Idol -- Season Eight

[Olympic Fan]

Amazed I can't find a thread about this already ... did I miss it?

I just watched the DVR of the final judge's cut (I missed it live Wednesday because of a certain sporting event). Somebody PLEASE help me out: I thought the judges cut the field to 24 before opening the judging to the TV audience.

This year, the cutdown was to 36!

That's new, isn't it? But they never talked about that being expanded.

There are some good singers left and some strong personalities. It's a little hard to sort them out with so many left. But the remaining field has everything from a 16-year-old girl to a mother of three to an oilfield roughneck.

You could see them trying to push for variety in the field. This year, at final judging, they instituted a sing-off between a number of contestants -- always in pairs and the pairs were almost all very similar singer/personality types.

The one thing that annoyed me the most was the inclusion of a clown named Nick, who performs in a personna named Norman. He's a cross between William Hung and Sanjia -- he can't sing a lick, but his antics appear to amuse Paula and the new female judge. UGH ... now the Idol haters who try and screw up the process have somebody awful to vote for.

Personally, I'm also annoyed by a contestant named Tatiana. To be fair, she has a decent voice, but she's the walking embodiment of the term drama queen.

Anyway, the first week of judging is next week and they're starting with a group of 12 ...

[BlueDevilJay]

One quick thing that I DO know about this season (I don't follow the show much) but prior to the season beginning, they did announce the addition of the 4th judge (who is semi-cute, thanks AI) and that they would be carrying 36 'semi finalists' this year instead of the normal 24, to change up the shows format a little bit. I assume ratings are finally starting to dip after so many seasons. I read it online somewhere before the season began.

[Tommac]

I really haven't paid much attention to AI so far this season. On Tuesdays I would rather watch NCIS at 8:00. Next week will be a tough decision when the final 36 start really competing against each other. Either NCIS or AI will have to be recorded.

[Pacer]

they did announce the addition of the 4th judge (who is semi-cute, thanks AI)

Kara is a Duke grad, fyi.

[BlueDevilJay]

Kara is a Duke grad, fyi.

Well I'd love to have her and Abby over to watch the BC game with me on Sunday :)

[micah75]

Okay, I guess OF's right, they're down to the Final 36. Viewers get to vote now, which I don't recall happening in previous seasons until the Final 24 in which they would have 12 men, 12 ladies. They showcased only 12 of the 36 in a 2 hour episode last night. Voting results will be tonight, with 9 getting the boot. Then I presume the second set of 36 will perform next Tuesday. Revamped format, it appears.

The 2 who stood out for me were Alexis Grace and Ricky Braddy, who sang The Carpenters' "A Song for You." (Well, originally it was Leon Russell's song, but I remember it from Carol Carpenter.) Wish I had a youtube link for Alexis Grace, who sang Aretha Franklin's "Never Loved a Man." Wow. A star is born. I listened to that about 4 times. Here's a link (http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/american-idol/2009/02/17/american_idol_top_36_group_1_a_1.html) to her song, but unfortunately no video yet. The judges loved her, as well they should. Tatiana Del Toro, who was presumably "allowed" into the top 36 due to her colorful antics, actually surprised and performed quite well.

[Lavabe]

Okay, I guess OF's right, they're down to the Final 36. Viewers get to vote now, which I don't recall happening in previous seasons until the Final 24 in which they would have 12 men, 12 ladies. They showcased only 12 of the 36 in a 2 hour episode last night. Voting results will be tonight, with 9 getting the boot. Then I presume the second set of 36 will perform next Tuesday. Revamped format, it appears.

The 2 who stood out for me were Alexis Grace and Ricky Braddy, who sang The Carpenters' "A Song for You." (Well, originally it was Leon Russell's song, but I remember it from Carol Carpenter.) Wish I had a youtube link for Alexis Grace, who sang Aretha Franklin's "Never Loved a Man." Wow. A star is born. I listened to that about 4 times. Here's a link (http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/american-idol/2009/02/17/american_idol_top_36_group_1_a_1.html) to her song, but unfortunately no video yet. The judges loved her, as well they should. Tatiana Del Toro, who was presumably "allowed" into the top 36 due to her colorful antics, actually surprised and performed quite well.

Summary from last night:

1) Please sing in tune.
2) Don't do someone's signature tune.
3) Sing in tune.
4) If you can't sing the first three notes in tune, get off the stage. That would have eliminated at least four people last night. Another four should have gotten the hook.

Anoop is in BIG trouble. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't thrilling.

Otherwise I agree completely with your assessment. Alexis Grace was dynamite.

Unfortunately, there's always the potential for a backlash vote.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[Tommac]

Out of the first 12, I liked the last performer Danny the best.

[riverside6]

Its important to point out that Vote for the Worst is looking for votes for Tatiana...no shocker there.

Danny Gokey and Alexis Grace are locks I believe...the next highest vote getter will either be Anoop or Braddy I bet.

Of course VFTW can always skew things.

[grad_devil]

Is it just me, or has Fox screwed up the tech side of this show badly this season? I know "live" tv is difficult, but you've got to be kidding me!

Running the wrong clips before a performance, NEVER getting the sound right on the judges/performers lapel mics? Really? This is one of the highest rated shows on television!?!

Part of me wonders if the problems with pitch were due to poor sound engineering on stage. Even those who normally are rock-solid in the pitch department had some issues. As someone who has sung in front of small crowds before, not having a decent monitor can be disastrous for singing in tune.

Just my $0.02. Anybody else notice these issues?

--grad_devil

[CathyCA]

I voted for Ricky Braddy. And I would have voted for him even if he wasn't from N.C. After he sang the Leon Russell/Carpenters "A Song For You," I wanted to hear more. Wow! What a soulful voice he has, and he had so much control over every single note.

I can't wait to hear Ricky sing again.

[Lavabe]

Is it just me, or has Fox screwed up the tech side of this show badly this season? I know "live" tv is difficult, but you've got to be kidding me!

Running the wrong clips before a performance, NEVER getting the sound right on the judges/performers lapel mics? Really? This is one of the highest rated shows on television!?!

Part of me wonders if the problems with pitch were due to poor sound engineering on stage. Even those who normally are rock-solid in the pitch department had some issues. As someone who has sung in front of small crowds before, not having a decent monitor can be disastrous for singing in tune.

Just my $0.02. Anybody else notice these issues?

--grad_devil
Yep. You saw things correctly.

Also note: was it just me, or did they NOT interview everyone upstairs in the kiss and cry area after they sang?
Cheers,
Lavabe

[grad_devil]

Yep. You saw things correctly.

Also note: was it just me, or did they NOT interview everyone upstairs in the kiss and cry area after they sang?
Cheers,
Lavabe

I think you're spot-on with that. And frankly, that interview time was a train-wreck. Hope they 86 that soon. As in now.

--grad_devil

[Olympic Fan]

I think you're spot-on with that. And frankly, that interview time was a train-wreck. Hope they 86 that soon. As in now.

--grad_devil

Agree that the post performance interviews were awful ... but how do you fill two hours without them?

One correction to the scoring this year -- they'll pick three (at least one male and one female) from this group of 12 to advance and three from the next two groups of 12 over the next two weeks, giving them nine finalists. THEN they will pick three more to make it 12.

No clue how they get that final three out of the 27 losers -- will they have a 27-person singoff? Will it be based on the top vote-getters from this round? Maybe the top 12 vote getters from this round will sing off?

Not surprised that Tatiana Del Toro is the Vote for the Worst candidate. She's actually had a pretty nice voice all along -- her problem is that she's been an incredibily annoying drama queen. Funny, Simon complained about her antics during the final judges vote ... but last night, when she was relatively restrained, he tried to bait her into an outburst.

I'll be curious to see how well the Vote for the Worst movement does with the new format. When there were 24 contestants and just two were cut each week, they only needed to get their candidate in the top 22 (the top 20 the next week, etc.). Now they have to get their candidate in the top three. That's a lot tougher.

And just a guess (and my guesses aren't always that great), but tonight's winners should be:

(1) Alexis Grace
(2) Danny Gokey
(3) Ricky Braddy

[lmb]

Yep - the sound issues were infuriating! There were also some times when it seemed like the singer was singing acappella because the backing band was so quiet. So it seemed like there were some problems there too.

My top 2 - Danny Gokey and Alexis Grace. Wild Card - call me crazy, but I liked the first girl (Jackie?). She's got chutzpah and is unique.

At the beginning of the show when they announced only 3 would be going through I thought it would be a difficult decision. Unfortunately, most of them really tanked. I loved Stevie but she was horrid last night! Poor girl.

[Olympic Fan]

I had to Tivo Wednesday night's Idol (it overlapped with the Duke game) and I just got through watching it.

Horrible night -- the second group of 12 was MUCH weaker than the first group. A first-group loser like Ricky Braddy would have been a lock in the second group. Heck, Tatiani might have survived in this group.

Nobody really memorable -- maybe the girl who sang Heart was okay. Other than that ... just awful. Although I suspect that the group was so bad that the clown will win based on the Vote for the Worst support.

PS Now, I'm totally confused by what's going to happen. Three from each group of 12 are slated to move into the "Final 12". Great. But three times three is nine, not 12. And they keep emphasizing that the ones not picked are going home ... no second chances.

So where will the extra three finalists come from?

[Lavabe]

I had to Tivo Wednesday night's Idol (it overlapped with the Duke game) and I just got through watching it.

Horrible night -- the second group of 12 was MUCH weaker than the first group. A first-group loser like Ricky Braddy would have been a lock in the second group. Heck, Tatiani might have survived in this group.

Nobody really memorable -- maybe the girl who sang Heart was okay. Other than that ... just awful. Although I suspect that the group was so bad that the clown will win based on the Vote for the Worst support.

PS Now, I'm totally confused by what's going to happen. Three from each group of 12 are slated to move into the "Final 12". Great. But three times three is nine, not 12. And they keep emphasizing that the ones not picked are going home ... no second chances.

So where will the extra three finalists come from?

That was AWFUL last night. Just sing reasonably close to in tune. That would help a lot.

The reddish/purplish hair (sorry, the color changed depending on the tv) girl who sang Heart was okay, but MUCH better than the rest last night. I just don't think she's in the same class with Alexis Grace from last week.

As for the judging process, this is what I saw in USATODAY.com:
"In next Thursday's wild-card round, the judges bring back eight or nine singers — not necessarily just from the semifinals — and pick three to round out the Top 12."

Cheers,
Lavabe

[micah75]

That was definitely one of the worst episodes of Idol I've ever watched. Thank goodness I could FF thru most of that nonsense. That last guy who sang "Satisfaction" was pretty awful, imo. I much preferred Devo's version, to be honest. Yet the judges raved over him, possibly because he was the final contestant of the evening and they had to rave over someone.

You know it's a bad night when the highlight of the show was a wisecrack from Paula about "drops of Jupiter", which got a chuckle out of Randy. Well, me included. But still...

[Olympic Fan]

The producers made a huge mistake last night during the elimination round.

Bear with me ... they started out with two singers, one went home and the red/purple haired girl who sang Heart's Alone (and was clearly the best of the weak second group) made the Final 12.

Fine ... but then they go through a second group and come down to a boy and a girl (the one with the tattoos on her right arm and shoulder) -- Ryan says one will go thru, the other goes home. It's one of those situations where they milk the drama out of the pick.

Only there was no drama and here's why. They have to pick at least one boy and at least one girl out of each group -- that's their announced rule. Since they had already selected a girl, if they picked another girl, it would have meant that the four girls who were still waiting for their fate were automatically gone.

Obviously, they picked the guy ... and finished up with the Satisfactions guy beating out Nick the Clown for the last spot.

Thank God he's gone ... although it scares me that he might come back if it's true they're going to have a second-chance group sing for the final three spots in the Final 12.

[Clipsfan]

The producers made a huge mistake last night during the elimination round.

Bear with me ... they started out with two singers, one went home and the red/purple haired girl who sang Heart's Alone (and was clearly the best of the weak second group) made the Final 12.

Fine ... but then they go through a second group and come down to a boy and a girl (the one with the tattoos on her right arm and shoulder) -- Ryan says one will go thru, the other goes home. It's one of those situations where they milk the drama out of the pick.

Only there was no drama and here's why. They have to pick at least one boy and at least one girl out of each group -- that's their announced rule. Since they had already selected a girl, if they picked another girl, it would have meant that the four girls who were still waiting for their fate were automatically gone.

Obviously, they picked the guy ... and finished up with the Satisfactions guy beating out Nick the Clown for the last spot.

Thank God he's gone ... although it scares me that he might come back if it's true they're going to have a second-chance group sing for the final three spots in the Final 12.

The first week elimination had a similar error, although with slightly more guesswork involved. The final pairing was between the best guy and the really annoying girl, and I assume that they wanted us to think that possibly the annoying girl won because of "vote for the worst". However, there is no way that the best guy was the third favorite guy (they had already announced that the first guy who stayed barely beat the guy he went head-to-head against). Therefore, it was a lock that the best guy (Danny?) was going to stay.

