Amer Idol Thoughts

[JasonEvans]

Considering it was supposed to be a night of inspirational songs, I felt many of the song choices were less than inspired. As an aside, what a lame theme (and one which again allowed Kristie Lee to do country songs-- will they ever force her out of her comfort zone even a little bit?).

Anyway, here, in order, is how I think the contestants did--

1) Jason Castro- I adore that version of Over The Rainbow and was thrilled when I heard he was singing it because it is right in his wheelhouse. Jason hit a homer with it and is totally safe this week as a result. My wife could not be more in love with anyone. She does nothing but talk about Castro's eyes. I might be jealous. Proof of how good this song is-- I have listened to it 4 times already on TIVO. It is very rare that I listen to a song even twice.

2) David Arch- I was not familliar with the song he sang, Angels, but he sang it well. Of course he is safe, but I am starting to really not like him. I cannot put my finger on why. I guess just think the kid is a total robot programmed to sheepishly smile and sing and there is nothing else to him. When he gets up there after the song with his arms held stiffly at his side and listens to what the judges have to say, I start thinking, "The DA-bot 3000 is moving into thanks you mode." I know he won't be going home anytime soon but until he actually shows some real personality I'll think he simply canot win this, right? Please?!?!

3) Syesha Mercado- It is a testament to how so-so this week was that I am putting her up this high. She is very talented, but I think she is the one who will go home this week. There just is no connection between her and the audience. She is lviing proof that it takes more than a voice to win, because I think she has one the top few voices in the competition. I think she makes bad song choices too, picking a Fantasia song this week after Whitney last week -- whew, those are some tall shoes girl. The problem is, you do not fill them and that will be your downfall.

4) Michael Johns- I hated when he started screeching like Stephen Tyler at the end of Dream On. Dude, you are not a rocker-- deal with it. His performance was ok up until the faux-Tyler scream. He is lucky he did so well last week or he might be in a bit of trouble this week, especially because he was in the dreaded lead-off position. Still, I think he sticks around for sure and is probably not in the bottom three.

5) Kristie Lee- Another song I was not too familliar with, but she appealed again to her core country audience and I think she did a nice job with it. I probably should have her rated ahead of Michael Johns. She looked fabulous. Moments after watching my wife swoon over Castro, I got to swoon over KLC ;) I think she is safe again this week and probably won't even be in the bottom three, but as soon as she has to do something other than country -- good bye!

6) Brooke White- Her version of "You've Got a Friend" was fine, but not very memorable. She sang it exactly as it is supposed to be sung, which is sorta dull. I could see her maybe being in the bottom three again this week, maybe. But, she is in no danger of going home, in my opinion. I still think she is the female who will last the longest, but she needs to step up a bit in coming weeks.

7) David Cook- I have never heard of "Innocent" or the band Our Lady of Peace before -- but wow, that song sucked a lot. Whew, was he bad and he knew it. You could tell from the look on his face at the end even before the judges started panning him. Oh, and that "give back" written on his hand may have been the cheesiest moment of the night. Pandering to the audience is not a good thing. There is no way David gets voted off, but it might actually be good for him to be in the bottom three this week to light a fire under him and his fans.

8) Carly Smithson- As soon as she said she was doing Queen I turned to my wife and said, "Oh, she is in huuuuge trouble this week!" Midway through the song, my wife said, "is it just me, or does she seem pissed off at the world every time she sings?" Then Simon said the same thing in his commentary. Carly was screeching at times and has a bad habbit of trying to hard and oversinging songs. I hted the arangement of the song too and was barely able to recognize it as a Queen song. I think Carly is in real danger of going home. The only thing that might save her is that her fans will realize she is in deep doo-doo and they may work hard to try to keep her around.

My prediction for the bottom three-- Carly and Syesha for sure and either David Cook or Brook. I'll go with David just because Brook had the luck of performing last this week and David needs a kick in the rear after that absurd "give back" on his hand. The third member of the bottom three is unimportant though because it will be one of Carly or Syesha going home as we continue to send the women home. I expect the next 3 eliminations to all be women, and after the way Jason sang tonight, it may be that we take out all the girls before we deal with the top 4 guys.

