine, and provide an opportunity for those who are out of their natural element to impress far more than they would singing in their inherent genre.  One of Carrie Underwood's best Idol performances was a Heart tune.  

  Unfortunately, this comes one week too late for Colton.


----------



## Elan

BMWguynw said:


> And as for guest performances last night: Did anyone else feel that Kris Whatshisname hasn't improved a lick since being on the show?  He looks more polished, but his singing is just as boring as it was when he was a contestant.
> 
> I still think the only reason he beat Adam Lambert was because once the anti-Adam voters had lost their favorite, they jumped over to the kris camp, so they could vote AGAINST Adam.
> 
> Added in there with Taylor Hicks and Reuben Studdard (anyone remember them?) it shows once again that it's not a signing contest, it's a popularity contest.  Or a voting bloc contest.
> 
> Dave



  Yeah, Kris Allen was pretty much the same.  Not awful, but not exciting in any way.

  Idol has never been a singing contest.  And I don't mind that.  I think it's great that personality (or at least perceived personality) plays a part in a contestant's success.  Who wants to see a boring performance by a boring performer?  Where Idol loses me is in the voting demographics, particularly near the end.  Just too many teeny-boppers to offset.  That's why I've never bothered voting (well, that and the fact that it's just mindless entertainment  ).


----------



## SueDonJ

BMWguynw said:


> You don't think his "praying" posture while singing his vote-off song on his knees and looking skyward wasn't "drama?"  I thought it was pretty contrived, and a little insulting.  But if he is truly the religious person he claims to be, maybe this comeuppance was the lesson in pride and humility he needs.
> 
> Don't get me wrong - I liked the guy, but I think as the competition went on, and the Judges continued their saccharine gushing over him, he started to believe his own press.
> 
> Dave



I don't know where I stand on the "religious posturing" thing, actually.   

Christian Rock is IMO becoming a more mainstream genre, certainly much more popular now than it was ten years ago.  Creed, Jars of Clay, Lifehouse, etc ... have all influenced the christian rock crossover into today's pop/rock.  Some of it you don't know its roots are christian unless you parse the lyrics, and even then some of those are indistinguishable from traditional love songs.  I have faith but that whole culture of physically demonstrating your faith is a foreign concept to me, that's for sure!  But it's as second-nature as breathing is for some folks.  To each his own.     It may well be that some are doing it for dramatic effect as opposed to their second nature, but I'm not going to test the gates of Heaven and Hell by calling any of them out as posers.  :ignore: 

All of these contestants have earned the right to be confident in their singing ability,  no doubt.  When it comes to any of them being too over-confident or arrogant because of their talent, eh, that seems to be a matter of opinion.  You might see it in Colton, I see it in Jessica ... probably every contestant has had it said about them by somebody.  And I agree with you that any one of them could be driven to it by this competition - it's a Total Gush and Lovefest every week without Simon.  :rofl:


----------



## timeos2

If it weren't for Jimmy Iovine there wouldn't be one reliable bit of feedback from anyone on the show now.  He is spot on about 98% of the time.  The so called judges aren't just powerless as Randy stated last night they are basically cheerleaders now & cannot be taken seriously. The show overall is worse for it.


----------



## BocaBum99

timeos2 said:


> If it weren't for Jimmy Iovine there wouldn't be one reliable bit of feedback from anyone on the show now.  He is spot on about 98% of the time.  The so called judges aren't just powerless as Randy stated last night they are basically cheerleaders now & cannot be taken seriously. The show overall is worse for it.



I agree.  Jimmy should be permanent judge.  The judging is where the show really fails.  I think the best judging comes from "The Sing Off."  There, the best talent usually wins and the judges really describe it well.


----------



## BocaBum99

Elan said:


> Queen will be excellent for all of the contestants.  It will allow the pseudo-rockers (Elise, Phillip) to shine, and provide an opportunity for those who are out of their natural element to impress far more than they would singing in their inherent genre.  One of Carrie Underwood's best Idol performances was a Heart tune.
> 
> Unfortunately, this comes one week too late for Colton.



I'll try to keep an open mind, but it's hard to imagine a country version of a Queen song.


----------



## Phydeaux

BocaBum99 said:


> I'll try to keep an open mind, but it's hard to imagine a country version of a Queen song.



Crazy Little Thing Called Love 

I can also imagine *'39* with a country twist. As long as you don't pay too close attention to the lyrics.


----------



## Phydeaux

timeos2 said:


> If it weren't for Jimmy Iovine there wouldn't be one reliable bit of feedback from anyone on the show now.  He is spot on about 98% of the time.  The so called judges aren't just powerless as Randy stated last night they are basically cheerleaders now & cannot be taken seriously. The show overall is worse for it.



Spot on. Agree 100%


----------



## Elan

Phydeaux said:


> Crazy Little Thing Called Love



  That would work.  Or "You're My Best Friend".  Or "Somebody to Love".  Maybe "Fat Bottomed Girls"?  :ignore:  

  If she chooses one of the classic Queen rock songs, she better go way out of the box, IMO.


----------



## Phydeaux

And since we're on the subject of Queen, couldn't help but sharing a shot I took back in the day. I've seen very many concerts in my years, but I've never seen a better all around showman and performer as Freddie Mercury. He could have an audience in the plam of his hand.


----------



## Karen G

BMWguynw said:


> You don't think his "praying" posture while singing his vote-off song on his knees and looking skyward wasn't "drama?"  I thought it was pretty contrived, and a little insulting.


As a person of faith myself, I found it to be neither dramatic nor insulting. To me, it was a young man who was honoring the One in whom he has placed his faith.  I found Colton's remarks & his song to be very humble and totally appropriate for him.


----------



## Mosca

BocaBum99 said:


> He was. As a musician myself, when someone sings out of tune, they lose a lot of points from me. He had one of the worst performances of the year and he got eliminated for it.  His average was better than some of those who remain, but he sunk his own ship by having such a poor performance right before the most important vote of the year.
> 
> The reason I like ballads is because it isolates the singers voice from other distractions like loud drums, background music and bass.  I am entertained by the quality of the vocals.  That is why Jessica is so sublime to me.  Her problem is that she is only 16 years old and all she does is sing.  That got her to where she is now which is one of the most technically sound 16 year old vocalists in the country.  That is what the producers and other musicians see.  They are excited because it is so rare for anyone to have such talent at such a young age.  But, she lacks the emotional depth required to convey pure emotion with that perfect voice.  She needs a couple of years away from home, getting a boyfriend and having her heart broken.  When she has the emotional depth that she will get naturally with time, Jessica Sanchez will be unstoppable.  That is what Akon sees.  That is why he predicts she will be a legend.  I agree.




Now, I'm not saying that Jessica Sanchez = young Lena Horne; but what you wrote here is exactly what Horne herself said about her own singing. In an interview she contrasted her rendition of "Stormy Weather" as a 23-year-old with how she sang it later in life, after she understood more about the world.


----------



## DaveNV

Karen G said:


> As a person of faith myself, I found it to be neither dramatic nor insulting. To me, it was a young man who was honoring the One in whom he has placed his faith.  I found Colton's remarks & his song to be very humble and totally appropriate for him.




I am not attempting to be controversial in my comments, and I also have faith of my own.  And maybe that's why it goads me to see people who seem to turn it on and off to portray a certain kind of belief or behavior. If it's "real" it should be "real" all the time, not just when the cameras are rolling.  It seems very insincere.  But as Alan Cole would probably say, "What the heck do I know?"  

Wishing Colton a great career, in whatever form it takes.  The guy obviously has talent.  And as other contestants have shown, winning or losing AI does not necessarily make or break a successful music career.

Dave


----------



## Mosca

SueDonJ said:


> I don't know where I stand on the "religious posturing" thing, actually.
> 
> Christian Rock is IMO becoming a more mainstream genre, certainly much more popular now than it was ten years ago.  Creed, Jars of Clay, Lifehouse, etc ... have all influenced the christian rock crossover into today's pop/rock.  Some of it you don't know its roots are christian unless you parse the lyrics, and even then some of those are indistinguishable from traditional love songs.  I have faith but that whole culture of physically demonstrating your faith is a foreign concept to me, that's for sure!  But it's as second-nature as breathing is for some folks.  To each his own.     It may well be that some are doing it for dramatic effect as opposed to their second nature, but I'm not going to test the gates of Heaven and Hell by calling any of them out as posers.  :ignore:




Or, as John Jeremiah Sullivan says, "Christian rock is a musical genre, the only one I can think of, that has excellence-proofed itself."


----------



## pjrose

Wow, Phydeaux, that's a great photo!  

As far as Chris whatever-his-name-is beating out Adam Lambert, a lot of the analysis at the time was that the third contestant, Gokey, and Chris, both had a religious side, and may well have been splitting that vote.  Gokey gone may have led to his supporters going to Chris, not Adam.


----------



## SueDonJ

I saw Queen in concert at the old Boston Garden in the late '70s - phenomenal show!  But I didn't understand, didn't recognize, until years later that Freddy Mercury was the very definition of sexuality no matter what your preference.  (I finally understood when my high school boyfriend, who enjoyed that show just as much as I did, came out finally and happily as gay.  And then told me Freddy also was.   ) 

As far as Kris, he was my favorite that year and I was thrilled that he won.  IMO he hasn't lost the "it" that he had.


----------



## Jaybee

SueDonJ said:


> I don't know where I stand on the "religious posturing" thing, actually.
> 
> Christian Rock is IMO becoming a more mainstream genre, certainly much more popular now than it was ten years ago.  Creed, Jars of Clay, Lifehouse, etc ... have all influenced the christian rock crossover into today's pop/rock.  Some of it you don't know its roots are christian unless you parse the lyrics, and even then some of those are indistinguishable from traditional love songs.  I have faith but that whole culture of physically demonstrating your faith is a foreign concept to me, that's for sure!  But it's as second-nature as breathing is for some folks.  To each his own.     It may well be that some are doing it for dramatic effect as opposed to their second nature, but I'm not going to test the gates of Heaven and Hell by calling any of them out as posers.  :ignore:
> 
> All of these contestants have earned the right to be confident in their singing ability,  no doubt.  When it comes to any of them being too over-confident or arrogant because of their talent, eh, that seems to be a matter of opinion.  You might see it in Colton, I see it in Jessica ... probably every contestant has had it said about them by somebody.  And I agree with you that any one of them could be driven to it by this competition - it's a Total Gush and Lovefest every week without Simon.  :rofl:



Very well said, Susan.  I agree with you. Thanks for saying it so well.
I don't know why there haven't been any comments about that LMFAO "group".  As far as I'm concerned, if that was talent, we're doomed! (Of course, I'm old)


----------



## Karen G

Jaybee said:


> I don't know why there haven't been any comments about that LMFAO "group".  As far as I'm concerned, if that was talent, we're doomed!


I agree. I had totally forgotten about them. What a waste of time!


----------



## DaveNV

Jaybee said:


> I don't know why there haven't been any comments about that LMFAO "group".  As far as I'm concerned, if that was talent, we're doomed! (Of course, I'm old)



I was watching on my DVR, and skipped through their time on screen.  (I couldn't call it a "performance.")  I think someone up above in this thread did comment on the inappropriateness and the lack of musicality.  

I've always been told, "If you can't hum it, then it's not music."  

Dave


----------



## BocaBum99

I think this is fake, but it's pretty persuasive.  Whoever did this list has some pretty good insight.  It was posted on the American Idol Season 11 wiki page and has since been deleted:

 Order	Contestant	Song (original artist)	Result
1	Jessica Sanchez	"Radio Ga Ga" (Queen)	TBA
2	Phillip Phillips	"We Are the Champions" (Queen)	TBA
3	Elise Testone	"Somebody to Love" (Queen)	TBA
4	Hollie Cavanagh	"Love of My Life" (Queen)	TBA
5	Joshua Ledet	"The Show Must Go On" (Queen)	TBA
6	Skylar Laine	"The Miracle" (Queen)	TBA
7	Jessica Sanchez	"Listen" (Beyonce)	TBA
8	Phillip Phillips	"It's Not Over" (Daughtry)	TBA
9	Elise Testone	"We Are" (Ana Johnsson)	TBA
10	Hollie Cavanagh	"Candle in the Wind" (Elton John)	TBA
11	Joshua Ledet	"Lean On Me" (Bill Withers)	TBA
12	Skylar Laine	"As You Turn Away" (Lady Antebellum)	TBA
Group performance: TBA


----------



## BocaBum99

On the above list, I think "Radio Gaga" would be a terrible choice for Jessica.  That is a boring song as it is.  It gives her no chance to do anything interesting.  She should do "The Show must go on" as it is a very dramatic song.  "Somebody to love" seems to be off the table since it is going to be sung by the Queen Band on the Thursday results show.

"Listen" would be great except for the fact that it is yet another Diva song.  Jessica doesn't need to do that song to get her current fans to vote for her.  She needs to do something different to get new fans.  This song won't do it.  She did sing it in the finals of a singing competition in 2007 at the ripe old age of 11.  Here it is.  I don't know very many 11 year old kids who can sing like this:  Jessica Sanchez singing Listen by Beyonce

This is the song I think Jessica should do as her second song.  She posted it on Youtube.   It's current and 80's retro.  It's high energy.  And, she smiles and dances a lot.  

Love on Top (Beyonce Cover by Jessica Sanchez)


----------



## pjrose

pjrose said:


> Tonight's guest "entertainment" was horrendous.  Can't AI afford a better group than LMFAO?  Ewwwwwww.  I noticed some long-ish bleeps, too.  Ugh.
> They were like a bad Saturday Night Live parody of a very bad band.  Blech. Completely out of character with the type of talent they're trying to develop.
> 
> Oh, and did i mention that I think tonight's band (if they can be called that) was horrible?





Jaybee said:


> . . .
> I don't know why there haven't been any comments about that LMFAO "group".  As far as I'm concerned, if that was talent, we're doomed! (Of course, I'm old)



Just look back awhile - I posted my comment (above) while they were on the TV.  

And I completely agree with your comment!  



Karen G said:


> I agree. I had totally forgotten about them. What a waste of time!



Yep!



BMWguynw said:


> I was watching on my DVR, and skipped through their time on screen.  (I couldn't call it a "performance.")  I think someone up above in this thread did comment on the inappropriateness and the lack of musicality.
> 
> I've always been told, "If you can't hum it, then it's not music."
> 
> Dave



I believe I was that "someone."


----------



## Elan

What a difference a week makes.  If I had to rank tonights performances, it would be:

1) Skylar -- absolutely killed both songs.  I don't like country, but Skylar just has "it".  She's getting immensely better each week, while the others run in mud.

2) Hollie -- Great job on the 2nd song.  She has a beautiful tone to her voice, and "The Climb" was the perfect song choice.  I thought it was the best singular performance of the night.

3) Joshua -- 2 good performances.  Nothing spectacular, but he'll never sound bad.  Should have picked a different Queen song.

4) Jessica -- see Joshua

5) Phillip -- I liked both of his songs, but I don't think the DM tune was a good choice in terms of mass appeal.  Too dark for this stage of the competition.

6) Elise -- She just seldom sounds great to me.  She has the ability to sing anything, but nothing (with the exception of the Zeppelin tune) really impresses me.

  I think either Hollie or Elise goes home.  Not based on tonight, but based on past votes.  Outside chance Phillip or Jessica goes home.  I think Skylar and Joshua are the only safe ones.  Now watch both of them be in the bottom 3.........


----------



## TUGBrian

guess it was just me, but other than phillips first song, and hollies 2nd song...I was completely and totally bored watching last nights show.

and even those two werent spectacular, just far better to watch/hear than the rest.


----------



## timeos2

Totally disappointed in last nights show. Very boring. No outstanding performances and few that were even interesting. A girl is likely to go this week just based on numbers (and uninspiring performances overall). 

I'd guess it will be Elise with Hollie & Jessica the others at risk. 

(Of course I feel it should be Phillip EVERY week but as there are only 2 guys left they are likely very safe for now).


----------



## Elan

Definitely no standout performances.  IMO, there hasn't been one all season in spite of the elevated overall talent level.


----------



## Karen G

TUGBrian said:


> I was completely and totally bored watching last nights show.





timeos2 said:


> Totally disappointed in last nights show. Very boring.





Elan said:


> Definitely no standout performances.



Am I watching the same show that you guys are watching? I loved the show last night and I thought everyone had some outstandng moments.  My favorite is Joshua.


----------



## Mosca

At Chez Mosca, we don't like Queen, so there's that. 

Strongest: Skylar. A few weeks ago both me and Mrs agreed she 's the likely winner. 

Weakest: Philip, but I like his "screw it" attitude. Jennifer says to him, "You can't sing that song this late in the competition," and you can see him thinking, "Yeah, but I just did."


Next weakest: Elise. Her flaws are showing more, every weak. This week it's the hands/notes thing. That's what a music teacher does, not a professional pop star... Elise is a vocal teacher. I like her style, but she's not that good. 

The other three tied. I think they were all just happy to get through Queen week. 


Going home prediction: Holly or Jessica, because they split votes.


----------



## DaveNV

I just wanted to step aside and say how interesting this entire thread has been.  That we can all have such diverse opinions about who we like/dislike, or what we find worth watching or not, goes to show why shows like AI continue to be popular.  

Every time I think someone needs their head examined for liking or disliking a certain performance, someone else comes along and says, "Yeah, but what about so-and-so?"  The historic references to previous seasons, and analysis of the current crop of performers makes me view the whole show in a different light.

Once again, for entirely different reasons than timesharing, Tuggers are the best!   

Dave


----------



## tlwmkw

I thought Skylar did the best job, and liked Phillip's because he is interesting in the way he performs (not the strongest singer but makes up for it in interesting musical and singing style).  I was shocked that the judges liked Joshua's first performance- it was like bad Karioke to me.  His second was back to his same old tricks.  Hollie has improved dramatically and staying in key (guess that was a nervous problem which she is overcoming) but still a little dull for me.  Elise just doesn't do it for me- her comments about the other singers seemed mean and not playful and when she was being critiqued by Randy you could see her saying "I don't agree".  I think she sees herself as being better than the rest and doesn't understand why no one else agrees with her.  Personally I thought she was the weakest of the night- and was surprised since this seemed to be a night for her to do well.

What was with J.Lo's outfit?  Is she going to be in a re-make of Battle star gallactica or what?  Crazy.

tlwmkw


----------



## SueDonJ

I loved both of Skylar's songs, think she hit the ball WAY out of the park last night and was the clear front-runner.  Of course I also loved both of Phillip's performances but will happily admit that I'd love him even IF he sang the phonebook!  (That's such an odd idea to me, cannot figure out why it ever occurs to someone that the phonebook should be sung!)

Hollie is the one I see as most improving and I still don't get why/how Jessica is said to be so much better than her.  Again I have to admit to not liking Jessica's attitude so there's a lot of bias at play here, but Hollie just sounds so much better in my ears.  She's really becoming comfortable on the stage and I like to see that.

Joshua's Queen song was terrible, just a whole lot of screeching.  I think the judges have a Pavlovian response to him at this point.

Elise is a pro.  Not sure she's an American Idol, but she's a pro.  Was her guitarist a guest from her band back home, the way Philip's brother-in-law was a guest a few weeks ago?  Nice touch, it'd be great to see more of that.

I think it's wonderful that Jessica's dad will be there tonight before he deploys again.  No matter if I like her as this year's AI or not, it can't be easy for her as young as she is to be away from her family and friends.  I hope she gets to spend some time with her dad.  (And I fully expect we'll all need tissues when he's shown tonight.)

WTH?! was that all about with Ryan's girlfriend?  I am finally getting to the point where I think he's a serious player in the adult world, and then they show us that giggling fool backstage who apparently thinks Philip is hot.  Good Lord.


----------



## tlwmkw

Suedonj,

You are right about Ryan's "girlfriend"- ridiculous behaviour on his and her part.  Why he is getting paid so many millions for doing such a mediocre job is incredible to me.

Is it just me or is the BS level much higher this year?  Yes this group of singers is extremely talented from a pure vocal point of view but the judges just gush and gush about them which drives me crazy.  J.Lo talking about the emotions and feeling the song, etc. is laughable.  The best was when she was debuting her new video and went on about how the song spoke to her and represented her, and felt deeply emotional for her, and gave a long discussion about it and then she showed a video of her half naked, crawling on all fours and singing about sex.  What!!!  Who does she think she is kidding?  She is not much of a vocal talent herself (auto-tune much?).  They need to get real- I will be interested to hear Jimmy Iovine's take on last nights performances.

tlwmkw


----------



## TUGBrian

eh, i cant recall the last time ive listened to or cared what either of those 3 had to say (dvr fast forward).  

im certainly far more entertained by "the voice"...even the worst performances there are better than the best ones on AI at this point.


----------



## scrapngen

TUGBrian said:


> eh, i cant recall the last time ive listened to or cared what either of those 3 had to say (dvr fast forward).
> 
> im certainly far more entertained by "the voice"...even the worst performances there are better than the best ones on AI at this point.



Last year, I liked the Voice, but still held American Idol as my favorite singing show. This time, I agree with you 100%. It's crazy, (oops, sounding like J.Lo) because I agree with everyone about the talent pool this year on AI. However, the judges, if you can call them that, have managed to ruin this show so quickly! I don't bother listening to their comments and feel they have done a big disservice to this year's contestants. Those kids should have been improving and have been given helpful and critical advice. None of them were stellar in the beginning, but the judges made it a big love fest, and lost the viewers in the process. I think I heard it may not make it another season, and all I can say is "Thank goodness!" Jimmy has been the only one saving it and giving it any credibility as a singing contest. 

I'm so sad, because I've been watching this show from the first season. Only missed the tryouts in season one. Now I skip through half the performances and all the comments, and half the results show. I don't care that much if any of these kids go on from here, and that's a big problem for the show. If we stop caring, we don't vote. I don't hear my DD's friends talk about this show either, and they are apparently the number 1 voting demographic. (pre-teen girls) 

Meanwhile the Voice has some very interesting contestants, with a big range of styles. I see some of them going on to become stars, or at least have some popular songs. Can't say the same for the American Idol folk, except that I think Skylar will do very well, and probably Jessica, as she'll now have some people behind her shaping her career. I think Holly doesn't have as much of a place in the industry and will have to be a fighter to have a chance. I see Jessica much like Kathy McPhee. Kathy had great training and was willing to do anything they (the judges) suggested, but wasn't quite her own person yet. She tried to compete for the "cute" factor against some of her competition, and ended up going home. She released a couple albums, that didn't do particularly well, but kept her going. Yet now she's headlining a TV show, it's just taken a few years to get there. She, too, had and has an amazing, well-trained voice, and was groomed to be a star, but didn't have a personality that came across on the Idol show enough to get her the votes. 

Oh, I guess Joshua will also do well, depending on what he chooses to do. He's better than a lot of the guys we've heard in the past with his style. (lots of runs, over-the-top emotion, church-style singing..) Still, none of those guys seem to put out music that makes the charts.  

Ultimately, that's it in a nutshell:  just a shrug...


----------



## pjrose

tlwmkw, with you on J Lo and her gushiness and her performance (ewwwww).  

There's general agreement here that Jimmy would make a better judge (or critic, that's what they're really supposed to do) than the three-some we have now.  However, he is likely much more valuable in helping the contestants before the performances.

Scrapngen, with you on the  

However, I still like Joshua and Jessica the best.  I liked seeing Jessica get away from the mike and be active, and would like to see more of that.  I think she has a phenomenal voice and ability to put it through vocal gymnastics.  I could also listen to Joshua all night.  That being said, I thought his second performance last night was just "eh".  

I dislike, totally dislike, Skylar, Elise, and Phillip.  Hollie? really don't care one way or the other.  

I think Jessica should win it.


----------



## DaveNV

SueDonJ said:


> WTH?! was that all about with Ryan's girlfriend?  I am finally getting to the point where I think he's a serious player in the adult world, and then they show us that giggling fool backstage who apparently thinks Philip is hot.  Good Lord.




I think the whole thing was another lame attempt to prove to us that Ryan Seacrest is not gay.  (Like it matters to anyone?)  And I think once again, they "doth protest too much."   

Unless they make some serious changes in staffing at AI (starting with the judges who do everything BUT judge) I think next season I'll watch The Voice instead.  

For all the talent on this year's show, I'm getting very VERY tired of Jennifer Lopez fawning over the male contestants (yes, we know she likes younger guys.)  Randy Jackson needs to stop name dropping about how great a musician he is and all the BIG NAME ACTS he's managed, produced, started, played in, and what-the-hell-ever else.  And Stephen Tyler is laughable trying to show everyone what a Bad Boy Rocker he thinks he still is...  :zzz: 

Dave


----------



## BocaBum99

I hated the whole show.  I didn't like anything.  It was poorly executed and boring.