I apologize if that makes no sense whatsoever. Names might have helped.

[Tommac]

I liked Nick the Clown. Even though he clearly wasn't the best of singers, he was entertaining. You'll remember him, and that's what he wanted:exposure.

[Olympic Fan]

No big surprises in yesterday's cutdown -- the Latin guy; the blind guy; and Lil Rounds (who was fabulous) all made it into the Final 12.

Okay, they finally revealed how they'll get the final three in the Final 12. They are giving eight cuts a second chance on a show tonight (Thursday). Couldn't tell for sure, but it sounded like the judges, and not the audience, will decide which of the three get to stick around.

No big surprises on the eight re-treads ... Ricky Braddy, who I thought deserved it the first cutdown, will sing again. So will the drama queen Tatiana, who quite predictably had an emotional meltdown when she was picked to try again. She can actually sing, although I suspect they brought her back for the entertainment value in her crying jags (she reminds me of the Tonya Harding-like character that Seinfeld was dating).

I was very happy to see that Nick the Clown was NOT chosen to come back. Tommac might find him entertaining ... I found him annoying. Still, we can all agree that he can't sing. If you think he's funny, maybe he could go on Last Comic Standing or America's Got Talent ... but this, at its heart, a singing competition.

[SlimSlowSlider]

I think tonight should be interesting. I assume that the judges will pick the three "judge's choice" entrants into the final 12 tonight. In my mind, that is better than them just giving feedback (which is sometimes incoherent or inconsistent) and letting "America" decide. This way, we will find out which three the judge's really felt were best.

(As an aside, I wish AI employed the system of fan voting/elimination that they use in So You Think You Can Dance. There, the judge's eliminate one of a group of bottom vote getters. The risk of really shocking eliminations is reduced (but not eliminated entirely).)

Based on what Simon said, Anoop may have a good shot. They also seem to like that girl from Utah a lot.

[micah75]

Not much interest in Idol on the boards this season, it appears? And, being the resident "thread-killer" here, I'm guessing there will be even less after I click "submit reply." Hooyah! :p

Thursday's show was the overall best thus far, for me anyway. They were able to cram into a one hour show (well, 1 hour and 5 minutes... I'm glad I watched it live, as I wouldn't have thought of recording those last 5 minutes) --- 8 singers who sang pretty decent, plus the results portion. Plus a little surprise twist at the end.

Tatiana is quite the entertainer. She's attractive, she can sing, she's vain (in a charming sort of way), and she can act (cry on cue.) She didn't make the cut, but the judges assured her that she has a future in show biz somewhere, either in singing or acting.

Anoop said something to Kara about Duke, forgot exactly what it was, but it seemed friendly and upbeat.

So anyone know the breakdown of guys to gals in the top 13? Tentatively, I counted 8 guys, 5 gals, but I'm probably mistaken here.

[Olympic Fan]

Anoop said something to Kara about Duke, forgot exactly what it was, but it seemed friendly and upbeat.

So anyone know the breakdown of guys to gals in the top 13? Tentatively, I counted 8 guys, 5 gals, but I'm probably mistaken here.

When Kara reviewed Anoop's song, she said it made her feel like dancing. Anoop responded along the lines of, "It's neat that a Carolina guy can make a Duke girl want to dance."

He also managed to stick in a quick memorial to Eve Carson (Thursday was the one-year anniversay of her murder).

I think you are right about the 8/5 male/female breakdown. I know that going into the second-chance round it was 6 male, 3 female -- with one male and one female guaranteed in each cutdown, that means that every single wildcard in the voting rounds were male. The Judges redressed that a little by picking 2 males and 2 females.

Right now, I'd guess that Lil Rounds is the favorite -- at least she's the best singler. But don't count out Scott (the blind guy).

[Lavabe]

Anoop said something to Kara about Duke, forgot exactly what it was, but it seemed friendly and upbeat.

Yeah, that was odd. He was appreciating that he was getting positive feedback from a Dukee, referring to Kara. Anoop is a nice guy, but alas, he is a Hole.

Turns out that Kara graduated with a poli sci degree from Duke, I would guess sometime in the 90's.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[SlimSlowSlider]

1)



Tatiana is quite the entertainer. She's attractive, she can sing, she's vain (in a charming sort of way), and she can act (cry on cue.)

I would not draw the same conclusions. I am glad that distraction is gone.

2) Re Scott, I am not sold on him. But I did not watch anything before the final 36, so have not seen him behind the keyboard yet. It is going to be interesting to see how they use him in the full cast musical numbers. (Last time, he stayed on the bench.)

3) I think we set a new record last night for use of the most annoying judge comment of this season: "self-indulgent" / "indulgent."

[devildeac]

Yeah, that was odd. He was appreciating that he was getting positive feedback from a Dukee, referring to Kara. Anoop is a nice guy, but alas, he is a Hole.

Turns out that Kara graduated with a poli sci degree from Duke, I would guess sometime in the 90's.

Cheers,
Lavabe

My older daughter liked him and my wife made me watch a few minutes last PM:o. His song was a strange choice.

[SoCalDukeFan]

In previous years I have not watched until the final 12 or later.

On Wed. Simon said that the procedure of giving a 2nd chance was "fair" and that in previous years it kept Clay Aiken and Jennifer Hudson in the competition.

Is that correct?

Thanks
SoCal

[dukegirlinsc]

Anoop is such a cutie, and I really do like him.

BUT!!! He's a Tarhole. And that makes me despise him to the fullest. It just proves my theory that they're the luckiest jerks alive. Really? "We've decided to pick 13 this year, and Anoop, it's you!" Come on. :mad:

I like Megan. (Basically because my name is Megan, and she has an awesome hip-swiveling dance.) I'm also a fan of Kris. He's cuter than a spotted lab.

[SoCalDukeFan]

While I agreed with the judges, it does seem somewhat unfair for a guy like Adam who has extensive stage experience to compete against some people with very little. Maybe they will get better.

Adam and Lil are my favorites.

I wonder what the new twist will be? My guess is that the phone votes pick the bottom 3, they sing, then the judges boot the worst off. Or perhaps the judges pick the bottom three and the low vote from that goes. My guess is that they want to get rid of weak ones early and kill the influence of vote for the worst.

SoCal

[Pacer]

I wonder what the new twist will be?

I thought the twist was just that they are voting off two tonight to offset that they went to 13.... Did they say that there would be a larger change than that?

[Lavabe]

I thought Alexis had a subpar performance last night, but was hands down better than the rest up until last night. Part of the difficulty she will face is the fact that she went last. No time for thoughtful comments after her song, AND the crazy phone number. I saw on one of the news channels today that IDOL only owned IDOLS 01-12. Number 13 turns out to be a very icky site [to avoid infractions, I used the word "icky"].

Adam really showed his stuff last night. Nice job. Burgundy-colored-hair lady (Allison?) will be tough to beat.

Anoop was awful. He should go. The Utah mother should go (Rockin' Robin), along with the frizzy-haired guy from Arizona, along with the guy from Puerto Rico, along with ...

I thought Kelly Clarkson was supposed to be on this week, right?:confused:

Yes, I think they must have figured a way to counter the vote for the worst folks.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[cl15876]

... "We've decided to pick 13 this year, and Anoop, it's you!" Come on. :mad:....

It sucked to be him last night, when Simon was asked if he regretted making him #13 and Simon said yes, especially after his crappy performance last night!

[Lavabe]

Anoop was awful. He should go. The Utah mother should go (Rockin' Robin), along with the frizzy-haired guy from Arizona, along with the guy from Puerto Rico, along with ...


On the women's side, it came down to Rockin' Robin (UGH) and Jasmine (double UGH). Jasmine, and her out of tune performance, are gone. Bye.

On the men's side, it came down to Anoop and Jorge (Puerto Rico). Bye bye, Jorge.

The added twist this year is that the judges are allowed to do one save this year. In other words, if the judges are unanimous, they can rescue for one week someone who has been voted off. If it happens, two contestants the following week will be voted off.

Neither Jorge nor Jasmine were saved. Nice people, but given their out of tune performances, whew!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[SlimSlowSlider]

Jorge and Jasmine were both deserving of being eliminated, as were others (already mentioned in this thread).

Unlike the judges, my wife and I were not blown away by Adam. At all. I think his style is too theatrical, but maybe (as the judges implied) that was necessary for the King of Pop's songs.

At this point, I think Alexis and Lil are the two best.

[lmb]

My favorite is Danny Gokey. He's a natural. For this week, I liked him and the guy from Arkansas the best. It did seem a little weird that he had the acoustic guitar on his song. It didn't quite jive, but I loved his performance. I also like Lil, although I think her song was really boring this week.

One thing I learned - I like Michael Jackson songs better when other people sing them!

[ugadevil]

My favorite is Danny Gokey. He's a natural. For this week, I liked him and the guy from Arkansas the best. It did seem a little weird that he had the acoustic guitar on his song. It didn't quite jive, but I loved his performance. I also like Lil, although I think her song was really boring this week.

One thing I learned - I like Michael Jackson songs better when other people sing them!

I'm with you. I liked Danny in his audition and I've liked him every week since the beginning. I think Kris is the guy who had the guitar, which I really enjoyed. I thought Randy was right when he said that Kris has a Jason Mraz kind of vibe (and I love Jason Mraz). Mraz has done an acoustic version of "Billy Jean".

[Duke4Ever32]

I'm with you. I liked Danny in his audition and I've liked him every week since the beginning. I think Kris is the guy who had the guitar, which I really enjoyed. I thought Randy was right when he said that Kris has a Jason Mraz kind of vibe (and I love Jason Mraz). Mraz has done an acoustic version of "Billy Jean".

Sweet. I'm going to have to find that Mraz version. And put me in the Danny Gokey corner too.

I felt just a bit sorry for those leaving last night. After getting the news that the country didn't vote for you, a few minutes later you learn that the judges don't think you're worth saving either. Kinda harsh!

[Lavabe]

Sorry, but it's a split between Alexis Grace and Adam, with the possibility of Scott or the oilguy.

Alexis did a NOT good version of Joleen.

The weirdest performance was Adam, doing "Ring of Fire," but with an Egyptian, kind of sitar, kind of Robert Plant Kashmir feel. It was WACKY, but I think it was so sacrilegeous to country fans, that I think he has little chance. Wilson would probably call it blasphemous.

Surprising: Megan (Rockin Robin) did a fun version of Patsy Cline's Walking After Midnight.

Anoop cleaned up. And devildeac's daughter will probably vote for him 300 times or so.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Adam was horrible.

I would put the oil guy and Scott in my bottom 3.

I am not an Anoop fan but he was great. I actually liked all but my bottom 3.

I really like the 16 year old girl.

SoCal

[Duke4Ever32]

I know she had the flu or something, but Megan's performance of "Walking" did absolutely nothing for me. I guess it's just me, though, as the judges seemed to be okay with it. I was surprised by their approval.

Kris Allen's version of Garth Brooks' "To Make You Feel My Love" absolutely blew me away. I went back and watched it again 3 or 4 times. I hadn't really taken him seriously, but for me that vocal was GREAT. I also liked Anoop's and Matt's vocals last night.

DialIdol has 3 girls as the lowest vote-getters - Megan, Allison, and Alexis, with Alexis being the lowest of everyone. If she is, I wouldn't be surprised if the judges saved her. We'll see.

[Lavabe]

I know she had the flu or something, but Megan's performance of "Walking" did absolutely nothing for me. I guess it's just me, though, as the judges seemed to be okay with it. I was surprised by their approval.

Kris Allen's version of Garth Brooks' "To Make You Feel My Love" absolutely blew me away. I went back and watched it again 3 or 4 times. I hadn't really taken him seriously, but for me that vocal was GREAT. I also liked Anoop's and Matt's vocals last night.

DialIdol has 3 girls as the lowest vote-getters - Megan, Allison, and Alexis, with Alexis being the lowest of everyone. If she is, I wouldn't be surprised if the judges saved her. We'll see.

Agreed 100% on Kris.

I guess one reason I liked Megan's song last night was for one of the reasons I liked Kris's. I was comparing with the original, and admiring some of the originality. In Megan's case (and Anoop's as well), I also thought she pulled off the cardinal sin of American Idol -- trying to do someone's iconic tune. Alexis fell victim to that, trying and failing to pull off a Dolly Parton classic. One other reason I liked Megan's...

... I was waiting for her to fail, and she didn't do it.

FWIW, Lil did nothing for me.

If Allison and Alexis are the two lowest vote-getters, something is dreadfully wrong. However, I fear the judges would NOT save Alexis this early.

Cheers,
Lavabe

P.S. No Jason Evans on this thread? Is all okay with the post-amatic?

[mr. synellinden]

Today's portion of the thread surprised me because I really loved what Adam did -- he is the one who seems most like a current recording artist to me, and I really enjoyed his performance.