--Jason "elimination on Thursday this week, because Idol Gives Back tomorrow" Evans

[Lavabe]

2) David Arch- I was not familliar with the song he sang, Angels, but he sang it well. Of course he is safe, but I am starting to really not like him. I cannot put my finger on why. I guess just think the kid is a total robot programmed to sheepishly smile and sing and there is nothing else to him. When he gets up there after the song with his arms held stiffly at his side and listens to what the judges have to say, I start thinking, "The DA-bot 3000 is moving into thanks you mode." I know he won't be going home anytime soon but until he actually shows some real personality I'll think he simply canot win this, right? Please?!?!

Welcome to the club, Jason. A number of us mentioned this the last few weeks. I'll admit that part of my dislike of him is that this is not his first time on such a talent show, as he took part in Star Search (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Archuleta) five years ago. Perhaps this contributes partly to why you think the guy is so programmed. To me, this show is supposed to be about finding new talent.

But I just really dislike his voice. Especially in the earlier shows, he lost me completely. The time he forgot lyrics was simply BAD.

At least there is no one this year like Sanjaya.
Cheers,
Lavabe

P.S. Shouldn't this belong in the already-existing Idol thread? Just wondering.:)

[duke74]

1) Jason Castro- I adore that version of Over The Rainbow and was thrilled when I heard he was singing it because it is right in his wheelhouse. Jason hit a homer with it and is totally safe this week as a result. My wife could not be more in love with anyone. She does nothing but talk about Castro's eyes. I might be jealous. Proof of how good this song is-- I have listened to it 4 times already on TIVO. It is very rare that I listen to a song even twice.



Wasn't there a similar version (uke and all) used in one of the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movies - Maybe "You've got Mail," near the end of the film?

In all, agree completely with your assessment.

[Bostondevil]

David Cook was bad, bad, bad and probably turned at least some of his core fans off with that 'give back' thing. He could go this week, really. But, I'll go on record as saying it's Syesha. Carly looked great but picked the second worst song to sing. Still, she looked good enough that that might be the difference between her and Syesha going home. I didn't think Syesha looked that good yesterday plus Carly got the rock and roll lighting.

I've heard the 'Angels' song before, often enough that it was in the half of 'songs I know' versus 'huh'. Michael, Jason, David A., and Brooke sang 'songs I know', the rest didn't.

[riverside6]

Wasn't there a similar version (uke and all) used in one of the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movies - Maybe "You've got Mail," near the end of the film?

In all, agree completely with your assessment.
I know it was in 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore

[AtlBluRew]

Here's a video of the version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that Jason Castro did. Castro did a nice job. The original also works in "What a Wonderful World," so it's truly a song that makes you smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe5p1BXNCQM&feature=related

I found an interesting article on Wiki on the singer, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. He was an obese man who died at age 38, and was apparently beloved in Hawaii. His coffin lay in state in the capitol building in Honolulu -- only the third time someone was given that honor.

I didn't enjoy David Cook's song either, even though I'd heard of the band. I'll cut him some slack on the "Give Back" thing though. I didn't think he was pandering to the audience. I thought he was channeling Bono with that, trying to be a socially conscious rocker. Maybe a little cocky, but not pandering, IMO.

Last night was the first time this season I've watched the show. In past weeks, I've waited to hear who did well, and then watched them on YouTube. I thought last night's show was a little painful, with more bad performances than good. I think it will be YouTube again next week.

[toughbuff1]

I'm a David Cook fan, but I agree he was pretty bad last night. I hope he doesn't get voted off, because it would be a shame to see him go out on such a bad note. And I also agree Jason Castro was awesome last night. when he plays with the full band behind him, he tends to get drowned out, because he doesn't belt out his songs like some of the others. But when its just him and his guitar (or uke) he is outstanding.

[Olympic Fan]

I usually like Carly, but I agree that she was awful Tuesday night ... I usually hate Jason Castro, but I have to admit that he had a strong performance. Kristy Lee Cook is the queen of song choices -- she has done an amazing job finding songs that maximize her minimum of talent.

Back to Carly for a moment and her choice of a Queen song. Buring the 80s, early 90s, I never paid much attention to Queen (other than the unavoidable sports use of "We are the Champions") but after watching last year's "Queen week" on Idol and stumbling across an amazing video of Queen's "Somebody to Love," I got interested and checked out their work a lot more closely.

The one conclusion I reached is that Freddie Mercury possessed one of the great voices in rock music history. When I listen to others try and cover Queen's songs -- especially Idol contestants -- I'm always disappointed. Jason mentioned the problems covering Whitney or Fantasia ... I think if I was on Idol, I'd avoid Queen -- not only is is difficult to stack up well to Mercury, but so much of the band's success is due to the combined vocal harmonies -- hardly a showcase for an Idol contestant.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. I'll be crossing my fingers for Carly this week, but if she goes, it's her own fault.