I can't believe Jessica attempted Bohemian Rhapsody.  She should have done The Show Must Go On.  If you aren't going to have a performance better than Michael Johns, then you don't do Bohemian Rhapsody.  Really stupid choice.

Also, she did a great job on the Luther Vandross song, but I am tired of the damn ballads.  I'd rather her sing her original rap song than another ballad.

I really dislike Miley Cyrus songs.  So, even though Hollie did a good job singing it, I still hated it.

I think Joshua has been totally over rated by the judges.  Come on, standing ovation for every performance?  He is not that good.  He's only had one or two great songs all season including the duet with Jessica.

Elise did okay on the Queen song, but totally sucked on the Jimi Hendrix song.  She must have been on LSD singing that.  She was totally incoherent.

Phil Phillips had his worst night of the season.  He couldn't sing more out of tune.  Horrible job on Fat Bottom Girls.  Why did they have a group medley and a solo of the same song?  The medley was so much better that he sounded horrible in comparison.  

Skylar?  I don't even remember what she sang.  

How does everyone rate?

1) I'd say that Hollie won the night only because everyone else was so bad.

2) Phil Phillips was the worst.  Elise second worst.

3) Everyone else was in the middle.  Undifferentiated gobbledygook

Who is in the bottom three?

1) Elise
2) Skylar
3) Jessica

I don't think PP will be in the bottom 3 even though he should be out like Colton Dixon last week.  

Elise going home tonight.


----------



## timeos2

TUGBrian said:


> eh, i cant recall the last time ive listened to or cared what either of those 3 had to say (dvr fast forward).
> 
> im certainly far more entertained by "the voice"...even the worst performances there are better than the best ones on AI at this point.



I now see them not as the 3 judges but the 3 Stooges - J Lo, Larry (Stephen) and Curly (Name dropper Randy). 

And what was with the Moe, I mean J Lo, Paula like incomprehensible rant? Is she hitting the juice too? 

Only Jimmy Iovine has anything worthwhile to say & he was missing (couldn't stand it?) last night. Hopefully he will check in tonight.


----------



## timeos2

BocaBum99 said:


> 1) I'd say that Hollie won the night only because everyone else was so bad.
> 
> 2) Phil Phillips was the worst.  Elise second worst.
> 
> 3) Everyone else was in the middle.  Undifferentiated gobbledygook
> 
> Who is in the bottom three?
> 
> 1) Elise
> 2) Skylar
> 3) Jessica
> 
> I don't think PP will be in the bottom 3 even though he should be out like Colton Dixon last week.
> 
> Elise going home tonight.



Wow. It's like I wrote it! Right on Boca.


----------



## geoand

"Joshua's Queen song was terrible, just a whole lot of screeching. I think the judges have a Pavlovian response to him at this point."

I think that response explains the responses to Hollie last night.  When J lo said she needs to smile and engage the audience on her first song I actually said WTH!!!!!  That song was one of emotional despair and loneliness - Why would she smile on that song.  I thought she did a fine job of conveying the emotion of that song.

I think we all agree that the judges suck and want to convince us who to vote for.

I enjoy some of the singers and don't enjoy others.  However, do agree that they are the most talented group.


----------



## tlwmkw

I agree that Josua's Queen song was bad.  Jimmy Iovine said he liked it which was a big surprise to me.  I thought the bottom three was appropriate except for Skylar- why was she there?  Aren't the country fans voting for her?  I was glad that Elise was voted off.  I think she does a good job but her singing style is so distinctive and not suited to this type of competition.  I was surprised to hear that she is a vocal coach.

It's getting interesting to see who will go now- Jessica has survived despite the low vote and save- I guess her fans realized that she needs support.  Hollie has improved but not sure if she has done enough.  People either love or hate Phillip but he must have strong support since he is never in the bottom three.

tlwmkw


----------



## DaveNV

Seems we all predicted the bottom two/three correctly, and with the correct contestant voted out, it's going about as we all expected.  I predict Hollie will go next week.

Assuming Hollie DOES go next week, that leaves Skylar, Phillip, Joshua, and Jessica.  Quite the cross-section of singers.  Who wins?

Dave


----------



## Elan

IMO, now that Elise is gone any of the remaining contestants would be deserving winners.  

  At this point, it's just personal musical preference. 

Ballads:  Hollie or Jessica.  
Pop/R&B with a gospel influence: Joshua.  
Country: Skylar.  
Eclectic: Phillip.  

  I prefer eclectic, but Phillip is too weak vocally to get my full support.  He needs to do something like David Cook's "Billie Jean" to show that he can carry a tune without getting that "I'm about to axe murder someone!" look on his face.  

  I'm still waiting for one of the contestants to nail something out of their respective genre.  Thus far, even though she's one of my least favorite remaining contestants, Skylar came closest with "The Show Must Go On".  Not that it was great by rock standards, but it was more than passable for how divergent it was from country.


----------



## BocaBum99

Elan said:


> IMO, now that Elise is gone any of the remaining contestants would be deserving winners.
> 
> At this point, it's just personal musical preference.
> 
> Ballads:  Hollie or Jessica.
> Pop/R&B with a gospel influence: Joshua.
> Country: Skylar.
> Eclectic: Phillip.
> 
> I prefer eclectic, but Phillip is too weak vocally to get my full support.  He needs to do something like David Cook's "Billie Jean" to show that he can carry a tune without getting that "I'm about to axe murder someone!" look on his face.
> 
> I'm still waiting for one of the contestants to nail something out of their respective genre.  Thus far, even though she's one of my least favorite remaining contestants, Skylar came closest with "The Show Must Go On".  Not that it was great by rock standards, but it was more than passable for how divergent it was from country.



I think the competition is over.  I believe people have made up their minds and they can stop singing now.  

At this point, people have their favorites and they will vote for whomever they like now.  What is important are the power voters who will stay on the line for 2 hours voting.  Only rabid fans of a contestant will do that.  Most people will vote at most only a few times.

Also, I think that Jessica Sanchez has a decent chance of winning (which would thrill me even though I haven't been happy with her song choices over the past 2 weeks).  I say that because there are 90+ Million Pinoy and Pinay in the Phillipines that will do anything they can to vote.  If you follow the online chatter, you will see that every week, more of them are learning how to use Skype and Private line services into the US along with Proxies servers to mask IP address for Facebook votes.  I don't think the producers of the show will try to stop this illegal voting because I believe they want her to win thinking it would be good for the show.  Jessica dominates all online votes with over 50% of the vote for several weeks.  Also, I think she has more Facebook and Twitter likes than all the rest of the remaining contestants combined.

Here is why I think this is happening.  Dial idol had her in the bottom 3 (although it was in the margin of error) and yet she was in the top 3.  I expected her to be in the bottom 3 given her performances.

If I am correct that illegal votes from the phillipines are getting counted,  it's over.  Jessica Sanchez wins by a landslide.


----------



## Elan

As I've stated before, I don't care who wins and we're to the point where I actually begin to lose interest because there's no obviously stronger or weaker performers left.  Voter demographics, rather than the quality of the performances, begin to more decidedly control who goes and who stays.  

  I'll continue to watch, but the wheat has been seperated from the chaff, which has proven to be the point where my interest in the show begins it's descent.


----------



## pjrose

Tonight I think Jessica and Joshua were awesome.  Hollie was quite good, but just not as much fun, and I can't remember what she sang.

I still can't stand Skylar or Phillip.  I do recognize Skylar's talent, and I'm sure the country fans will love her feistiness.  I just don't like her style.  As far as Phillip goes, I don't get him at all.  I think he is off-key, with a limited range, sounds like a strangled turkey, and has weird expressions.  

I think the Phillip half of the "Loving Feeling" duet was dismal, painful to listen to.  The piece was practically written for Joshua, he was so good.  However, I didn't like Joshua's rejection of Phillip's arm at the end.  


Joshua's "Ain't Too Proud" - Wow, fabulous
Jessica's "Rolling" - fabulous, she channeled Tina.  The judges weren't nearly as positive as I would have been.  
Hollie's 60's piece - very nice but I've already forgotten it



Phillip's "Time of the Season..." - painful, just painful to watch and listen to.  The original was weird, but I liked it.  His was horrid, and his expressions....oy vey.
Jessica's "Beautiful" - jaw-dropping.  As memorable as Adam's "Mad World".  Sheer Perfection.  Let's end the competition right now.
Joshua's "You Don't Know" - also fabulous, especially over the top at the end.  Wow.  However I think it was arranged just a teensy tad too slow at the beginning. 
 Whatever Skylar did, well, she tried, but with the accent it just didn't work.
Hollie?  Again, nice at the time, but I don't remember what it was.

Joshua and Jessica for the win, and I couldn't possibly pick.


----------



## TUGBrian

definately joshuas to win after that last song for sure...

i dont even like the guy and that performance made me want to vote for him.


----------



## Elan

TUGBrian said:


> definately joshuas to win after that last song for sure...
> 
> i dont even like the guy and that performance made me want to vote for him.



  Pretty much what I told my wife.  I've been a fan, but never a huge fan of Joshua's (pretty ambivalent throughout), but based on talent he _should_ win it.  He's BY FAR the most complete package of the group.  His vocals, with his gospel background, are absolutely sick!  

  I thought Hollie was a clear 2nd tonight.  Her "River Deep, Mountain High" was exceptional, and she did a nice job with the Leona Lewis tune also.  Would put the other 3 in a tie for 3rd.  Jessica really butchered "Proud Mary", in fact, it was high school talent show bad, but she really redeemed herself with the Cocker tune.  I liked Phillip doing the Zombies, but not the Box Tops, and thought Skylar was ok with both of her songs, but she's too country for my taste and she over sang the Dusty Springfield number.  Gotta love her energy, however!


----------



## luvNMB52

Elan said:


> I've been a fan, but never a huge fan of Joshua's (pretty ambivalent throughout), but based on talent he _should_ win it.  He's BY FAR the most complete package of the group.
> 
> I thought Hollie was a clear 2nd tonight.  Her "River Deep, Mountain High" was exceptional, and she did a nice job with the Leona Lewis tune also.
> 
> 
> My favorites tonight were also Hollie and Joshua.  Phillip is very unique, but I don't really "get" him.  I like country music (big fan of Scotty McCreery), but to me Skylar goes a little overboard.  I thought her first song seemed almost frantic!  Jessica is losing it for me.  I liked her better earlier in the season than I do now.  I can't deny her voice is incredible, esp. for 16-yr-old, but her performances just seem lacking somehow.  I personally think Hollie is passing her right now.


----------



## Karen G

pjrose said:


> I think the Phillip half of the "Loving Feeling" duet was dismal, painful to listen to.  The piece was practically written for Joshua, he was so good.  However, I didn't like Joshua's rejection of Phillip's arm at the end.


I thought the two guys were just having fun with each other at the end. It almost seemed like they were uncomfortable singing together because they thought they were supposed to be singing to each other. Maybe they weren't all that familiar with the Righteous Brothers or knew that those two guys sang this song but it was directed to girls and not to each other.

I thought Joshua was the winner of tonight's show. He is amazing.


----------



## DaveNV

A night of interesting song choices, and a lot of missed opportunities.

Joshua has me voting for him - again.  His talent is unmistakable, and I'd buy his music.  I try to close my eyes and listen, so I can view these contestants as people whose CD's I'd buy.  Joshua has that appeal.  He should win this season, but will he?  (And his rejection of Phillips arm at the end of the song?  I think Phillip is probably a bit of a jerk backstage.  Joshua strikes me as someone who has seen his share of bullying over the years, and I don't think he likes Phillip all that much.  He looks a little freaked out by all this.)

Jessica is trying to get out there, but I think it's too little too late. She seemed very awkward. I doubt she'll win.

Hollie surprised me tonight.  Someone said she was peaking at the right time, and I agree with that statement.  She could win it, if she keeps this up.

Skylar is too frenetic for me.  She oversings her songs.  Her vocal tones aren't pleasing to my ears, and the twang in her voice overshadows any vibrato - and it doesn't sit well with what I expect to hear.  It's unsettling.  

Phillip knows who he is, but he has very little flexibility in his performance skills.  He butchers songs that should be easy to sing, and when he does sing the melody as written, the song just seems flat.  He just doesn't do it for me.

My prediction for the bottom three this week:  Skylar, Phillip, and Jessica.  But based on voter blocs, it could be any of them.

Dave


----------



## timeos2

80% enjoyable last night (ignoring the absolutely insanely bad duo and treo songs - who arranged them?).

Overall it should be Hollie and Joshua as the finalists. They have both grown throughout the competition - exactly what should happen. 

I'm officially tired of the robot like Jessica. She has an amazing voice but zero showmanship. A few more years of hard knocks rather than praise and she'll be ready - not now. Skylar seemed to be rising a few weeks ago but has stumbled badly since. Not top 2 material.  PP can't even get the simple melody of "The Letter". The 3 Stooges (so called judges) paraphrased "You have no talent and can't carry a tune but we love you".  He should go to the small coffee bar stage with 30-40 groupies and perform his shtick. He is not AI talent. 

To go tonight: Skylar.  Should be PP but he may hang on one more week as there are only two guys.  If he isn't gone by the last  3 I may have to stop watching (not that it matters to AI).


----------



## geoand

timeos2 said:


> 80% enjoyable last night (ignoring the absolutely insanely bad duo and treo songs - who arranged them?).
> 
> Overall it should be Hollie and Joshua as the finalists. They have both grown throughout the competition - exactly what should happen.
> 
> I'm officially tired of the robot like Jessica. She has an amazing voice but zero showmanship. A few more years of hard knocks rather than praise and she'll be ready - not now.



Throughout the various shows, Holly has been criticized by the judges.  Was always amazed that she was able to handle that without having a meltdown.  She has definitely grown and learned from those experiences.

I think Jessica was given a pass by the judges and as a result she has not shown the growth.  I understand that she is young and is very talented.  Perhaps she would have been better off getting rejected this year as Holly was last year.

Joshua and Holly were the winners for me tonight.  I was truly surprised with Holly.

I don't know if any of you are Old F...s like me, but the 60's music is what I growed up to.


----------



## SueDonJ

Last night Hollie was the clear winner for me, she was practically flawless in both of her numbers and she carried that dreadful trio.  Boy has she matured as a performer - grace, beauty and a gorgeous voice.

Overall, Joshua has the most talent and appears to be the most comfortable on stage.  He should win, but we all know that it's anybody's guess at this point.  Of all of them he's the only one I see being offered a choice of major recording contracts when he's released from AI commitments.

Phillip remains my favorite of the group.  I just love how he sings.  It's like asking why you were first attracted to your husband or wife and not somebody else - no rhyme or reason, just sometimes the attraction is undeniable.  Phillip's voice makes me listen.   

I agree with John - Skylar had it all a few weeks ago but she's slipped some.  It's almost like she's flipped with Hollie at this point - Hollie now has the stage command and presence that Sklyar did two/three weeks ago.  There seems to be something frenetic in Skylar's dancing now that I didn't see before, and I don't know if that's because she's lost some confidence or if I'm looking at her differently.  She'll still be a country talent.

I LOVED the guys' duet!  How could you not?!  It was fun, and live music is supposed to be fun!  They were relaxed, having a good time, and it just seemed so obvious that whatever was happening was something that had carried over from rehearsals.  And I think rehearsals must have been hysterically funny, for Joshua to end up laughing on stage!  (What a pro, too - he mixed that fun right into the song and still didn't miss a beat.)  I didn't see any animosity or bad blood between those two, not at all.  The judges laughed right along with the two perfomers - that's all we need to know about any supposed problems.  There aren't many songs from this year that I'll be looking for on iTunes - this duet is first on my list to buy.

Ugh, Jessica.  I just don't get it.  Don't like the whole package, don't understand the high praise.  She's a robot on stage who despite her technical proficiency is still a boring snoozefest, but off it she's VERY stilted.  What was all that "we worked" crap after the girls' trio?  In that setting with Hollie and Skylar obviously enjoying the fun factor of the experience in the middle of such a rabidly competitive environment, there's Jessica STILL talking about how much WORK this all is for her.  Somebody has conditioned that girl to be a robot - it's sad, really.

So I think Joshua should win, but any of them could win.


----------



## tlwmkw

My tween spies who use facebook tell me that Joshua is being hurt by the judges praise- the young folk think that they are favoring him too much and react against that and don't vote for him (and even vote against him).  They love Phillip because he is "sooo cute" and vote for him, which explains why he is still there.  Much upset at Joshua's rejection of Phillip at the end of their duet.  Hollie is surging with the tweens and could go all the way if she keeps it up- Skylar is losing ground with them.  Jessica isn't getting the tween vote but I don't know why since she is practically one herself.

Cracked me up to hear all this from some young girls I know but it does seem to reflect the way the vote goes.  These young girls vote for hours, again and again, using speed dial and texting so they hold a lot of power.  Us oldies will vote once or twice and lose interest.

tlwmkw


----------



## Mosca

Too much filler; at this point in the season, the show could have been knocked off in an hour. Kick the duets and the trios, and have the contestants sing two songs back-to-back, as if they were doing a concert. Let them get a little momentum going. You could cynically say that, well, Fox is milking their cash cow. What they're really doing is bleeding it. 

Holly, Joshua, Skylar, Jessica, Phillip. Skylar totally missed the boat on "Fortunate Son". That is one angry song, and she sang it like a dance number.


----------



## Blues

Yep, to me, Holly won last night by a nose, with Joshua a close 2nd.  I thought Jessica performed well, and gets 3rd place from me.  I agree with the others about Skylar - she peaked a few weeks ago, and her star has been setting since.  PPhillips?  I used to like him, quite a bit.  But now I can't distinguish one of his performances from the next.  He's definitely the one that I think should go home tonight; both his songs were a bust.  But as someone else posted, the tween female vote will likely keep him in.  To me, that leaves Skylar as the one to get the boot.

Finale really should be Holly and Joshua.  I'm so impressed with how Holly has grown.  And Joshua - he has so much talent!  That duo would make a blockbuster finale IMNSHO.  Any other combo would be very disappointing; not sure if I'd watch if it weren't those two.

-Bob


----------



## Mosca

My guess is Joshua is going home. People didn't like his "gay terror" with Phillip, at all, not even a little bit. IMO it just shows his youth and naivete, but it really hurt him.


----------



## Sandi Bo

So first I have to tell you -- DH switched the channel during the guys duet - said his ears couldn't take it.   Neither of us thought that was a good song choice for Phillip (and maybe it wasn't his choice at all).

I am normally a Phillip fan, but was not impressed last night.  I expect him to be leaving.

Every week I become more and more of a Hollie fan as well as Joshua continues to impress me. 

I used to think Skylar might win, but not anymore. She is a great performer and very high energy. But as many have said, I agree she over sang her songs last night.  

Jessica is winning my favor. I have always thought she has an amazing voice. I feel her performance skills are improving, but I like Hollie better.

I predict Jessica, Skylar, and Phillip in the bottom 3 with Phillip going home.  I will miss him, I do like him, just feel all the others are better.


----------



## Elan

Mosca said:


> My guess is Joshua is going home. People didn't like his "gay terror" with Phillip, at all, not even a little bit. IMO it just shows his youth and naivete, but it really hurt him.



  That whole thing was really weird.  I couldn't figure out whether it was genuine, in jest, or what.  Seemed that Phillip was down with everything, but Joshua wasn't.  I'd like to know more of the story.  At any rate, I agree that it certainly didn't help Joshua.


----------



## SueDonJ

Mosca said:


> My guess is Joshua is going home. People didn't like his "gay terror" with Phillip, at all, not even a little bit. IMO it just shows his youth and naivete, but it really hurt him.





Elan said:


> That whole thing was really weird.  I couldn't figure out whether it was genuine, in jest, or what.  Seemed that Phillip was down with everything, but Joshua wasn't.  I'd like to know more of the story.  At any rate, I agree that it certainly didn't help Joshua.



That's crazy (helloooo JLo!) - Phillip's girlfriend was right there sitting in the audience and Joshua even mentioned kiddingly that the two of them were competing for her!

I do think Joshua might be one of those people who's shy in social situations but when the spotlight shines on him, he turns into a born entertainer.  Maybe all that bromance stuff that comes so easily to most of the 20-somethings these days isn't something he probably comes across in his church-focused world, but he was having as much fun at his own expense as everyone else.

Cripes.  "Gay terror."  Preposterous.  Folks just aren't happy these days unless they can slap a label and bad behavior allegations on everyone around them.  Gah.


----------



## Mosca

SueDonJ said:


> Cripes.  "Gay terror."  Preposterous.  Folks just aren't happy these days unless they can slap a label and bad behavior allegations on everyone around them.  Gah.



Isn't it being offered up to us for labeling by putting it on TV? 

You could be right. My take is that he's really young, and obviously afraid of being labeled gay. Heck, that's what I would have done at that age (not gay). I really don't think there's any other explanation, but I'm willing to listen. 

I like the kid, and I feel for him. I don't care about his sexuality. I don't consider his behavior bad myself, he's just a young guy in front of a national audience being asked to sing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" with another guy, not knowing the history of the song. I'm analyzing what I think the voters think; voting against him for being uncomfortable with gayness, when he's just a kid trying to get along in the world... that is what I find bad.


----------



## fillde

*No melody*

Steven Tyler said Philip has no melody. Then he said something that surprised me. The Stones had no melody either. Wow all these years I had no idea.


----------



## SueDonJ

Mosca said:


> Isn't it being offered up to us for labeling by putting it on TV?
> 
> You could be right. My take is that he's really young, and obviously afraid of being labeled gay. Heck, that's what I would have done at that age (not gay). I really don't think there's any other explanation, but I'm willing to listen.
> 
> I like the kid, and I feel for him. I don't care about his sexuality. I don't consider his behavior bad myself, he's just a young guy in front of a national audience being asked to sing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" with another guy, not knowing the history of the song. I'm analyzing what I think the voters think; voting against him for being uncomfortable with gayness, when he's just a kid trying to get along in the world... that is what I find bad.



Not sure if you thought I was criticizing you but that wasn't what I was trying to do at all.  We agree - Joshua's behavior shouldn't have been an issue; the folks who made it an issue were crazy!

Tonight's result isn't so upsetting considering the past couple week's performances, but the bottom two was certainly surprising IMO.  I know that at this point it's probably more a personality than a singing contest but it would have been really sad if the other of the bottom two had been voted off.  This late in the season I find it difficult to watch the results shows live, there's just too much manufactured suspense.  Plus, there's some emotion invested in all these weeks of watching - though we all don't have the same favorite, we've all allowed these kids to tug on our heartstrings.


----------



## timeos2

All I can say is WHEW! Only one of the bottom two was correct. At least that one got the axe.  

Not giving anything major away I hope.


----------



## Elan

SueDonJ said:


> That's crazy (helloooo JLo!) - Phillip's girlfriend was right there sitting in the audience and Joshua even mentioned kiddingly that the two of them were competing for her!
> 
> I do think Joshua might be one of those people who's shy in social situations but when the spotlight shines on him, he turns into a born entertainer.  Maybe all that bromance stuff that comes so easily to most of the 20-somethings these days isn't something he probably comes across in his church-focused world, but he was having as much fun at his own expense as everyone else.
> 
> Cripes.  "Gay terror."  Preposterous.  Folks just aren't happy these days unless they can slap a label and bad behavior allegations on everyone around them.  Gah.



I wasn't referencing anything regarding sexuality.  I just found the entire interaction very strange.  I assumed they were messing around, but then at the end Joshua didn't seem to lighten up while PP did.  I was thinking more that something contentious might have occurred in rehearsals. It was just weird, which is why I stated it that way.


----------



## SueDonJ

fillde said:


> Steven Tyler said Philip has no melody. Then he said something that surprised me. The Stones had no melody either. Wow all these years I had no idea.



Sometimes Steven Tyler seems to be off in another world and then other times it's like all of a sudden he has flashes of lucidity.  It's not like Paula's nuttiness, where maybe drugs or drinking are involved, but instead seems to be a weird genius coming through.  But don't people who survive long, successful creative careers have to be some kind of genius anyway?

(If a connection can be made in what he said, I won't mind at all if Phillip's career ends up one-tenth as successful as the Stones!  HA!)


----------



## timeos2

If Phillip's "career" lasts beyond a lunchtime it would be incredible.  How many times can you hear the same performance regardless of what song he is butchering?


----------



## SueDonJ

timeos2 said:


> If Phillip's "career" lasts beyond a lunchtime it would be incredible.  How many times can you hear the same performance regardless of what song he is butchering?