I have been very impressed with this group of finalists. I think Oil Guy and Alexis will be in the bottom two tonight and Alexis will go home. I actually thought Scott was pretty good, and I thought Allison, Kris, Matt, and Anoop were excellent. I thought Lil was very disappointing (I wouldn't be surprised if she were in bottom group also) and Megan was okay, but I give her credit given her health. Danny was not very good, but he's not going anywhere.

Overall, this is shaping up to be a good season.

[AtlBluRew]

"Walking" was the first Megan performance I've seen ... does she always sound like Amy Winehouse? I thought she was channelling Amy even in her clothes style .. which Simon criticized (oddly, IMO, as not being quirky enough).

[riverside6]

Today's portion of the thread surprised me because I really loved what Adam did -- he is the one who seems most like a current recording artist to me, and I really enjoyed his performance.


I have been very impressed with this group of finalists. I think Oil Guy and Alexis will be in the bottom two tonight and Alexis will go home. I actually thought Scott was pretty good, and I thought Allison, Kris, Matt, and Anoop were excellent. I thought Lil was very disappointing (I wouldn't be surprised if she were in bottom group also) and Megan was okay, but I give her credit given her health. Danny was not very good, but he's not going anywhere.

Overall, this is shaping up to be a good season.

wow, nicely predicted!

[Lavabe]

I have been very impressed with this group of finalists. I think Oil Guy and Alexis will be in the bottom two tonight and Alexis will go home.

Nice job. Allison was in the bottom three, but was the first to sit down.

Although the judges considered using their "save" to rescue Alexis, her second try of "Jolene" was not good enough. It started out with potential, but became a trainwreck by the end (ILJ couldn't stand any of it).

Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis dueted last night. Pretty neat.

Next week... MOTOWN!!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[cl15876]

Nice job. Allison was in the bottom three, but was the first to sit down.

Although the judges considered using their "save" to rescue Alexis, her second try of "Jolene" was not good enough. It started out with potential, but became a trainwreck by the end (ILJ couldn't stand any of it).

Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis dueted last night. Pretty neat.

Next week... MOTOWN!!

Cheers,
Lavabe

- I lost my line up predictions and too much Ymm, beer to recall! :D

- I agree, Alexis tried way tooo hard for SAVE and blew it! poor thing, but if not now then later.... why waste time, WE ARE ALL TOO OLD FOR THAT!

- I love the Carrie and Randy duo, I was singing along!!!!! :-( Glad no one could hear :D

[Olympic Fan]

Maybe it was the music -- Motown is the music of my youth and I love it -- but last night's Idol was about the most enjoyable I can remember.

Almost everybody was very good -- I strongly disagreed with the judges about Lil Rounds. Her "Heat Wave" blew me away ... I thought it was the highlight of the night.

Tonight's elimination HAS to be Megan ... she was far and away the weakest performer. The big oil rig worker will also be in the bottom three ... his days are numbered.

After those two, I can't imagine who is in tonight's bottom three.

[Lavabe]

Maybe it was the music -- Motown is the music of my youth and I love it -- but last night's Idol was about the most enjoyable I can remember.

Almost everybody was very good -- I strongly disagreed with the judges about Lil Rounds. Her "Heat Wave" blew me away ... I thought it was the highlight of the night.

Tonight's elimination HAS to be Megan ... she was far and away the weakest performer. The big oil rig worker will also be in the bottom three ... his days are numbered.

After those two, I can't imagine who is in tonight's bottom three.

I agree and disagree. I agree that I love Motown.

Otherwise:

Adam: I LOVED his TRACKS OF MY TEARS. Wow (no need for JUST WOW).;) Smokey stood up for that one.

Allison (Papa was a rolling stone), Kris, and Matt (Let's get it on) were all upper echelon.

Gokey and Anoop: next tier. Anoop made some very awkward notes on a very good "Ooooh, Baby, Baby." Gokey didn't thrill me, and ignored Smokey's advice.

Lil: Trying to copy the original Heat Wave. I agree with the judges' comments about her lack of originality. However, she's clear through the next round.

Bottom tier: Megan (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... see ya!!)
Bottom tier: Scott, Michael (Oil well guy)

If Allison is in the bottom again, I think they will use the save.

[toughbuff1]

I agree and disagree. I agree that I love Motown.

Otherwise:

Adam: I LOVED his TRACKS OF MY TEARS. Wow (no need for JUST WOW).;) Smokey stood up for that one.

Allison (Papa was a rolling stone), Kris, and Matt (Let's get it on) were all upper echelon.

Gokey and Anoop: next tier. Anoop made some very awkward notes on a very good "Ooooh, Baby, Baby." Gokey didn't thrill me, and ignored Smokey's advice.

Lil: Trying to copy the original Heat Wave. I agree with the judges' comments about her lack of originality. However, she's clear through the next round.

Bottom tier: Megan (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... see ya!!)
Bottom tier: Scott, Michael (Oil well guy)

If Allison is in the bottom again, I think they will use the save.


I agree with pretty much everything you say. I'd like to see Scott or Michael gone before Megan, though. Megan may not be the best singer, but she has a quirkiness about her that entertains me and makes we want to see more. To me, Scott is bland and vanilla, and while he is a good piano player and his story is somewhat inspiring, it is a singing competition and not a piano playing or inspiring competition. Michael is a better singer than Scott in my opinion, but still doesn't bring anything that special to the table.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I certainly hope that Allison is not in the bottom 3. She is one of my favorites.

However if she is voted off, then it will be because the others got more votes. Next week she will be voted off again. She was much better than Megan, Scott, and Michael this week, and can hardly be "more better" next week.

SoCak

[mr. synellinden]

I missed most of this week's performances. I saw a couple and read reviews of the others.

I think Michael, Megan and Scott will be in the bottom three (there could be a surprise Kris Allen appearance there just to get his fan base mobilized) and I think Michael will go home. I think his singing is on par with Scott's and worse than Megan's. I think Scott's better musical presence (piano player, Bruce Hornsby/Elton John vibe) and his inspirational story will carry him to next week and Michael will go home, which he is overdue to do.

I read that Simon Cowell predicted a final 3 of Adam, Danny and Lil. Why is everyone so high on Lil? To me, she has been among the consistently disappointing performers. Why does she get support and praise from the judges when Allison, Kris and Matt are performing circles around her every week?

[Duke4Ever32]

I bet that Allison gets a save if she's the lowest vote-getter sometime in the next few weeks. Right now, my top 4 would be Adam, Danny, Allison, and Lil.

DialIdol has Michael Sarver going home this week. They were dead-on last week with Alexis.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Which was expected.

Megan was not in the bottom 3.

SoCal

[Lavabe]

Which was expected.

Megan was not in the bottom 3.

SoCal

WHY was Matt in the bottom two?

Now that Michael is gone, Scott and Megan need to go.

[Olympic Fan]

Not shocked that Michael went home last week, but I was absolutely stunned that Megan was not in the bottom three -- so was she, judging by her reaction when she was told she was safe.

No real gripe ... and I agree with Lavabe that -- barring an unexpected breakout performance -- Megan and Scott need to be the next two to go.

But obviously, I'm out of touch with a lot of viewers. I absolutely can't stand Adam -- although I admit his Tracks of My Tears was very good. I know he's not going soon, but he makes my skin crawl (maybe it's that creepy, greasy comb-over -- is he going bald and trying to hide it?).

My favorite is Lil Rounds -- as I said earlier, her Heat Wave blew me away -- best performance of the night. I think she's been consistently excellent.

But, I realize I'm in the minority.

[sue71]

I have to watch tonight. (Sigh) I've only watched a total of 3 performances all season long- and that was last week. I saw Adam do Tracks Of My Tears. Can't remember the others. What does that say? ;)

I'm not a fan of AI.

Why am I watching tonight, you ask?

Let me tell you...

I'm going to the results show tomorrow. :D When in Rome... :rolleyes:

[Olympic Fan]

Not nearly as much fun as last week, but interesting. My observations (my VERY humble opinion):

-- We might finally get rid of the UNC guy ... Anoop was awful, trying to sing an Usher song.

-- Scott, who was hanging by a thread, improved his chances with a great Billy Joel ("Just the Way You Are"). It was the best performance of the night until ...

-- Chris, the last of the nine, knocked it out the park with with an updated version of an oldie (and speaking of oldies, I've just had brain lock and can't remember the song).

-- Megan was weak again.

-- Danny, Allison, Lil and Adam were all solidly in the middle ground.

My guess at the bottom three: Anoop, Megan and Matt. If it's based on this week alone, Anoop goes ... if it's cumulative, Megan goes.

Just wondering about the male/female breakdown and whether that impacts anything? The final 10 was seven male, three female ... I thought Megan was the clearcut loser last week, but that would have made it 7/2. I wonder if that's monkeying with the results?

[Lavabe]

Not nearly as much fun as last week, but interesting. My observations (my VERY humble opinion):

-- We might finally get rid of the UNC guy ... Anoop was awful, trying to sing an Usher song.

-- Scott, who was hanging by a thread, improved his chances with a great Billy Joel ("Just the Way You Are"). It was the best performance of the night until ...

-- Chris, the last of the nine, knocked it out the park with with an updated version of an oldie (and speaking of oldies, I've just had brain lock and can't remember the song).

-- Megan was weak again.

-- Danny, Allison, Lil and Adam were all solidly in the middle ground.

My guess at the bottom three: Anoop, Megan and Matt. If it's based on this week alone, Anoop goes ... if it's cumulative, Megan goes.


I don't disagree with you that much this week.

This week's theme was Top 40 downloads from iTunes. This means we heard Usher (Anoop), Bob Marley (Megan), classic Billy Joel (Scott), No Doubt (Allison), the Fray (Matt), and Wild Cherry (Adam). It was all over the place. I guess Top 40 includes Top 40 Classic downloads, Top 40 R&B, etc... The format was not good, as it lacked the previous two weeks' additional star input (Smokey Robinson, Randy Travis, etc...). And frankly, the song choice didn't match people that well.

Anoop was in the bottom, and Megan was simply awful. Anoop has a following, but deserves to go. Matt was in the bottom three last week. The judges didn't like his performance last night. Neither did I. My bottom three is the same as yours. Matt goes home. I think Anoop has a solid bloc of voters.

Lots of out of tune notes, shouting, and oversinging last night from all but Gokey (doing Rascal Flatts). Adam oversang Wild Cherry (Play that Funky Music), but that was the point. His originality is his shtick, and he's always a hit or miss.

Moment of the night (albeit forced): Lil's youngest kid hugging Randy.
Cheers,
Lavabe

[Duke4Ever32]

Dial Idol has Megan going home this week. They've been right each of the last couple of weeks, and I hope they're right tonight...that girl makes my ears bleed. Apart from Megan in last place, they have Allison and Anoop in the bottom 3.

I don't get the whole Matt thing. I thought Matt was great this week - loved his vocals and I love that song...but apparently I'm the only one on the planet who thinks that.

Kris (Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone) was the best this week, hands down.

[SoCalDukeFan]

like Allison the best and think she has the most potential.

Having said that, it is hard for a 16 year old to compete against the Adam's of the world who have been knocking around Hollywood for several years. Her immaturity often shows, such as last night's outfit.

Kris has been very very good. I also like Lil Rounds.

Scott made a great song choice last night. I think he is limited but last night he picked a song that allowed for his limitations.

Adam is obviously a pro and very good. But anyone who mocks Ring of Fire will never get my vote. I think he is too sure of himself.

I hope Megan or Anoop goes tonight.

SoCal

[sue71]

like Allison the best and think she has the most potential.

Having said that, it is hard for a 16 year old to compete against the Adam's of the world who have been knocking around Hollywood for several years. Her immaturity often shows, such as last night's outfit.

Kris has been very very good. I also like Lil Rounds.

Scott made a great song choice last night. I think he is limited but last night he picked a song that allowed for his limitations.

Adam is obviously a pro and very good. But anyone who mocks Ring of Fire will never get my vote. I think he is too sure of himself.

I hope Megan or Anoop goes tonight.

SoCal

I'm off to the show. Literally.

[Bostondevil]

How exciting Sue!

Let's see, ringing in with my opinions. Liked Anoop a lot until last night, do not talk back to the judges like that, so much attitude, c'mon, show some class (like Adam). The last time I went against the grain and rooted for a Carolina grad? Marian Jones. Don't disappoint me Anoop!

Adam is a performer. I already thought he was a rare talent but when he interrupted the judges to thank the band? Well, he's got me. That kind of interrupting I applaud. As a theater person myself (playwright/director/sometime actor), I really appreciate the folks who know it's a collaborative effort. I bet the band views Adam as their favorite contestant. My opinion from the couch is that he's probably an absolute joy to work with in rehearsal.

Kris is just adorable and we hardly saw him before the semi-finals! He's the real success story so far. Usually the contestants who get no significant coverage in 'Hollywood Week' are gone by this point. Good for you Kris!!!!!
And yes, being that adorable doesn't hurt.