[brevity]

The weakest singers left are Kristy Lee Cook and Jason Castro, but they stepped up on Tuesday. (I didn't love either performance, but considered them solid enough to let the two survive and advance.) So there's a very good chance that whoever gets eliminated Thursday will considered by many to be going home early.

I'm hoping (naively, I know) that David Archuleta gets into the Bottom Three soon. I'm still not convinced he's a great singer because he hasn't had to try.

[JasonEvans]

I have added a poll where you can vote for who goes this week.

--Jason "enjoy" Evans

[Tommac]

Jason Castro has done ok the last few weeks but I'm just tired of his voice. He seems to show no versatility in styles. Everything he sings sounds the same. Jut my opinion. My favorites are Michael Johns and Brooke White.

[mr. synellinden]

I'll echo some of the same observations/thoughts of others:

I also love that version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and thought Jason did a great job with it. The longer he stays the longer he can carve a folksy/pop/new age niche and perhaps get a recording contract. The problem he has is I don't think he can go beyond those simple arrangement, acoustic versions of songs. I think he will end up third or fourth.

DA - That song was originally recorded by Robbie Williams and is one of my favorite songs. Simon was right when he said it's one of the best pop songs ever. If you listen to it, I think you will see that DA changed the arrangement in ways that made the song much worse. He has a flawless voice and sang it great, I just hated the version he did. It ruined the song for me. I also agree that he is verging on annoying and creepy as opposed to cute, precocious and unaffected. The stories about his father combined with his saccharine-y sweet demeanor may put him in jeopardy. Although I still consider him the frontrunner as of now.

Michael - I like him and have liked some of his performances but he does not have the Chris Daughtry-like charisma to pull off the Aerosmith type rock performance he tried. The judges are correct when they say his voice is better suited to a bluesy, almost southen rock sound. I'd like to hear him sing some Doobie Brothers or Allman Brothers. I think he ends up fifth.

Sysesha. There is something intangible missing with her. I really like her voice and think she has a pop star look, but she lacks the ability to engage the audience. She might go home this week, but I think she is in the bottom two with Carly and stays. And then she goes home next week.

Carly - It was very obvious that she picked the wrong soon (agree with staying away from Queen unless it's Queen week) and sang it too aggressively. I too during her performance wondered why she was singing so angrily. I still don't think she looked good this week wardrobe wise (despite what Simon says) and think that it might be her time to go. Combine her anger and over the top intensity with her head-to-toe tatooed husband and I think America has sufficiently turned off to her. She hasn't had a good performance in weeks and is toast.

DC - That was one of the most awful performances I've seen on AI. I think he has been very good recently, but not as great as some others have thought. I don't think he will go home because he has enough of a following, but he was by far the worst last night. It was a terrible song, he sang it terribly and he seemed disinterested. I don't think he could have done worse if he were trying to throw the competition. I thought for a minute that it was like he felt safe enough to throw out a complete dud this week so he could come back with a great performance in two weeks and create more excitement. I think he will end up third or fourth.

KLC - unquestionably, that was her best performance of the whole show and because she is stunning, when she sings and performs so well, you can visualize her as a country music star. And country music having such a following in this country, she might be able to stick it out for a few more weeks with her core group of fans. I think she will be 6th.

Brooke - I am a big Brooke fan because she is so passionate about the music and she usually picks great songs for her. I always seem to like her performances better than the judges. She is one of the few left whose album I'd consider buying. I think she will end up in the final with DA.


On the music subject, if you haven't seen the U2 3D movie, and you have a chance to, it is an absolute must see if you remotely like U2.

[Clipsfan]

Someone invited me to tag along to the shooting of American Idol yesterday and I happily accepted. I thought that on the whole the performances were weak, but I still thought it was a fun experience. Part of what I liked best was watching the contestants during the periods that the camera is off. Of course, they are still in the spotlight, but they're in front of 300 or so people, not 30 million. E.g., Syesha showed a much better personality during those moments than she tends to exhibit during the broadcast. I was surprised that Carly really seemed angry at the world even off camera, although the other contestants did give her hugs etc. David A. really does seem like an automaton. Jason seemed fairly likable. I'm not a huge fan of Brook; Kristy looked very attractive. No real impressions on Cook or Johns, they seemed to me like their TV personas.