  Seems I'm able to listen to him and enjoy it as many times as you're able to enjoy listening to Jessica, and neither one of us understands how the other can enjoy being tortured so.  :rofl:


----------



## Sandi Bo

SueDonJ said:


> This late in the season I find it difficult to watch the results shows live, there's just too much manufactured suspense.  Plus, there's some emotion invested in all these weeks of watching - though we all don't have the same favorite, we've all allowed these kids to tug on our heartstrings.



I agree. I watch these kids in awe, such talent.  It amazes me how much they grow over the 4 months or so that we watch them. What an opportunity for them and they sure do work hard. 

I cried tonight, and probably will every week from here on out.


----------



## Phydeaux

Joshua is in another league. Been saying that since one of the earliest episodes, or the first time I saw him perform actually. Now, will he win? That's in the hands of speed dialing teeny boppers.


----------



## tlwmkw

I find it interesting that there is such a disconnect about Joshua and Phillip.  I think it comes down to very different styles which also are related to different generations.  Joshua is very old school and harks back to many soul singers from the past so the oldies appreciate it more (though personally I would like to see him tone down the vocal theatrics and stop growling and screaming so much- he can sing superbly and if he just let the melody shine through then it would be far better from my point of view) whereas Phillip is more in the Dave Matthews/Sting/Cold Play singer-songwriter mode which appeals to the younger generation who grew up with that type of music and don't have the references to Sam Cooke and Luther and all the others that Joshua harkens back to.  Not to mention that Phillip is good looking and has an "aw shucks" charm that the tweens love.  It'll be interesting to see which way this thing goes.  Joshua gets the oldie vote easily but Phillip gets the tween girls who are very powerful.  I expected Hollie to do better but Jessicas second song erased the bad memory of her lame Tina Turner cover and got her into the top three.

On another note- why isn't Phillip in the Ford videos?  Has he refused to do them or what?  Is it on artistic grounds?

tlwmkw


----------



## SueDonJ

tlwmkw said:


> ... On another note- why isn't Phillip in the Ford videos?  Has he refused to do them or what?  Is it on artistic grounds?
> 
> tlwmkw



I googled "american idol phillip ford videos" and found message boards connected to the official AI site.  (Whew!  If you thought we sometimes get way analytical here, you should read over there!)  Anyway, they say he had a stent placed early in the season when he had that kidney stone issue and because of it he's been excused from some of the commitments.

Huh.  That explains the comments Jimmy Iovine makes every once in a while about Phillip "not doing so well during this week's sessions," as well as the comments Hollie made about him during that week when they all talked about each other.  Didn't she say something about him resting all the time?

I had no idea he was still dealing with it.  Wow.  Must be tough.


----------



## DaveNV

tlwmkw said:


> I find it interesting that there is such a disconnect about Joshua and Phillip.  I think it comes down to very different styles which also are related to different generations.  Joshua is very old school and harks back to many soul singers from the past so the oldies appreciate it more (though personally I would like to see him tone down the vocal theatrics and stop growling and screaming so much- he can sing superbly and if he just let the melody shine through then it would be far better from my point of view) whereas Phillip is more in the Dave Matthews/Sting/Cold Play singer-songwriter mode which appeals to the younger generation who grew up with that type of music and don't have the references to Sam Cooke and Luther and all the others that Joshua harkens back to.  Not to mention that Phillip is good looking and has an "aw shucks" charm that the tweens love.  It'll be interesting to see which way this thing goes.  Joshua gets the oldie vote easily but Phillip gets the tween girls who are very powerful.  I expected Hollie to do better but Jessicas second song erased the bad memory of her lame Tina Turner cover and got her into the top three.
> 
> On another note- why isn't Phillip in the Ford videos?  Has he refused to do them or what?  Is it on artistic grounds?
> 
> tlwmkw



I qualify as someone who remembers the "old school" singers like Sam Cooke.  That isn't why I like Joshua.  I like him because he puts everything and them some into every song he performs.  Yes, there are theatrics, but this is a singing competition.  I'd expect that.  What impresses me so much about him is his "investment" in his performances.  He's on pitch, he hits the melodies, and then he injects massive amounts of extra effort into everything.  It's entertaining and I enjoy it a lot.

But I'm not some old man trying to recapture my youth, by any stretch.  I listen to Dave Matthews and Coldplay and Maroon 5, too.  You'll find them on one of my iPods.  I have a VERY eclectic musical interest.  

My problem with Phillip is that he thinks he's too cool for school, and I don't find his performances entertaining.  He wants SO BADLY to be a unique artist, he comes across to me as arrogant and uncaring.  His stupid "I only wear gray shirts" thing goes right along with his REFUSAL to be in the videos.  (They showed interviews with the other contestants a few weeks ago and they said whenever they had to go film a video Phillip pretends he's sick.)  The only way I see him having a long term career is if he develops a singer-songwriter thing, instead of covering the music by other people.  I find myself thinking the lyrics of his songs don't matter - he could be singing any words and "tune" and it'd all sound the same.

As I keep saying, I just don't get him.   

Dave


----------



## timeos2

Since the other contestants have to suffer through (and spend time they could use resting or practicing) these not-so-disguised ads he should be disqualified from the show for not taking part.  He really bugs me as he seems to have a "too cool" attitude as bmwguy says. I really hope he gets voted off this coming week.  If he had talent or a good voice he might get away with it. With neither it is just obnoxious.


----------



## SueDonJ

BMWguynw said:


> ... His stupid "I only wear gray shirts" thing goes right along with his REFUSAL to be in the videos.  (They showed interviews with the other contestants a few weeks ago and they said whenever they had to go film a video Phillip pretends he's sick.)  The only way I see him having a long term career is if he develops a singer-songwriter thing, instead of covering the music by other people.  I find myself thinking the lyrics of his songs don't matter - he could be singing any words and "tune" and it'd all sound the same.
> 
> As I keep saying, I just don't get him.
> 
> Dave



Sometimes that's how it works, we either "just get" or "just don't get" and there's no rhyme or reason.  Can't be criticized for it, can't explain it.

But I wonder if you learning what's on the AI boards about Phillip actually dealing with a health issue changes your perspective a bit?  And, I wonder why Phillip sticking with his gray monochrome clothing is any more "stupid" than Joshua's insistence on wearing jackets that are two sizes too small for him?  After all, Joshua made the same choice to stick with what makes him comfortable during that same week Phillip did, when they both told Tommy Hilfiger that they were uncomfortable straying too far from what they like.  Tommy liked Joshua's choice but not Phillip's - did that influence you in how you feel?

Just a few more things to think about ...  And, I'm in complete agreement that Phillip's songwriting will probably fuel his career much more than his singing will.  But I still like to listen to him sing.


----------



## Phydeaux

BMWguynw said:


> I qualify as someone who remembers the "old school" singers like Sam Cooke.  That isn't why I like Joshua.  I like him because he puts everything and them some into every song he performs.  Yes, there are theatrics, but this is a singing competition.  I'd expect that.  What impresses me so much about him is his "investment" in his performances.  He's on pitch, he hits the melodies, and then he injects massive amounts of extra effort into everything.  It's entertaining and I enjoy it a lot.
> 
> But I'm not some old man trying to recapture my youth, by any stretch.  I listen to Dave Matthews and Coldplay and Maroon 5, too.  You'll find them on one of my iPods.  I have a VERY eclectic musical interest.
> 
> My problem with Phillip is that he thinks he's too cool for school, and I don't find his performances entertaining.  He wants SO BADLY to be a unique artist, he comes across to me as arrogant and uncaring.  His stupid "I only wear gray shirts" thing goes right along with his REFUSAL to be in the videos.  (They showed interviews with the other contestants a few weeks ago and they said whenever they had to go film a video Phillip pretends he's sick.)  The only way I see him having a long term career is if he develops a singer-songwriter thing, instead of covering the music by other people.  I find myself thinking the lyrics of his songs don't matter - he could be singing any words and "tune" and it'd all sound the same.
> 
> As I keep saying, I just don't get him.
> 
> Dave



Some very good points that I agree with.

Has anyone considered this: Phillip is bent on being his own unique person, grey shirts, etc. He's an artist "if people like my music, that's cool. If they don't that's cool too" he was heard saying. Isn't it a contradiction that his vehicle to achieve his stardom and career launch is American Idol? Isn't American Idol the personification of big business, big money, and evey other virtue that Phillip seems to reject?


----------



## tlwmkw

Thanks, Suedonj, for finding out about the kidney stone issue- I wasn't aware of that at all (didn't watch early in the season) and had wondered about all the oblique references to Phillips illness.  Having a stent in place can be very painful so I can sympathise with him- now I understand why he looks in pain when singing (LOL  ).  Personally I like him and I don't see all this "Too cool for school" stuff that others are picking up on.  If anything I think it's Joshua that acts like a bit of a diva (but with his singing voice he can get away with it).

My tween spies are saying that Phillip may have hurt himself by revealing that he has a girlfriend.  It's so funny how the back story really plays into this thing.  Anyone who thinks this is really a singing contest is crazy- there are so many other factors that play in to the results.

tlwmkw


----------



## tlwmkw

As far as artistic merit I can think of many famous recording artists who were conflicted about success (Kurt Cobain anyone?).  AI is not the usual route for these types but there have been a few on the show.  The sad thing is that unless they have a strong feeling of self and know how they want to present themselves then the show tries to package them and make lots of money from their future albums.  It's always interesting to see what happens after the show ends.

tlwmkw


----------



## Skittles1

timeos2 said:


> If Phillip's "career" lasts beyond a lunchtime it would be incredible.  How many times can you hear the same performance regardless of what song he is butchering?



Wow, PP certainly is a polarizing figure this year!  I love him!  I would buy his CD, and go see him in concert.  I grew up listening to Dave Matthews, and he reminds me so much of him.  As Randy said, he's a jam band kind of musician.  I suppose his style is not for everyone, but, if his career turns out anything like some other jam bands of recent times, ie Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam, Phish, I'd say PP will have a pretty awesome career that will last far beyond lunchtime.  Just sayin'...

This is what I love about AI, we all have our faves, and we fiercely defend them.  I'm not a huge fan of Jessica or Josh's style, but I recognize their incredible talent and respect that.  I have no idea who is going to win at this point, but I think all of the top 5 should go on to have nice careers, with the right guidance, of course.


----------



## DaveNV

SueDonJ said:


> Sometimes that's how it works, we either "just get" or "just don't get" and there's no rhyme or reason.  Can't be criticized for it, can't explain it.
> 
> But I wonder if you learning what's on the AI boards about Phillip actually dealing with a health issue changes your perspective a bit?  And, I wonder why Phillip sticking with his gray monochrome clothing is any more "stupid" than Joshua's insistence on wearing jackets that are two sizes too small for him?  After all, Joshua made the same choice to stick with what makes him comfortable during that same week Phillip did, when they both told Tommy Hilfiger that they were uncomfortable straying too far from what they like.  Tommy liked Joshua's choice but not Phillip's - did that influence you in how you feel?
> 
> Just a few more things to think about ...  And, I'm in complete agreement that Phillip's songwriting will probably fuel his career much more than his singing will.  But I still like to listen to him sing.




Not trying to argue whether Phillip has talent.  I'm just saying that in THIS case, as a contestant on the AI venue, it doesn't work for me.  If AI excuses him from the video commercials, they should say that on the show.  If Phillip is recovering from a medical issue and deserves special treatment, they should either make that known to the viewers, or excuse him from this season.  By leaving it unspoken, they leave too many questions unanswered.  (Maybe that's intentional, in the name of drumming up false drama for the show?)  I have no desire to wade through that other Board you mention - I'm sure there is a LOT to read there.  And we all know the last place to open a dissenting personal discussion about someone is on a Fan Board.  Been there, still have the scars, and I'm not about to go back.  

And OMG, let's not even discuss Joshua's silly costume choices.  I'm right there with you.  It's like he fell into a Barnum & Bailey garage sale.    (The lame discussion about the stupid fake yellow flower in his pocket the other night was completely unnecessary.  And Ryan, it was a daffodil, not a tulip...)  But Joshua's costumes do change every week -- Phillip just wears another gray shirt.  It doesn't matter, since the show is supposed to be about singing, not clothing choices. My point is that Phillip made an issue of it, which fuels the "too cool for school" thing to my mind.  

I'm certain Phillip will have a career of some sort, and he'll find his post-AI audience.  But for now, for me, in this situation, I just don't find him entertaining.

So much of a show like AI is perception through the camera.  I'm sure behind the camera everyone is perfectly nice and fun and someone we'd enjoy meeting.  But once the camera turns on, I expect there should be a "spark" that resonates with the audience.  Daughtry had that, Adam Lambert had that, Fantasia had that.  Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson had that.  They're all people we remember., and they've all gone on to have successfuol careers.  And oh yes, none of them won their seasons on AI.

I don't doubt the 'tween voter bloc has incredible power to bring massive voting for Phillip because "he's so cute."  The problem I have with that is when I'm listening to music on the radio, "cute" doesn't factor in.  

And perhaps therein lies the quandry:  If my ears don't get it, everything else is irrelevant.  

Dave


----------



## tlwmkw

I have to say that I noted someones post about listening to the performances with eyes closed and you get a different appreciation- I had Weds DVR'ed and tried it.  I found Phillip's was much better without the distraction of watching him.  The "performances" with the jumping around and running on the stage that the others did suffered by this comparison and I actually thought Joshua was much worse if I didn't see him.  Jessicas second song came across superbly- she has a very pure voice and an impressive range.  She needs marry Tommy Mattola and have him direct her career (a la Mariah Carey) and she will go far.  I think all the finalists have talent and really don't mind who wins at this point- they are all so different and I can appreciate their merits in different ways.

tlwmkw


----------



## Skittles1

I've been trying to imagine how this will all play out, and I've come up with a few scenarios.  IMO if PP makes it to the finale, which I'm not convinced that he will, I think he will win.  I'm fairly certain, though I missed last week's results show, that he's never been in the bottom 3.  I think with the strong tween voting base, and the 30-somethings like me who identify with PP's style, he could beat out any of the other contestants.  Though of the 4, he certainly is not the best singer.  Now if it comes down to the 2 girls in the finale, I'm not really sure who would win.  I'd rather see Holli win over Jessica.  Jessica just seems too robotic, and has no personality whatsoever.  Did anyone else notice last night, how when PP was sent back to safety, everyone else got up to hug him, and Jessica stayed seated.  Great voice, no personality.  But I do think the producers of AI really want a girl to win, and of the 2, I think they'd rather see it be Jessica, considering how hard the judges have been on Holli this season.  Now if it comes down to Josh against one of the girls, I think the girl will win.  I could be wrong, but I doubt Josh's style is resonating with the powerful tween voters.  Plus, I don't think the producers want him to win it.  I think they'd rather see one of the more marketable pop singers win, who have a higher potential for commercial success.  That's how I see it at this point.  Thoughts???


----------



## DaveNV

tlwmkw said:


> I have to say that I noted someones post about listening to the performances with eyes closed and you get a different appreciation- I had Weds DVR'ed and tried it.  I found Phillip's was much better without the distraction of watching him.  The "performances" with the jumping around and running on the stage that the others did suffered by this comparison and I actually thought Joshua was much worse if I didn't see him.  Jessicas second song came across superbly- she has a very pure voice and an impressive range.  She needs marry Tommy Mattola and have him direct her career (a la Mariah Carey) and she will go far.  I think all the finalists have talent and really don't mind who wins at this point- they are all so different and I can appreciate their merits in different ways.
> 
> tlwmkw




I think I was the one who said that.  

I agree with you completely - at this point they'll all have some degree of a career.  And in spite of all my comments about this, I really don't care one way or the other who wins.  They're all talented, and deserve to be known for that.

Dave


----------



## puppymommo

BMWguynw said:


> So much of a show like AI is perception through the camera.  I'm sure behind the camera everyone is perfectly nice and fun and someone we'd enjoy meeting.  But once the camera turns on, I expect there should be a "spark" that resonates with the audience.  Daughtry had that, Adam Lambert had that, Fantasia had that.  Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson had that.  They're all people we remember., and they've all gone on to have successfuol careers.  And oh yes, none of them won their seasons on AI.



Actually Fantasia did win. But you have a definite point. Katherine McPhee is another one who came in second on AI but has a bigger career than the winner (Taylor Hicks).  

I do wish that AI would be like some other shows and limit voting to 10 calls per phone number.  Or like The Voice where each downloaded song counts as a vote.


----------



## DaveNV

puppymommo said:


> Actually Fantasia did win.



Whoops.  I forgot that part.  Thanks for reminding me.  

Dave


----------



## Mosca

In my opinion, Philip's career will be about the same as Lee DeWyze's. And they are about equally talented, IMO.


----------



## SueDonJ

Mosca said:


> In my opinion, Philip's career will be about the same as Lee DeWyze's. And they are about equally talented, IMO.



Oooooh, burn!  That's harsh, dude!   <---- from the twenty-somethings  :rofl: 

Honestly, I don't even remember what Lee looked like or how he performed.  I'm going to remember Phillip for sure.  If he doesn't manage to get himself out there where he's easy to find, I'll do the same thing for him when this season is over that I do now with Paul McDonald from last year - just check youtube every couple of weeks for anything new from his rabid fans.  Youtube is today's version of FM stations in the early 70's, donchaknow.


----------



## Karen G

SueDonJ said:


> Honestly, I don't even remember what Lee looked like or how he performed.


Here's an article to refresh your memory.


----------



## Mosca

SueDonJ said:


> Oooooh, burn!  That's harsh, dude!   <---- from the twenty-somethings  :rofl:
> 
> Honestly, I don't even remember what Lee looked like or how he performed.  I'm going to remember Phillip for sure.  If he doesn't manage to get himself out there where he's easy to find, I'll do the same thing for him when this season is over that I do now with Paul McDonald from last year - just check youtube every couple of weeks for anything new from his rabid fans.  Youtube is today's version of FM stations in the early 70's, donchaknow.



  OK; here's one: He'll have the same career as Crystal Bowersox. IMO she was pretty good. And she's going nowhere.


----------



## SueDonJ

Karen G said:


> Here's an article to refresh your memory.





Mosca said:


> OK; here's one: He'll have the same career as Crystal Bowersox. IMO she was pretty good. And she's going nowhere.



Thanks, Karen and Joe!  Now I remember, that year I was rooting for Siobhan until she got voted off and then I rooted for Crystal.

What a dismal track record I have with this show.  I should put money on who WON'T win - whichever one I like best!    (Oh, but Kris was the exception.)


----------



## BocaBum99

Mosca said:


> In my opinion, Philip's career will be about the same as Lee DeWyze's. And they are about equally talented, IMO.



I agree that they are about equal.

I just wanted to remind you that William Hung sold more albums did Lee DeWyze.  The same fate is in store for PP.


----------



## pjrose

BocaBum99 said:


> I agree that they are about equal.
> 
> *I just wanted to remind you that William Hung sold more albums did Lee DeWyze.  *The same fate is in store for PP.



Wow, that's amazing.  

I'd buy Jessica's and Joshua's, but never never never Philip's.


----------



## Carol C

pjrose said:


> Wow, that's amazing.
> 
> I'd buy Jessica's and Joshua's, but never never never Philip's.



+1. Joshua and Jessica are still my faves. 

Philip ruined "The Letter"...there simply was nothing left of the original melody line. He then trashed "The Time of the Season" since he has no falsetto chops. It was as painful to my ears to hear him sing as his face looked whilst singing that song, LOL. (And yet the judges seemed to have no problem with the dude singing out of tune on the falsetto part...oh well, they loved Casey too, and I was not a fan of his either.)


----------



## BocaBum99

pjrose said:


> Wow, that's amazing.
> 
> I'd buy Jessica's and Joshua's, but never never never Philip's.



Jessica Sanchez is by far my favorite contestant.  I admit that she is not a good performer.  She may never be a great stage act.  For me, she has unbelievable vocals.  She would make a fantastic jazz singer.  Her albums will probably out sell most of the other idols because she will be a megastar in Asia.I loved her rendition  of "you are so beautiful."  She did things in that song that none of the other contestants can do.  I will buy every album she releases.  

For me, I have grown tired of Joshua.  I can't listen to him anymore.  I also want PP voted off because he has become the Sanjaya of this season.  He really does suck vocally.  He should have been voted off this week. In fact, I think I liked Sanjaya better.  He did have stage presence.

Skylar will probably do pretty well because country music fans are clueless about talent.  All of their songs sound the same and don't require much to sing.  All you need is a twang in your voice and a bit of stomping on the ground.   Scotty is popular simply because he has a deep voice.   It differentiates the music he sings, which looks on paper exactly like everything everyone else sings, but an octave lower.  Big deal.  

Hollie has done pretty well in the past few weeks, but she can't do any better.  She has the opposite problem of Jessica.  In Jessica's case, she has the talent, but picks the wrong songs.  Hollie picks the right songs and really doesn't have that much talent.  She will fall into obscurity after she gets voted off next week.  Her end is near.

I think that Jessica is going to win, not because I believe she won the season.  I think she will win because the Facebook votes and illegal voting from the Philippines will put her over the top.  American idol needs a women to win this season and it ain't going to be Hollie.


----------



## dundey

Not only is Skylar the most talented she is also the best performer and proved that most every week.
You have to have a stage presence, she has it - Jessica has NONE.

Shame she got voted off.  No one else is close this year.


----------



## Elan

I wouldn't buy albums from any of the remaining contestants.  I don't listen to pop.


----------



## tlwmkw

Singing talent doesn't equate to a career in music- think of acts like Madonna (not great vocally but gets away with it through sheer drive and attitude), or even our AI judge JLo (her songs are auto-tuned to the hilt and she lip syncs so that she can put on a strong dance number when she performs so her judging is really the biggest irony of the show).  Barbra Steisand has a great voice but if she didn't have the chutzpah she would never have had the career.  It really comes down to drive, and the "X-factor" that captures the audience.  No one can predict how these kids careers will turn out in the future.  There are so many factors involved.

jmho, tlwmkw


----------



## BocaBum99

dundey said:


> Not only is Skylar the most talented she is also the best performer and proved that most every week.
> You have to have a stage presence, she has it - Jessica has NONE.
> 
> Shame she got voted off.  No one else is close this year.



She's one of the best performers on the show.  She is clearly not the most talented.  Jessica, Hollie and Joshua all have more talent.

She was going to go either this week or next.


----------



## BocaBum99

tlwmkw said:


> Singing talent doesn't equate to a career in music- think of acts like Madonna (not great vocally but gets away with it through sheer drive and attitude), or even our AI judge JLo (her songs are auto-tuned to the hilt and she lip syncs so that she can put on a strong dance number when she performs so her judging is really the biggest irony of the show).  Barbra Steisand has a great voice but if she didn't have the chutzpah she would never have had the career.  It really comes down to drive, and the "X-factor" that captures the audience.  No one can predict how these kids careers will turn out in the future.  There are so many factors involved.
> 
> jmho, tlwmkw



I agree that performance skill translates to $$$.  Madonna clearly did not have much talent and yet she had some of the most outstanding concerts and album sales ever.  That is exactly why I love Lady Gaga so much.  She is a Madonna with talent.  When Lady Gaga is done making her millions, she could just make music and not worry about over the top performing anymore.  She is a fantastic Jazz singer.  Billy Joel followed a similar path.  He stopped making pop music and just did music he loved.

Jessica Sanchez will have a tough time succeeding in the US market.  Americans just don't like Asian pop singers.  Can you name one?  The most recognizable Asian name is William Hung.  That's because Americans have a stereotype of Asians that does not translate to music unless it is playing violin or cello, which by the way there are many unbelievable artists. 
The New York Times wrote about it in this article:  Lack of Asian-American pop singing stars blamed on racial stereotyping 

The William Hung phenomenon really highlights America's racial bias against Asian singers.  Can you imagine any white guy with guitar on American idol who was as bad a singer as William Hung who could outsell an American idol winner like Lee DeWyze?  That is racial bias.  I wouldn't call is racism although many others would.  Why do Americans get a happy jolt listening the William Hung?  Is it because they admire his skill?  Or, do they enjoy mocking him?  Be honest.

Jessica Sanchez will be an international superstar because no matter what she does for the rest of American Idol, she will be known as the one Asian star (even though she is half Mexican) who almost slayed the US market.  That will give her tremendous appeal in Asia.  Her producers will give her enough performance training so that she will be acceptable and Asians love it when performers can copy American artists where they sound nearly as good or even better than the original.  Something reviled in the USA is celebrated in Asia.

For proof of this, just look at Jessica's online presence.  She dominates all online polls.  Her youtube performances are in the millions.  This is all generated from outside of the USA.

If Jessica wins, it won't be because she is the most popular in the US.  It will be because Filipinos from overseas are illegally voting and tipping the scale in her favor.