[Bostondevil]

Saw somebody I thought looked like Sue in the audience tonight a couple of rows behind Adam's friends, was that you Sue?

[sue71]

Saw somebody I thought looked like Sue in the audience tonight a couple of rows behind Adam's friends, was that you Sue?

Yes ma'am. About 4 rows or so back, off Simon's left shoulder.

At what point in the show did you see me? I got home about 9:15, so I missed the beginning. How was Don't Stop Believing? It was great in person.

Someone ask me about the live performances. Go ahead and ask me.

Edit: Danny had someone in his crew that had wicked curly hair, and they were almost directly behind Adam's crew. Hmmm.

[sue71]

And WTF is with the bird cawing thing that Megan did?

[Lavabe]

Megan, Anoop, Allison in the bottom three. Allison was sent to safety. Megan is gone!

Oh happy day!

As my daughter and I watched, we thought two things: something's really wrong with this woman, or she just really wanted to go home. The bird flapping thing must have been some inside joke (I hope), as I can't think of too many reasons for a 20-something year old mother to flap her arms and caww while on stage. She also had the strangest facial expressions throughout the night. When told that she would not be saved, she had some parting words (rambling a little), followed by one more rendition of her version of a Bob Marley tune.

Matt was in no danger last night, but his vocals really must improve. Allison has a load of talent, but she is starting to shout a little too much in her singing.

We are now down to two women and six men.

[studdlee10]

I've gotten into Idol a bit this year.

I know I'm in the minority here....but I really don't like Adam. I admit he's got a good voice, but I'm not a fan of his high pitched screaming and yelling. He's not have the same rock appeal to me that Daughtry does, though admittedly I did not watch him when he was on Idol.

I'm on the same boat as another poster...I HATED his version of Ring of Fire, one of my favorite Cash songs. It was very very brutal to me.

[Pacer]

How was Don't Stop Believing? It was great in person.


I fast-forwarded through it once it became blatant to me that they were lip-synching... I thought they were lip synching last week during the all-sing routine, but this week it was blatant.

[CathyCA]

Yes ma'am. About 4 rows or so back, off Simon's left shoulder.

At what point in the show did you see me? I got home about 9:15, so I missed the beginning. How was Don't Stop Believing? It was great in person.

Someone ask me about the live performances. Go ahead and ask me.
Edit: Danny had someone in his crew that had wicked curly hair, and they were almost directly behind Adam's crew. Hmmm.

How about the live performances, Sue? How were they?

[SlimSlowSlider]

I was glad to see Megan go. But unlike the judges and some posters here, I thought Scott deserved to be in the bottom three. His song choice (and performance) was the same old, same old. My wife and I found it a bit tired. There was nothing "contempory" about it, and unlike many others, he has not tried to mix things up at all.

I'm still mad Alexis got booted last week. I would have had her in my top 5 for sure.

[Tom B.]

Megan, Anoop, Allison in the bottom three. Allison was sent to safety. Megan is gone!

Oh happy day!

As my daughter and I watched, we thought two things: something's really wrong with this woman, or she just really wanted to go home. The bird flapping thing must have been some inside joke (I hope), as I can't think of too many reasons for a 20-something year old mother to flap her arms and caww while on stage. She also had the strangest facial expressions throughout the night. When told that she would not be saved, she had some parting words (rambling a little), followed by one more rendition of her version of a Bob Marley tune.


My wife and I were wondering the same thing about Megan's antics last night. She seemed to have crossed the line from "quirky" to... well, I'm not quite sure what, but it was a little unsettling. (My wife's comment: "Maybe she got into Paula's stash of pills.")

We missed her performance Tuesday night, but if it was anything like her swan song last night, my goodness she was bad. She probably should've been booted a couple of weeks ago, but I think she caught a sympathy vote because she had the flu and then managed to hang on for another week after that. In hindsight, though, she probably would've been bad regardless of whether she was sick. And to think she's going to be on the Idol tour this summer. Somewhere, Alexis Grace is shaking her head.

[sue71]

My wife and I were wondering the same thing about Megan's antics last night. She seemed to have crossed the line from "quirky" to... well, I'm not quite sure what, but it was a little unsettling. (My wife's comment: "Maybe she got into Paula's stash of pills.")

We missed her performance Tuesday night, but if it was anything like her swan song last night, my goodness she was bad. She probably should've been booted a couple of weeks ago, but I think she caught a sympathy vote because she had the flu and then managed to hang on for another week after that. In hindsight, though, she probably would've been bad regardless of whether she was sick. And to think she's going to be on the Idol tour this summer. Somewhere, Alexis Grace is shaking her head.


She was in the front row last night, along w/ Jason Castro (season?).

[SlimSlowSlider]

My wife and I were wondering the same thing about Megan's antics last night. She seemed to have crossed the line from "quirky" to... well, I'm not quite sure what, but it was a little unsettling. (My wife's comment: "Maybe she got into Paula's stash of pills.")


Now I am sorry I fast-forwarded through the selection show, as we always do. (We try to do both shows in about 1/3 to 1/2 the time, which is totally doable due to insane amounts of commercials and annoying banter.) Totally missed this.

We did, however, watch a few minutes of Lady Gaga. It was our first introduction to her. Interesting. Where can I get one of those zipper eye patches?

[AtlBluRew]

My guess is that Megan's squawk was a shoutout to the folks at VotefortheWorst.com. Of course they're crowing about it today, but I checked of the entries from a few days ago and I did see that she was their candidate and that at least once before last night they called her their "songbird."

Or, as someone else suggested above, she got into Paula's pills....

[SlimSlowSlider]

My guess is that Megan's squawk was a shoutout to the folks at VotefortheWorst.com. Of course they're crowing about it today, but I checked of the entries from a few days ago and I did see that she was their candidate and that at least once before last night they called her their "songbird."

Or, as someone else suggested above, she got into Paula's pills....

I'm confused, wouldn't votefortheworst have failed? I mean, they did not cast enough votes to keep their "songbird" (the worst) on the show.

[AtlBluRew]

I'm confused, wouldn't votefortheworst have failed? I mean, they did not cast enough votes to keep their "songbird" (the worst) on the show.


VFTW seems pretty proud that Megan stuck around for as long as she did. If the squawk could indeed be traced to their "songbird" references, then it's a sign that Idol contestants are paying attention to them. (I remember an on-air nod to VFTW from a contestant named Scott in the Daughtry year as well ... I think he lasted until the final 6). Finally, the antic does seem to confirm VFTW's choice of Megan in the first place.

[Lavabe]

My guess is that Megan's squawk was a shoutout to the folks at VotefortheWorst.com. Of course they're crowing about it today, but I checked of the entries from a few days ago and I did see that she was their candidate and that at least once before last night they called her their "songbird."

Or, as someone else suggested above, she got into Paula's pills....

Dare I say it...

Perhaps she was doing it because it was April Fool's Day. And as we all know, on April Fool's Day we are allowed to ... ;)

NOW I see the humor.;) Brilliant prank, Megan!!:rolleyes:

One problem with this hypothesis: I could SWEAR that I saw Allison sitting down mimicking Megan's bird flap and caw.:eek:

[sue71]

Dare I say it...

Perhaps she was doing it because it was April Fool's Day. And as we all know, on April Fool's Day we are allowed to ... ;)

NOW I see the humor.;) Brilliant prank, Megan!!:rolleyes:

One problem with this hypothesis: I could SWEAR that I saw Allison sitting down mimicking Megan's bird flap and caw.:eek:

You are correct. Allison was doing a mini-flap/caw at Megan's "urging".

[AtlBluRew]

Dare I say it...

Perhaps she was doing it because it was April Fool's Day. And as we all know, on April Fool's Day we are allowed to ... ;)



But squawking and flapping your arms like an awkward bird is just too weird. Now, if she was imitating a free range lemur, then that's a different matter .... ;)

[AtlBluRew]

Someone please help with Simon's favorite criticism -- that a performance was indulgent. Does he mean "self-indulgent?" I don't think that "indulgent" and "self-indulgent" mean the same thing, and I don't know what any performer would be criticized for indulging his or her audience.

On to the Final 8 performances, I've had Adam's version of "Mad World" in my mind all day so far. He took the Gary Jules version for "Donnie Darko" and gave it his own flair, which I thought was excellent. BTW, the video for the Gary Jules version is really great -- one of the best music videos ever, IMO. If you're ever surfing YouTube, it's really worth a look.

[dball]

What was Anoop's apology to Kara for? I mean, besides being a UNC guy.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I missed almost all of the show and did not record it.

Saw only the bits at the end when they remind you of the voting.

What did you think of the performances. From the little I saw Scott was terrible.

I guess the judges the judges did not like Lil Rounds. Will she go? How did Allison, who is my favorite of this cast do? From what I read Adam was great last night but I will never like him because he destroyed Ring of Fire.

SoCal

[Olympic Fan]

Interesting night -- I DVRed it, but it ran long and I missed Adam's performance. That's okay, he sings well but I hate him.

I've been a big fan of Lil Rounds, but she was very weak last night. I suspect she and Scott (after a good week a week ago, he was very bad last night) will be in the bottom three.

The interesting one was Allison. I thought her version of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" was fabulous -- so did the judges. But Simon said something interesting, that she only needed to make people like her. That seemed to confuse everybody, but it made sense to me. She's had several strong performances lately that have led to a spot in the bottom three.

If she's in the bottom three tonight, it will be travesty. If, by chance, she's the loser, I'll bet anything that the judges use their save ...

Most of the rest were fairly forgettable. The judges seem to love Matt ... I didn't get it (but it wasn't bad). I haven't been a big fan of the smarmy Tar Heel, but I admit that Anoop was pretty good last night.

So Scott and Lil in the bottom three ... the other one, I can't guess.

[AtlBluRew]

I missed almost all of the show and did not record it.

Saw only the bits at the end when they remind you of the voting.

What did you think of the performances. From the little I saw Scott was terrible.

I guess the judges the judges did not like Lil Rounds. Will she go? How did Allison, who is my favorite of this cast do? From what I read Adam was great last night but I will never like him because he destroyed Ring of Fire.

SoCal

Lil's performance really was awful. She shouted "What's Love Got To Do With It." She looked terrific, though. Week and week out, she's best-dressed. I agree she will be in the Bottom 2.

Scott also bad. He tried to hit some notes that he couldn't, and the judges called him on it. Bottom 2 also.

I missed Danny because I tuned in late. I thought Kris's version of "All She Wants to Do" was fun, but it was the kind of performance that doesn't resonate with the judges. They require at least one big run ... "fun" never ever cuts it. Allison was terrific. Her raspy voice was perfect and she added a few little touches. Simon's comment about her likeability was on the mark but was worded rather harshly when addressing a 16 year old. Matt was OK, IMO. Anoop was also good enough (but he turned me off with his shout-out to the Heels).

It's hard to figure out rounds out the Bottom 3. My hunch is that it's Anoop.

[Duke4Ever32]

Dial Idol, which has been remarkably accurate, correctly predicting the lowest vote-getter each of the last 3 weeks, says Kris Allen was the lowest vote-getter last night. Also in the bottom 3 they have Anoop and Scott. If Kris is the one going home tonight, I bet the judges save him.

[Olympic Fan]

Well, Dial Idol missed it this week ...

Bottom three of Lil, Anoop and Scott ... to me the only surprise was Anoop (not my favorite, but he was pretty good Tuesday). Maybe his shout-out to the Heels rankled ABC fans.

Surprisingly, Lil was third from the bottom -- she was much worse than Anoop this week.

My other surprise is that the judges agonized so much about using their save for Scott. Simon said that they were split 2-2 ... but it takes a unanimous vote to save anybody, so Scott is gone.

Seven left -- Anoop, Lil, Kris and maybe Allison seem to be shakiest -- although I think Allison deserves better (but she's been in the bottom three in something like three of the last five weeks).

[SlimSlowSlider]

[QUOTE=Olympic Fan;285081]
My other surprise is that the judges agonized so much about using their save for Scott. Simon said that they were split 2-2 ... but it takes a unanimous vote to save anybody, so Scott is gone.
QUOTE]

My take is that they liked Scott, but all of them recognized he just wasn't very good. I doubt two of them really wanted to use the save on him. I bet they said that to take out some of the sting of being axed.

[HK Dukie]

I bet Paula felt guilty for totally messing up Scott's chances with her recommendation to out from the Piano.

He wasn't very good but he is a good guy and obviously really talented musically.

Based on the auditions I actually thought this season would be the strongest yet in terms of top 12(13) but it seems just about average (or slightly above).

Gokey is good, but does anyone else get annoyed by his fake and constant smile/smirk?

I'm cheering for Allison and Adam. Basically every year I cheer for the rockers...

[SlimSlowSlider]

I bet Paula felt guilty for totally messing up Scott's chances with her recommendation to out from the Piano.

You are probably right, but I actually agreed with the advice. Scott was a one trick pony, and all of his songs sounded the same. His performances consistently underwhelmed me.

Agree that this group is very average.