[JasonEvans]

No real impressions on Cook or Johns, they seemed to me like their TV personas.

Arrogant and full of themselves?

-Jason "I like their singing, but both guys seem anything but humble" Evans

[dukemomLA]

Kristy and Jason have to go bye-bye. They have no chance of a solo career. Kristy should make friends with Hef, Jason is adorable, but....semi-talented.

I like Brooke, but she's just too uncomfortable in her own skin.

David A. has the potential for a decent career, but....just doesn't seem like an IDOL to me. Syesha has a wonderful voice -- but is not distinctive -- a career in the making, thus...not a solo artist.

If TRUE talent, charisma, and longevity wills out: It's Carly S, David C, Michael J.

He probably won't win (as did not Chris Daughtry), but David Cook has the most potential for a long, exciting career in the biz.

[micah75]

Not much to add, but I agree about Syesha--- great voice, but lousy song choices. Often the contestants forget that part of winning is to entertain the audience. If she can survive this week (doubtful) and start singing some Motown or Aretha, she could find her niche and make a huge turnaround.

Castro is kind of a mystery. I could see him developing into a Paul Simon type. He's still young, so maybe he hasn't found himself yet. But it's about time he belted one out. No more lurking in the shadows.

Johns is the oldest, 29, and was highly competitive in tennis as a teenager with that competitiveness giving him an edge over the younger members on the show. Personally, I like him singing Queen. I believe he sang one of their hits during his audition, and to me it sounded great. Right now he's my favorite.

Brooke... my admiration for her grew immensely when it was revealed that she could play the piano by ear as a child. Sure wish I had that gift. That's something left over from a previous life. She's a natural born musician. Singing wise, with that overbite, maybe she could be another Carly Simon.

Yeah, Kristy has been more than lucky since surviving her horrific rendition of 8 Days a Week, when I thought she should have gotten the boot. The country themes as of late have been her saving grace, but once that ends, so does her joy ride with AI.

I like Carly, (second only to M. Johns) but Simon doesn't seem too impressed, maybe something about her tats and her wardrobe.

D. Cook and Archie... I'm not sold on them yet, although Archuleta's rendition of Imagine was outstanding. Since then, I haven't been impressed with his song choices. For some reason, I don't see him as a robot, just a nervous, giggly 16 year old who's overwhelmed with all the attention. It's kind of endearing, innocent. He will grow out of it in a couple of years.

Song choices are of utmost priority from here on out. No more margin for error, no more second chances. Look for Michael Johns to outwit his competition and make a surge onwards to make the final 2.

[riverside6]

did anyone watch idol gives back?

admittedly, i fast forwarded through most of it...

* Carrie Underwood was awesome, and that was a great song, which I've already downloaded
* Daughtry was pretty awesome as well, that guy would've won any other season of Idol.
* The Brad Pitt - stage producer thing was really funny
* Miley Cyrus seemed really out of place, and she seemed there more to promote herself than for the cause.
* Fergie looked horrible, but man she can sing
* Snoop is awesome

[Clipsfan]

Arrogant and full of themselves?

-Jason "I like their singing, but both guys seem anything but humble" Evans

Yep, got it in one. It's hard to come across as more arrogant than they appear on TV, though.

[Clipsfan]

If TRUE talent, charisma, and longevity wills out: It's Carly S, David C, Michael J.

I don't really get this statement, as I think that Carly is one of the people with the least charisma (and I'm not quite sure what longevity means...are you saying they're the oldest?) Carly can sing, but she has already had a real shot at stardom and failed. My guess is that it was in large part due to the fact that she has little charisma and only a good voice.

I also think that David C. and Michael are both very arrogant, but that they have some charisma. I feel that some of the contestants with the most charisma were unfortunately some of the weakest singers and are already gone.

[JasonEvans]

did anyone watch idol gives back?

admittedly, i fast forwarded through most of it...

* Carrie Underwood was awesome, and that was a great song, which I've already downloaded
* Daughtry was pretty awesome as well, that guy would've won any other season of Idol.
* The Brad Pitt - stage producer thing was really funny
* Miley Cyrus seemed really out of place, and she seemed there more to promote herself than for the cause.
* Fergie looked horrible, but man she can sing
* Snoop is awesome

Yup, big FFWd stuff for my Tivo.

