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American Idol: Top 36 Revealed!

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:33:56 +0000

Posted Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:22pm PST by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks

After last night’s Idol blog, there seems to be some confusion, most of it caused by yours truly. I apparently contradicted myself multiple times last night, praising some contestants for being “good TV” (Nathaniel Marshall, Norman Gentle) while criticizing others for being nothing more than ratings-magnet drama queens (Tatiana Del Toro, for one). And I additionally applauded other contestants, like Leneshe Young and Jasmine Murray, for being mellow and drama-free. So which is it, some readers understandably queried. What exactly do I want from American Idol? Do I want good TV, or do I want good singers?

The answer, dear readers, is I want both. Duh!

Sorry I wasn’t clearer last night. Yes, I admit I enjoy all the drama and hype and ridiculousness that comes with AmIdol. Contestant catfighting, awesomely awful auditions…bring it on, I say. But ultimately, if all a contestant has to offer is “good TV,” then I’m not going to buy their not-so-good albums once their TV show is over, am I?

So this is why I like, say, Nathaniel Marshall. The guy is a total hoot, a camera hog, a basket case who bursts into tears if anyone so much as glances at him sideways. Fabulous! That’s some must-see TV, right there. But…Nathaniel can sing, too. This is the same reason why I liked Danny Noriega and Josiah Leming last season–both boys made for gripping television whenever they received screen time (Danny for his hair flips and flippant remarks, Josiah for his ceaseless blubbering), but both also had genuine talent.

And then there’s this season’s Norman Gentle. He is 100 percent entertainment whenever he hits the Idol stage/screen, and though I don’t necessarily believe he can win this whole shebang, I do believe he’s a real comedic talent, someone who’d definitely have a chance on Last Comic Standing…and I’m certainly glad he’s around to liven up this season and wedge himself under Simon Cowell’s increasingly irritated skin.

But then there’s the sob stories. Sure, finding out a contestant is blind, or widowed, or orphaned, or a struggling single parent…this makes us develop emotional attachments to these singers, see them as somehow more deserving than some pampered contestant who’s led a cushy life, and yes, it makes for good TV. But I don’t want anyone to win JUST because viewers feel sorry for them.

And then there’s…Tatiana. Whom I don’t feel sorry for at all. (Though I do feel sorry for whoever had to be roommates with her during Hollywood Week!) Sure, some of her hissyfits are entertaining. They’re “good TV,” just like Glitter Girl’s tantrums or Sanjaya Malakar’s faux-hawk are “good TV.” But most of the time, Tatiana is just bad, bad, bad. Bad TV, bad singing, bad fashion sense, bad attitude, bad everything.

And then there are those unfortunate instances when a true talent gets passed over because, I assume, he/she is upstaged by all the Normans and Nathaniels and Tatianas and various sob stories. Leneshe Young is a perfect example of this sort of injustice. And that bums me out. Just because I enjoy watching Norman’s clowning or Nathaniel’s 19th nervous breakdown doesn’t mean I don’t want someone like Leneshe to also get her shot.

So, in summary: My ideal, Franksteined-together season 8 Idol champ would possess the vocal prowess of Jasmine Murray and Lil’ Rounds, the star power of Adam Lambert, the songwriting ability of Leneshe Young, the oddball humor of Norman Gentle, the eccentric rocker style of Jackie Tohn, and the unhinged passion of Nathaniel Marshall. Is that too much to ask?

Um, probably. But did any of these contestants (other than poor Leneshe, of course, who was already unjustly cut last night) make it to the all-important top 36? Tonight was the night we all found out.

So, despite reports of AmIdol’s supposed decline–and hard economic times in general–season 8’s over-ominously titled “final judgment” episode seemed to get a bit of an upscale upgrade compared to past seasons, as it took place in a posh, Oriental-carpeted, antique-crammed mansion. And there’d be a new twist as well: some on-the-fence contestants would be forced to sing one more song, competing against each other, in some sort of suspense-filled singoff-to-the-death.

The first singer to strut into that mansion’s hallowed Hollywood halls was Anoop “Dogg” Tsai–who made it through, much to my delight. Anoop Dogg in da house! Next was Von “Indulgent Nonsense” Smith, the guy with the big lungs and, seemingly, big ego. And here’s a big bummer: Von also made it. Yikes. I better purchase a pair of those fancy custom-fit earplugs and reinforce my windows to make sure they’re shatterproof, before this shrill showoff belts it out on future Idol episodes. Well, at least I wasn’t forced to listen to him sing tonight, since there was no Anoop/Von singoff here.