[ArnieMc]

Is there any difference in finishing 2nd rather than 10th other than the extra weeks of exposure? They are all in the summer tour, and record contracts are up to the record company.

[longtimefan]

Did Anyone else notice anoop wearing a duke armband tonight?

[Tommac]

If John Kay were dead he'd be turning over in his grave after Adam's performance of Born to be Wild.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Adam entertains. He obviously has a lot of experience and knows how to entertain. I hated his Ring of Fire a few weeks ago but it was different.
I think he will reach the final 3 almost for sure but may not win it all.

Allison is my favorite. I think she takes the judges criticism to heart and improves every week. I think she has the most potential.

Lil is almost the opposite of Allison. She seems to be trying to figure out the judges, Simon, and can not past their criticism. She needs to just ignore them and do what she does best.

I think Kris may have a future. Do not see if for any of the others.

Lil goes home tonight unless there is a fan base for female R and B singer that keeps her around and votes off one of the guys (or Allison but I think she should stay.)


SoCal

[Olympic Fan]

Adam entertains. He obviously has a lot of experience and knows how to entertain. I hated his Ring of Fire a few weeks ago but it was different.
I think he will reach the final 3 almost for sure but may not win it all.
SoCal

I totally disagree about Adam ... he's far and away the least entertaining to me. Hated his Ring of Fire and absolutely despised his take on Born to Be Wild. I keep saying that Idol could generate a lot more calls if they would have a "Vote Against" number -- I never call to vote for anybody, but I'd call to vote against Adam (or Jason Castro last year).

I do agree with your call on Allison and Lil Rounds. Allison is doing a better and better job of picking songs and she keeps getting stronger and stronger. Lil Rounds was my early favorite, but she keeps getting worse and worse. I can't imagine that she won't be voted off tonight.

[SlimSlowSlider]

I thought Kris was fantastic last night. (Disclosure: I am a huge fan of the movie Once.) Randy disagreed. Kara, however, also thought Kris was very good.

Lil is bad. She needs to go.

[SlimSlowSlider]

I totally disagree about Adam ... he's far and away the least entertaining to me. Hated his Ring of Fire and absolutely despised his take on Born to Be Wild.

I am in the middle of the extremes with Adam. I often find his style of singing too theatrical for my taste. (I thought Simon was right on the money with his Rocky Horror Picture Show comment.) However, I do find him entertaining and original (I actually found his take on Ring of Fire refreshing), and think he deserves to be in the top 3 (at least).

On the other hand, my wife thinks Adam is fantastic.

[DukeUsul]

I find Adam to be extremely talented although I don't care for his style/look/personality. I think he has more overall performance talent than the others including excellent singing chops. I thought his Ring of Fire was terrible and Born to be Wild was a bad song choice for him (pretty blah). I think he's too good of a performer not to win. I personally would prefer to listen to some of the other guys though.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I totally disagree about Adam ... he's far and away the least entertaining to me. Hated his Ring of Fire and absolutely despised his take on Born to Be Wild. I keep saying that Idol could generate a lot more calls if they would have a "Vote Against" number -- I never call to vote for anybody, but I'd call to vote against Adam (or Jason Castro last year).

I do agree with your call on Allison and Lil Rounds. Allison is doing a better and better job of picking songs and she keeps getting stronger and stronger. Lil Rounds was my early favorite, but she keeps getting worse and worse. I can't imagine that she won't be voted off tonight.

I too hated the Ring of Fire and am not really a fan of Adam. However when I see the audience reaction to him I gotta think he is entertaining lots of people.

I also like Kris and less so Matt.

Anoop and Danny can go home anytime as far as I am concerned.

SoCal

SoCal

[SoCalDukeFan]

My comments on the changes this year.

1. 4th Judge
While I like her, the 4th judge takes up too much time. The only reason I can see for it is as an audition for Kara and next year they will go back to 3 and drop Paula.

2. Judges Save
Another idea I do not like. It can probably only be used when you had a contestant the judges like who had a bad week. If the contestant had a good week then they are probably only getting a reprieve for one more week.

3. 2 Judge comment last night
Did not like it at all.

SoCal

[SlimSlowSlider]

3. 2 Judge comment last night
Did not like it at all.

SoCal

The 2 comment format is stupid, and unfair given that Simon sways voters more than any other judge. The judges should just limit their comments to, say, 20 seconds each.

Question: why does Anoop dress like a complete tool week after week?

[Bostondevil]

Whereas I can understand not liking Adam's singing or style, I can't understand not liking his personality. He's a gentleman, he always, always, always thanks the band. Interrupting the judges to point out what a great job the band did? Well, that's interrupting I can agree with. He's supportive of the other Idols, takes his lumps and his praise with equal humility, I'm just way beyond impressed with how he carries himself. That said, I also like his singing and his style.

Kris blew me away last night.

[SlimSlowSlider]

Whereas I can understand not liking Adam's singing or style, I can't understand not liking his personality. He's a gentleman, he always, always, always thanks the band. Interrupting the judges to point out what a great job the band did? Well, that's interrupting I can agree with. He's supportive of the other Idols, takes his lumps and his praise with equal humility, I'm just way beyond impressed with how he carries himself. That said, I also like his singing and his style.

Kris blew me away last night.

Spot on re Adam. I find him very likeable.

Still not sure why Randy "wasn't feelin' it" re Kris last night. He was my favorite of the night.

[BlueDevilBaby]

I'm sick of Idol running over into programs I actually watch. Just keeping tabs on Idol for now.

[SlimSlowSlider]

I only watched the last 10 minutes - that is about all i can stand of the selection show.

The use of the save was predictable, since it was getting close to running out. I think Matt was deserving enough.

Next week should be good, with 2 people getting eliminated. (And, I would imagine, Lil, Anoop and Matt will once again be in the bottom three.)

[ArnieMc]

The 2 comment format is stupid, and unfair given that Simon sways voters more than any other judge. The judges should just limit their comments to, say, 20 seconds each.They could either increase the length of the show by 30 minutes or cut the massive number of commercials in half. (They could double the price to compensate.)


Question: why does Anoop dress like a complete tool week after week?He's a tarhole. 'nuff said.

[Olympic Fan]

Horrible, horrible week (I HATE disco) with a bunch of mediocre to poor performances.

This week just drove home how far out of touch I must be, compared to the judges. The two performances/reviews that most infuriated me involved Lil Rounds and Adam.

I admit I was an early fan of Lil Rounds, up through her performance of Heatwave on Motown night, which I thought was fantastic (easily the best of the night) and the judges hated. Since that night, she's been stumbling around, trying to win their approval and getting worse and worse.

Last night, she clearly decided to chuck their input and go her on way with a kickass version of "I'm Every Woman" .... naturally, she was trashed by the judges. Simon said goodbye, that she wouldn't be performning again. I hate to say it, he's probably right -- last night's performance was too little too late for a performer who has been kicked by the judges for weeks. And the fact that they STILL couldn't give her props for a strong performance ...

On the other hand, we had the judges praising Adam to the skies for a performance that was another cowardly refusal to do what the contestants were asked to do.

To my way of thinking, when you have country and western week, you sing a country song -- they're asking you to show your versatility. Yeah, you put your own spin on it. Instead of singing a country song, Adam took a country classic -- Ring of Fire -- and absolutely trashed it. I know some people on the list like him and think he's a good guy because he praises the band, but to me, someone who would treat a classic song and and entire genre with such contempt -- "I'm too good to sing country ... instead I'll condescend to mock Johnny Cash" -- should be voted off.

He did the same thing this week, taking a disco classic "If I Can't have You" and turning it into a slow ballad. I have no problem with a singer putting his or her own spin on a song, but isn't the point of these special nights to test a singer's versatility? How versatile is a guy who refuses to sing country and refuses to sing disco?

Anyway, I know I'm arguing a lost cause, but if I had my "vote against" number, I'd wear out my phone voting against my least favorite Idol contestant ever (even worse than Castro or Sanjia).

IMHO (which I know doesn't count), I thought Allison and Danny were the best performers of the night (Lil was third).

Personal feelings aside, I'm guessing that Matt, Lil and Anoop will be in the bottom three. Hopefully, we can get rid of that Tar Heel frat boy.

[Duke4Ever32]

Horrible, horrible week (I HATE disco) with a bunch of mediocre to poor performances.

This week just drove home how far out of touch I must be, compared to the judges. The two performances/reviews that most infuriated me involved Lil Rounds and Adam.

I admit I was an early fan of Lil Rounds, up through her performance of Heatwave on Motown night, which I thought was fantastic (easily the best of the night) and the judges hated. Since that night, she's been stumbling around, trying to win their approval and getting worse and worse.

Last night, she clearly decided to chuck their input and go her on way with a kickass version of "I'm Every Woman" .... naturally, she was trashed by the judges. Simon said goodbye, that she wouldn't be performning again. I hate to say it, he's probably right -- last night's performance was too little too late for a performer who has been kicked by the judges for weeks. And the fact that they STILL couldn't give her props for a strong performance ...

On the other hand, we had the judges praising Adam to the skies for a performance that was another cowardly refusal to do what the contestants were asked to do.

To my way of thinking, when you have country and western week, you sing a country song -- they're asking you to show your versatility. Yeah, you put your own spin on it. Instead of singing a country song, Adam took a country classic -- Ring of Fire -- and absolutely trashed it. I know some people on the list like him and think he's a good guy because he praises the band, but to me, someone who would treat a classic song and and entire genre with such contempt -- "I'm too good to sing country ... instead I'll condescend to mock Johnny Cash" -- should be voted off.

He did the same thing this week, taking a disco classic "If I Can't have You" and turning it into a slow ballad. I have no problem with a singer putting his or her own spin on a song, but isn't the point of these special nights to test a singer's versatility? How versatile is a guy who refuses to sing country and refuses to sing disco?

Anyway, I know I'm arguing a lost cause, but if I had my "vote against" number, I'd wear out my phone voting against my least favorite Idol contestant ever (even worse than Castro or Sanjia).

IMHO (which I know doesn't count), I thought Allison and Danny were the best performers of the night (Lil was third).

Personal feelings aside, I'm guessing that Matt, Lil and Anoop will be in the bottom three. Hopefully, we can get rid of that Tar Heel frat boy.

Wow. How do you REALLY feel about Adam?? :)

I'm not sure I can disagree with you more about Adam, but I do understand where you're coming from. He's not for everyone. As far as "refusing" to sing country or disco, I'm not sure that it's a requirement that the styling of the song actually reflect the genre of the week. I've never heard that mentioned as a criteria - has that been stated or written somewhere?? The only requirement I'm aware of for each week is that the SONG that is chosen be FROM that genre. And, I would argue, it's better to change it up to suit your vocal style if at all possible, since it makes the song sound fresh and current and gets major originality points from the judges. Adam is being really smart in realizing that's how the game is played and using that to his advantage.

Further, your point about "refusing" to sing disco is wrong. He chose "Play That Funky Music" a few weeks ago, when it wasn't even disco week. So, he's sung disco on the show before, as was pointed out last night.

You also decry his versatility, while I would suggest he's the most versatile on the show. I mean, really, how far away from "Play That Funky Music" and "Born To Be Wild" was last night's version of "If I Can't Have You", as well as earlier performances of "Tracks of My Tears" and "Mad World"?? He's done several performances of totally opposite musical styles. That's versatility defined in my book.

I also wouldn't call his performance of "Ring of Fire" as "mocking Johnny Cash". I didn't like that performance, but just because you don't like something or because someone changes something up doesn't mean they're "mocking" the original. Lots of people LOVED that performance - you and I just weren't among them.

I want Danny to win, for reasons I can't fully explain or understand, but I do think Adam is the most talented vocalist AND most talented performer on the show this season, and IMO it's not even close. In terms of most likely to have commercial success, Adam also wins that by a mile.

Agreed about Lil. I liked her performance last night, and have no idea why the judges keep criticizing her as they do. Their criticism is stale and non-constructive in my book. It's like she could sing the greatest vocal ever in the history of humankind, and they would say "that doesn't tell us who you would be as an artist", "that's not who you are", "you need to pick better songs", etc. etc. etc. Broken records, all 4 judges.

Agreed that probably Matt, Lil, and Anoop will be in the bottom 3. Although, interestingly, DialIdol has Lil getting the MOST votes last night, and Allison and Kris getting the LOWEST number of votes last night. We'll see.

[Tommac]

I have liked Danny Gokey from the beginning, so I thought he has been the best every week. I just like Danny's gravely sounding voice. Allison is also good, especially considering her age. And I don;t understand the judges' infatuation with Adam. I think he is shrill and shreeks. He's has become predictable in how he will perform a song. There will be some falsetto, a little straight singing, and several screams and shreeks. He might be ok for broadway style singing, but I don't see him as a pop star. I wouldn't buy his cd but I would buy one from Danny.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Horrible, horrible week (I HATE disco) with a bunch of mediocre to poor performances.