Did they actually have Carrie Underwood there and then have Terri Hatcher sing "Before He Cheats" instead?!?!?! I mean, Terri Hatcher was ok at it, but she is not a professional singer. I kept waiting for Carrie to come out and take over and really sing the song -- no dice.

The Brad Pitt thing with the stage producer was very funny and so genuine. Most of the other humor was just too forced. I enjoyed Jimmy Kimmel just roasting Simon, that was fun. Robin Williams as the Russian Idol was so-so and Billy Crystal with Mylie Cyrus was just bad.

I was bummed that John Legend was there but did not sing. He's amazing. "Ordinary People" is one of my favorite songs of the past decade. I saw Legend in concert at the Super Bowl last year. Wow!

Fergie is a real talent, her ability to shift styles is amazing. I was prepared for the duet with Heart to be great, but it fell flat, IMO.

--Jason "I watched the whole 3 hours in maybe 30 minutes" Evans

[riverside6]

How about Robin Williams name? Ivan Yackinoff. Yeesh, I wonder what Fox thought about that!

I forgot about Kimmel, he was awesome.

[dukepsy1963]

As you age, make sure you keep that "tatooed" arm taut......could be trouble ahead.

My choices based on talent (and I don't think this year is particularly sterling in that regard):

David, Michael, Carly..........in no particular order. As for charisma, none seem to have it IMO.

[SoCalDukeFan]

As you age, make sure you keep that "tatooed" arm taut......could be trouble ahead.

My choices based on talent (and I don't think this year is particularly sterling in that regard):

David, Michael, Carly..........in no particular order. As for charisma, none seem to have it IMO.

There may not be a Carrie Underwood in this group but there also no Sanjaya.

I hope that Carly and Syesha both survive this week but think one will go. I doubt if either has given their best performance yet and want to see it.

The other 7 should pay Kristie Lee Cook to chose their songs for them.


SoCal

[edensquad]

Man, to me, Michael was better than Carly or Syesha last week.... and waaaay better than Kristy EVERY week! Sure didn't see that one coming. :confused:

[Olympic Fan]

Nice job on the poll, guys -- the one and only contestant that didn't get a single vote from us was the one who got voted off. Wow, we really have our finger on the pulse of America.

I include myself in that sarcastic comment -- I never thought for a moment that Johns would be in the final three, much less the one eliminated.

I've only been watching Idol the last couple of years, but judging from the reactions of the judges, the audience and the contestants (not to mention Johns) that was the biggest surprise I've ever seen on the show. Carly and Sayesha, who were also in the bottom two (as expected), were as stunned as anybody when they both survived.

Very cruel twist at the end when Seacrest announced that Johns was the low vote getter, then mentioned that last year during "Idol Gives Back" week nobody was eliminated ... he paused a second and then said, "But Michael Johns WILL be leaving us." Cold, man.

[micah75]

Very cruel twist at the end when Seacrest announced that Johns was the low vote getter, then mentioned that last year during "Idol Gives Back" week nobody was eliminated ... he paused a second and then said, "But Michael Johns WILL be leaving us." Cold, man.

That was indeed cold. Sometimes it makes you wonder what's going on behind the scenes.

[Tommac]

That was indeed cold. Sometimes it makes you wonder what's going on behind the scenes.

I like Ryan Seacrest but I thought his ending comments were cruel and tacky torward Michael Johns. It's all about suspense and ratings. Johns was my favorite, now I'll have to find another to pull for.

[blublood]

Along the same lines, I'm really starting to wonder if the producers (or whoever) aren't meddling with these results or skewing the votes to get the result they want. I'm sure there are some federal laws governing contests and whatnot, but I'm equally sure that there are ways around them when millions of dollars in ad revenue are at stake.

[JasonEvans]

Along the same lines, I'm really starting to wonder if the producers (or whoever) aren't meddling with these results or skewing the votes to get the result they want. I'm sure there are some federal laws governing contests and whatnot, but I'm equally sure that there are ways around them when millions of dollars in ad revenue are at stake.

I may be wrong, but I believe the rules say the producers reserve the right to change or alter the results if they want, but they have stated that they never have done that.

That said, what reason would they have for voting Michael off if he was not due to go? If, as seems to be the case, many felt he was among the top 2 or 3 contestants remaining, doesn't it hurt the integrity of the show to vote him off? I cannot see how yesterday's result helps Idol.