Is this good or bad?  Well, I support it.  I am voting like I have never voted for anything.  I'd like to see her succeed.  America has enough twangers who can stomp.  It has enough performers who can't sing. It has enough white guys with guitars that make teenage girls swoon.  What it does not have is any Asian singers with tremendous talent whose music plays on the radio.


----------



## Elan

Does anyone know what the theme is for this week?  Guest mentor?  I kind of blasted through the results show.


----------



## DaveNV

Is anyone else noticing the degree of manipulation they've used this season to have an eclectric cross-section of stereotyped performers?  To my eyes, the final 24 or even 12 performers had "something for everyone," more so than in most seasons.  

And as they've whittled away to the final four, they've managed to keep four very different people, not considering singing talent or performing ability.  So now they have a white guy, a black guy, a white girl, and an Asian girl.  Voters will tend to go for what they like seeing or who they identify with, not necessarily the one with the most singing talent.

So once again American Idol isn't presenting the most talented singer, they're manipulating the audience to create cash flow for the company.  The Summer Tour featuring the Top Ten will demonstrate that quite clearly:  There is something for everyone.

This isn't news, it's just more obvious to me this season.

Dave


----------



## Elan

BMWguynw said:


> So once again American Idol isn't presenting the most talented singer, they're manipulating the audience to create cash flow for the company.  The Summer Tour featuring the Top Ten will demonstrate that quite clearly:  There is something for everyone.
> 
> This isn't news, it's just more obvious to me this season.
> 
> Dave



  Yeah, it's never been a singing contest.  It's about finding competent singers with marketability.  Very good singers are a dime-a-dozen.  Melinda Doolittle is a great example.  Excellent voice, little personality, and they had a more marketable candidate (Jordin Sparks) to fill the "female ethnic soul singer" slot.


----------



## tlwmkw

This week's theme is a double one:  "California Dreaming" and "Songs that I wish I had written".  At least that is what one of the fan sites says.

I looked at the iTunes site and it looks like Phillip has some strong support from folks there.  One of the big sellers was his version of Time of the Season which got rave reviews.  

Should be interesting to see where this all ends.

tlwmkw


----------



## Bwolf

Interesting comments.  I like PP and I'm way over 30. 

When Skylar, Jessica, and Hollie sang together, Hollie had the toughest part and nailed it.  Until then, I thought Jessica was the best female singer.  No more. 

Oh, IMHO, Hollie had the best single performances of that evening as well.  Until then, I thought she was a cute little blonde who could sing a bit, but I've had to change that opinion.


----------



## BocaBum99

Here is tonight's songs:

California Dreamin’
“Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Steal Away” by Etta James
“You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban
“Faithfully” by Journey

Songs You Wish You Wrote
“And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Holliday
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt
“Volcano” by Damien Rice
“It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown

I finally think that Jessica Sanchez has 2 song's to sing in her zone.  I would be surprised if she doesn't sing:  "Steal Away" and "And I am Telling You..."


----------



## TUGBrian

after watching the voice finale last night, I find it amazing at the difference in level of performance between even the worst one on the voice...and the best that idol has produced in the past few weeks.

there are certainly talented "voices" on both sides...but the overall performances on the voice just make idol look like karaoke.


----------



## puppymommo

TUGBrian said:


> after watching the voice finale last night, I find it amazing at the difference in level of performance between even the worst one on the voice...and the best that idol has produced in the past few weeks.
> 
> there are certainly talented "voices" on both sides...but the overall performances on the voice just make idol look like karaoke.



I tend to agree, Brian, DD and I are enjoying The Voice more this year than Idol which seems to have gone down in quality over the past few years, the judges gushing that this group of finalists is the "best ever" notwithstanding.

Perhaps the difference between the two shows is that American Idol tends to have younger singers and is looking for a pop icon that can sing, dance (how did Philiip ever get through Hollywood week?) and look good.  The Voice tends to draw older, more seasoned talent and is supposed to be all about "the voice".


----------



## BocaBum99

puppymommo said:


> I tend to agree, Brian, DD and I are enjoying The Voice more this year than Idol which seems to have gone down in quality over the past few years, the judges gushing that this group of finalists is the "best ever" notwithstanding.
> 
> Perhaps the difference between the two shows is that American Idol tends to have younger singers and is looking for a pop icon that can sing, dance (how did Philiip ever get through Hollywood week?) and look good.  The Voice tends to draw older, more seasoned talent and is supposed to be all about "the voice".



Also, the Voice is set up for the songs to be picked and produced by a coach who has an incentive and motivation to win.  So, they are going to do everything they can do to pick the right songs where the artist can flourish.  American Idol is stuck on these themes and leaves the contestants pretty much on their own.  I'd bet that some of the idols would do great on the Voice.

I do agree that the Voice is way better in terms of quality and production.


----------



## TUGBrian

which makes one wonder, why do they make the kids on idol flounder and regularly choose bad songs (well, not bad songs, but bad for them songs).

id gander that all 4 of the judges on the voice are SIGNIFICANTLY busier than any of the judges on idol....if the idol threesome wants to get back into being relevant again...why not help the kids along.

I find myself liking the judges on the voice SO much more than idol...and the odd part is that they are always complimentary too (the same thing we give the idol judges so much crap for).

I simply get the feeling that the idol judges are so epically useless in terms of the show, that it would actually be better without them on it....vs the exact opposite on the voice.

fascinates me how two such similar shows, have gone on completely different paths.


----------



## timeos2

I can't believe Jessica couldn't handle the Susanna Huffs classic - she really struggled with the range. I didn't expect tat at all.  Very disappointing as Randy (?!) correctly stated. Too bad the Stooges aren't that honest when the songs count. That wasn't pretty.


----------



## pjrose

timeos2 said:


> I can't believe Jessica couldn't handle the Susanna Huffs classic - she really struggled with the range. I didn't expect tat at all.  Very disappointing as Randy (?!) correctly stated. Too bad the Stooges aren't that honest when the songs count. That wasn't pretty.



?????  Were we listening to the same program????? She completely blew us away in both songs, especially "And I'm Telling You."  Wow.  She is head and shoulders above the rest.  

Hollie: first song, really good, first one of hers that I've really liked
Philip: first song, blech
Joshua: first song, not as much power as he usually has, good, but not awesome
Jessica: first song, WOW

Hollie: second song, seemed good to me, I don't know what the judges were knocking her for.
Philip: second song, I could see how people could like him with that quieter delivery.  Still not for me dawg, but I could feel it
Joshua:  Wow, fabulous, BUT I think the judges overdid it.  
Jessica: Second song - let's just end the competition right now.  There aren't enough adjectives to describe that girl's talent, power, range, emotion, versatility.....WOW.

I used Facebook and split my 50 votes between Joshua and Jessica.  DH can't figure out how to text   but I texted a few for Hollie for him.


----------



## BocaBum99

Finally.  Jessica performed up to her talent level tonight.  She destroyed "and I am telling you...."  She had so much emotion that it was bursting out of her.  She was possessed.   Peaking at the right time.  Two more weeks like this one and it's going to be close.

The top two are clearly Joshua and Jessica.  Wow.  Those 2 performances made everything else irrelevant.  When they did the playback of each performance, they should have just deleted them all and had a show with 2 performances.   Joshua and Jessica.   They may not make it to the final two, but they are by far the best.


----------



## BocaBum99

Bwolf said:


> When Skylar, Jessica, and Hollie sang together, Hollie had the toughest part and nailed it.  Until then, I thought Jessica was the best female singer.  No more.



You are confusing song selection with talent.  Jessica is an order of magnitude more talented than Hollie.  Tonight really showcased the dramatic difference in talent level between Jessica and Hollie.  It's not even close.


----------



## timeos2

Her actual songs were ok - the first didn't fit her the second better but not equal to Joshua (who hasn't really had a bad outting yet).Hollie was an easy third(I also thought her second song was fine). PP is so far behind those three it is a joke he's still there. I was just surprised Jessica did so poorly o.n the duet as the song should have fit her usual great range.


----------



## BocaBum99

timeos2 said:


> Her actual songs were ok - the first didn't fit her the second better but not equal to Joshua (who hasn't really had a bad outting yet).Hollie was an easy third(I also thought her second song was fine). PP is so far behind those three it is a joke he's still there. I was just surprised Jessica did so poorly o.n the duet as the song should have fit her usual great range.



Everything sucked until PP did his second song, especially all the duets and medleys.  Then Hollie was horrible.  Then, Joshua and Jessica killed it.

Overall performance wise for the season, I think Joshua is the winner.  I just happen to like Jessica better.


----------



## TUGBrian

agreed...

pp sang his second song and I was like "damn...welcome back phillip!"  (im a huge damien rice fan, and his voice is way closer to that than everyone comparing him to dave matthews)

then joshua sang....and I figured I could just turn the TV off after that....un freaking real.


----------



## Elan

TUGBrian said:


> agreed...
> 
> pp sang his second song and I was like "damn...welcome back phillip!"  (im a huge damien rice fan, and his voice is way closer to that than everyone comparing him to dave matthews)



  Yep.  Anyone who still doesn't "get" Phillip Phillips after Volcano should be banned from this thread.  Though not the most vocally gifted, he's got more artistic interpretation in his little finger than the other 3 have combined.  

  Jimmy should have his ass kicked for letting Hollie try Bonnie Raitt.  That's just a "don't go there" song.  

  Joshua should win it, but I don't think the voter demographics will be in his favor.


----------



## pjrose

BocaBum99 said:


> *Everything sucked until PP did his second song, especially all the duets and medleys.  Then Hollie was horrible.  Then, Joshua and Jessica killed it.*
> 
> Overall performance wise for the season, I think Joshua is the winner.  I just happen to like Jessica better.



I still didn't hear Hollie as horrible...really didn't  

Nope, I love Joshua, but there are probably a lot of guys like Joshua out there - I think there is only one Jessica.  



TUGBrian said:


> agreed...
> 
> pp sang his second song and I was like "damn...welcome back phillip!"  (im a huge damien rice fan, and his voice is way closer to that than everyone comparing him to dave matthews)
> 
> *then joshua sang....and I figured I could just turn the TV off after that....un freaking real.*



That's what I figured too.....but thank goodness I left it on for Jessica  



Elan said:


> Yep.  *Anyone who still doesn't "get" Phillip Phillips after Volcano should be banned from this thread.*  Though not the most vocally gifted, he's got more artistic interpretation in his little finger than the other 3 have combined.
> 
> Jimmy should have his ass kicked for letting Hollie try Bonnie Raitt.  That's just a "don't go there" song.
> 
> Joshua should win it, but I don't think the voter demographics will be in his favor.



Might you be referring to me?  I "got" him during Volcano.  I almost-kind-of liked it.  In any case, I did "get" the appeal with that number, so can I stay?  Please?  Pretty Please?


----------



## Elan

pjrose said:


> Might you be referring to me?  I "got" him during Volcano.  I almost-kind-of liked it.  In any case, I did "get" the appeal with that number, so can I stay?  Please?  Pretty Please?



  No, I saw that you "got" him this week.  Just a general comment for those here that seem to think that performing is simply about being pitch-perfect.  As I said, I can't see myself buying an album from any of the remaining contestants, but if they were to come through town individually, I'd consider going to see P.P. if he played the right venue.


----------



## luvNMB52

*american idol*

None of the songs in the first round did much for me.  I liked Phillip and Joshua's duet and thought Hollie & Jessica's duet was really bad.  Second round was such an improvement except for Hollie.  I had come to like Hollie better than Jessica, but tonight Jessica was unbelievably good on "...and I am telling you."  I didn't think anyone could sing that as good as Jennifer Hudson did in Dreamgirls, but Jessica sang it with so much emotion -- that last note was phenomenal!  Also impressed with Phillip and Joshua singing their second songs.  I'm afraid this will be goodbye for Hollie.  I think the finale is up for grabs - they are all so good!


----------



## DaveNV

Elan said:


> Yep.  Anyone who still doesn't "get" Phillip Phillips after Volcano should be banned from this thread.  Though not the most vocally gifted, he's got more artistic interpretation in his little finger than the other 3 have combined.



I'll step up and say that with his second song tonight, I "get" why some people really like Phillip's style.  I enjoyed watching him perform the second song.  The first one?  Not so much.  I won't begrudge him his fan base, and I stand by my earlier comments that he'll do best in a singer-songwriter venue.  The second song was that kind of performance.  Standing on the stage slaughtering songs like "The Letter" do nothing to showcase his skills.

Overall I think all four performers really tried hard tonight.  Of the four, I think Joshua and Jessica were stronger in their performances.  But as I said last week, at this point it'll be decided by fan votes, and not necessarily by the best performance.  All four will have some sort of music career if they want it, and they'll deserve it.  This season's Final Four are the best I can remember seeing.

Dave


----------



## Elan

BMWguynw said:


> I'll step up and say that with his second song tonight, I "get" why some people really like Phillip's style.  I enjoyed watching him perform the second song.  The first one?  Not so much.  I won't begrudge him his fan base, and I stand by my earlier comments that he'll do best in a singer-songwriter venue.  The second song was that kind of performance.  Standing on the stage slaughtering songs like "The Letter" do nothing to showcase his skills.



  Yeah, "The Letter" was pretty bad.  

  Phillip is in the toughest spot on the show.  He doesn't want to do anything just like the original.  Partly because he can't, but mostly because he has too much integrity as an artist to allow himself.  Because of that, he risks changing songs that we all know by heart, such as "The Letter", and destroying the melody.  If you heard his versions of songs enough times at your local pub they'd probably start to grow on you, but on a one-shot pop show like Idol they are all huge risks.  I don't think Phillip should win Idol, but I like risk takers and I respect him for his musical integrity.


----------



## Bwolf

BocaBum99 said:


> You are confusing song selection with talent.  Jessica is an order of magnitude more talented than Hollie.  Tonight really showcased the dramatic difference in talent level between Jessica and Hollie.  It's not even close.



They were singing verses of the same song.  Get a new attitude.


----------



## BocaBum99

Elan said:


> Yep.  Anyone who still doesn't "get" Phillip Phillips after Volcano should be banned from this thread.  Though not the most vocally gifted, he's got more artistic interpretation in his little finger than the other 3 have combined.
> 
> Jimmy should have his ass kicked for letting Hollie try Bonnie Raitt.  That's just a "don't go there" song.
> 
> Joshua should win it, but I don't think the voter demographics will be in his favor.



PP was great in that second song.  He still won't outsell Lee DeWyze who didn't outsell William Hung.  He would be interesting to listen to at a bar.  Maybe only one or two songs at most in his whole set.

PP should have been voted off for being the worst in the last several weeks.  This is the first time in weeks that I didn't have him last.  He is good everyone once in a while.  Most of the time he is average to bad.


----------



## tlwmkw

Interesting show.

I like both Phillip's songs (funny there was the melody in the first and no one has mentioned it) but really loved the second.

Hollie had a bad night- the impression I got from her choice of the Bonnie Raitt song is that she really doesn't know herself well enough to make a good song choice.  Jessica has obviously performed at tons of concerts/contests and has a better idea of what to pick and that clearly showed.  

Joshua has talent but I personally do not like his singing style.  My old voice teacher, who was classically trained, would have told him to "Sing the notes that are on the music- don't keep adding your own, the composer knew best".  I really think if he would do that then he would be 100% better- many people seem to think that all the vocal gymnastics and tricks represent talent but that's really all they are- tricks.  Sorry, don't like that style but everyone else is welcome to gush over it.

Jessica had a better night- the first song was odd to me but she performed it well.  I felt it was too old for her (I imagined Jimmy grinding his teeth about that) but she more than made up for it with the second.  That song is very difficult to sing but she did a great job.  Personally I like Jennifer Hudson's version better but Jessica did well.

The male duet was good, the girls was weird, the whole group was awful.

Can't guess who will go home tonight- it's always so unpredictable.

tlwmkw


----------



## Elan

BocaBum99 said:


> PP was great in that second song.  He still won't outsell Lee DeWyze who didn't outsell William Hung.  He would be interesting to listen to at a bar.  Maybe only one or two songs at most in his whole set.
> 
> PP should have been voted off for being the worst in the last several weeks.  This is the first time in weeks that I didn't have him last.  He is good everyone once in a while.  Most of the time he is average to bad.



  I couldn't care less how many albums he sells, if any.  I have no vested interest in his commercial success and, more importantly, I don't measure everything in sales/dollars.  

  The reality is that artists like PP are more cursed by Idol than helped.  He is not the type that should have 10 pop songs written for him to put on an album.  He is the type that needs to be "discovered", preferably by an independent label, and turned loose to write and sing his own material.  He would have been fortunate to have been voted off shortly after going to Hollywood.  That way he would have just enough exposure, yet not be subjected to the Idol pop production machine.


----------



## Elan

tlwmkw said:


> Hollie had a bad night- the impression I got from her choice of the Bonnie Raitt song is that she really doesn't know herself well enough to make a good song choice.



  Yeah, huge miscalculation on Hollie's part.  She was the underdog going into last night, and needed to hit a home run.  Nobody but Bonnie Raitt is going to hit a home run with that song.  Even more technically accurate vocalists like Joshua or Jessica would've bombed it just as badly.  That's why I sometimes wonder if there isn't an agenda.  Certainly Jimmy could have steered Hollie away from that particular song.  He intimated that he knew Hollie's predicament.   

  Hollie is very good.  She doesn't have the bag of tricks of Jessica or Joshua, but she has the best dynamic range of the bunch, by far.  She should have been lead to a song that showed off that range.  I actually think she could be a fantastic rock singer, but I don't know if that's who she is or, as you mentioned, if _she_ even knows who she is.


----------



## Skittles1

Elan said:


> Yep.  Anyone who still doesn't "get" Phillip Phillips after Volcano should be banned from this thread.  Though not the most vocally gifted, he's got more artistic interpretation in his little finger than the other 3 have combined.
> 
> Jimmy should have his ass kicked for letting Hollie try Bonnie Raitt.  That's just a "don't go there" song.
> 
> Joshua should win it, but I don't think the voter demographics will be in his favor.



Amen!  I said all of these things to my husband last night after watching the show.  The Bonnie Raitt song is definitely one of those songs that should never be attempted, because it's always gonna pale in comparison to the original.  Though technically speaking, I thought Hollie sounded great, but she just couldn't possibly make the emotional connection with the song.

I agree that Josh should win it all, but I also do not think he will get the votes needed to win it all.  The only one of the final 4 I think he could beat is Hollie.

PP was amazing on his second song, and I'm glad some of the "haters" could finally see what the hype is all about.  But I agree that PP would actually benefit from NOT being the Idol winner.  It's gonna be interesting to see how it all works out.


----------



## tlwmkw

Not really surprised by tonights results.  It was a valiant effort but just not enough at the end to keep going.  The final three are all quite different- it'll be interesting to see who wins.

tlwmkw


----------



## DaveNV

tlwmkw said:


> Not really surprised by tonights results.  It was a valiant effort but just not enough at the end to keep going.  The final three are all quite different- it'll be interesting to see who wins.
> 
> tlwmkw




As Randy likes to say, "America got it right tonight."

Dave


----------



## scrapngen

All right, I've finally been able to watch the two shows this week. 

Does anyone else think Hollie has been completely sabotaged this season??
Don't get me wrong. She has been uneven in performances, and I wasn't crazy about her in the beginning. BUT: She isn't much older than Jessica - who gets all the comments about how young she is... Hollie and Skylar are only 18 to Jessica's 16, and Holly clearly has not been performing as long as Jessica. Holly's outfits have been bad to better to ok, while Jessica gets very current pop looks. (Although I hated her in the dress she wore when she tried to impersonate Tina Turner) I think both of them are in need of mentoring to become stars. I think Hollie has really improved throughout the season, where Jessica is standing still. 

Holly has been one of the few contestants that the judges have ever critiqued, and has been given the most negative input. She got a LOT of negativity for the Bonnie Raitt song, and could have been steered away from that choice, yet she didn't do THAT badly - emotionally she failed, but she didn't hit bad notes. Jessica did way worse on the Tina Turner song!! Whether the judges want to "get it right" and go with the fan base so they look good, or the show wants Jessica because she's more marketable, it seems clear that they have been trying their best  to steer the decisions consistently away from Hollie.

Jessica's first song was much too old for her. No negative comments. Jessica sounded horrible on the Bangles song. Hollie's voice was much richer and clearer sounding. Only criticism was they wanted to hear Jessica do the higher parts. I do agree that it was a bad arrangement and disliked it. I liked Joshua and Phillip's duet much better, and was surprised by how good they sounded because I wouldn't have pictured either one of them doing a Maroon 5 number.

As far as Jessica's second song, I felt she overperformed and oversang it, and spent the whole time at one volume - loud and growly. The emotion was contrived to me. Jennifer Hudson is far superior!! 

Then there is Joshua. Granted, I'm not a fan of his style, but he's actually had me liking him quite a bit when he doesn't overdo it. Unfortunately, Tuesday was not one of those days. It's interesting to compare Idol to the Voice, because I also just caught up on some of those shows, and Juliet on the Voice did the same song - only she slayed it!! Here's her version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqw5FWbpEes

Loved Phillip's Volcano, and think he saved himself this week with that performance. 

Joshua should win this year, as he has been consistently in the top and had some great moments along the way. I think he'll do well after Idol, as his voice will sound great on the radio. I would have liked to see a girl win this year, but don't see Jessica doing much more than Jordan Sparks after Idol. No originality or unique qualities to her. She can sing - at times amazingly. If she does another song like "You are so beautiful," she will win. That was truly a moment for her. Philip should not win, so he can take time and release a great album.  

The Voice beats Idol this year, hands down!!


----------



## presley

I couldn't just listen to Joshua doing It's a Man's World after hearing Juliet on the Voice.  When the judges were saying how amazing his version was, it took me a few minutes to realize that they were on a different show.  I'm glad it worked out for him.  I don't think he would have had that great of a response if he did that on the same show as Juliet.

I got an email the other to preorder tickets for the Idol tour.  I looked at the picture of the top 10 and was surprised that there is no one in that whole group that I would go out of my way to see.  Usually, I have a favorite.  This year, I tend to think in terms of which was isn't my least favorite.  Nobody has blown me away.


----------



## SueDonJ

I caught up late last night, and agree that based on the singing the night before Hollie was the right person to go home.  I'm going to miss her, though - I think her voice is fantastic and she has more range than any of them.  (I think "range" is the right word - is that what's meant by being able to sing a number of different style songs and being able to hit high-mid-low keys in all of them?)  And I definitely agree that she was made to suffer by all the sickening gushing that the judges poured onto Jessica.

About Jessica, I just can't be objective.  I don't like her, she projects more negative vibes to me that any contestant I can remember.  I also feel bad for her - she's a robot who was trained to perform at a very young age and it wouldn't surprise me one bit to find that she has a hysterical stage mom-figure somewhere in her life.  Remember when Elise had that one powerhouse night with Dream On and we all figured she'd sang it in clubs hundreds of times?  Well, that's what Jessica's been doing since she was 5yo - constantly, repeatedly performing and perfecting her specialty, the ballads.  Take her out of that genre and she's lost.

I'll give her credit for singing "And I Am Telling You" perfectly the other night.  But compare a video of her performance with Jennifer Hudson's on AI and notice that Jessica copied every single one of JH's mannerisms and affects.  It's what she does best, pick a powerhouse ballad and then sing the hell out of it while copying another singer's performance.  She lacks originality and doesn't appear to know that she's supposed to be loose and having fun up there!  And she gets completely overshadowed during duet/group numbers.  

*Man, I WISH I could sing!  Always have.  If I could, I would have been all over stages having a blast for myself a long time ago!  She says herself that she's "been working hard all my life."  (geeze, 16 YO, how can she even have a perception of 'all my life'?)  Well, I don't want to feel like I'm watching performers doing a job - I want them to let loose and let go and have fun.*

Joshua has range and talent and stage presence and just loses himself up there in the spotlight.  Love that about him, but I'd also love to hear just one song that he doesn't go all drama queen over.  A nice, sweet, simple love song - just stand there and sing it quietly.  I'm sure I'd like it as much as any of his best performances.  Except, I didn't like his "You Raise Me Up" very much and that surprised me, I thought his foundation in church music would do him well there but it didn't.

Phillip, I also can't be objective about him - I simply love everything he sings and does.  Volcano was fantastic, his best yet.  I am worried about his health, though, and in the back of my mind every week I'm thinking "oh please let him go home and get fixed."  He spent a good deal of time this week sitting on stage during his performances, more than any other week.  By design because he's weak?  Or because it fits the song?  Dunno.  But when they showed the video of him meeting with Jimmy this week for song critiques, I thought he looked white as a ghost and frail.  Hopefully not ...