Cody Sheldon, rocking a haircut even cuter than the one he auditioned with and pretty much looking like a long-lost fourth Jonas Brother, entered the mansion next, and he was the first contestant forced to “sing for his life.” Cody was pitted against his friend Alex Wagner-Trugman; in my opinion, Alex sang slightly better, but Cody had oodles more charisma and confidence. It was close, dawg. But in the end, the judges went with Alex. I was crushed, since Cody was one of my early favorites (he was, in fact, the first contestant I got really psyched about, way back in episode 1). And he deserved a chance waaaay more than vociferous Von. Talk about “nonsense”! How could Cody get cut and Von stay?

But my sorrow was short-lived, thankfully. Because up next was the undeniably awesome Adam Lambert. The judges tried to do their usual stupid fakeout shtick, when they pretend they’re rejecting someone, but I saw through their ruse. I just KNEW in my bones that Adam was not going home. He’s just too rad. Even when Simon Cowell said, “It’s not good news,” I just KNEW his next quip would be, “It’s great news!” I wasn’t worried, and to be honest, Adam didn’t seem worried either. A guy who can audition with a Cher song, after all, is a confident man indeed. So despite any faux suspense, Adam made the top 36 with ease, no singoff required. Who could ever win in a singoff against a powerhouse divo (that’s a “male diva”) like Adam Lambert?

Next was Jordin Sparks 2.0., aka 8-foot-tall teenager Taylor Vaifanua. I’ve been kind of neutral about this one–she has natural talent, and natural beauty, yes, but she’s somehow never wowed me. The judges at first seemed un-wowed by her as well, as if they were about to cut her…but it turned out they were just doing the fakeout thing again. Taylor made it through. I was neither glad nor mad. Just…eh.

A bevy of female cuties made it through in quick succession after that: Jasmine Murray (yay!), Arianna Afsar (who?), Casey Carlson (whatever), Megan Corkrey (yay!), Mishavonna Henson (sure, fine), and Stevie Wright (eh). And then it was judgment time for…Joanna Pacitti.

I already figured that this industry veteran and former Geffen Records priority signing, what is known Idol blogosphere as a “plant,” would make it through, without being forced to do a singoff. This despite the fact that even she admitted she forgot her words EVERY TIME she auditioned this season. Every time! You’d think a chick who’d been groomed for pop stardom practically since birth and sang on Broadway at age 12 would know how to memorize lyrics by now. But anyway, there was still a little part of me hoping that the judges would say, “It’s a no, dawg.”

They kept Joanna–and me–on pins and needles for a few minutes, grilling her about “what kind of artist she wants to be.” Apparently Joanna had no discernible identity or style, according to the judges. Wow, the girl had something like 15 years to develop some sort of unique personality, and the judges were still stumped here? More reason to send Joanna home, I thought. “When is it gonna be that time [for you to break out]?” Randy asked her. “When somebody gives her a break,” Simon countered. Hmmm…so let’s see…getting a role in a Broadway play, securing a record deal with Geffen, and having her songs on several major motion picture soundtracks weren’t “breaks”? Whatever. Joanna got her “real” break and made the Idol top 36, as I expected. Insert eyeroll here…

Three more dudes got axed next–T.K. Hash, Chris Chatman, and Reggie Beasley. The latter two I honestly do not remember at all, so it’s no surprise they didn’t make it. Then the judges did the cruel fakeout thing with Kendall Beard (”It’s not good news,” Paula Abdul teased. “It’s FANTASTIC news!”), and poor Kendall looked like she was about to have an aneurysm from the unnecessary stress.

(You know, I wish someone would tell these contestants that the more dragged-out and longwinded the judges’ pre-decision speeches are, the more likely it is that their answer is YES. If the singers knew that no’s are delivered quickly, in a rip-off-the-Band-Aid manner, and yesses are delivered via protracted, deceptive methods, then the poor contestants who do make it through wouldn’t be so frazzled that they’d practically have to leave the judges’ room in a straitjacket.)

The next singoff of the night came down to Kristin McNamara, she of the two-toned hair and superior vocal range, and Jen Corbi, the woman who auditioned with her husband but had to leave him behind when she made it to Hollywood and he didn’t. I preferred Kristin, but wasn’t too emotionally invested in either girl. As Simon put it: “Do you want the blonde attractive one, or the other one?” They were mostly interchangeable to me. But it was Kristin that made it through, and that was the right girl, I suppose. Not that I really cared.