I had figured one of the favorites might be in the bottom three (though I thought it would be David Cook), but never felt that person would be voted out. I am betting that the fans of Cook and Archuletta (the two favorites now that Johns is gone) go OT next week to make sure those guys do not get voted out. Cook, especially, will benefit from this ouster as he and Johns had some overlap in terms of fans. There are no other really legit "rockers" left in the competition (maybe Carly, but she is not a league with DCook) and the 2 other guys left are both appealing to teeny-boppers, not rock fans. To some extent, this may assure David Cook of at least a top 3 finish-- so long as he does not turn out more massive stinkers like he did this week.

Back on point- I am still stunned that Johns was voted out. Wow. I agree that Ryan's slow reveal of the "we won't be keeping him around even though last year we kept folks around on the Idol Gives Back Week" was very poorly done and just looked cruel.

I think there is little question that Michael Johns will have a successful career ahead of him as a singer. We'll be hearing him on the radio in the next year, I guarantee it.

--Jason "the look on Carly's face when Johns was voted off was priceless-- she was stunned" Evans

[Lavabe]

That said, what reason would they have for voting Michael off if he was not due to go? If, as seems to be the case, many felt he was among the top 2 or 3 contestants remaining, doesn't it hurt the integrity of the show to vote him off? I cannot see how yesterday's result helps Idol.

---

Back on point- I am still stunned that Johns was voted out. Wow.

Older, foreign-born individual... I am not as stunned. Although his earlier songs were not great, he really did well in the last three weeks. And I believe you're correct in having him competing directly with Cook for the same audience. Looking back at it, I am not stunned, but I am GREATLY disappointed.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[blublood]

I may be wrong, but I believe the rules say the producers reserve the right to change or alter the results if they want, but they have stated that they never have done that.

That said, what reason would they have for voting Michael off if he was not due to go? If, as seems to be the case, many felt he was among the top 2 or 3 contestants remaining, doesn't it hurt the integrity of the show to vote him off? I cannot see how yesterday's result helps Idol.



Well, I think this thread is a case in point - we're talking about Idol. We're talking about the results and how unfair they were. Would we be doing that if just another mediocre singer had been voted off like everybody expected? Probably not.

Speaking from my perspective, I haven't watched the show this season and I couldn't care less about Michael Johns. But - because he was voted out and people seem to feel almost universally that this is outrageous, I'll probably youtube him just to see what all the talk is about. Then I may get curious about these other singers. Then if one of the other singers catches my interest, I'll probably watch the show at least once or twice (not more than that because of our seven-month old!) and that definitely does help Idol.

It just seems kind of suspicious to me that every season of Idol follows exactly the same format: early rounds - people sing. Some are good. Some are awful. Some are bizarre and probably need medical help.

We pick finalists. But one of them has a dark, terrible secret! Antonella has R-rated pix on MySpace! Whatshisname was a gay stripper! Frenchie was in porns!

But the show goes on. Some singers are good. Some are awful. Some are inconsistent. Then, just when you think you've got it all figured out - someone unexpected goes home! Hey, that's not fair! Controversy ensues.

Finalists are picked. We debate their relative merits. One is chosen. Applaud, America! Don't forget to buy their album, even though 90% of albums by previous Idols have really, really underperformed. Dreams can come true. Never give up. Believe in yourself. Blah. Blah. Blah. Fade to black, at least until next season. I wonder what will happen then?

[Tommac]

Cynical but I believe unfortunately true. Wish it were not so.

[Olympic Fan]

I have no idea if the vote is honest or not. Hey, I don't believe the 2000 presidential vote count was honest, so I'm sure not going to put my faith in the Idol vote count.

(PS, just explaining my beliefs -- if you want to debate the 2000 presidential vote, I'll be glad to do it with you on the PPB. I don't want to hijack this thread).

All that said, I think Idol is missing the boat on their voting system. In the two years or so I've watched, I've never voted and never really felt strongly enough FOR any candidate to spend 50 cents or however much it is to vote.

But there have been candidates that I dislike so much that I'd vote AGAINST them. I would have voted against Sanjia last year ... I'd have voted against Jason Castro the last 3-4 weeks.

They'd get a lot more voters if they'd have a number to call and vote against a specific candidate. They could subtract the against votes from the for votes ...

How about it?

[JasonEvans]

I have no idea if the vote is honest or not. Hey, I don't believe the 2000 presidential vote count was honest, so I'm sure not going to put my faith in the Idol vote count.