This week just drove home how far out of touch I must be, compared to the judges. The two performances/reviews that most infuriated me involved Lil Rounds and Adam.

I admit I was an early fan of Lil Rounds, up through her performance of Heatwave on Motown night, which I thought was fantastic (easily the best of the night) and the judges hated. Since that night, she's been stumbling around, trying to win their approval and getting worse and worse.

Last night, she clearly decided to chuck their input and go her on way with a kickass version of "I'm Every Woman" .... naturally, she was trashed by the judges. Simon said goodbye, that she wouldn't be performning again. I hate to say it, he's probably right -- last night's performance was too little too late for a performer who has been kicked by the judges for weeks. And the fact that they STILL couldn't give her props for a strong performance ...

On the other hand, we had the judges praising Adam to the skies for a performance that was another cowardly refusal to do what the contestants were asked to do.

To my way of thinking, when you have country and western week, you sing a country song -- they're asking you to show your versatility. Yeah, you put your own spin on it. Instead of singing a country song, Adam took a country classic -- Ring of Fire -- and absolutely trashed it. I know some people on the list like him and think he's a good guy because he praises the band, but to me, someone who would treat a classic song and and entire genre with such contempt -- "I'm too good to sing country ... instead I'll condescend to mock Johnny Cash" -- should be voted off.

He did the same thing this week, taking a disco classic "If I Can't have You" and turning it into a slow ballad. I have no problem with a singer putting his or her own spin on a song, but isn't the point of these special nights to test a singer's versatility? How versatile is a guy who refuses to sing country and refuses to sing disco?

Anyway, I know I'm arguing a lost cause, but if I had my "vote against" number, I'd wear out my phone voting against my least favorite Idol contestant ever (even worse than Castro or Sanjia).

IMHO (which I know doesn't count), I thought Allison and Danny were the best performers of the night (Lil was third).

Personal feelings aside, I'm guessing that Matt, Lil and Anoop will be in the bottom three. Hopefully, we can get rid of that Tar Heel frat boy.

I guess I am not sure if on one of the genre weeks you need to take a song in the and sing it in the genre or not. In any case I absolutely hated Adam's Ring of Fire. However I think many people love him and he may win the whole thing.

I think the judges want you to take a song and "make it your own." Lil has a hard time with that. I enjoyed her last night and hope she survives.

I would like to see Matt, Anoop, and Danny in the bottom 3.

SoCal

[Gooch]

Haven't weighed in yet, but overall I'm enjoying the season (I'm an addict no doubt). I like Kris and Alison the best. My wife absolutely loves Kris (like I'd leave you for him if I could kinda loves him). I guarantee we'll be buying his album on the day it comes out. I don't even typically like the hard rocker-style but I'm just amazed that Alison is 16 (I hope my daughter is not that precocious when she is 16). She's the only one I've voted for this year (can't remember which week) because I thought she wasn't getting the credit she deserved.

I'll be the semi-contrarian on this thread and say I do like Adam a lot. I will say he's grown on me as I thought he was a bit weird in the beginning but has gotten more interesting each week. Maybe what pushed me over the edge was all the hype on the Mad World performance which I missed the first time like everyone else on DVR...does that make me a lemming? Although Paula is completely ridiculous in her gushiness...the four judge thing is totally making her into a weirdo (even worse before) because she tries to think of something "new" to say.

Everybody loves Danny but I kinda thing he's boring singing covers of songs. He does a little something different with each of the songs he sings and certainly doesn't have any "pitch problems" but there aren't any unique arrangements. That said, he will have a zillion radio hits and I'll probably like the new songs that are written for him when I hear them on the radio.

I think Matt needs to wear a hat every week. When he does he gets the Justin Timberlake vibe going and I like it. And he should play the piano for sure--it sets him apart from the others. Weird how he can be so bad one week and really good the next.

I feel really bad for Lil when the judges trash her but I tend to agree with them--she seems lost up there. She's gotta go this week and Anoop should too. It is clear to me that neither Lil nor Anoop can win and probably Matt should be the next to go. But then it is definitely a toss-up in my mind after that--will probably come down to if someone has a bad week or Simon completely trashes someone.

I thought Alexis got shafted...she could still be doing well if it weren't for that one bad week.

[lmb]

Agreed about Lil. I liked her performance last night, and have no idea why the judges keep criticizing her as they do.


The judges keep criticizing her because she is the only contestant that can't seem to sing in tune. She is always slightly flat as if she's not supporting the notes.

I really like her as a person and I've been rooting for her. I kept thinking that she would finally break through one of these weeks but she just hasn't managed to do it.

Kris is my favorite. Danny is my second favorite, although I'm not sure how well he would do with album sales. Allison is awesome! Adam is the best singer but he annoys me. I find myself laughing at him sometimes because he's so over the top.

[Olympic Fan]

If Lil's problem was singing in tune, don't you think one of the judges -- who were looking for any reason to trash her -- might have pointed that out?

Her voice was fine -- download her "Heatwave" from I-Tunes to get an idea of how powerful (and in tune) she could be.

Ah, well, she's gone now after last night, along with that annoying UNC frat boy.

The surprise is that Allison was in the bottom three -- I mentioned it earlier in this thread, for some reason she hasn't connected with the audience as much as she deserves.

Just a guess (obviously not knowing next week's performances), but I'll bet Allison and Matt are the next two to go. That's a prediction, not a hope (if I could have my wish, Adam would be the next to go). I actually think Allison is my favorite of the remaining singers -- I just think she's due to leave.

[SoCalDukeFan]

If Lil's problem was singing in tune, don't you think one of the judges -- who were looking for any reason to trash her -- might have pointed that out?

Her voice was fine -- download her "Heatwave" from I-Tunes to get an idea of how powerful (and in tune) she could be.

Ah, well, she's gone now after last night, along with that annoying UNC frat boy.

The surprise is that Allison was in the bottom three -- I mentioned it earlier in this thread, for some reason she hasn't connected with the audience as much as she deserves.

Just a guess (obviously not knowing next week's performances), but I'll bet Allison and Matt are the next two to go. That's a prediction, not a hope (if I could have my wish, Adam would be the next to go). I actually think Allison is my favorite of the remaining singers -- I just think she's due to leave.

I think we see it about the same.

Allison is my favorite, followed by Kris. I liked Lil.

I find Adam annoying. Am indifferent to the others. I don't understand why Danny is such a favorite.

My guess is that Allison and Matt will be the next to go in no particular order.

SoCal

[calltheobvious]

If Lil's problem was singing in tune, don't you think one of the judges -- who were looking for any reason to trash her -- might have pointed that out?
Her voice was fine -- download her "Heatwave" from I-Tunes to get an idea of how powerful (and in tune) she could be.

Ah, well, she's gone now after last night, along with that annoying UNC frat boy.

The surprise is that Allison was in the bottom three -- I mentioned it earlier in this thread, for some reason she hasn't connected with the audience as much as she deserves.

Just a guess (obviously not knowing next week's performances), but I'll bet Allison and Matt are the next two to go. That's a prediction, not a hope (if I could have my wish, Adam would be the next to go). I actually think Allison is my favorite of the remaining singers -- I just think she's due to leave.

I think that this is the key to the Lil Rounds-judges disaster. Whether because of perfect song choices or luck, Lil was able to wow the judges early. What they said to her in several different ways was, "You're a fantastic singer."

Newsflash: Lil is not a fantastic singer. She is a fantastically powerful singer, with a tremendous amount of potential, but right now she just. Doesn't. Hit. The Notes. It's that simple.

I think there's been a lot of cognitive dissonance among the judges recently when it comes to Lil. For the last month they have been trying to reconcile what they said early with what they've heard lately. Instead of doing the fair thing and reconsidering their initial assessments and giving substantive critiques on Lil's actual singing, they've bumbled along--as plenty of others have mentioned-- with a bunch of b.s. about song-choice, artistic identity, etc.

The judges were right about Lil. Unfortunately for Lil and the show, they simply couldn't figure out why.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I rank the last this way.
1. Allison (favorite)
2. Kris
3. Danny
4. Matt
5. Adam (least favorite)

My guess is that barring some unexpected change they will be voted off in this order:

1. Allison or Matt (will go next week)
2. Allison or Matt (one that survived)
3. Kris or Danny
4. Kris or Danny (one that survived0
5. Adam will win.

SoCal

[studdlee10]

I was wondering if I was going crazy, if I was the only person alive who hates Adam's performances. Yes, he seems humble enough and a nice guy. I'll even concede that he has a great voice, but his performances are either 1) a scream fest of 2) effeminate versions of classic songs. His butchering of one of my favorite songs, "Ring of Fire", and yes, it was a butchering, was tragic. I do'nt know how anybody who knows the original could praise that performance.

I'm not against contestants taking classic songs and changing them up, so long as they do it well. Daughtry did this all season long and rarely made any huge mistakes. It's probably just me, but Adam is too Broadway, to showy for me. I don't see him as an artist who could hold up an entire album himself. To me, Allison has that kind of voice/talent, but she seems to be a bit boring personality-wise to win a competition like this.

I honestly have stopped watching this season. It's becoming clear that Adam is the clear cut favorite, and I can't bring myself to watch him.

[Bostondevil]

Lil has a powerful but untrained voice. She does need some vocal coaching. She never did establish herself as unique though. She's the kind of singer that can blow you away singing covers at a local nightspot but you're never going to buy her album. The judges saw that. I liked her voice but I don't think the judges were wrong in her assessment. Remember, no matter what they say, it's not a singing competition, it's a 'who will sell the most albums for us' competition. America (and the judges) don't always get it right, but they usually come close. Kelly Clarkson has the most albums sold of any AI alum followed by Carrie Underwood. They both won their years. Clay Aiken (2nd place) and Chris Daughtry (4th place) are up there. There has only been one 'mistake' of a contestant with real selling power who went out before 4th place, Jennifer Hudson. Despite the Grammy though, if her whole album is songs like the one she sang on Idol a couple of weeks ago, she won't challenge for most albums sold by an AI alum anytime soon. Note: I like her voice but that song was boring.

Adam is a love him or hate him kind of guy. I don't know anybody who is indifferent to him. Will it translate into huge album sales? Don't know but enough people absolutely love him that I suspect he will do well. Danny Gokey? If you want to complain about the unfair judging that Lil has received, fine, but Danny has been unfairly praised. He's in the same boat as Lil IMHO. I don't dislike him but I find him competent at best. Yes, he can sing but his performances can border on boring. I'd put him 5th of who is left

I'm rooting for an Adam/Kris final.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I was wondering if I was going crazy, if I was the only person alive who hates Adam's performances. Yes, he seems humble enough and a nice guy. I'll even concede that he has a great voice, but his performances are either 1) a scream fest of 2) effeminate versions of classic songs. His butchering of one of my favorite songs, "Ring of Fire", and yes, it was a butchering, was tragic. I do'nt know how anybody who knows the original could praise that performance.

I'm not against contestants taking classic songs and changing them up, so long as they do it well. Daughtry did this all season long and rarely made any huge mistakes. It's probably just me, but Adam is too Broadway, to showy for me. I don't see him as an artist who could hold up an entire album himself. To me, Allison has that kind of voice/talent, but she seems to be a bit boring personality-wise to win a competition like this.

I honestly have stopped watching this season. It's becoming clear that Adam is the clear cut favorite, and I can't bring myself to watch him.

Adam is my least favorite. His Ring of Fire was painful for me to watch. I wish you could vote someone off and if so would wear out my phone voting for him. I do understand that he has a following and many find him entertaining. I don't understand why the judges like him so much.

I do continue to watch however. Mostly for Allison and Kris.

SoCal

[Olympic Fan]

I was wondering if I was going crazy, if I was the only person alive who hates Adam's performances.

You only have to read this thread to see that you are not alone in your distaste for Adam -- several of us (including myself) cannot stand him.

I wish I liked a remaining contestant as much as I dislike Adam, but I don't. I guess Allison is my favorite in the final five, but I won't be exactly crushed when she is voted off either this week or the next.

[Bostondevil]

There is a very good reason why you can't vote someone off. In order to win this competition you have to inspire people to get off their fannies and dial the phone for you. Many of us like certain contestants but for the most part we don't go to the phone and vote for them. You have to inspire strong feelings. If we could vote people off, those that inspire strong feelings would leave first and the winner would be Scott McIntyre. Inspirational? Sure. A great singer who could sell albums? No way.

Look at the scripts that won Project Greenlight. Anybody could sign up to read scripts and the winners were the ones that had the highest average scores. That meant that edgy scripts where some loved them and some hated them were weeded out. We were left with fairly bland winners that didn't offend anybody. Voting people off only works in small groups. When you throw it out to the masses you're left with the lowest and least offensive common denominator.

Love him or hate him, more people talk about Adam than any other contestant.

[Duke4Ever32]

You only have to read this thread to see that you are not alone in your distaste for Adam -- several of us (including myself) cannot stand him.