I want a Joshua/Phillip final.  I know, I know, I hear you saying, "of course you do, you Jessica-hating hater!"  Well, yeah, there's that.     But I think that Joshua and Phillip bring out the best in each other, support each other.  It could make a great final show.  I just don't see that connection with Jessica, haven't seen it with her and any other contestant this year.

Which reminds me, how sad was it to see Hollie and Joshua crying the other night?  Oh gosh, it was awful!  Rumors were that those two were very close through the whole season ... sad.  (Did you notice, too, Jessica's one single tear?  Somebody must have showed her on you-tube that old "Indian sheds a tear for the environment" ad.  I know, I know!  Meow!  Hahaha.)


----------



## DaveNV

SueDonJ said:


> *Man, I WISH I could sing!  Always have.  If I could, I would have been all over stages having a blast for myself a long time ago!  She says herself that she's "been working hard all my life."  (geeze, 16 YO, how can she even have a perception of 'all my life'?)




I agree that Jessica hasn't found her individuality.  Hopefully, with time and maturity, she'll figure out who and where _SHE _is under all that coaching she's had.  She's technically competent (some would say VERY competent) as a singer, but all she's probably ever done is do what she's been taught to do (e.g. mimicking Jennifer Hudson in Dream Girls.)  It's what child performers do to win contests and approval.

But I think to her, the quote above is absolutely true.  She may only be 16 chronologically, but I'll bet there isn't any point in her life when she can remember NOT singing. So to her, she _HAS _been singing all her life. Stage parents will do that to you.

When I was in the Navy I spent a fair amount of time in the Philippines.  Entertainers there often mimic songs on stage so well, you'd swear you were listening to the original.  Right down to the same guitar licks, drumbeats, and the singer's actions and vocal inflection on stage.  Off stage, those same performers couldn't speak a word of English.  They were mimicking what they were hearing on the radio.  It was unsettling.  

At this point, as I've said before, the Final Four will each have some sort of career, if they want it.  The fan bases with the most dedicated dialing fingers will score the most votes, and that person will win Idol this year.  Which demographic will win?  The black guy/church singer/probably gay guy demographic, the white guy/nonconformist/artistic-at-all-cost guy demographic, or the Asian-Latino girl/power singer/highschool girl demographic?  Performance quality and originality won't necessarily carry the day.

It's anybody's season to win, and it doesn't mean the best singer/songwriter/performer will win.

Dave


----------



## tlwmkw

Suedonj,

I agree with your comments.  I also noticed how Joshua seems to enter a zone while he's performing- at the end he looks up and smiles as if he's waking up from a dream and can't quite believe what has just happened.  Now if he'd just tone down all the vocal tricks it would be much better.

I was wondering about Phillip's health too- he did look pale and drawn when he met with Jimmy.  Hope he's OK.  If it's Kidney stones why aren't they getting it taken care of?

I agree about Holly- she appears to have less experience and that shows in her performances and song choices.  Jimmy said in the results show that he knew it was a bad choice for her to do Bonnie Raitt but let her do it anyway- that made me mad.

tlwmkw


----------



## DaveNV

tlwmkw said:


> I was wondering about Phillip's health too- he did look pale and drawn when he met with Jimmy.  Hope he's OK.  If it's Kidney stones why aren't they getting it taken care of?




I was told last night Phillip has had four treatments for kidney stones in the last six months, and is scheduled for surgery before the Summer Tour starts.  Hope they sort him out - must be mighty painful to deal with that.  I'm not a fan of his performances, but I hate to think of anyone suffering like that.

Dave


----------



## pjrose

I tend to agree with many of the above comments, especially about Hollie getting much more negative feedback from the judges than others got.  Every once in a while they'd gush about what they did, but normally not.  Good point that Holly isn't much older than Jessica, but Jessica gets all the gush about her age while the other young ones don't.

I, too, was expecting Joshua's "You Raise Me Up" to be awesome, memorable.  It didn't live up to those expectations.  Sure, it was good, but not what I expected.  

I like Scrapngen's point that Phillip should not win so that he can release a great album, presumably not under control of the Idol Machine (though I don't know once they get up to the top 12 or 10 or ?? how much they are contracted to stay connected to Idol).  

ok, maybe Jessica is uber-polished by stage-mama, maybe she does just copy others' performances, maybe it is contrived, but she is sooooo goooood.  I do not agree with the Jordin Sparks comparison.  Sparks' win made no sense to me and I'm not at all surprised that she and Taylor who? haven't gone anywhere. 

I said Joshua and Jessica for the finale way back when, I still say Joshua and Jessica, and I would prefer Jessica for the win.


----------



## Elan

tlwmkw said:


> Jimmy said in the results show that he knew it was a bad choice for her to do Bonnie Raitt but let her do it anyway- that made me mad.
> 
> tlwmkw



  That was a total cop out by Jimmy.  Let's see, to this point I've intervened when contestants have come in with poor song choices, but I'll let Hollie fall on her own sword now that we're down to the final 4, even though I've acknowledged that she's on the outside looking in and needs to be really good this week.  Because the theme was "Songs I Wish I'd Written" that somehow precludes guidance?  Right Jimmy........

  As I stated before, the world knows that song has a big "Do Not Touch" sign on it.  I can only think of a few of artists that have the cachet to pull that song off in any believable fashion.  Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and.......uhhhh, I can't think of any others.


----------



## brigechols

pjrose said:


> Sparks' win made no sense to me and I'm not at all surprised that she and Taylor who? haven't gone anywhere



Jordin's duet hit with Chris Brown peaked at #3 on Billboard. Her first four singles reached the top twenty of the Hot 100. She's starring in the upcoming release of the movie  _Sparkle_. IMO, Jordin experienced success post-Idol


----------



## pjrose

brigechols said:


> Jordin's duet hit with Chris Brown peaked at #3 on Billboard. Her first four singles reached the top twenty of the Hot 100. She's starring in the upcoming release of the movie  _Sparkle_. IMO, Jordin experienced success post-Idol



Good points, thanks for the update!


----------



## scrapngen

brigechols said:


> Jordin's duet hit with Chris Brown peaked at #3 on Billboard. Her first four singles reached the top twenty of the Hot 100. She's starring in the upcoming release of the movie  _Sparkle_. IMO, Jordin experienced success post-Idol



Point taken. I guess I see Jordin as someone who doesn't have much originality but has a nice voice - she's made some hit pop songs especially because she's been managed well AND paired with known stars. I see Jessica in a similar vein. Her music will be like any pop song - nothing original. 

I'm with Sue - Jessica really bothers me!  Her interviews seem very prepared for her to say what she thinks America wants to hear from a teen. Nothing is real or genuine about her.  And she seems somewhat mean. Hard to put my finger on it exactly, but I won't be buying her music.

David Archuleta is probably a more apt comparison. Performing for years at a very young age managed by his dad - who supposedly clashed with idol during his season. He came in second. And I guess he's done quite well, even though I never hear about him. Hmmm...  Actually, it's a better comparison than I first thought. I checked Wikipedia, and according to them, he has had a lot of success in the Philippines especially,  as well as touring with Demi Lovato. (disney singer)  Others here have mentioned that Jessica will be huge in Asia, so ...He also bothered me, altho I appreciated his version of "Imagine." Maybe because he'd been singing it for years before the show...


----------



## scrapngen

Elan said:


> That was a total cop out by Jimmy.  Let's see, to this point I've intervened when contestants have come in with poor song choices, but I'll let Hollie fall on her own sword now that we're down to the final 4, even though I've acknowledged that she's on the outside looking in and needs to be really good this week.  Because the theme was "Songs I Wish I'd Written" that somehow precludes guidance?  Right Jimmy........
> 
> As I stated before, the world knows that song has a big "Do Not Touch" sign on it.  I can only think of a few of artists that have the cachet to pull that song off in any believable fashion.  Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and.......uhhhh, I can't think of any others.




Agreed, Jimmy knowingly let her fail...more support for my theory about sabotaging Holly to let Jessica stand as the only girl...


----------



## BocaBum99

scrapngen said:


> All right, I've finally been able to watch the two shows this week.
> 
> Does anyone else think Hollie has been completely sabotaged this season??
> Don't get me wrong. She has been uneven in performances, and I wasn't crazy about her in the beginning. BUT: She isn't much older than Jessica - who gets all the comments about how young she is... Hollie and Skylar are only 18 to Jessica's 16, and Holly clearly has not been performing as long as Jessica. Holly's outfits have been bad to better to ok, while Jessica gets very current pop looks. (Although I hated her in the dress she wore when she tried to impersonate Tina Turner) I think both of them are in need of mentoring to become stars. I think Hollie has really improved throughout the season, where Jessica is standing still.
> 
> Holly has been one of the few contestants that the judges have ever critiqued, and has been given the most negative input. She got a LOT of negativity for the Bonnie Raitt song, and could have been steered away from that choice, yet she didn't do THAT badly - emotionally she failed, but she didn't hit bad notes. Jessica did way worse on the Tina Turner song!! Whether the judges want to "get it right" and go with the fan base so they look good, or the show wants Jessica because she's more marketable, it seems clear that they have been trying their best  to steer the decisions consistently away from Hollie.
> 
> Jessica's first song was much too old for her. No negative comments. Jessica sounded horrible on the Bangles song. Hollie's voice was much richer and clearer sounding. Only criticism was they wanted to hear Jessica do the higher parts. I do agree that it was a bad arrangement and disliked it. I liked Joshua and Phillip's duet much better, and was surprised by how good they sounded because I wouldn't have pictured either one of them doing a Maroon 5 number.
> 
> As far as Jessica's second song, I felt she overperformed and oversang it, and spent the whole time at one volume - loud and growly. The emotion was contrived to me. Jennifer Hudson is far superior!!
> 
> Then there is Joshua. Granted, I'm not a fan of his style, but he's actually had me liking him quite a bit when he doesn't overdo it. Unfortunately, Tuesday was not one of those days. It's interesting to compare Idol to the Voice, because I also just caught up on some of those shows, and Juliet on the Voice did the same song - only she slayed it!! Here's her version:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqw5FWbpEes
> 
> Loved Phillip's Volcano, and think he saved himself this week with that performance.
> 
> Joshua should win this year, as he has been consistently in the top and had some great moments along the way. I think he'll do well after Idol, as his voice will sound great on the radio. I would have liked to see a girl win this year, but don't see Jessica doing much more than Jordan Sparks after Idol. No originality or unique qualities to her. She can sing - at times amazingly. If she does another song like "You are so beautiful," she will win. That was truly a moment for her. Philip should not win, so he can take time and release a great album.
> 
> The Voice beats Idol this year, hands down!!



Absolutely not.  Hollie should have been gone weeks ago.  The fact that she made it to the final 4 means she got way further than she should have.  She isn't that good and won't go very far unless there is a market for covering Miley Cyrus songs.


----------



## BocaBum99

scrapngen said:


> Point taken. I guess I see Jordin as someone who doesn't have much originality but has a nice voice - she's made some hit pop songs especially because she's been managed well AND paired with known stars. I see Jessica in a similar vein. Her music will be like any pop song - nothing original.
> 
> I'm with Sue - Jessica really bothers me!  Her interviews seem very prepared for her to say what she thinks America wants to hear from a teen. Nothing is real or genuine about her.  And she seems somewhat mean. Hard to put my finger on it exactly, but I won't be buying her music.
> 
> David Archuleta is probably a more apt comparison. Performing for years at a very young age managed by his dad - who supposedly clashed with idol during his season. He came in second. And I guess he's done quite well, even though I never hear about him. Hmmm...  Actually, it's a better comparison than I first thought. I checked Wikipedia, and according to them, he has had a lot of success in the Philippines especially,  as well as touring with Demi Lovato. (disney singer)  Others here have mentioned that Jessica will be huge in Asia, so ...He also bothered me, altho I appreciated his version of "Imagine." Maybe because he'd been singing it for years before the show...



Jessica is a humble, naive and inexperienced 16 year old who spends all of her time singing, praying and hanging out with family.  She does not have a mean bone in her body.  

Anyone who thinks Jessica Sanchez doesn't have originality doesn't quite understand just how talented she is.  She has better control than most professionals.  Listen to her version of the Star Spangled banner from this weekend's home town visit.  She was spectacular.  Finishing off the notes.  Tight runs.  Hitting the high notes with full force, reaching for the top and then up a third into falsetto with perfect pitch.  None of the contestants I have ever heard on American idol could do that.  I believe the reason she does so many Etta James type songs is that the contemporary music is just way too easy for her to sing.  

It's funny how people say she cannot connect with a song.  In this past week's rendition of "and I am telling you I'm not going,"  she had tremendous emotional connection with that song.  The word I used was possessed.  You could see it in her face.  It was as if the character took over her instrument as she belted it out.

American Idol is not about coming up with your own music.  That is always the test of a true artist.  Many record producers are salivating for the opportunity to match song writers with her voice.  She is going to be huge.  I'll buy every single album.

In 6 months, it doesn't matter who wins American Idol.  In fact, there is a very good chance that Jessica goes home this week.  She has fallen to number 3 in many odds makers sites for Vegas betting.  Those are pretty good predictors.  However, mark my words.  In 6 months, almost nobody is going to remember anything that Phil Phillips or Joshua Ledet sang this season of American Idol.  But, people around the world will remember, Jessica's renditions of "I will always love you"  "and I am telling you I am not going" "Sweet Dreams" and "Dance with my Father".  Jessica Sanchez will be an international pop superstar and it doesn't matter what else she does on American Idol.  That Genie is out of the bottle and it's heading for the stars.


----------



## TUGBrian

dont think anyone has claimed she isnt the most vocally talented in this thread at all.

however you appear to be the only one who feels she "connects" with any of her songs...I certainly havent been able to believe a single one TBH.

but thats just me, I still think the girl is one of the best vocal talents ive ever heard...and i have no doubt once perhaps shes older and more believable/connectable/likable/whatever you wanna call it...itll be a whole different story.


----------



## SueDonJ

BocaBum99 said:


> Jessica is a humble, naive and inexperienced 16 year old who spends all of her time singing, praying and hanging out with family.  She does not have a mean bone in her body. ...



Oh good gravy.  Isn't this a little bit over the top?  It's not like we know these contestants personally, intimately, and are supposed to be judging the relative goodness of their whole lives.  This is a simple who-do-you-like discussion that by design is based on subjective opinions.  You love her, we get it.  That's okay.  But obviously she doesn't affect the rest of us the way she affects you - why is that so difficult for you to understand?  I feel like you think you're the professor in a course on The Right Way To Do American Idol, and you're just itching to fail the rest of us for our inadequate contributions to the class.  Cripes.  Get a grip - music isn't a Pass/Fail subject!  What appeals to one may not appeal to the other.

And as far as what we will remember and what we will forget?  You're right, I will remember Jessica's rendition of "And I Am Telling You."  But I'll remember it because it's Jennifer Hudson's rendition, and Jessica just copied it lock, stock and barrel.

Geeeeze.  Way to suck the fun out of AI.


----------



## timeos2

I also find Jessica to have an excellent (maybe even incredible) voice - second to no one on AI this year and most past years. With that said I also find her cold, detached and has yet to show any inkling of originality. If I want to hear the original I'll listen to it. I don't need her rendition. 

I much preferred Hollie, warts in pitch and all, as I see her as much more likely to be better and show some originality with a bit more seasoning.  Her voice is nearly as good as Jessica's and she appears to have room to grow while with Jessica what you see and hear is all you'll ever get. Pitch perfect as it is. 

After all that if Joshua and Jessica - JJ - aren't the top two after this week then AI has officially and unforgivably "jumped the shark". There is no way that the 18th rendition of the same boring performance by PP should get him to #2 spot.  I'm likely to swear off (and swear too!) of watching AI if that occurs. Not that it matters to them but I'll bet I wouldn't be alone in walking away from any interest in a show that rewards mediocrity over talent the past few years doing it again.  They've had a nice run but the clueless voters have figured out how to vote personality over talent and that ruins the fun.  Keeping my fingers crossed for a JJ finale!


----------



## pjrose

timeos2 said:


> . . . . .   Keeping my fingers crossed for a JJ finale!



Which I've been hoping for from the beginning! 

OMG - I just noticed this is my 7,000th post!  
I believe I might be spending too much time on TUG


----------



## DaveNV

pjrose said:


> Which I've been hoping for from the beginning!
> 
> OMG - I just noticed this is my 7,000th post!
> I believe I might be spending too much time on TUG




It's not a race, but you deserve credit where credit is due:  Congrats on your 7000th!   

Dave


----------



## TUGBrian

heck thats more than me, you deserve a prize =)


----------



## SueDonJ

Oooooh, nice, 7,000!!  Upping Your Post Count is a perfectly legitimate game and you should be proud of your efforts.   

Thanks for all your contributions - I really enjoy reading you.


----------



## laurac260

I have really lost interest in the show with each passing year.  This year I don't even make an attempt at watching.  Now, I'm not saying it's because there is no talent.  I really don't have enough interest in the show anymore to pick it apart and tell you what it is about it that I think is wrong (of course if I COULD do that, then I'd have quite a career on my hands).  At any rate, I think part of what I find :zzz:   is the judges??  And the format that is all too predictable?  Wait, I know what it is, I'll tell you...

But first dim the lights.....  

After a record 7,000 posts (all made by PJ Rose) the nation has decided this is what I find :zzz:  about American Idol....

Find out after the break....


----------



## timeos2

laurac260 said:


> Find out after the break....



:hysterical: 

Isn't that what God made DVR & Fast Forward buttons for? (and to avoid the HGS - Horrifying Group Sings and talent less JLo "performances")


----------



## Elan

Apparently the contestants each get 3 songs this week.  One from the judges, one from Jimmy and one they pick themselves.  Personally, I'd much rather the judges give the contestants a challenging song outside their preferred genre.


----------



## scrapngen

BocaBum99 said:


> Jessica is a humble, naive and inexperienced 16 year old who spends all of her time singing, praying and hanging out with family.  She does not have a mean bone in her body.
> 
> Seriously?? Humble? That is not my impression at all. Naive - maybe. Inexperienced? Well, she seems to have more performances under her belt than most of the other contestants...How do you know how she spends her time all day or whether she is mean or not? Honestly - this girl is no Mother Theresa, she's just a girl who's been told she's better than everyone else all her life
> 
> Anyone who thinks Jessica Sanchez doesn't have originality doesn't quite understand just how talented she is.
> 
> Having talent doesn't equate with having originality. One can have talent, originality or both. Jessica has a beautiful singing voice. Whether she has originality remains to be seen...right now I haven't seen any evidence of this.
> 
> She has better control than most professionals.  Listen to her version of the Star Spangled banner from this weekend's home town visit.  She was spectacular.  Finishing off the notes.  Tight runs.  Hitting the high notes with full force, reaching for the top and then up a third into falsetto with perfect pitch.  None of the contestants I have ever heard on American idol could do that.  I believe the reason she does so many Etta James type songs is that the contemporary music is just way too easy for her to sing.
> 
> It's funny how people say she cannot connect with a song.  In this past week's rendition of "and I am telling you I'm not going,"  she had tremendous emotional connection with that song.  The word I used was possessed.  You could see it in her face.  It was as if the character took over her instrument as she belted it out.
> 
> Being possessed and belting out an entire song does not equate with an emotional connection in my book. She overdid it, it came across as phony emotion, and the result turned me off. She did much better emotionally with "You are so beautiful."
> 
> American Idol is not about coming up with your own music.  That is always the test of a true artist.
> 
> I agree.
> 
> Many record producers are salivating for the opportunity to match song writers with her voice.  She is going to be huge.  I'll buy every single album.
> 
> If the song is good, I'll buy it. Not holding my breath, but if they are able to come up with a song like "Bleeding love" was for Leona Lewis, then it will sell.
> 
> In 6 months, it doesn't matter who wins American Idol.  In fact, there is a very good chance that Jessica goes home this week.  She has fallen to number 3 in many odds makers sites for Vegas betting.  Those are pretty good predictors.  However, mark my words.  In 6 months, almost nobody is going to remember anything that Phil Phillips or Joshua Ledet sang this season of American Idol.  But, people around the world will remember, Jessica's renditions of "I will always love you"  "and I am telling you I am not going" "Sweet Dreams" and "Dance with my Father".  Jessica Sanchez will be an international pop superstar and it doesn't matter what else she does on American Idol.  That Genie is out of the bottle and it's heading for the stars.



 I agree that who wins in the end isn't that important anymore. I'm not that excited and don't really care about who wins at this point. I'm more interested in how these contestants do over the next year or two as they release their albums. Frankly, I don't think I'll remember ANY of the performances from this season unless someone jogs my memory. I still remember Fantasia singing "Summertime." That was someone singing with emotion, and having a "moment."    Adam singing "Tracks of My Tears," was another one. Jessica is not in their league yet.


----------



## pjrose

I missed most of tonight's show  

I did see Jessica's Michael Jackson number, which I thought was great (unlike Randy...), and Philip's Seger, which, again, helped me understand why people "get" him.  The quickie recaps showed a lot of Joshua screeching.......

So at this point, since I don't like Philip's off-key voice (at least it sounds off-key to me) or his weird facial gyrations, and I'm not like Joshua quite as much b/c of the screeching, I think I'm pulling more for Jessica.  She is just sooooo good - and the criticisms seem to be along the line that she is too polished, too much of a mimic, not an original.  So.....if it's for originality, then Philip is the one.  If it's musical ability, it's Jessica.  Not sure where Joshua fits in.  Like him, but he's not memorable.  Philip and Jessica are.


----------



## pjrose

TUGBrian said:


> heck thats more than me, you deserve a prize =)



I like that idea!


----------



## Elan

All of the songs were pretty good tonight, but no "moments" as the judges like to call them.  Thought Josh did a nice job with Mary J and Phillip was all over Seger. Other than that, not much worth noting.


----------



## beejaybeeohio

Elan said:


> Phillip was all over Seger.



Phillip's left hand moving up and down his thigh throughout this song was a major distraction to his overall performance.  Killed the mood (so to speak) as far as I'm concerned.

Jessica's songs, whether chosen by her, the judges or Jimmy, did not serve her well last nite.  I predict she goes home tonite and Phillip takes it all.  Predict also that Phil's career follows similarly to David Cook's.


----------



## Elan

beejaybeeohio said:


> Phillip's left hand moving up and down his thigh throughout this song was a major distraction to his overall performance.  Killed the mood (so to speak) as far as I'm concerned.
> 
> Jessica's songs, whether chosen by her, the judges or Jimmy, did not serve her well last nite.  I predict she goes home tonite and Phillip takes it all.  Predict also that Phil's career follows similarly to David Cook's.



  I agree, Phillip seemed unusually nervous during that performance.  But he still did a great job. 

  Don't know who's going to win it, and don't really care.  I like Phillip's style the best, think Joshua _should_ win it based on overall ability, and suspect that Jessica _will_ win it due to the teeny-bopper vote.


----------



## timeos2

It seems Joshua absolutely transforms into another world when he performs - and instantly reverts to a rather shy & awkward kid immediately after. By far the best this year in the competition. 

Jessica is just too detached and inexperienced but blessed with an incredible voice & range.  Simply not quite ready to be star but may grow into it with some seasoning. The big question is will she ever do more than excellent karaoke - so far it doesn't seem like she has much originality. Strong second. 

Philip is a very one trick performer. His great limitations have really shown up the past few weeks.  He doesn't belong with the other two based on ability. The fact that he is even still there shows that this is a looks/personality vote not based on talent.  By rights he should be shown the exit tonight but with the crazy votes of the past few years ("winners" we never hear from or want to hear from again disappearing into oblivion 2 days after the victory) he could win it all.  That would be a real disservice to the other two that can be true stars it seems.


----------



## Blues

I've been mostly enjoying the season, and have been rooting for Joshua and Hollie, though I like Jessica (good voice, but no life experience = no connection) and PP well enough.

But last night, I didn't see a single performance worthy of the final 3.  We fast-forwarded through many of the performances because they were so blah.  At this point, I find it hard to care who goes home and who wins the season.

-Bob


----------



## judyjht

I also was very distracted with Philip's left hand!!


----------



## Mosca

I agree completely, Blues. We turned to the season end of _Criminal Minds_. These three have no personalities.


----------



## tlwmkw

Joshua did well with the first song but it was so retro that I don't think many younger viewers would have enjoyed it. I thought his "Imagine" was really, really bad and was surprised that the judges didn't point out how much he oversang it.  Didn't care for his third song though it wasn't as bad as the second but again he oversang.  Can't tell if he's channeling James Brown or what but it just annoys me soooo much.  Ripping off the too-small jacket was an example of this, maybe if he just got the correct size he would be more comfortable and wouldn't look so pained with growling and howling and might not have to rip off the jacket. 