(PS, just explaining my beliefs -- if you want to debate the 2000 presidential vote, I'll be glad to do it with you on the PPB. I don't want to hijack this thread).

All that said, I think Idol is missing the boat on their voting system. In the two years or so I've watched, I've never voted and never really felt strongly enough FOR any candidate to spend 50 cents or however much it is to vote.

But there have been candidates that I dislike so much that I'd vote AGAINST them. I would have voted against Sanjia last year ... I'd have voted against Jason Castro the last 3-4 weeks.

They'd get a lot more voters if they'd have a number to call and vote against a specific candidate. They could subtract the against votes from the for votes ...

How about it?

Ooooh-- that would be kinda fun. It would certainly add an interesting element.

FWIW, you do not have to pay to vote. The phone calls are free. It is only the texting that costs money to vote.

--Jason "I have probably only voted a couple times in my life-- Chris Daughtry and Blake Lewis are the only folks I can recall voting for" Evans

[edensquad]

I have never understood why the brain trust at American Idol makes these singers sing outside their "format." I mean, c'mon... Reuben is never gonna make a hard rock record, Kelly Clarkson is never gonna record an R & B record.....Carrie Underwood won't make a rap record... and they shouldn't have to sing songs outside their comfort zone.... What pop star can you think of who had to sing a Dolly Parton song to get a pop deal??? Correct answer: nobody except AI contestants.

Kristy, mediocre as she is, should get to sing country every week, (until folks wise up and realize she isn't that good), Syesha should get to belt out diva songs, Brooke should get to resurrect Carly Simon, etc. Why in heavens is it relevant to judge singers based on what they are not comfortable with???? I want to see them at their absolute best.... and judge from there.

That is all ;)

[awhom111]

I have never understood why the brain trust at American Idol makes these singers sing outside their "format." I mean, c'mon... Reuben is never gonna make a hard rock record, Kelly Clarkson is never gonna record an R & B record.....Carrie Underwood won't make a rap record... and they shouldn't have to sing songs outside their comfort zone.... What pop star can you think of who had to sing a Dolly Parton song to get a pop deal??? Correct answer: nobody except AI contestants.

Kristy, mediocre as she is, should get to sing country every week, (until folks wise up and realize she isn't that good), Syesha should get to belt out diva songs, Brooke should get to resurrect Carly Simon, etc. Why in heavens is it relevant to judge singers based on what they are not comfortable with???? I want to see them at their absolute best.... and judge from there.

That is all ;)

I have never felt more pained than the time I had to listen to John Stevens sing for Latin night. It just seems to be a good opportunity to bring in a famous artist for the all-important cross-promotion. At least this year they have had a little more freedom.

[Dukiedevil]

Well, I think this thread is a case in point - we're talking about Idol. We're talking about the results and how unfair they were. Would we be doing that if just another mediocre singer had been voted off like everybody expected? Probably not.

Speaking from my perspective, I haven't watched the show this season and I couldn't care less about Michael Johns. But - because he was voted out and people seem to feel almost universally that this is outrageous, I'll probably youtube him just to see what all the talk is about. Then I may get curious about these other singers. Then if one of the other singers catches my interest, I'll probably watch the show at least once or twice (not more than that because of our seven-month old!) and that definitely does help Idol.

It just seems kind of suspicious to me that every season of Idol follows exactly the same format: early rounds - people sing. Some are good. Some are awful. Some are bizarre and probably need medical help.

We pick finalists. But one of them has a dark, terrible secret! Antonella has R-rated pix on MySpace! Whatshisname was a gay stripper! Frenchie was in porns!

But the show goes on. Some singers are good. Some are awful. Some are inconsistent. Then, just when you think you've got it all figured out - someone unexpected goes home! Hey, that's not fair! Controversy ensues.

Finalists are picked. We debate their relative merits. One is chosen. Applaud, America! Don't forget to buy their album, even though 90% of albums by previous Idols have really, really underperformed. Dreams can come true. Never give up. Believe in yourself. Blah. Blah. Blah. Fade to black, at least until next season. I wonder what will happen then?

You might be right on some of these points, but I actually STOP watching when people I'm interested in get voted off. As soon as Cook get's voted off, I'll stop watching this year as well. And I think he will. I don't think rockers get enough of the voting audience even though a lot of the people who like rock have more buying power.

I guess my point is 14 year olds (who like pop) have nothing better to do than vote.