I wish I liked a remaining contestant as much as I dislike Adam, but I don't. I guess Allison is my favorite in the final five, but I won't be exactly crushed when she is voted off either this week or the next.

I think you must be my polar opposite on Earth! I think Adam should win and I love the Red Sox, and I know you hate both of those items.

Initially I was a Danny fan and still am, but Adam is growing on me more and more. I probably still want Danny to win, but I think Adam should win.

[sue71]

I'm an Adam fan, but I think there are songs that just don't merit the screaming & therefore it seems gratuitous. He's my favorite of the bunch. I not only want him to win, I think he should (agreeing with Duke4Ever).

I also like Allison, though I'm not sure the rest of the country does.

Kris is growing on me, quickly.

I used to like Danny, but honestly, he bores me now. He really needs to wow me to get me back.

I just read this article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30354677/) about the downturn the show has taken overall this year (in the writer's opinion). Just curious if y'all agree.

[SoCalDukeFan]

I read the article.

I have found some of the changes questionable. The 13th finalist made no sense to me. I like Kara but have no idea why they needed a fourth judge(except as a season long audition with Paula getting dumped for next year). And the 4th judge takes up time.

I really did not like save idea and thought it was used improperly. There was no reason to save Matt (just as there was no reason to make Anoop the 13th finalist). The only time a save might be justified would be an explainable (illness, family emergency or the like) that would cause a great contestant to have an unexpected bad week. I say might be justified.

These shows do need some changes each year.

Right now I watch it because I enjoy Allison and Kris and to see just what Adam will do even though I don't care for him.

SoCal

[DukeUsul]

The top five are quite good. Any of them could be successful. But I think Justin Timberlake guy goes home tonight.

[SlimSlowSlider]

The top five are quite good. Any of them could be successful. But I think Justin Timberlake guy goes home tonight.

Bingo. Matt goes home.

The big surprise is that Adam was in the bottom 2. Everyone had strong performances, however, so it was going to be tough putting any of them in the bottom 2 or 3.

I thought Matt's version of My Funny Valentine was MUCH better last night than on Tuesday. (It started off shaky on Tuesday; he was much more nervous.) I actually was surprised that Simon liked it so much on Tuesday. I also thought the judges gave Allison too much credit for her performance on Tuesday, which did not wow me (but admittedly got better toward the end).

[Acymetric]

Bingo. Matt goes home.

The big surprise is that Adam was in the bottom 2. Everyone had strong performances, however, so it was going to be tough putting any of them in the bottom 2 or 3.

I thought Matt's version of My Funny Valentine was MUCH better last night than on Tuesday. (It started off shaky on Tuesday; he was much more nervous.) I actually was surprised that Simon liked it so much on Tuesday. I also thought the judges gave Allison too much credit for her performance on Tuesday, which did not wow me (but admittedly got better toward the end).

Full disclosure, Tuesday was the first time I've watched Idol this season (home with the fam, mom and sister around, etc.) and I have to say I wasn't really remotely impressed with Adam. First of all, I just didn't think he sounded that great. Some of his yelling sections got really off pitch (I thought), and he never really settled on a melody because he kept changing things each part of the song.

I also thought the song choice was less than inspired, as he clearly chose it because Muse had already done it as a harder rock version. Problem is, Matthew Bellamy's version is so much better that I didn't even want to listen to his version. The fact that he looks like he's ready to go audition for Fall Out Boy or Panic at the Disco after Idol is over doesn't help his case for me.

I was most impressed by Danny, everyone else I thought was ok at best (I love the song My Funny Valentine and was disappointed it didn't come out better, I'll have to check out last nights performance if it was in fact better).

Just my $.02, probably won't be many comments from me after future shows, nothing I saw made me feel like I should come back...

...check that, I heard Slash was the guest musician next week! Ok, Idol, you have me for one more week, though I don't really get what Slash is gonna do there. Is he gonna coach them on vocals and then announce that HE is the new singer for Velvet Revolver? Or maybe everybody is going to be required to play a wild, flailing wah solo next week, that'd be fun!

[Olympic Fan]

Stunning night ... not that Matt was voted off, but that he was joined in the bottom three by Chris and Adam, the judge's two favorites.

Interesting reveal -- Ryan split the first four with Matt and Chris on one side, Danny and Allison on the other, then asked Adam which group he wanted to join. It was really dramatic, since Matt and Allison were perceived to be the two weakest contenders and they were in separate groups, while Chris and Danny, perceived to be locks were also split.

When Adam was steered into the Matt/Chris combo and told that was the bottom three, I loved the reactions. Kara couldn't close her mouth, while Allison was so stunned that she just stood there until Danny dragged her to their seats. I also loved the way Simon was teased -- on Tuesday he had predicted that Allison would be voted off ... instead she's one of the two top vote-getters!

I was surprised when Chris was sent to the safe side as the No. 3 vote-getter. I didn't have much hope that they'd vote that poseur Adam off and indeed, he finished 4th. Still, it raises my hope that he goes next week.

[Bostondevil]

They never said Bottom 2. It may very well have been Kris and Matt in the Bottom 2.

Simon telling people to pack their bags in the early stages usually works, once we get to Top 5, that kind of comment can rally the troops because anybody who lasts until Top 5 has a fan base. It's happened before people, I watch way to much American Idol but I knew as soon as Simon said Alison was in trouble that Matt would be going home regardless of how he sang and particularly if he sang well. Simon never tells two contestants in an evening that they are in trouble, by the way. Do I think Simon knows what he is doing? Absolutely. I think they wanted Alison around at least one more week.

Putting Adam in the so-called Bottom 2 is another way to rally the troops. Anybody who likes Adam and wants him in the final will be voting for him next week, just watch.

I thought Danny sang the best I'd ever heard him on Tuesday and he didn't bore me for a change, so, kudos. I still want a Kris/Adam final.

Next week could be bizarre. The only person I'd bet on NOT going home is Adam. Chris Daughtry went out 4th and he'd never been in the bottom before, it could be Gokey going next week if his fan base gets at all complacent.

[SlimSlowSlider]

They never said Bottom 2. It may very well have been Kris and Matt in the Bottom 2.

Interesting. I did not catch that because i fast forwarded the show to the point where Adam and Matt were standing there. I just assumed they were the bottom two. One thing I did notice is that while Ryan said something like 47 million people voted, Ryan did not say the two were "separated by only X votes" or something like that.

Btw, I also want an Adam-Kris final. They are definitely the two most interesting performers for me.

[Bostondevil]

Like I said before, I've watched way too much Idol through the years. I always notice whether or not they SAY 'Bottom 2'. If they don't say it, I believe it's on purpose. And yes, I do think the producers try to manipulate the audience by who they declare 'safe' of the Bottom 3.

(Aside to SlimSlowSlider, thanks for the donation, you saw my posts elsewhere about the result, yes?)

[SlimSlowSlider]

(Aside to SlimSlowSlider, thanks for the donation, you saw my posts elsewhere about the result, yes?)

You're welcome. And congratulations. I probably saw you, and cheered for you (I have a soft spot for DFMC runners), but did not realize it. (I was at mile 15.5 from 11 until 2:10, yelling my head off.)

[sue71]

Like I said before, I've watched way too much Idol through the years. I always notice whether or not they SAY 'Bottom 2'. If they don't say it, I believe it's on purpose. And yes, I do think the producers try to manipulate the audience by who they declare 'safe' of the Bottom 3.


Actually, did Ryan call Matt's group the bottom 3? I can't remember. Or, did that group just happen to contain Matt and we really don't know where anyone fell..

[SoCalDukeFan]

They never said Bottom 2. It may very well have been Kris and Matt in the Bottom 2.

Simon telling people to pack their bags in the early stages usually works, once we get to Top 5, that kind of comment can rally the troops because anybody who lasts until Top 5 has a fan base. It's happened before people, I watch way to much American Idol but I knew as soon as Simon said Alison was in trouble that Matt would be going home regardless of how he sang and particularly if he sang well. Simon never tells two contestants in an evening that they are in trouble, by the way. Do I think Simon knows what he is doing? Absolutely. I think they wanted Alison around at least one more week.

Putting Adam in the so-called Bottom 2 is another way to rally the troops. Anybody who likes Adam and wants him in the final will be voting for him next week, just watch.

I thought Danny sang the best I'd ever heard him on Tuesday and he didn't bore me for a change, so, kudos. I still want a Kris/Adam final.

Next week could be bizarre. The only person I'd bet on NOT going home is Adam. Chris Daughtry went out 4th and he'd never been in the bottom before, it could be Gokey going next week if his fan base gets at all complacent.

I am fairly sure that Simon's comment about Allison going home was designed to get people to vote for her.

I thought that having Adam is the bottom 2/3 was quite interesting. It indicated that he is not a runaway leader. As contestant's leave their fans either stop voting or vote for someone else. While I am sure that some of Adam's fans might have been complacent and did not vote, I also think that fans of the others will probably not start voting for Adam if their favorite is voted off. So he may not make the finals.

Last night did re-enforce that for Allison, Kris, Danny and Matt are better singers than Taylor Hicks.

Hoping for an Allison/Kris final.

SoCal

[Bostondevil]

Rueben Studdard hit the Bottom 2 round about Top 5, Top 6 week. Clay never did.

Kelly and Carrie were never Bottom 3. Was David Cook? I honestly don't remember. Ever other winner was Bottom 3 at least once, oh wait, was Taylor Hicks? And who cares, he's the most irrelevant winner.

Surprise early exits at Top 4 week - Tamyra Grey, LaToya London, Chris Daughtry. People had all three of those pegged for the finals. I don't think Chris ever hit the Bottom 3 before he went out. Neither did Melinda Dolittle before she went out third.

[SlimSlowSlider]

Last night did re-enforce that for Allison, Kris, Danny and Matt are better singers than Taylor Hicks.

SoCal

Maybe it was unintentional, but you cannot seriously believe that Hicks is a better singer than Adam. Like him or hate him (and I can see how his theatrical still is a turn off to some), Adam is a much better singer than Hicks. As Randy would say, the dude has mad pipes! :D

[SoCalDukeFan]

I will grant you that Adam is a much better singer than Hicks.

However I think he is overly theatrical.

Maybe I am too old or too harsh or too dogmatic or something but he became irrelevant to me when he destroyed Ring of Fire. I know many many people like him and I can see that he is entertaining but I just don't get him.

SoCal

[rthomas]

I will grant you that Adam is a much better singer than Hicks.

However I think he is overly theatrical.

Maybe I am too old or too harsh or too dogmatic or something but he became irrelevant to me when he destroyed Ring of Fire. I know many many people like him and I can see that he is entertaining but I just don't get him.

SoCal


Maybe you are too old (like me). I don't like any of these singers - none of them - nor any any any that have bee on this show. Why would anybody watch this drivel? OK the only reason is that my teenbopper daugther wants to watch this garbage. So I watched it a couple times with her. This is not music.

Give me the infomercials on the golf channel.

[sue71]

Maybe you are too old (like me). I don't like any of these singers - none of them - nor any any any that have bee on this show. Why would anybody watch this drivel? OK the only reason is that my teenbopper daugther wants to watch this garbage. So I watched it a couple times with her. This is not music.

Give me the infomercials on the golf channel.

A serious question- nothing but pure curiosity... what kind of music do you like? What singers/groups are you a fan of?

[rthomas]

I like a hugely wide variety of music. But I put Idol into the pop variety and so I say:

Bruce Hornsby
Robin Thicke
Al Green
Elvis Costello
Duffy
Feist

[BobbyFan]

Whether or not you like his style, Adam's vocal chops are as good as any male contestant in the show's history (maybe along with Aiken).

If he does a Guns n' Roses song next week on the rock n' roll theme, he could own the show.

[toughbuff1]

I thought that Adam and Allison both did great this week. Normally I'm not a big fan of Adam, but he sang the heck out of Whole Lotta Love. Kris did pretty well on Come Together, and Danny was god-awful on Dream On. He was pitchy from the start, and that last note sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. I doubt he'll go home, because he has such a large fan base, but he should after that performance.

[JasonEvans]

DialIdol has Adam as the only 100% safe person tonight.

Allison and Kris would seem to be in the biggest trouble according to the "busy signals."

--Jason "I have not seen any of Idol this year... feel like I am missing the party" Evans

[Tommac]

.... and Danny was god-awful on Dream On. He was pitchy from the start, and that last note sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. I doubt he'll go home, because he has such a large fan base, but he should after that performance.

Based on single performances, then Adam should have gone home after he murdered Ring of Fire several weeks ago. Johnny Cash is turning in his grave.:)

[SlimSlowSlider]

Based on single performances, then Adam should have gone home after he murdered Ring of Fire several weeks ago. Johnny Cash is turning in his grave.:)


I've seen a bunch of people say this, but I totally disagree. Yes, Adam mixed up the arrangement on Ring of Fire, but he sang the song well. It was bold and different, and I found it entertaining. (Who knew there were so many Johnny Cash purists. Funny, I don't think I ever heard Johnny Cash playing in the Duke dorms....)