Alexis Grace, hoping to increase her odds by streaking her hair with pink dye (a magenta-haired chick ALWAYS makes the finals, and with the elimination of pinky Emily Wynne-Hughes, Alexis’s chances were even better). And Alexis was indeed in the pink: She made it, and she probably made it based her fabulous voice, not her fabulous follicles.

Blind guy Scott MacIntyre, who frankly has not impressed me that much (yes, it’s impressive how he’s overcome his disability, but I don’t dig his voice), was next. And the results for him were outta sight! (Sorry.) He made it too, and when he exited the judgment room, Ryan Seacrest thankfully refrained from trying to high-five him.

Lil’ Rounds was up next, looking stunning, already like a real star. I figured the chance of her getting through was so certain, I could go take a bathroom break and not even bother sticking around for the results. But just in case the judges’ fakeout was not fake, I stuck around. And hey, guess what? She made it. The judges are getting so predictable.

Felicia Barton, Ashley Hollister, and Devon Baldwin were then all swiftly and succinctly rejected, one after the other. “You didn’t make it,” Simon said with zero fakeout fanfare. If the judges delivered their good news to the top 36 just as quickly, tonight’s episode would have only been 30 minutes long, not two whole hours.

But no, the proceedings were prolonged with yet another singoff, this one between Amy Winehouse wannabe (Wine-a-be?) Frankie Jordan, who gave it one last “sing for survival” try with a lovely and subtle rendition of Brandi Carlile’s “The Story,” and soul belter Jesse Langseth, who went for broke with Nikka Costa’s “Like A Feather” and kind of overdid it. Jesse’s audition was a mess, and Simon said it was a “terrible song.” (FYI, it’s not a terrible song. It’s just terrible when Jesse sings it.) For some reason Jesse made it anyway (I thought Frankie’s understated audition was way better), but Simon managed to make both of them feel like crud when he delivered the news.

“If it’s any consolation, Frankie, you wouldn’t have won anyway,” he snarled. “There are better girls here than you.” (Wow, way to kick a girl while she’s down, Simon!) Then he turned to Jesse and added, “And there are better girls here than you too, Jesse.” What a jerk. He couldn’t even let Jesse have her moment.

Shera Lawrence and Derik Lavers were quickly dismissed in a slightly less cruel but equally efficient manner, then redheaded 16-year-old Allison Iraheta, whom Paula Abdul called a “dark horse” despite her neon hair, got through. Then it was judgment time for BFFs Danny Gokey and Jamar Rogers. If I had to choose between the two, I’d pick soulful, stylish Jamar over dorky nice guy Danny, but I had a feeling that Danny, with his young-widower sob story and everyman likability, would be the one to make it. And I also had a feeling that the judges would split up Danny and Jamar, just to create extra drama and make Danny’s victory bittersweet. And hey, I was correct on both counts: Danny was in, Jamar was out.

What a shame. I really liked Jamar, plus I know he would have been a foolproof support system for Danny during the rest of the season. Hopefully Jamar will still be there for Danny, sitting in the Kodak Theater cheering and hoisting up a “Danny Rulz!” glitterglue sign. Judging from the classy way Jamar handled his rejection, I believe that will be the case. And the judges did encourage Jamar to audition again next season, so maybe he’ll get another shot at Idol without having to compete against his best buddy.

Ricky Braddy (who?), Matt Giraud (fine), Ju’Not Joyner (cool), Jorge Nunez (blech), Brent Keith (seriously, who?) all made it through next, all less deserving than Jamar in my not-so-humble opinion. Oh well. Then Stephen Fowler (not to be confused with that same-named jerk from Wife Swap) got in, and I was thrilled. I like that guy, he’s so full of good vibes.

Then came the moment I’d been waiting one hour and 27 minutes for: the moment of truth for Norman Gentle. He showed up as his “real” self, Nick Mitchell, in a somber suit jacket more appropriate for the mansion’s classy surroundings. But I missed his shiny shirt and Bermuda shorts, personally. I don’t dig serious Nick, I prefer Norman the nutjob. And so did the judges, apparently, because guess what? Oh my gawd…NORMAN GENTLE MADE THE TOP 36!!! Is this some sort of crazy dream? If it is, please don’t wake me up. I cannot wait for this guy to perform on ’80s Night. Please please please let him do a Weird Al song or something…or maybe “Pacman Fever.” My mind boggles, thinking of all the comic-genius possibilities…

Speaking of the ’80s, fannypack-favoring retro-rock chick Jackie Tohn was up next, and for some reason Simon suddenly wanted to rush through the decision-delivering process and cut right to the chase. Guess he was getting as bored as I was, one hour and 40 minutes into the show. So, Jackie found out rather quickly that she’d made it. Yay!