Jessica seemed to have a bad night.  Her songs were real snoozers and put me to sleep.  The Mariah song did nothing for me and she seemed on auto-pilot with it.  She took a risk with Steven Tyler's song and did OK with it but all I could hear in my head was his version.  The Jackson 5 was her best for me but the other two songs seemed to show a weakness and lack of character in her voice that hadn't been as apparent in previous weeks- she hits all the notes but there's not much more going on there otherwise.

Phillip's first was OK and I enjoyed it but quickly forgot it.  The second was a bit of a cop out- it was very comfortable for him and was a pretty good "Phillip Phillips" type performance but nothing special.  The Bob Segar song was a genius choice for him- Iovine knows his stuff- and made him stretch a bit and showed another side of him.  His voice may not be perfect but has much character to it, which cannot be learned- you just have it or you don't.  I think he is much more contemporary than the other two and that is why he is getting the votes.

Overall I think Iovine chose the best songs for these kids but none of them were outstanding.  I think Joshua must seem much better live than on TV and that explains the judges ravings.

tlwmkw


----------



## DaveNV

tlwmkw said:


> I think Joshua must seem much better live than on TV and that explains the judges ravings.
> 
> tlwmkw



I think that may be true for all of them.  If seen live, they're however-many-feet away from the viewer.  On TV, because of the cameras, we're looking right up their noses while they sing.  It's too close, and their movements (or lack of them) seem exaggerated.

I felt last night offered nothing new from any of these three.  And as I said before, at this point I don't care who wins.  They'll all have a career of some sort.  I'm done with AI, and am anticipating the premiere of So You think You Can Dance.

I did feel Stephen Tyler was out of line telling Jessica she's the winner.  A tad premature.  But then, we've heard they want a female winner this season.  So maybe the vote-fixing I've always suspected is still in play.  Hmm...     (Conspiracy Theorists:  Discuss.)


----------



## TUGBrian

definately nothing last night to write home about for sure.

enjoyed the 3 songs jimmy picked for them...rest I had to struggle not to fast forward between....other than the first PP song...I enjoyed that way more than I expected to when stephen announced what it was.


----------



## Elan

Jessica actually went flat on some notes on the lower portions of the Mariah song.  I think the judges alluded to this with their "tough to sing" comments, although they didn't explicitly say it.  Also agree that Jessica just doesn't have enough "flavor" in her voice to sing Aerosmith.  The raspiness of Steven Tyler's voice makes that song much more romantic, IMO.  

  Concur that "Disease" by PP was not a good choice.  It would be ok to hear him sing it as part of a concert, but certainly not good enough to pick with only 3 chances to impress the audience.  

  AI is my one "guilty pleasure" when it comes to mindless TV so I feel compelled to watch this season to it's conclusion, but it's very difficult with the remaining contestants.


----------



## Eli Mairs

judyjht said:


> I also was very distracted with Philip's left hand!!



Me too!! 

That was such an awkward, nervous gesture, and it spoiled his performance for me. He used to be one of my favorites, but I now don't care for him or either of the other two. 

I look forward to the next season of The Voice - so much better! 
I love the judges on The Voice. 
The judges on American Idol are completely useless!!


----------



## scrapngen

I actually liked Joshua's first song. Then he ruined it with "Imagine." 

PP made less distracting facial expressions, but added a hand movement. I thought he looked like he was really in pain when he wasn't singing. Even Ryan told him to take it easy and he could sit (I think he said "I'll join you") while they tried to get him votes. Did well on first song and the Seger song, but nothing amazing.

Jessica should not sing Aerosmith. Takes a good voice, but like others have said, what really sells it is Steven Tyler's life experience and blues knowledge, and emotion. I also thought Jimmy's pick for her wasn't very good. Not much of a song to have a "moment' with, and trying to sing it as a solo didn't work as her range didn't quite match up. (Not a criticism of her range, by any means - the girl has pipes! - just that the song was not in a good key for her, or something) 

For me, they rank in this order based strictly on last night's performances:

PP, Joshua, Jessica. 

Very lackluster show overall.  Maybe the final two will step it up for the finale, but I'm not holding my breath...


----------



## scrapngen

OH....had to talk about the hometown visits.

JMO, but it showed us again who is real.  

Phillip looked overwhelmed by the crowd support, and Josh as well. Both looked happy to see their families and surprised by the support they received from their respective towns. 

Jessica and her brothers looked incredibly uncomfortable together - like they were trying to show a supportive family and failed. And it wasn't even good-natured teasing of siblings either - just very stiff straight-faced boys who looked like they'd rather be anywhere but there, but were ordered into place to ride with her in her parade. Jessica herself - well, again, let's just say she doesn't come across as very likeable. She seemed to act like this is just what she expected and deserved.  (to me..) The only time she seemed to be genuine was her fear of the helicopter ride, and maybe when she was with her Dad. (Not so much when she sang to him, but afterward you could tell her hug, and love for him was very real.)


----------



## Fern Modena

Did anybody else notice some of the oddities of the hometown visits?

They never showed Joshua's home, although they did show the others.  I am guessing this means that he lives in an older home, most likely poorer as well.  I say this because of the appearance of his daddy's church from the outside (very poor looking, although the inside was nice).  Daddy wore a suit jacket or sport coat over a tee shirt.  When he got the song from Jimmy Iovine it was as a text on his personal cell phone, and he was in the limo.  The others were shown in their homes getting a package with a phone and a boom box.

It was revealed that Jessica has been home schooled her whole life.  That may account for why she is somewhat socially ackward.  Anyway, if she never went to public school, why did they show her at a local high school with crowds cheering as if it were her school.  Another thing, didn't she say her daddy was soon to be deployed when she sang that tear jerker about him a few weeks back?  Looks like he is still home...

Phillip Phillips, I couldn't tell you.  Other than noticing that we saw his home as well, he just doesn't interest me much.  To me, he always sounds same-o, same-o.  And he has all those weird facial movements, kind of like gurning, if you know what I mean.  If you don't, look here.

Who do I want to be eliminated tonight?  Jessica.  Who do I think *should* be eliminated?  Phillip².  Who do I think *will* leave?  Joshua.  

Who would I like to see win?  Joshua, although I suspect it will be Phillip².

Fern


----------



## pjrose

Well, nothing would have surprised me tonight; any one of the three could have gone.  Next week, any of the two could win.  Depends on the fan base and the style of music people prefer.

I loved Adam's performance (of course  )  I was a little disappointed that he didn't connect with the camera as much as he usually does....seemed like he was looking for which camera was on, and they were moving the camera too much.  It was interesting that he and everyone in his band had a bit of matching yellow - does anyone know if that means something?


----------



## Eli Mairs

Tonight's highlight was Adam Lambert's performance.

He made his season very exciting. It didn't matter that he didn't win.

Adam is a true star, and one of the few I would pay to see in concert. 
Have already done that once, and he was fabulous.

Wish he would return to Toronto.


----------



## Elan

Adam sounded good, as usual, but that song was horrendous. He should be singing rock or nuevo new wave (Killers, etc), not cheesy pop.


----------



## Karen G

Well, the show is over here on the west coast, and I am so disappointed! I won't spoil the results in case anyone hasn't watched it yet.

Could anyone understand the lyrics of Lisa Marie Presley's song??  She certainly has her Daddy's eyes, though.


----------



## DaveNV

Karen G said:


> Could anyone understand the lyrics of Lisa Marie Presley's song??  She certainly has her Daddy's eyes, though.



I made a comment that Adam Lambert looks more like Elvis Presley than Lisa Marie does!  

And no, I ddn't get the lyrics of her song.  Why bother?  She needs to be a philanthropist and not try to have a musical career.  The song was like a funeral dirge - without the good parts. 

Dave


----------



## Karen G

BMWguynw said:


> The song was like a funeral dirge - without the good parts.


:hysterical:   We really need a "Like" button on TUG.


----------



## grest

I was hoping that Joshua would stay...


----------



## BocaBum99

I was very disappointed with the performances this week.  Jessica really had a bad week.  I would rank them:

1) Phillip Phillips
2) Joshua Ledet
3) Jessica Sanchez.

If performance in this round is what matters, Jessica should have gone home.

PP had a good night.  I finally liked something he sang.  He's been on a roll since Volcano.

If the whole season matters, then PP should have gone home.  Both Joshua and Jessica had, imo, better seasons.

Next week, it is going to be close for the simple reason that the illegal vote from the Phillipines is immense.  There are Youtube videos on how to vote via Facebook using proxy servers, via Skype, Magic Jack and Globe One.

The President of the Phillipines, Benigno Aquino III, has endorsed Jessica.  All he needs to do is declare next Wednesday National Vote for Jessica Sanchez day and it's over.  All Jessica needs is 20,000 rabid Pinay/Pinoy out of 93,000,000 to vote 500 times each to generate 10,000,000 votes.  I believe it will tip the balance to Jessica.  And, the American Idol producers won't care because they are tired of white guys with guitars winning American Idol.

The competition is over.  It is no longer about the performances.  It's about which fan base is most rabid for their contestant.


----------



## BocaBum99

grest said:


> I was hoping that Joshua would stay...



Joshua was the likely contestant to go home this week because he does not have the fanatical fan bases that PP and JS have.


----------



## tlwmkw

Not too surprised by the results.  Jimmy Iovine's analysis was spot on as usual- why isn't he a judge?  He'd be sooo much better than the current crop.  

Lisa Marie was unintelligible, though she and her band sure looked cool.  The lyrics might be good but you couldn't understand a word and it was so slow and dull.

Adam Lambert was awful- I just don't get what people see in him.  Didn't watch the season that he was on so that may be why but to me he just looks crazy when he sings and the song was pretty bad too.

Not really interested in the final result- either one could win.

tlwmkw


----------



## SueDonJ

Nothing to say this week that hasn't already been said - at this point it shouldn't come as a surprise for any of them to be going home.  But Phillip's been my favorite and I'm glad he's still there.   

I did vote this week for the first time and something odd happened.  On the landline it was just busy-busy-busy so I switched to my cell phone - every one of those calls went through no problem.  Is that how it always works?

Over on itunes.com/americanidol I've bought songs from Phillip, Joshua, Hollie and Elise.  If I could just figure out how to buy the tracks of Phillip's and Elise's two duets - Somebody That I Used To Know and Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - then I'll be a happy camper.  BTW, watching these it's easy to see that these two have a good bit of experience with club performing.


----------



## Karen G

BocaBum99 said:


> The President of the Phillipines, Benigno Aquino III, has endorsed Jessica.  All he needs to do is declare next Wednesday National Vote for Jessica Sanchez day and it's over.


If he declares Wednesday as the day to vote, PP may have a chance. Next week the final is on Tuesday and the results show will be on Wednesday.


----------



## pjrose

*Adam, Lisa Marie, and Elvis*

I agree that Adam was the highlight of the show, though as I noted above, the cameras were switching too often for him to find the right one and look directly at me    Best.Contestant.Ever.

Lisa Marie Presley, yuck.  I agree with everything above; couldn't understand the  words, with her dress and the set, it certainly was like a funeral dirge, and yep, I noticed the eyes right away. The eye resemblance was definitely make-up enhanced.

And yep, Adam has a lot of Elvis in him. This may be blasphemous, but neither is good-looking in terms of having perfect features (whatever that means), but both know/knew how to use what they've got....the eyes, the mouth, the overall expressions, etc.


----------



## Karen G

tlwmkw said:


> Jimmy Iovine's analysis was spot on as usual- why isn't he a judge?  He'd be sooo much better than the current crop.


I think Jimmy is better as a mentor and coach. He can help the contestants prepare their songs before they perform, and he does judge their performances afterward.


----------



## Jaybee

I agree. I think Jimmie is the only honest, straightforward, musically intelligent person on the show.


----------



## tlwmkw

Just saw an item on TV about Phillip's health.  Apparently his doctors want him to have surgery on his kidneys immediately, but he is trying to hold off until after the finale.  They said he is barely eating and is in constant pain.  The meds he is on have caused dry mouth and are affecting his voice also.  He will have surgery immediately after the finale and then there will be a six week recovery time.  I guess this is why he hasn't been very energetic on the stage recently.

tlwmkw


----------



## pjrose

tlwmkw said:


> Just saw an item on TV about Phillip's health.  Apparently his doctors want him to have surgery on his kidneys immediately, but he is trying to hold off until after the finale.  They said he is barely eating and is in constant pain.  The meds he is on have caused dry mouth and are affecting his voice also.  He will have surgery immediately after the finale and then there will be a six week recovery time.  I guess this is why he hasn't been very energetic on the stage recently.
> 
> tlwmkw



OMG, that's terrible!  What's wrong?


----------



## scrapngen

tlwmkw said:


> Just saw an item on TV about Phillip's health.  Apparently his doctors want him to have surgery on his kidneys immediately, but he is trying to hold off until after the finale.  They said he is barely eating and is in constant pain.  The meds he is on have caused dry mouth and are affecting his voice also.  He will have surgery immediately after the finale and then there will be a six week recovery time.  I guess this is why he hasn't been very energetic on the stage recently.
> 
> tlwmkw



Wow! He's in a no-win situation. Holding off to the end. There's a flurry of talk-shows/media they do once they win, too, that is pretty grueling. Flying to New York for the early morning shows - flying back to the West Coast...the parties, etc. Other winners have alluded to their crazy schedule during post-win interviews. If he comes in second, are they going to rush him off to the hospital??

 If they talk about it on air, then it looks like the sympathy vote, but not talking about it hurts his chances when people don't know his voice/energy is being hurt by his health status. I know that they often say it's all part of the career: very hard/big money involved to cancel shows in this industry, and they have to learn how to work through things, but I hope he's not doing long-term damage by waiting. You have to wonder if some of his facial expressions might be due to this - I noticed he caught himself a couple times, when he started to scrunch his face, he'd relax it again and widen his eyes while singing..

On a side note, I wonder if there will be no more Ford videos. It was a little odd - even knowing the reason -  seeing the video of Joshua and Jessica when they were down to three contestants.


----------



## tlwmkw

They say it's kidney stones with the kidney completely blocked so very painful.  Apparently he's had other procedures to try to relieve it but they haven't worked so now he has to have major surgery.  If the kidney is completely blocked then he could lose the kidney altogether which would be bad (even though he'd still have the other one).

tlwmkw


----------



## SueDonJ

I can't imagine that this whole week is going to go by without American Idol addressing this, because at this point it's all over the news outlets and rumors are running wild.  If it's as bad as some say, which is that his doctor didn't leave his side while he was home and wants him to have the surgery NOW, then aren't they taking a huge risk with turning people off the show due to indifference to the contestants' health?  I thought it was bad enough when they let them all drop like flies during Hollywood Week but this could be much worse, if what's being reported is true.  Who knows - there's always so much drama surrounding everything to do with AI!

Some reports say that AI is saying that no matter whether he wins or comes in second, he'll be excused from everything including the media blitz to get the surgery done immediately following Wednesday night's show, then will be ready in six weeks for the tour.  And apparently he's been dealing with kidney issues since last October but it's been his choice to continue all along with the competition until it's over, but AI has excused him from all the extra stuff through all these weeks so that he could get as much rest and be off his feet as much as possible.

When they showed the video from his weekend at home I thought it was odd that he landed at night but didn't see his parents until the next day.  I found some random youtube video of him walking through a hospital with what looked like a doctor and a few AI security guys but they said he visited sick kids.  I'm wondering if the real story is that he landed at the airport and spent the night at the local hospital with his doctor and parents, but didn't want that publicized.

Gah, I feel like a groupie knowing all this stuff!  But I thought he looked terrible weeks ago and that's when I started searching online to try to figure out what's up.  Poor kid, this can't have been easy for him.

BUT, all that said, I think he deserves to be in the finale just based on his music - he's not getting any sympathy votes from me!  Upthread I said that I bought some of his, Joshua's, Hollie's and Elise's tracks from iTunes.  If he put out a CD with just his AI stuff I'd buy it, no questions asked.  Now I like his live act, but you really need to listen to the studio tracks to hear just how talented he is - phenomenal.  His voice is distinctive, sure, but I just don't understand how anyone can say that all his songs sound the same.  They don't sound that way to me at all.

Okay, done being a groupie now.


----------



## tlwmkw

There's an interesting article on The Daily Beast (I would link to it but don't know how- it's one of their "galleries") the goes over many of the former contestents and where they are now.  It's sobering to see how few of them have actually been able to make a career in music (for example Crystal Bowersox is now a farmer in Oregon- but is happy doing it, and Sanjaya is a bartender in NYC).  Anyway, it is interesting to see what's happened to these former contestants.

tlwmkw


----------



## Karen G

tlwmkw said:


> There's an interesting article on The Daily Beast


  Here it is.

To see each former idol contestant, click on their picture and then you can work your way through the whole list by clicking "next" to get to the next one.


----------



## Carol C

SueDonJ said:


> I can't imagine that this whole week is going to go by without American Idol addressing this, because at this point it's all over the news outlets and rumors are running wild.  If it's as bad as some say, which is that his doctor didn't leave his side while he was home and wants him to have the surgery NOW, then aren't they taking a huge risk with turning people off the show due to indifference to the contestants' health?  I thought it was bad enough when they let them all drop like flies during Hollywood Week but this could be much worse, if what's being reported is true.  Who knows - there's always so much drama surrounding everything to do with AI!
> 
> Some reports say that AI is saying that no matter whether he wins or comes in second, he'll be excused from everything including the media blitz to get the surgery done immediately following Wednesday night's show, then will be ready in six weeks for the tour.  And apparently he's been dealing with kidney issues since last October but it's been his choice to continue all along with the competition until it's over, but AI has excused him from all the extra stuff through all these weeks so that he could get as much rest and be off his feet as much as possible.
> 
> When they showed the video from his weekend at home I thought it was odd that he landed at night but didn't see his parents until the next day.  I found some random youtube video of him walking through a hospital with what looked like a doctor and a few AI security guys but they said he visited sick kids.  I'm wondering if the real story is that he landed at the airport and spent the night at the local hospital with his doctor and parents, but didn't want that publicized.
> 
> Gah, I feel like a groupie knowing all this stuff!  But I thought he looked terrible weeks ago and that's when I started searching online to try to figure out what's up.  Poor kid, this can't have been easy for him.
> 
> BUT, all that said, I think he deserves to be in the finale just based on his music - he's not getting any sympathy votes from me!  Upthread I said that I bought some of his, Joshua's, Hollie's and Elise's tracks from iTunes.  If he put out a CD with just his AI stuff I'd buy it, no questions asked.  Now I like his live act, but you really need to listen to the studio tracks to hear just how talented he is - phenomenal.  His voice is distinctive, sure, but I just don't understand how anyone can say that all his songs sound the same.  They don't sound that way to me at all.
> 
> Okay, done being a groupie now.



I don't like Phillip. I saw the Idol photo shoot and him "pretend" to slug Jessica, and he had his fist rolled into a serious, violent punch aimed at her head. Maybe he thinks that's cute or funny, but I think it's very uncool. This during a week when the Violence Against Woman Act was being reviewed. AI doesn't need a misogynist as its winner.


----------



## pjrose

Carol C said:


> I don't like Phillip. I saw the Idol photo shoot and him "pretend" to slug Jessica, and he had his fist rolled into a serious, violent punch aimed at her head. Maybe he thinks that's cute or funny, but I think it's very uncool. This during a week when the Violence Against Woman Act was being reviewed. AI doesn't need a misogynist as its winner.



Wow, I missed that.  I don't know if the punch was his idea or scripted.  If his idea, it should have been nixed, and if scripted, he should have refused.  Not funny at all.


----------



## brigechols

Just cast my first ever AI vote for PP.


----------



## pjrose

Pretty boring show, I thought.  Jessica did her powerhouse thing, Philip did his growly expression-y thing.  I thought the song written for Philip was awful, but kind of enjoyed his moving up.  I liked her first and second ones best. Nothing memorable, though.  Yawn.


----------



## SueDonJ

Carol C said:


> I don't like Phillip. I saw the Idol photo shoot and him "pretend" to slug Jessica, and he had his fist rolled into a serious, violent punch aimed at her head. Maybe he thinks that's cute or funny, but I think it's very uncool. This during a week when the Violence Against Woman Act was being reviewed. AI doesn't need a misogynist as its winner.



I didn't see that on the photo shoot link on the AI page, but I'm with you and would be disappointed to see it.

Sort of a snoozefest finale, I agree.  It was interesting that Phillip chose to re-sing a number that the judges didn't really like the first time around, while Jessica chose to re-sing one of her best.  It was nice to see both of them say nice things about each other, and it didn't appear that either one of them was too uncomfortable or faking it for the show.  Nice.   

No surprise, I liked him much more than her, and I'm also voting for the first time this year.  Last week and this week I voted for Phillip.


----------



## Gophesjo

Phillip's finale song was amazing - like nothing I have ever seen on Idol before.  There are originals, and there are copyists.  Phillip is an original - he got my vote (three votes, actually).  I like Jessica, but I still don't know who she is...


----------



## DaveNV

Pretty dull show for being the finale of the (arguably) most talented season ever.  Fan base will determine the winner.  It won't matter, and they'll both sell a lot of CDs.  But I think Phillip will be taking home the title.

I'm not voting because I don't care either way.   

Dave


----------



## BocaBum99

What a horribly produced finale.  Nothing sounded good.  PP was extremely out of tune in his final song.  He wasn't good at all despite the standing O.

Jessica was the worst I've heard her sing.  That song needs to be S*** canned.  Terrible song.

The voting seems pretty close at the moment.  We will see what happens.

I almost want PP to win so that song for Jessica never has to be heard ever again.

If Jessica loses, she will get a better record deal than what AI will give her.  It all depends on the overseas Pinoy vote.


----------



## Elan

Of the 6 songs, only Phillip's last was worth listening to.  The more I listen to Jessica, the more I realize she's not as good as I originally thought.  Still extremely talented, but she often goes flat on lower notes, and her voice lacks depth on the more dynamic higher runs.  When she's hitting the high notes softly, she's fantastic..  

  I'm just glad I didn't watch real time.  Pretty bland show overall.


----------



## tlwmkw

The finale was "just ok for me dawg"  .  

I was interested to see that Jessica finally seemed to show some nerves and was hitting a few bad notes (which actually endeared her to me- usually she is so robotic and perfect).  Her song choices weren't that great and she didn't really show anything new or different.  I think her first round was best but she didn't do so well in the second and third rounds.

Phillip's first song was a bad choice for him- didn't like it much at all.  Stephen Fuller didn't really pick a good one.  I thought the second song was better and I really enjoyed the final song.

Now it's in the hands of the voters- I think it could go either way.  It's amazing that Jessica was saved and then made it to the finale- that's never happened before.

The judges were just as lame as usual- I think they shouldn't have even given an opinion at this point and should just let the voters go their own way.

tlwmkw


----------



## timeos2

*Anyone care?*

For the first time since I started watching Idol I didn't even turn it  on last night. I am really disappointed that such a talented group at  the 5-6 mark was whittled down to the two least deserving. I have  already read on line that the show was a snooze fest & I'm not  really even tempted to watch the DVR.  I know I won't watch tonight as  it really holds no interest who "wins". 

I will predict that PP has a "career" even less successful than the  (now retired from music - I didn't know that until I saw it here) Crystal Bowersocks (sp?)  win or lose.  Jessica will be nothing more than a karaoke singer at  best.  I'm really going to have to consider if next year is  even worth investing any time in. It may depend if they make changes to  actually get some judging like it used to be with Simon vs the  cheerleaders  they have now. 

Hoping next season will go much better then this one that really just fissiled out.


----------



## BocaBum99

Elan said:


> Of the 6 songs, only Phillip's last was worth listening to.  The more I listen to Jessica, the more I realize she's not as good as I originally thought.  Still extremely talented, but she often goes flat on lower notes, and her voice lacks depth on the more dynamic higher runs.  When she's hitting the high notes softly, she's fantastic..
> 
> I'm just glad I didn't watch real time.  Pretty bland show overall.



Jessica had her worst performance night of the season. She missed several notes and sang very nervously.  If the winner is chosen based on last nights performance, she doesn't even make the top 10.

I am very disappointed in her performances since the save.  She was fantastic up and until that night.  The only 2 songs I have liked since then are "Dance with my Father" and "And I am telling you, I am not going."  

She was bad last night, but that doesn't mean she isn't uber talented because she is.  She can do amazing things with her control.  But, she really does lack any performance skills.  I am not as confident that she can deliver an entire concert.  We will have to see how well she does once the pressure of American Idol is done, she gets some great producers and they teach her how to perform.


