Thursday, April 24, 2008
A.I.6 Six > Five
Everyone who watches American Idol knows it's a 60/40 popularity/singing contest. Nevertheless, it's always startling when someone who seems set to be in the finals is sent home. Particularly in the aftermath of Brooke re-starting and Jason botching altogether, last night was surprising although Carly seemed less surprised than the rest of us (and Dial Idol got it right, which they don't every week but did this time). Carly did forget some of the lyrics on Tuesday but that's rarely a dismissible offense on A.I. and, anyway, she didn't stop and start over like Brooke. I find it astonishing that Brooke's fans rallied 'round after a *third* restart and all her answering back to the judges and her lip pursing and pouting and (fake?) trembling. But Simon is probably right that Teens Who Vote thought Brooke's mistake made her seem "human" and that Jason's blue-eyed charm overrode his bad singing for them (ugh). I do think Carly was almost certain to be excluded from the top three because of the combination of her being Irish (can you say American Idol?) and an angry rocker chick and having too many tattoos (not to mention those on her husband's face - and where was he last night, by the way?) and her constant seeking of Simon's approval and her apparent sense of deserving all this. So I should have seen this coming. (One blog commenter I read mentioned that some people might have been offended by Carly's song choice. I hadn't even thought of that but with all the millions of teens who are voting and probably have no idea what Jesus Christ Superstar is really all about, they may indeed have thought it was incredibly sacrilegious. JCS is actually a tribute that extols love instead of hate. But who says Idol watchers are old enough or inquisitive enough to know about JCS. Anyway, that's an alarming but possible explanation.)
Which leads me to wonder what the popularity-contest aspect of A.I. means in terms of the final 2 and the winner. With that in mind and with who's available now:
-my heaven-help-us prediction is David A. + Brooke with David A. winning
-my preferred prediction is David C. + Jason with David C. winning
-my actual prediction is David A. + David C. with David C. winning or a tie
Next is Neil Diamond week. I'd love it if someone did Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show. Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone go . . . but please don't let David A. do I Am I Said, one of Diamond's few schmaltzy slow songs. Jason and Brooke will *have* to be perkier than usual and I bet Jason does Song Sung Blue. I think the week could be lots of fun for David C. and Sayesha but you never know.
Hey, today is Kelly Clarkson's 26th birthday and Barbra Streisand's 66th. Diva birthday, eh?
Which leads me to wonder what the popularity-contest aspect of A.I. means in terms of the final 2 and the winner. With that in mind and with who's available now:
-my heaven-help-us prediction is David A. + Brooke with David A. winning
-my preferred prediction is David C. + Jason with David C. winning
-my actual prediction is David A. + David C. with David C. winning or a tie
Next is Neil Diamond week. I'd love it if someone did Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show. Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone go . . . but please don't let David A. do I Am I Said, one of Diamond's few schmaltzy slow songs. Jason and Brooke will *have* to be perkier than usual and I bet Jason does Song Sung Blue. I think the week could be lots of fun for David C. and Sayesha but you never know.
Hey, today is Kelly Clarkson's 26th birthday and Barbra Streisand's 66th. Diva birthday, eh?
Permalink | 
| posted by jau at 9:14 AM
jau — at 4:45 AM, April 26, 2008:
ligneus — at 1:46 PM, April 27, 2008:
ligneus — at 1:46 PM, April 27, 2008:
| posted by jau at 9:14 AM
4 more:
jau — at 4:45 AM, April 26, 2008:
I agree about ALW: he was terrific. Never liked him all that much before, even in interviews. Perhaps he enjoyed himself, too. I'm not sure who'd he'd choose to win, are you?
Never considered that British men's mannerisms come from self-consciousness, though I did notice them, of course. Why would Britmen be more self-conscious than, say, Frenchmen? I mean, I see that they are but I wonder why? Rach and every one didn't go to public schools, after all. And, yes, it seems charming although also a bit uncomfortable. (Which describes ALW, come to think of it.)
Funny what you say about David C. I have a friend at work who is so enamored - besotted would be a more accurate word - that she has pictures of him at her desk and has downloaded all his previously recorded songs.
So who would you pick, now?
Never considered that British men's mannerisms come from self-consciousness, though I did notice them, of course. Why would Britmen be more self-conscious than, say, Frenchmen? I mean, I see that they are but I wonder why? Rach and every one didn't go to public schools, after all. And, yes, it seems charming although also a bit uncomfortable. (Which describes ALW, come to think of it.)
Funny what you say about David C. I have a friend at work who is so enamored - besotted would be a more accurate word - that she has pictures of him at her desk and has downloaded all his previously recorded songs.
So who would you pick, now?
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ligneus — at 1:46 PM, April 27, 2008:
Well, I don't like the two davids much, Jason just doesn't have it though he's different and that counts for something, Sayesha should be less ambitious in her song choices and that leaves Brooke! Who I find kind of endearing, [being a soft hearted guy] and in my not very musically knowledgeable way, find more musical than the others.
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ligneus — at 1:46 PM, April 27, 2008:
PS. I'm off the damn internet again so comment and postings will be sparse to non-existent for a while.
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ALW was a real professional and also a typical stiff English man! There are so many of them with those funny tics and mannerisms born of an excruciating self consciousness, as if they're thinking what on earth am I doing here and how can I get away. Maybe 'foreigners' find it charming but you do wish they could relax a bit and be themselves.
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