As to last night, Adam really did blow the competition away. I thought both Kris and Danny were weak. Kris (who I like) just does not have a powerful enough voice to do rock songs. It really showed on the duet.

[Duke4Ever32]

Based on single performances, then Adam should have gone home after he murdered Ring of Fire several weeks ago. Johnny Cash is turning in his grave.:)

Specifically, what was it you didn't like about Adam's Ring of Fire performance? The arrangement used, or Adam's singing ability? Because if it's the former, which I suspect it is, this is a singing competition, not an arrangement competition.

[toughbuff1]

Based on single performances, then Adam should have gone home after he murdered Ring of Fire several weeks ago. Johnny Cash is turning in his grave.:)

I understand a bunch of people were insulted by Adam's rendition of Ring of Fire, but at least he sang it in tune. And early in the competition there were a lot more singers, so if you screwed up, chances are someone screwed up even worse.

Now they're down to four, and they are all pretty darn good, so there isn't really anyone left to hide behind. I really thought that Dream On was one of the worst performances in Idol finals history (certainly at the final four stage). Aside from the pitch issues, and that horrid final note, he threw in a doo-be-doo-bop or whatever it was into the middle of that song. Maybe that jaded my persepective of the rest of the song, but really? And then his attitude at the end "I'll have to listen to it again, I didn't think it was that bad." When all four judges have issues with your song, you know you probably screwed up the song.

[SoCalDukeFan]

who hated the Ring of Fire. I will admit it was in tune but I could hardly stand to listen to it. I felt it choosing that arrangement Adam showed contempt for country music. I still regularly play Johnny Cash in my car and was lucky enough to see him live at the House of Blues in LA before his illness.

I will also admit that Adam was great last night. Besides Ring of Fire the other problem I had with Adam is that I think he can be "tricky" or "theatrical." He was neither last night.

Allison is my favorite. I think her fan base is the smallest of the four but hope she makes it.

Danny can go as far as I am concerned.

An obvious problem with a "theme week" is what do you do if you do not like the theme genre or just can not sing it very well. What would Sinatra have done last night? Maybe Kris and/or Danny should have found a non hard rock arrangement of a hard rock song and sang it.

Socal

[Tommac]

Allison goes home.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Not what I wanted but what I expected.

I doubt if I will watch anymore this season. Danny does nothing for me. I do like Kris but not enough to watch. And my feelings on Adam are pretty well known.

My guess is that in the future we will hear much more from Adam. Maybe Allison and/or Kris. Danny will be forgotten.

SoCal

[toughbuff1]

I don't get the judges love of Adam. To me, he's been hit or miss all year, and I really didn't care for either performance. I think One is one of the greatest songs of all time, and his interpretation of that song made me realize how Johnny Cash fans must have felt after he did Ring of Fire. You just don't change that song that much. The arrangement of his second song was much better, but he was flat for much of the song.

I thought Kris did a very good job, especially on his second song. To me, he is the most current of anyone left. He definitely has that Jason Mraz-ish type of vibe.

Danny sang well too, but what kind of an album is he going to put out? I just don't see him selling a ton of records when this is over, regardless of what place he finishes in.

[JasonEvans]

DialIdol makes no prediction but it sure looks like (http://www.dialidol.com/asp/predictions/Predictions.asp?week=3&sort=TD&type=percent&season=8) Danny is in trouble. His three numbers were 3 of the bottom 4 in terms of "busy percentage." Not a good sign.

--Jason "still not watching, just reporting" Evans

[Bostondevil]

DialIdol has no way of keeping track of the text messages. It probably comes down to who got more text messages.

[lmb]

I don't get the judges love of Adam. To me, he's been hit or miss all year, and I really didn't care for either performance. I think One is one of the greatest songs of all time, and his interpretation of that song made me realize how Johnny Cash fans must have felt after he did Ring of Fire. You just don't change that song that much. The arrangement of his second song was much better, but he was flat for much of the song.

I thought Kris did a very good job, especially on his second song. To me, he is the most current of anyone left. He definitely has that Jason Mraz-ish type of vibe.

Danny sang well too, but what kind of an album is he going to put out? I just don't see him selling a ton of records when this is over, regardless of what place he finishes in.


I agree with you 100% on everything you said. In regards to "One", it's one thing to change the melody, it's another thing to have no melody whatsoever. He changed the latter half of that song to the point that there was nothing to follow melodically. When he sang the first part, I thought he might actually do a nice job and then he crashed and burned.

I also didn't think he did that great of a job on "Crazy" which should have been perfect for him. Randy hinted at criticism on One in regards to the melody, but other than that, the judges were complete sycophants.

Will it backfire? I think it's possible that he may not win. He is a polarizing figure.

I agree with you on Danny and Chris as well. Chris is the most marketable. I like him a lot!

[Duke4Ever32]

I think I've previously said I want Danny to win, but I think Adam should win. I still feel that way. Judged strictly on vocal ability - not by how he arranges songs or how he may choose to sing them - I think Adam is probably the best singer Idol has ever had. Clay and Carrie merit consideration also, but more and more I think it's Adam. There are other contestants over the years I'd rather listen to, but I think Adam has the best vocal ability.

And he wins the whole thing next week, and should Idol deign to disclose the voting results, it won't even be close.

[AtlBluRew]

Now that I've heard the single to be released by the AI winner, which was co-written by Duke grad Kara, it's really a shame that Anoop couldn't be the winner. If a Duke person is going to inflict that kind of embarrassment upon someone, it really ought to be a Tarheel. What trash! Did they get the lyrics from a Hallmark card?

[BobbyFan]

Kara's song was horrendous.

[SlimSlowSlider]

I'll echo the sentiments about Kara's song. My wife and I could not get over how bad it was. We laughed when Adam thanked Kara for "giving [him] that song" to sing. Thanks for nothing!

IMO, Adam was clearly better last night. I don't like how they repeat a song from earlier in the season, but will call that round a tie. (I think Simon gave it to Kris just to keep things interesting.)

I agree with Simon, however, that Adam blew Kris away on the second song. In Kris's defense, however, he had no business singing What's Going On. (Disclaimer - that album is one of my all-time favorites.) He does not have the voice or the gravitas to pull that song off. Marvin conveys a lot of emotion in his songs. Kris doesn't. Thirty seconds into the song I told my wife that it was way too happy and Jack-Johnson-ish for the subject matter. Simon seemed to pick up on that, too.

Round 3 was hard to judge, because the song was that bad. I think Adam did a better job, but it was hard to tell because my wife and I could not get past the song.

[Duke4Ever32]

I also agree with the sentiments about Kara's song - that thing was terrible! And I thought the whole show in general was a waste of time last night. They really need to revamp the winner's single - I can't remember one of those songs that actually turned out to be worthwhile, although I did kind of like Ruben's "Flying Without Wings". And, why can't they let the finalists chose 3 songs that THEY want to sing? The show suffers from the finalists being made to sing 2 songs they have no control over along with their best song from the season, in my opinion.

Dial Idol has Kris slightly ahead in the voting last night. I'm still hoping for Adam, and will be surprised if it isn't Adam.

[calltheobvious]

At the end of last night show's I told my wife that Kris was going to pull the upset (I only wish I'd posted). Kris almost has to have cleaned up with two groups of voters in order to have pulled this off.

1) The super-casual Idol viewers--There's tons and tons to like about Adam as a singer and artist, but I just don't think that people who tuned in last night for one of only a few times all season were likely to find him more appealing than Kris.

2) Consistent fans of the show who didn't vote before last night--I didn't once consider voting this season until last night, and I wouldn't have voted had it not been for the way the last ten minutes of the show played out:
Godawful song-choice that--however awful--was a number that Kris had absolutely no chance to sing well.

But even though he was better than Kris, he was still awful. Vocally he was all over the place. Randy said it was "a little pitchy" for him. I got news for you, dawg, for those of us who have no stake in Adam Lambert's show-business success, it was a whole lot pitchy. Whatever one's thoughts on some of his artistic decisions with his songs, that was his first objectively weak vocal performance of the season.

But what do we get from the other three judges after his worst vocal of the season? Pure sycophancy. DioGuardi was a hot mess after hearing her song sung by the dauphine, Paula was her usual thimble-deep self, and Simon was apparently so deafened by ka-chings that he missed all of Adam's misses.

It's no wonder that Kris came out looking like a defeated man after hearing a weak performance draw more rave reviews from the judges. And he sang like one, too.

So, to give vent to my anger I--and I suspect a substantial number of others--voted several times for Kris.

Simon was livid tonight after the decision, the only one of the four judges who didn't give Kris a standing ovation after the announcement. The delicious irony is that it's his and his colleagues' arrogance that probably tipped the balance in favor the kid who's going to make Cowell a lot less money.

The show got what it deserved.

[micah75]

I stopped watching maybe 5 or 6 weeks ago due to lack of interest. Was an Alexis fan early on, but after she got voted off, I couldn't find anyone that wowed me, unlike previous seasons. Yet, the judges have been saying that this is the best season to date? Like some others here, I wasn't entertained by Adam and his wickedly slow change-ups of songs like "Ring of Fire", and "If I Can't Have You." Maybe it's just my demographic, being in the over-50 category, but I need to hear classic songs from the 60s, 70s, and maybe early 80s (and sung well, I might add) if AI wishes to remain watchable.

I did watch the final 15 minutes, just to see who would win. Wasn't all that surprised by the outcome. Read somewhere that there were almost 100 million votes last night and that 38 million came from Arkansas for Kris, with 1 HAWG fan boasting that he voted 10,000 times.

Ho-hum.

[BobbyFan]

I expected Kris to win as it was obvious as to which contestant would get the votes of Danny's conservative fan base. So this is hardly an upset.

That said, Adam was easily the better singer and performer. He proved it last night in owning the crowd with KISS and Queen. Kris has a nice voice and the appealing aw shucks demeanor, but he has limited vocal range and little power - reasons as to why he didn't show much versatility in his songs.

If Adam were to ever become Queen's new lead singer, I would buy tickets in a heartbeat.

[sue71]

I expected Kris to win as it was obvious as to which contestant would get the votes of Danny's conservative fan base. So this is hardly an upset.

That said, Adam was easily the better singer and performer. He proved it last night in owning the crowd with KISS and Queen. Kris has a nice voice and the appealing aw shucks demeanor, but he has limited vocal range and little power - reasons as to why he didn't show much versatility in his songs.

If Adam were to ever become Queen's new lead singer, I would buy tickets in a heartbeat.

I agree completely. I said to someone before the final competition that middle America would be voting for Kris. I heard on the news this morning that Arkansas alone had 38 million votes. Out of 100 million. Hmmm.

I called several times for Adam and never got a busy signal. That just confirmed it for me.

[JasonEvans]

I agree completely. I said to someone before the final competition that middle America would be voting for Kris. I heard on the news this morning that Arkansas alone had 38 million votes. Out of 100 million. Hmmm.

I called several times for Adam and never got a busy signal. That just confirmed it for me.

Looks like AT&T may have helped Arkansas. This story says (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/business/media/27idol.html?th&emc=th)AT&T officials passed out free texting phones at "We Love Kris" parties in Arkansas an even showed people how to "power text" where each votes counts as 10 votes. Hmmmm.

--Jason "Idol rigged!!!?!?! Say it ain't so!!!" Evans

[Jarhead]

Looks like AT&T may have helped Arkansas. This story says (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/business/media/27idol.html?th&emc=th)AT&T officials passed out free texting phones at "We Love Kris" parties in Arkansas an even showed people how to "power text" where each votes counts as 10 votes. Hmmmm.

--Jason "Idol rigged!!!?!?! Say it ain't so!!!" EvansFox can fix the problem. Maybe not one person, one vote, but at least one phone number, one vote. The show producers really like all of those votes. Makes the show look really, really popular. ABC's dance show limits the vote, and never states the numbers. Lack of controls over the voting assures vote fraud. You know, like Florida. Ooops, wrong forum.

[Bostondevil]

I suppose it was just a matter of time. I'll restate it, the only Tarheels I've ever routed for are Marion Jones and Anoop Desai. Marion made me regret it, big time. I asked Anoop not to let me down but after his snippy and ungracious appearance on Larry King Live (with Ryan Seacrest subbing in for Larry), I'm 0 for 2. Anoop, you came across as a whiney, loser, self-important, Carolina frat boy, is that really the image you want to project? You've lost me as a fan, try not to lose everybody else. If Carolina fans are your target audience, please don't take it national. If you want to expand your fan base, grow up.

[Tommac]

Looks like AT&T may have helped Arkansas. This story says (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/business/media/27idol.html?th&emc=th)AT&T officials passed out free texting phones at "We Love Kris" parties in Arkansas an even showed people how to "power text" where each votes counts as 10 votes. Hmmmm.

--Jason "Idol rigged!!!?!?! Say it ain't so!!!" Evans

ABC news snippets on the local radio station said that they were "Adam" parties. Who to believe?