----------



## Elan

BocaBum99 said:


> Jessica had her worst performance night of the season. She missed several notes and sang very nervously.  If the winner is chosen based on last nights performance, she doesn't even make the top 10.
> 
> I am very disappointed in her performances since the save.  She was fantastic up and until that night.  The only 2 songs I have liked since then are "Dance with my Father" and "And I am telling you, I am not going."
> 
> She was bad last night, but that doesn't mean she isn't uber talented because she is.  She can do amazing things with her control.  But, she really does lack any performance skills.  I am not as confident that she can deliver an entire concert.  We will have to see how well she does once the pressure of American Idol is done, she gets some great producers and they teach her how to perform.



  She is very talented.  And at age 16, she obviously has a lot of time to improve on her deficiencies.  In the last few weeks I've really noticed how her voice becomes very monotone when singing dynamic highs.  It actually starts to become painful for me to listen.  But that's something that can be easily fixed.  Although Hollie missed many more notes, Hollie was better than Jessica in 2 aspects:  Better tone, and much better dynamic range.  Jessica is a capable of a lot more than Hollie, but if one could transfer those two characteristics from Hollie, Jessica would be amazing.   

  My interest dropped off considerably a few weeks ago.  Happens every year when they get down to 4 or 5 contestants.  Don't care who wins or who is successful going forward.  This year seems to be particularly stale at the end.  I bet they change things on the show (judges, format, etc) before next season.  I would love to see a non-celebrity professional vocal instructor on the panel of judges.  Someone to offset the commercial aspect.  It will never happen, but it would be a great contrast to the commercial viewpoint.


----------



## tlwmkw

Heard a funny review of the show on NPR this morning.  They were talking about how stale it's getting (I think everyone here agrees on that) but that it still is a cash cow for Fox and what will they fill the time with if they cancel?  They also noted that even though there are so many singing competition shows now they are still adding more (Duets- starting soon on NBC).  The reviewer played a mash-up of the song "Against all odds"- there were five different versions done in different years.  Their point was why do they keep doing the same songs over and over when there are literally millions to choose from?

tlwmkw


----------



## DaveNV

tlwmkw said:


> Their point was why do they keep doing the same songs over and over when there are literally millions to choose from?
> 
> tlwmkw




I think it's because the Producers at AI think their audience is all 14 year old girls who aren't mature enough to like a song they've never heard.  By sticking to Top 40 songs they think a lot of people know, they want people to identify with the song.  They've proven they don't care a whit for the intelligence of their larger audience, because they pander to the voting demographic.  

Every time a contestant has strayed from the preferred musical path, they got hammered for being too different.  But if they fall in line and accept the cookie-cutter performing requirements, they're praised to the rooftops for how good they are.

But as someone here wisely said way back in this thread, AI has never been a singing contest.  It's a popularity contest.  I keep giving it "one more year" to give me someone to cheer for, but once my favorites are gone, there's no point in even watching the show.  I had several I liked this year, but once it got down to these last two, I'm feeling, "Meh.  Who cares?"  I won't buy music from either of these people.

I don't begrudge the contestants their talent, but for me, a singer is someone to listen to.  A performer is someone to watch.  And as we've seen, not all good singers are good performers.

Dave


----------



## BocaBum99

It's funny because PP and JS have the exact opposite problems.

PP always does it his own way and in so doing butchers many songs.  Movin' out is one of my favorite Billy Joel songs of all time and he mutilated it in a way similar to how Colton was awful on September.   In my view, he was DQ'd by doing so badly on that song.

JS is too young and too obedient to do anything her own way.  She knows what the judges say she is good at so she tries to do it their way, not hers.  What ends up happening is she is listening too much to others and not to her own heart.  Then, it comes out terrible.  She should just ignore what everyone says and just do what she wants to do.  I think if she could choose the songs she wanted to perform, she would do a lot better even if many of her critics would say its not age appropriate material.  She really did well on Stuttering and she got voted off.  Now, she is singing crap songs and she is rewarded with getting the votes for the next week.  If she wants to be a real artist and last in the industry, she needs to get an attitude and start doing it her way.

PP needs to pay attention to the melody of a song and then shape it to his style rather than taking every song's lyrics and making a completely new song out of it.  He could use a little bit of the obedience JS demostrates week in and week out.

I don't think PP will be successful.  He is too bullheaded.  He won't listen to his producers and he will flop because he will just want to do his music, his way.  

JS will only be successful if she learns how to perform and she finds the perfect producer and song writer for her voice.  American Idol is not it.  If she wins American Idol, she will probably flop in the industry because they have proven to be clueless in picking songs and writing them for her. She should just sign with Akon.  Move to Brazil for a few years.  Start drinking and partying and have a few Carnivales under her belt.  Get her heart broken.   She would come back as a latina powerhouse.  Can you imagine that?


----------



## scrapngen

I pretty much agree with what's already been said about last night's performances. 

Jessica sounded like nerves are finally getting her. I don't know why she didn't pick one of her better songs for her own choice. (the second song was their pick from the season) Her first song was quite good, and it seemed that the producer picked a better song for her than Phillip's first song. 

PP looks like he's just glad it's over. 

As for their final songs: First of all, I didn't like it in years past when they gave the final contestants one song to sing - as it typically favored one contestant's style more than the other, and allowed that one to shine and win. They changed it to having two unique songs - one for each contestant. It still takes it out of the contestants' hands, and more in the producer's.  If the song is not well written, or doesn't suit the contestant, it fails and so do they. Since these are not songs the public is familiar with, it becomes more about which song is catchy or memorable, and less about how the contestant sang it. 

The judges seemed to imply when critiquing Jessica, that she had a choice of new  songs, and picked the wrong one. She said she chose the one most like a ballad because the judges seemed to think she did best at those, and that she'd been told "America" would like it. OK, for once I'm really sorry for Jessica. She's 16, and has been handed songs to sing all her life and told what to do. She continues to get told what will "help her," and then gets panned for it. She's just not ready to be an "artist." She's a very good singer. 

Phillip, OTOH, sang a song that had a hook, and lyrics that will enable it to be used for next year's rejects, so it will be played over and over. It was staged with flair - even if he couldn't move much, he had a marching band, and backup singers, etc. 

I would be very surprised if Jessica wins this season after last night. I think the show let her down, and made it easy for people to vote for Phillip. 

If Phillip does win, though, it will not be easy, as he won't be doing the publicity tours. Don't know how that will hurt him when he releases his single and/or album. He won't have the time to polish the winning song to make it commercially better, and then who knows how the tour will go. Will he be on it? Will they hold off? etc. etc.


----------



## SueDonJ

Man, it's so odd how we all can have such different reactions to music, isn't it?

I'm just going to have to admit to being a complete philistine here, or maybe a sad groupie, or just a total know-nothing when it comes to music.  But I burned a CD of all of Phillip's studio tracks and a few of the live ones, and that thing has been BLASTING for hours all over while I'm cleaning my house today!  I love him and his music and think he's got a very good shot at making a successful career.  I'm glad he's one of the final two and I hope he wins the whole thing.  IMO, it will be a well-deserved win - this kid works at his craft and it shows.

But regardless of some folks here making me feel like I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm not alone.  While I was out doing a little bit of weeding my neighbors on either side of me recognized his tunes and asked for a copy of the disk, and two different golfers stopped to give him a 'thumbs up.'

He's fun and fresh and original and I love him.  If I was his mom I'd be tickled pink.  Hmmmm, maybe he'd like an honorary auntie.


----------



## BocaBum99

scrapngen said:


> I pretty much agree with what's already been said about last night's performances.
> 
> Jessica sounded like nerves are finally getting her. I don't know why she didn't pick one of her better songs for her own choice. (the second song was their pick from the season) Her first song was quite good, and it seemed that the producer picked a better song for her than Phillip's first song.
> 
> PP looks like he's just glad it's over.
> 
> As for their final songs: First of all, I didn't like it in years past when they gave the final contestants one song to sing - as it typically favored one contestant's style more than the other, and allowed that one to shine and win. They changed it to having two unique songs - one for each contestant. It still takes it out of the contestants' hands, and more in the producer's.  If the song is not well written, or doesn't suit the contestant, it fails and so do they. Since these are not songs the public is familiar with, it becomes more about which song is catchy or memorable, and less about how the contestant sang it.
> 
> The judges seemed to imply when critiquing Jessica, that she had a choice of new  songs, and picked the wrong one. She said she chose the one most like a ballad because the judges seemed to think she did best at those, and that she'd been told "America" would like it. OK, for once I'm really sorry for Jessica. She's 16, and has been handed songs to sing all her life and told what to do. She continues to get told what will "help her," and then gets panned for it. She's just not ready to be an "artist." She's a very good singer.
> 
> Phillip, OTOH, sang a song that had a hook, and lyrics that will enable it to be used for next year's rejects, so it will be played over and over. It was staged with flair - even if he couldn't move much, he had a marching band, and backup singers, etc.
> 
> I would be very surprised if Jessica wins this season after last night. I think the show let her down, and made it easy for people to vote for Phillip.
> 
> If Phillip does win, though, it will not be easy, as he won't be doing the publicity tours. Don't know how that will hurt him when he releases his single and/or album. He won't have the time to polish the winning song to make it commercially better, and then who knows how the tour will go. Will he be on it? Will they hold off? etc. etc.



I think it will be very close due to the illegal vote from the Philippines.  Jessica was way behind on dial idol during East Coast voting.  She continuously closed when West Coast voting started.  Now, it's a toss up that is too close to call.

Give the phone in vote was close.  It will depend on online voting which should be dominated by Jessica or text voting which should be dominated by PP.  Also, remember that the vote was during the day in the Philippines.  They could vote for all 4 hours.  In the USA, the vote ended after midnight which many would naturally peter out.

I predict 120M votes and a 1% difference between winner and loser.

If the illegal vote were eliminated, JS would have been voted out several weeks ago.  All you need to do is Google "how to vote for Jessica" and you will see how rampant the illegal voting is.


----------



## tlwmkw

Suedonj,

Don't feel bad that you like Phillip- I do too- and I also have down loaded some of his songs from this season.  I would like to get that finale song too- loved it.  To me I hear hints of DMB, Sting, Coldplay, Paul Simon when I hear him perform (though he is unique to himself) and I think Phillip is very much in their category as far as how he performs- kind of different and not all about the perfection of the voice but rather the lyric and the musicality (notice how he features the other musicians in his performances).  I think some of Phillip's stuff is very commercial and could imagine it playing on the radio.  Jessica not so much.

tlwmkw


----------



## BocaBum99

Wow.  I just listened to the studio version of "Change Nothing."  It is actually pretty good.  If it gets play time, it will be popular.

It's not a good song for live performance when you don't have the skills of channeling and redirecting the energy of the audience back to them.  The arrangement of the song and her lack of performance skills really hurt her.

OMG, I just heard the studio version of "The Prayer."  It is sublime.  Jessica's calling is to be a studio artist, not a performing artist.   Not as much money in that, but always work.


----------



## TUGBrian

so yea....anyone else think pp should have been doing mumford and sons from the beginning.  (guess it helps that im a huge MaS fan)

that last song was his best of the season.....NICE timing for that!


----------



## DaveNV

SueDonJ said:


> Man, it's so odd how we all can have such different reactions to music, isn't it?
> 
> I'm just going to have to admit to being a complete philistine here, or maybe a sad groupie, or just a total know-nothing when it comes to music.  But I burned a CD of all of Phillip's studio tracks and a few of the live ones, and that thing has been BLASTING for hours all over while I'm cleaning my house today!  I love him and his music and think he's got a very good shot at making a successful career.  I'm glad he's one of the final two and I hope he wins the whole thing.  IMO, it will be a well-deserved win - this kid works at his craft and it shows.
> 
> But regardless of some folks here making me feel like I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm not alone.  While I was out doing a little bit of weeding my neighbors on either side of me recognized his tunes and asked for a copy of the disk, and two different golfers stopped to give him a 'thumbs up.'
> 
> He's fun and fresh and original and I love him.  If I was his mom I'd be tickled pink.  Hmmmm, maybe he'd like an honorary auntie.




If I've given you the impression that I was judging you (or anyone else, for that matter) for liking Phillip, please allow me to apologize.  My intention of expressing my own opinion was that while *I* may not care for the singing style of the performer, it doesn't mean others can't totally like them.  It's a very personal thing,and everyone should have their own choice.  That's the beauty of music, and why there are so many different styles available.  What some people like, others don't. It's all good.

Regardless of who wins AI this season, I'll give them credit for bringing to the stage a very, VERY talented group of singers in a wide range of styles.  I've enjoyed it, for the most part, and will be curious to see what the future holds for any of this season's performers.

Dave


----------



## scrapngen

SueDonJ said:


> Man, it's so odd how we all can have such different reactions to music, isn't it?
> 
> I'm just going to have to admit to being a complete philistine here, or maybe a sad groupie, or just a total know-nothing when it comes to music.  But I burned a CD of all of Phillip's studio tracks and a few of the live ones, and that thing has been BLASTING for hours all over while I'm cleaning my house today!  I love him and his music and think he's got a very good shot at making a successful career.  I'm glad he's one of the final two and I hope he wins the whole thing.  IMO, it will be a well-deserved win - this kid works at his craft and it shows.
> 
> But regardless of some folks here making me feel like I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm not alone.  While I was out doing a little bit of weeding my neighbors on either side of me recognized his tunes and asked for a copy of the disk, and two different golfers stopped to give him a 'thumbs up.'
> 
> He's fun and fresh and original and I love him.  If I was his mom I'd be tickled pink.  Hmmmm, maybe he'd like an honorary auntie.



I like PP, too, and don't think you are crazy for liking him as much as you do. I'm just not super excited. I think he's a talented musician with a bright future. I don't think he has the best singing voice or range, but it's not about that. He's connected with his audience, and learned a lot about presentation on the way. (He doesn't squint as much when he sings, and uses the camera better now) I agree that his last song is going to do well and was enjoyable. I'm sure once it's on the radio, I'll know the lyrics by heart.  

I think his music will be much more to my liking than several of the idols past, actually. He's intrigued me with his takes on various songs, but they've been hit and miss, IMHO. He's just not mesmerized me...

I couldn't wait to see what Adam would do next musically AND presentation-wise. (is that a word??) Kelly Clarkson and Carrie have a great sense of song-choice and voices that are killer. They dominated their seasons. They were exciting and so were their seasons.  Noone really dominated this year - doesn't mean they won't do well later, just that they are all fledglings . 

To me, this season was a let-down, and I believe it was mostly the judge's fault. It just seemed lack-luster. The kids weren't called out for mistakes/bad singing/bad choices/etc. They were just told how great they all were. When I was wincing over a sour note, the judges were giving standing o's right and left. I don't agree with being mean, but I also think that a little critiquing might have done them some good. With the judge's constant adoration, the kids didn't always believe Jimmy's more honest critiquing. I think it left them frustrated when they found themselves in the bottom. J.Lo is supposedly leaving next year. I think Steven needs to leave as well. (as much as I am a huge fan of his music!!)


----------



## BocaBum99

Nigel Lythgoe just tweeted that there were 132M votes last night.  Wow!  I saw one person post that they made 6000 votes.

Whatever you believe about the performances, these two contestants have rabid fan bases.


----------



## TUGBrian

thats insane


----------



## timeos2

That isn't the "old fogee" generation voting, that's for certain.


----------



## tlwmkw

How do you vote 6000 times?   I can't imagine voting 600 times, or even 60.  And how do you keep track of how many times you've voted?  It's crazeee (as J.Lo. would say).  To vote 6000 times in 4 hours must take some serious work- that's a vote every 2.4 seconds.  Perhaps they have a computer program that votes, or multiple phone lines on speed dial- not sure I believe this.

tlwmkw


----------



## Janette

I really wish votes could be controlled. I couldn't get thru on the phone so I voted online. There was a notice that only the first 50 of my votes would count. Am I going to sit there and vote 50 times? No way! I like Phillip, I think Jessica needs to mature,and I am a Georgian. I voted and made my voice heard. Just think! I am one of those votes!


----------



## pjrose

*Voting*

Regarding voting......

Can someone explain why the voting from the Philippines is illegal, and, if so, how it is done? 

Sometimes I'll read that the voting was close, or someone was getting so many, or whatever - how do you know that?  Is it a guesstimate from a service that counts busies?  If so, any idea how accurate it might be?  I never vote by dialing - too many busies - I text or use Facebook.  

Re multiple votes, recently I've been using Facebook's, limited to 50.  It's a pain to do 50, because it's so slow.  There also is no counter.  

Re thousands of votes, back in Adam's season, I did that.  I'd estimate 12,000 over the course of the season.  How?  Set two or three cell phones to text "vote" to whatever the number was, and then keep hitting "resend" or "forward" over and over and over. Whether this is a one-button process depends on the specific phone; some are easy, some  require several steps. As I recall I switched my SIM card into the phone that had the easiest process for re-sending texts. 

How did I know how many I did?  By looking at the cell phone records later, xx per page times yy pages.  (We had unlimited texting, natch!)  I don't think this was fair or appropriate - I think they should set it up so only 1, or maybe 5 or 10, will be accepted from any given phone number or IP address - but I did take full advantage of it.  I did that for David Archuleta and Ace Young too, but not as much as for Adam.  None of the three won despite my thousands of texts.

And tlwmkw, they do screen out batch voting that looks computer-generated, for example if they are coming from one IP address too quickly for a person to be doing it.


----------



## SueDonJ

BMWguynw said:


> If I've given you the impression that I was judging you (or anyone else, for that matter) for liking Phillip, please allow me to apologize. ...



No, you didn't.  And you know what?  I probably owe all of you an apology because this thread is supposed to be fun, and looking over what I wrote I think it comes across as much more --- I-don't-know-what-the-word-is --- but it's certainly possible that it's not coming across the way I meant it as --- again, I-don't-know-what-the-word-is - maybe 'playfully'?

(Good Lord, if I can't even articulate what I mean then how are you supposed to understand?!)

Truly, I apologize to all of you.   These threads are always so much fun every year and I hope you'll let me keep playing.


----------



## SueDonJ

About the voting - I saw a post too from somebody who managed to vote 6,000 times.  It was over on the disboards and I was shocked when I saw it, too.  This is the first year I've ever voted, last week probably about 25 times for Phillip and this week probably closer to 150.  The landline is impossible to get through but I found that calling on the cell I only got a busy signal maybe one out of every ten tries.  Last night I called up until 1AM - I was sitting in front of the TV anyway re-watching on the DVR and d/l-ing to iTunes.  Every fifteen minutes or so I'd just pick up the phone and send through another 10-20 votes.  And John, I'd call myself one of the "old fogey" generation - my kids are older than Phillip!

I wish they would limit the votes somehow to only-so-many from one phone or IP address or whatever, but I have a feeling that there's some sort of incentive for them to get gigantic numbers.  Maybe AT&T gets so much per vote?  I don't know, but the numbers are ridiculous and if folks have managed to somehow skew the system unfairly then AI should do something about it.

About the advantage they say Jessica is getting from "illegal" votes??  I don't know what I think about that if there are no rules saying only Americans can vote.  What I found more disturbing this year with the Philippines voting was that there was some nasty stuff all over the internet that was race-based - hopefully AI can figure out a way to keep that from happening again.

I hate the judges' save.  There, I said it.  I hate it.  I think they should do away with it.  This year they pissed me off the night they used it because of the way they totally disrespected the other contestants.  If they keep it I hope they've at least learned a lesson to not do that nonsense again.

PJ, this year I think I finally understand how much you liked Adam and wanted him to win.  I'm shocked at how into the show and Phillip I am this year - it's a completely new experience, and I've been watching since the second season.


----------



## tlwmkw

Listening to "Home"- the finale song that I just down loaded.  It is v. good.

tlwmkw


----------



## TUGBrian

been listening to mumford and sons all day myself....i just like that type of music!


----------



## scrapngen

Here's an interesting comparison of Phillip Phillips new song "Home," and the artist it was originally written for: Greg Holden. The song is by Drew Pearson...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/american-idol-phillip-phillips-coronation-song-greg-holden-328261

For me (for you, dawg) I like the way PP slowed it down for the show, but I also like it done in the more upbeat style of Greg H.


----------



## pjrose

*Not a Spoiler....*

Wow, that was a great show.   So many good performances!  We really enjoyed it.


----------



## Rose Pink

pjrose said:


> Wow, that was a great show.   So many good performances!  We really enjoyed it.



It's just now starting here on the west coast.


----------



## pjrose

Rose Pink said:


> It's just now starting here on the west coast.



Ace Young comes on with a special appearance toward the middle


----------



## Rose Pink

I certainly hope someone comes on who can sing.  The last number was nothing but screaming.


----------



## beach.bar.bob

pjrose said:


> Ace Young comes on with a special appearance toward the middle



And how self absorbed was that?  Worthy of live network TV?  Complete with a plug for the jeweler...Please!  A two hour show stuffed with nothing that couldn't finish on time? Some of the worst singing ever heard on AI. We had a finals party at our place and we were replaying several parts and laughing our butts off at how bad some of the singing was...At least I was happy with the winner. 

JMHO

bbb


----------



## beach.bar.bob

Rose Pink said:


> I certainly hope someone comes on who can sing.  The last number was nothing but screaming.



Don't hold your breath...


----------



## Rose Pink

Not impressed so far.  And too many women who, IMO, are too chubby to be wearing tight body suits.  Obviously they feel better about their tummy rolls than I do about mine.


----------



## SueDonJ

I'm re-watching now.     Love Colton in this Neil Diamond grouping but am laughing because that "so good, so good, so good" thing is totally ripped off from Fenway Park!  That song is played at every home game midway through the 8th inning and Sox fans invented that refrain.  It was hysterical when Neil Diamond played there and the fans all screamed "so good, so good, so good" the first time he sang it - he was so thrown off he had the band re-start the song.  He sang it again later in the same concert and that time he had the refrain down pat including the fists in the air.  Good times.


----------



## SueDonJ

Rose Pink said:


> Not impressed so far.  And too many women who, IMO, are too chubby to be wearing tight body suits.  Obviously they feel better about their tummy rolls than I do about mine.



Spanx must have made a fortune providing the undergarments for all these ladies in cat suits!


----------



## SueDonJ

scrapngen said:


> Here's an interesting comparison of Phillip Phillips new song "Home," and the artist it was originally written for: Greg Holden. The song is by Drew Pearson...
> 
> http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/american-idol-phillip-phillips-coronation-song-greg-holden-328261
> 
> For me (for you, dawg) I like the way PP slowed it down for the show, but I also like it done in the more upbeat style of Greg H.



Nice find!  I like both versions, too.


----------



## Rose Pink

I can't stand any more of this.  Going to bed.  I haven't heard anything I enjoyed.  Jennifer Lopez is wearing baggy pants and the chubby ladies wore tight pants and no one can sing.  

Well, tomorrow night SYTYCD begins!  Yay    finally a good show will be on!


----------



## pjrose

Well phooey, WE enjoyed it!  I liked Ace's sweet moment (ok, maybe it was longer than it needed to be), and I liked seeing Aerosmith.  Not that I'm an Aerosmith fan, but after two years of seeing ST sitting in the judges' seat, it was fun seeing him strut his stuff on the stage.  

As to the women in cat suits.....My mom would have said that no lady dresses like that  
I wonder if they really were wearing Spanx?  They sure needed to.  

I thought JLo's baggy pants were quite a change from the sprayed-on "clothes" she's been wearing on other nights.  I'm guessing they were pretty smart given some of her moves - don't need a split seam on live TV    At least she wasn't vulgar as in her previous performances.

The screaming diva.....was that Fantasia?  Did not like her at all! 

And J Holliday did not look nice in the blond wig.

OK, so I started out saying I really liked it, and now after reading the posts from the critics above, I do realize there were some spots that maybe I didn't like so much.....Even so, I still enjoyed that it was a high energy show without all that stretched out drama and stupid comments from the three stooges that we've endured all season.  And the end?  Didn't care much one way or the other, both will likely be successful.


----------



## scrapngen

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but Jennifer Holiday just scared me!!  

I don't think I've ever seen anyone sing with so many odd facial expressions! My dd's and I were literally rolling on the floor in laughter. There was a moment when they caught J.Lo leaning back with a disgusted frown on her face that had us laughing even more....

And then Jessica started trying bigger expressions to match her! 

Well, Ryan did say in his intro: "Trust me, you will feel the emotion in this performance, we say it during rehearsal, and it was incredible..." 

Unfortunately, the emotion we felt was not the one they were going for. Probably on a Broadway stage in the right setting this would be very moving...

:hysterical: :hysterical:


----------



## Karen G

pjrose said:


> And J Hudson (did you catch that J Holliday error!) did not look nice in the blond wig.


That WAS Jennifer Holiday not Jennifer Hudson.  She was in the Broadway production of Dream Girls and won a Grammy for that song.


----------



## Karen G

I must say that I really enjoyed the show. It was full of surprises and lots of fun. I still think Joshua should be the winner, but all those kids are so talented and I hope they have a lot of future successes.


----------



## DaveNV

Does anyone else think Neil Diamond should stop singing and start hosting infomercials selling CDs of his OOLLLLLLDDD music -- back when he still had a voice?

Between his singing and Jennifer Holliday's spasmodic facial convulsions, I need to go wash out my brain.  It was scary and awful.  Or maybe just awful scary...

Dave


----------



## BoaterMike

BMWguynw said:


> Does anyone else think Neil Diamond should stop singing and start hosting infomercials selling CDs of his OOLLLLLLDDD music -- back when he still had a voice?
> 
> Dave



That's what we thought also. I'm afraid it's time for Neil to hang it up.  

Was J-Lo wearing a large Onsie for her performance?   

Mike


----------



## SueDonJ

Yay!  YAY!!   

Didn't want to post a spoiler last night but I am dang happy!  Yay!


----------



## Janette

I'm proud to be a native Georgian! I did like the last song with Phillip and Jessica. I was a little disappointed in the other top 10. I didn't enjoy their numbers as much as when they were on the show.


----------



## tlwmkw

I was pleased with the outcome.  Have been listening to "Home" constantly and am loving it more and more.  Now I'm hoping Phillip's medical situation can be resolved- have been worrying about this.  

The show was OK but I don't enjoy screeching soul singers- and there were quite a few of those.  Really enjoyed Phillip singing CCR with Fogerty- he looked thrilled to be up there.  Aerosmith were OK but not at their best but it was nice to see ST actually doing his thing.  Again I cracked up watching JLo- after all her comments to the contestants about feeling a connection with a song and showing emotion and then you see her performance which is so far removed from any of that (all spectacle- not that there's anything wrong with that)- her baggy pants were "crazeee"- looked like she was carrying a load in there, or perhaps carrying a gun for Puff daddy.  Rihanna is now the queen of Egypt I guess- interesting performance but not a song I would ever listen to again- liked the laser show.   I agree with the comments about Neil Diamond- feel bad for him since it isn't really his kind of show and all the youngsters really showed how ancient he is. 

Jessica seems to morph into whoever she is performing with- she even tried to out-do Jennifer Holliday on the growls and facial expressions.  We were rolling on the floor at that point.  I had hoped they'd get Jennifer Hudson who I think is a better singer.  I wasn't familiar with the two who got engaged- didn't watch their season of AI- they should have done the proposal a little faster but a cute moment I guess.  The one thing that stood out for me was in a taped piece when a family was waiting to hear the outcome for a contestant and were standing with Ryan and the patriarch (quite a large man) asked Ryan "Who are you?".

Overall it was a fun night but still had to use the DVR quite a few times (as well as the mute when we got caught up with the live show).

I think that PP's finale song could be a big hit if it can get some airplay on the radio.

tlwmkw


----------



## Skittles1

BMWguynw said:


> Between his singing and Jennifer Holliday's spasmodic facial convulsions, I need to go wash out my brain.  It was scary and awful.  Or maybe just awful scary...
> 
> Dave



I just got done watching the finale on DVR.  OMG!  What was up with her face???  She had to be high or something, normal people don't make faces like that.  I didn't want to look at her, yet I couldn't look away.  And then Jessica starts mimicking her faces, this made for quite a priceless moment of AI craziness, lol.  

Anyway, I'm very happy with the outcome, and wish much success to all the contestants.  I will miss this thread, it's become one of my favorites to read.  Perhaps with the new additions of Britney Spears and Demi Lovato (an odd choice IMO) to the X Factor, maybe that show will be more exciting this Fall and have us all talking again!


----------



## brigechols

scrapngen said:


> I don't mean to be disrespectful, but Jennifer Holiday just scared me!!



 I've seen her perform in person as a teen singing gospel in Houston as well as on Broadway.  Facial expressions are ways of her musical training! It appeared that Jennifer was trying to evoke emotions from Jessica rather than a rote, powerful vocal performance but I wouldn't expect a 16 year old to fully connect with the song. I saw Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson perform this song together. Now THAT was simply amazing.


----------



## scrapngen

brigechols said:


> I've seen her perform in person as a teen singing gospel in Houston as well as on Broadway.  Facial expressions are ways of her musical training! It appeared that Jennifer was trying to evoke emotions from Jessica rather than a rote, powerful vocal performance but I wouldn't expect a 16 year old to fully connect with the song. I saw Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson perform this song together. Now THAT was simply amazing.



Thanks for a little back-story behind the crazy faces. If she was trying to get Jessica to look more emotional and help her stage presence, I guess it did get Jessica to mimic...Jennifer seemed to care about Jessica, so maybe that was it. Still, it was one of the crazier performances I've seen in awhile!:rofl: :rofl: 

My husband came in the door as we'd just finished watching. I rewound the show and flipped through while he caught up. He just gave me this funny look as I cracked up again - tears and all - while watching that number! Oh, I should've saved the show and used that whenever I need a good belly-laugh...

As far as J.Lo's pants:  My dd's and I thought they were ridiculous, but her dancing is always good. One daughter said, "Why did she get rid of the first top, which was nice, but keep the pants???" I am glad she wasn't slinking around on the floor in a leotard or other skimpy outfit. 

I was also glad that Rihanna was restrained in her performance on AI. I saw her perform the same song about a week or two ago on a late night show (don't remember which one) and she was obscene! Her "dance moves" were incredibly raunchy and half the time she was feeling herself. Blecchhh!! 

The boys BeeGee tribute made one realise how beautifully the brothers harmonized. I THINK the main problem with the AI boys harmonizing was mostly bad due to whoever had the high part. (Dreandre?) Maybe he couldn't hear the others? Can we say he had an earpiece malfunction? (I am trying to be nice...) That being a part easily heard made the whole thing sound off. Colton actually sounded quite good in this number. 

Not that the girls were much better...

It makes you wonder if they put it together in a day or something, because all those medleys were BAD!! I think the kids could sound a lot better. (I think most high school choirs could sound a lot better!!:ignore: ) 

On to SYTYCD!!


----------



## pjrose

Karen G said:


> That WAS Jennifer Holiday not Jennifer Hudson.  She was in the Broadway production of Dream Girls and won a Grammy for that song.



Yep, my error!  But the part being played was Billie Holiday, right?  So confusing.

I completely agree that the expressions were downright scary.  And to see Jessica mimic them, at her age with little if any life experience, was almost silly.  

After reading all of the above, I can't remember if the screeching was Rihanna or Fantasia....either way, it was screechy.  

Agree about Neil Diamond.  That was sad.  Can't believe he's starting a tour.




SueDonJ said:


> Yay!  YAY!!
> 
> Didn't want to post a spoiler last night but I am dang happy!  Yay!



And Sue, I'm so happy for you and the PP fans.  As noted previously, the last few shows I've started to understand why people "get" him.   I hope he gets his needed medical treatment and then goes on to a great career.

And I just bought Adam's new CD at Best Buy today - yay!


----------



## Karen G

pjrose said:


> But the part being played was Billie Holiday, right?  So confusing.


No, not really. Here's the story.  Dreamgirls is loosely based on the Supremes, but is mosly fictional according to the article.

Jennifer Holliday was in the Broadway show. Jennifer Hudson was in the movie version.


----------



## DaveNV

pjrose said:


> Yep, my error!  But the part being played was Billie Holiday, right?  So confusing.



She played Effie White, a character loosely based on The Supremes, girl group from the 1960s and 1970s.  Billie Holiday was a jazz singer from the 1930s and 40s, who sank into depression and drug abuse.

Dave


----------



## pjrose

pjrose said:


> Yep, my error!  But the part being played was Billie Holiday, right?  So confusing.. . .





Karen G said:


> No, not really. Here's the story.  Dreamgirls is loosely based on the Supremes, but is mosly fictional according to the article.
> 
> Jennifer Holliday was in the Broadway show. Jennifer Hudson was in the movie version.



Now I'm even more confused......was there a show on Billie Holliday's life?


----------



## DaveNV

pjrose said:


> Now I'm even more confused......was there a show on Billie Holliday's life?



"Lady Sings the Blues" starring Diana Ross, who WAS one of The Supremes.  Now you can be confused.  

Dave


----------



## Karen G

pjrose said:


> Now I'm even more confused......was there a show on Billie Holliday's life?


 Yes. Lady Sings The Blues.


----------



## DaveNV

*Phillips talks about kidney surgery*

Phillip Phillips talks about having kidney surgery:  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/...inner-phillip-phillips-to-get-kidney-surgery/

Dave


----------



## tlwmkw

On the View yesterday they showed a clip of Jessica Sanchez singing "Respect" at the Apollo in Harlem at age 10.  Whoopi Goldberg was introducing her in the clip and that was why they showed it.  The view folks were saying that the clip was 10 years old which can't be right because she is only 16 and that would make her 20.  It must be 6 years old.  It's probably available online now if you Google it.  It makes me wonder what her life has been like up to now- who was pushing her so hard?  She is home-schooled and has apparently been performing like crazy (and in some big venues like the Apollo theatre) since a very young age.  To me this is a little bit sad- she is so sheltered that it will be hard for her to get the life experience she needs to mature as an artist.

tlwmkw


----------



## Skittles1

tlwmkw said:


> It makes me wonder what her life has been like up to now- who was pushing her so hard?  She is home-schooled and has apparently been performing like crazy (and in some big venues like the Apollo theatre) since a very young age.  To me this is a little bit sad- she is so sheltered that it will be hard for her to get the life experience she needs to mature as an artist.
> 
> tlwmkw



I agree, and would suspect that her sheltered, home-schooled life is a big contributor to IMO a very socially awkward young girl.  Crazy talented though.


----------



## tlwmkw

"Home" is number one on iTunes for downloaded singles- has been since the finale.

tlwmkw


----------



## Mosca

I stopped watching a few weeks ago. I sat in the same room while Mrs watched the award show. Ace & whats her name, that was cute. The rest of it, I didn't pay much attention to, and as soon as the winner was announced I went to bed. 

But when it was a good show, a few years ago, it was _really_ good. And this doesn't change that. AI at its best was right up there as a viewing phenomenon.


----------



## timeos2

The record low 21 million viewers showed that the interest in this year's show waned when the more entertaining - and probably overall talented - contestants were voted off by the "Vote for the Worst" and teenie votes (as best can be gleaned from the limited information available). 

"Vote For The Worst" is having a field day as this is the first time in nearly a decade that the contestant they supported from the start (the one most obviously far below most of the others in talent although usually brimming with desire) won!  Sad commentary on what had been an interesting show that has now been ruined by massive block voting for personalities / looks rather than entertainment / talent level and likelihood of commercial success. 

As previously posted - it appears AI has jumped the shark and is now heading to the ash bin of once great shows.  Too bad but it happens to even the best. Few have the gumption to go out on top like Seinfeld nearly did (only falling short on the much hyped final episode).   

I'll be shocked if two years from now PP has even a Ruben level non-career as the winner.


----------



## tlwmkw

I guess the folks at "Vote for the Worst" must also be voting with their cash since "Home" is number one on iTunes.  It's a bit ridiculous to say at this point what will happen in the future as far as a career is concerned but already Phillip is selling records and that is the bottom line in the music business.  Now it's up to him to push through and make the career.  Whether you like him or not there are many who do (myself included) and given the sales of this single the folks in the music business will certainly sit up and pay attention.  He will be getting offered lots of great songs and help from producers.  If he plays his cards right he could do very well.

Timeos- do you hate Dave Matthews, James Taylor, CCR, CSN&Y, and all the other successful WGWG's out there too?  You certainly can do so but there are many performers/stars who aren't the best singers and who have still had enormous careers (ever here of Bob Dylan?).  

JMHO, tlwmkw


----------



## timeos2

tlwmkw said:


> Timeos- do you hate Dave Matthews, James Taylor, CCR, CSN&Y, and all the other successful WGWG's out there too?  You certainly can do so but there are many performers/stars who aren't the best singers and who have still had enormous careers (ever here of Bob Dylan?).
> 
> JMHO, tlwmkw



Except for Dave Matthews - the closest to PP - I like them all. I also fail to see what anyone hears worthwhile in Dave Matthews.  The others had true talent and wrote interesting songs with great performances. Now I can't say PP absolutely won't be able to create original material that could be good but, based on what I heard over the 22-24 things he did on AI - it isn't going to happen. He has a two note "range", a repetitive style that I liked the first 3-4 times then it got worse than boring it was actually obnoxious.  

Rubin (and all the others including those who came in as low as 5 or 6) also sold songs immediately after the show ended. Look at sales in two months and then a year & two years and, again, I'd be shocked if PP is a ripple on the calm music waters.  I'll continue to enjoy Tom Waits classics and ignore PP barring an unexpected turn to talent I don't think he is capable of.  YMMV.


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## Elan

There's a lot more to being successful in the music industry than having a good voice.  If someone with an ok voice has connections and financial backing they are way ahead of an unknown that sings like a bird.  A good example would be Miley Cyrus.  She really has a pretty awful voice when away from the studio.  She would not make it to Hollywood if auditioning for AI.  But she has a musician dad with connections and money and, consequently, she's sold a lot of albums.  

  WRT Phil Phillips, more than anything, I question his _desire_ to be mega-successful.  He seems to be the type that would be happier scratching out a living doing what _he_ wants to do than making millions being some record exec's pawn.  I may be reading him wrong, but regardless, record sales certainly aren't a measure of ability.


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## DaveNV

Given the generally poor track record of AI winners in becoming mega-successful recording/performing superstars, I think the career PP will have will be entirely up to him.  There are only a slim handful of AI winners who have gone on to become household names, and their career paths are quite varied.  A greater number of AI non-winners have been more successful than most of the AI winners.  And most of the whole bunch of them have faded back into obscurity.  After the flush of popularity when the show ends, most AI contestants go back to being something far different than a superstar in the spotlight.  

Dave


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## SueDonJ

Just want to mention that Phillip Phillips is supposed to be performing during tonight's A Capitol Fourth concert (8-9:30PM on PBS.)


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## DaveNV

SueDonJ said:


> Just want to mention that Phillip Phillips is supposed to be performing during tonight's A Capitol Fourth concert (8-9:30PM on PBS.)




Has he had his kidney surgery?  Hope he's feeling better.

Dave


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## Mosca

I saw a video of him and his BiL performing "Home". It was better than his performances on AI. Not different; it was better of the same. 

I'm still not really much of a fan, but I like the guy, he seems pretty genuine.


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## SueDonJ

BMWguynw said:


> Has he had his kidney surgery?  Hope he's feeling better.
> 
> Dave



He did and he says his recovery is ahead of schedule, that the doctors are surprised but pleased.  I'm glad for him that things seem to finally be going good.


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## SueDonJ

Mosca said:


> I saw a video of him and his BiL performing "Home". It was better than his performances on AI. Not different; it was better of the same.
> 
> I'm still not really much of a fan, but I like the guy, he seems pretty genuine.



I love the guy, have tried to convince any of my 19/20YO nieces to pack up their stuff and move to his hometown.  I figure it's a small enough town that he'll have to get to know them and that way there's a chance he'll show up here for Sunday dinner.  None of them are cooperating which makes no sense to me - if I was the right age for him I would have been there about halfway through the season!  

If you can link that video here I'd love to see it.  Please.


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## Mosca

Here you go, SueDon! It was actually pretty hard to find.


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## SueDonJ

Mosca said:


> Here you go, SueDon! It was actually pretty hard to find.



OOoooh, nice!  Thanks so much!


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## laurac260

I was sure someone would dust off the AI thread to air the latest tidbit.  

It seems...

 Steven ---out

JLo---out

Randy--out??   Adam Lambert in??

I like all of those options.  Now to get a "Simon"....


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## SueDonJ

I also saw something about Mariah Carey - In.  Oh good lord, that will be it for me.  Jennifer's straddling the line of acting much too young and inappropriate for her age, Mariah crossed that line a long time ago and is sickening.  IMO, of course.


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## scrapngen

SueDonJ said:


> I also saw something about Mariah Carey - In.  Oh good lord, that will be it for me.  Jennifer's straddling the line of acting much too young and inappropriate for her age, Mariah crossed that line a long time ago and is sickening.  IMO, of course.



I agree with you on the Mariah front. Nick Cannon is barely tolerable on AGT, and Mariah is so tacky/outrageous/hooker-esque but with less class/ with her dress and seems to be somewhat dim from everything I've seen through the years - (not that I follow her much - can't stand the stratosphere cat screeching) ...

Then there's the rumour that Charlie Sheen might be a judge  
And that Randy is leaving. Frankly, my guess is it only makes one more season and then dies. It's already lost viewership with 2 years of JLo and Steven, and has been limping along...


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## pjrose

SueDonJ said:


> I love the guy, have tried to convince any of my 19/20YO nieces to pack up their stuff and move to his hometown.  I figure it's a small enough town that he'll have to get to know them and that way there's a chance he'll show up here for Sunday dinner.  None of them are cooperating which makes no sense to me - *if I was the right age for him I would have been there about halfway through the season!*



*That's just how DD and I felt about Adam....not that he would have been interested.  
*


laurac260 said:


> I was sure someone would dust off the AI thread to air the latest tidbit.
> 
> It seems...
> 
> Steven ---out
> 
> JLo---out
> 
> Randy--out??  * Adam Lambert in??*
> 
> I like all of those options.  Now to get a "Simon"....



ok, I heard Steven and JLo Out, but I didn't hear Randy Out(?) or Adam In (?).  I hope Randy stays, and much as it'd be fun for me to watch Adam every week, I can't see him as a judge, maybe just a one-week mentor.  

What about all our conversations up above about Jimmy?  I agree that he's probably more useful coaching them as they prepare their performances, but surely there are others with his style.  Just no more bubble-heads please.


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## laurac260

SueDonJ said:


> I also saw something about Mariah Carey - In.  Oh good lord, that will be it for me.  Jennifer's straddling the line of acting much too young and inappropriate for her age, Mariah crossed that line a long time ago and is sickening.  IMO, of course.



I don't know, that's kind of unfair Sue.  I mean after all, wouldn't you like to see Mariah finally earn enough money to be able to afford clothes that fit?


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## pjrose

laurac260 said:


> I don't know, that's kind of unfair Sue.  *I mean after all, wouldn't you like to see Mariah finally earn enough money to be able to afford clothes that fit?*



I say Yes, and DH says NO!


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## tlwmkw

I think they need some "behind the scenes talent" meaning producers like Jimmy Iovine or Simon Cowell who really know how to market and sell these singers.  J.Lo. and Steven Tyler are the talent (at least Steven is)  but they don't know how to judge others (as seen on the last two seasons) so much of what they said was completely useless.  Simon and Jimmy have a much better, long term view of the business and could really give good advice.  What about Tommy Mottola, or Usher (he discovered Bieber), or some other younger folks who we don't necesarily know but who can really add something?  I think looking for someone who is already known (ala Celine or Mariah) is a mistake.

jmho, tlwmkw


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## Mosca

Judges should be Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, and Courtney Love. THAT would be something I'd tune in to see, at least once!


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## Elan

Apparently Aretha has expressed interest in being a judge.


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## geoand

pjrose said:


> I say Yes, and DH says NO!



I'm with your DH!!!!!!


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## SueDonJ

laurac260 said:


> I don't know, that's kind of unfair Sue.  I mean after all, wouldn't you like to see Mariah finally earn enough money to be able to afford clothes that fit?





pjrose said:


> I say Yes, and DH says NO!



:hysterical:   Funny, clever ladies!


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## SueDonJ

Elan said:


> Apparently Aretha has expressed interest in being a judge.



Hmmm.  I don't know what to think.  She's a diva, no doubt, and deserves all the praise that's ever been heaped on her.  But she seems mean, not willing to give up the spotlight for anyone else.  Will she be able to do anything except criticize?  The show sorely lacks criticism but a mix of praise and criticism is needed if the judges are going to be effective.


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## pjrose

SueDonJ said:


> Hmmm.  I don't know what to think.  She's a diva, no doubt, and deserves all the praise that's ever been heaped on her.  But she seems mean, not willing to give up the spotlight for anyone else.  Will she be able to do anything except criticize?  The show sorely lacks criticism but a mix of praise and criticism is needed if the judges are going to be effective.



I'd rather see a person who is a music critic or producer, not a star - but then again, the show needs stars to attract the audience.  Aretha's getting up there - how many people will she attract?  

I can't remember, but a year or so ago, one of the guest mentors was really good, we commented on this thread or last year's that she (I think she) did a great job.  Stevie Nicks?  Or ?????

Now if Adam was one of them.......oh boy, that would attract a lot of Glamberts


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## laurac260

Aretha's appeal is just lost on me unfortunately.  And considering the target audience of the show, I think it would be lost on them too.  I don't know the magic answer, but I found Kara insufferable, JLo even more so, Steven unhelpful (as much as he tried to be helpful), Randy :zzz: :zzz: :zzz: .  I'm pretty darn sure I won't tune in for Mariah, I can't stomach her.  I think the show is nearing the end of it's life.  

I'm not sure about Adam as a JUDGE, but they could sure use him to spice up the show with theatrics.  Not ONE contestant since him has had the chops to have stage presence/presentation like he did.  He could be a style/presence coach for sure.


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## SueDonJ

pjrose said:


> I'd rather see a person who is a music critic or producer, not a star - but then again, the show needs stars to attract the audience.  Aretha's getting up there - how many people will she attract?
> 
> I can't remember, but a year or so ago, one of the guest mentors was really good, we commented on this thread or last year's that she (I think she) did a great job.  Stevie Nicks?  Or ?????
> 
> Now if Adam was one of them.......oh boy, that would attract a lot of Glamberts



I think it was Gwen Stefani who we had talked about - she's one of the only current stars who seemed to show some promise as a mentor/judge.  If I'm remembering right, the only problem with her mentoring was that her clothing line left some of us un-impressed.


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## Elan

This ought to fire some of you up!   

  "Some of the possibilities for judges that have been tossed around in the last week include Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Adam Lambert, Fergie, will.i.am, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj."


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## SueDonJ

Good gravy.


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## pjrose

Elan said:


> This ought to fire some of you up!
> 
> "Some of the possibilities for judges that have been tossed around in the last week include Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Adam Lambert, Fergie, will.i.am, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj."



Well Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and/or Nicki Minaj would definitely make me either tune out or take a lot of bathroom breaks. 

Miley Cyrus?  Give me a break!  Let's just throw Snooki and Britney Spears into the mix.  Blech.


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## Elan

pjrose said:


> Well Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and/or Nicki Minaj would definitely make me either tune out or take a lot of bathroom breaks.
> 
> Miley Cyrus?  Give me a break!  Let's just throw Snooki and Britney Spears into the mix.  Blech.



  I saw Katy Perry on late night a week or so ago, and I must say she impressed me as being pretty normal (by young pop star standards, that is).  One has to remeber that if these artists sang/behaved like they came off of "Little House on the Prarie" they probably wouldn't be successful.  In other words, in some (certainly not all) cases the trashiness is just part of the act.


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## DaveNV

Methinks my days of watching AI are screeching to a close.  If they have to work THAT HARD to find qualified judges, then the show has outlived its usefulness, and it's time to move on.  

I watched The Voice a few times last year, and remember it as being a much more honest competition, based on legitimate talent, not on demographic voter blocs.  (I happen to know Vicci Martinez, someone who is destined to become famous for her talent. I think she did great on the show.) 

So now whatever will I do with the other two or three or four nights a week, and how will I ever get along without train wrecks like William Hung and the "Pants On The Ground" guy?   

Dave


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## SueDonJ

Mariah Carey - In.  Grrrrrrr.  AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Between this and Penn State ... I wish I'd stayed in bed all day.


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## SueDonJ

It's true what they say - you should never tempt the Rule of Three.

Ichiro Suzuki is now a New York Yankee.  Penn State, Mariah as an AI judge, Ichiro as a Dreaded Yankee.  If that's not an unholy trinity I don't know what is.


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## TUGBrian

agreed, i see her being just a more qualified j-lo....where its more important to comfort the contestant vs give criticism.


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## laurac260

Mariah Carey is official?  Blech.

Now, I enjoy a good train wreck as much as the next gal, but I think even I have to draw the line somewhere.:ignore: 

Goodbye AI.....


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## BoaterMike

Holy cow!  I thought it could not any worse.  But I was wrong. 

Nicki Minaj?  Really?  

I'm gone.     

Mike


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