Then came Tatiana Del Toro. Man, speaking of boring–am I bored of this tiresome chick or what? I’ve had enough of her tantrums and screaming and crying and posing and squeaking and squawking. ”Just try for once not to be annoying,” Simon told her as she entered the room. (C’mon, Simon–that’s like telling Scott MacIntyre to try not to be blind. Tatiana is just annoying, period. It’s in her DNA.) Well, it turns out Tatiana is sticking around to annoy me and millions of others for a little while longer, because she made the top 36 tonight. And she started with the annoying shtick right away, when she ran out of the judges’ room screaming like a horror-movie heroine being chased by a hockey-masked axe murderer.

People of America, please vote this chick off next week.

It was then time for another sudden-death singoff, between Jackie Midkiff and, as worded by Ryan Seacrest, “the emotional Nathaniel Marshall.” A sob story then unfolded about Nathaniel’s unstable childhood that not only explained why he’s such a basket case but all but ensured his place in the top 36. He also referred to himself as “the new David Bowie”–which was little bit far-reaching, I must say, but at least he revealed that he has good influences. And he had good pants, too–bright, White Stripesy red ones. Nathaniel sang “I’m Already There,” and he was indeed already there–in the top 36, that is. Man, between Adam, Norman, and this guy, its going to be one kooky-krazy season.

Jeanine Vailes, Kai Kalama, Anne-Marie Voskovich, and Kris Allen then all squeaked through, before a final faceoff between the show’s two working-class heroes, welder Matt Breitzke and oil rigger Michael Sarver. I figured these two brawny bro’s might battle for a spot in the top 36 via some sort of no-holds-barred, UFC-style cagematch (talk about good TV!), but instead Matt sang Ian Moore’s “Satisfied” and Michael went with some bland ballad I didn’t recognize. I personally didn’t care who made it through, and in the end it didn’t matter–this was all a stall tactic, and both got in. I still think a UFC cage battle would be cool, though.

And so, there’s the top 36–which, it should be noted, exactly matches the spoiler list that’s been posted on Vote For The Worst for weeks now. For those of you who didn’t see that list, didn’t watch tonight’s results show, and/or can’t be bothered to read this looonnng blog and have just impatiently scrolled to the bottom, the full list is below.

Let the real games begin!
THE TOP 36:

Adam Lambert

Alexander Wagner-Trugman

Alexis Grace

Allison Iraheta

Anne-Marie Boskovich

Anoop Desai

Arianna Afsar

Brent Keith

Casey Carlson

Danny Gokey

Jackie Tohn

Jasmine Murray

Jeanine Vailes

Jessica Langseth

Joanna Pacitti

Jorge Nunez

Ju’Not Joyner

Kai Kalama

Kendall Beard

Kristin McNamara

Kris Allen

Lil’ Rounds

Matt Breitzke

Matt Giraud

Megan Corkrey

Michael Sarver

Mishavonna Henson

Nathaniel Marshall

Norman Gentle

Ricky Braddy

Scott MacIntyre

Stephen Fowler

Stevie Wright

Taylor Vaifanua

Tatiana Del Toro

Von Smith

American Idol Season 8 - Hollywood Week - Part 3 - VIDEO

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:04:31 +0000

Hollywood Day 4 - 72 contestants vie for a spot in what turns out to be the Top 54. They perform solo, with instruments, if they wish. At the end of the day, they are divided up into 4 different rooms and told who made it, and who did not.

Room 2 is IN, including: Nate Marshall, Casey Carlson, Joanna Pacitti, Stephen Fowler, Alex Wagner-Trugman, Arianna Ayesha Afsar, Kai Kalama, Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver, Jasmine Murray, Kenny Haufpouer, Von Smith, Ricky Braddy and Shera Lawrence.

Room 3 is CUT, and leaving the competition, including Michael Castro, India Morrison, Kaylan Lloyd, Leneshe Young, and Ryan Johnson, Justin Williams.

Room 1 is IN, including: Danny Gokey, Jamar Rogers, Kendall Beard, Kristen McNamara, Anoop Desai, Mishavonna Henson, Jackie Tohn, John Twiford, Taylor Vaifanua, Adam Lambert, Lil Rounds, Scott Macintyre, Stevie Wright, Jeanine Vailes, Ariana Asfar, Meghan Corkrey

Room 4 is IN, including, Ann Marie Boskovich, Cody Sheldon, Tatiana Del Toro, Brent Keith, Jenn Korbee, Matt Breitzke, Jackie Midkiff, Junot Joyner, Nick Mitchell, Felicia Barton, T.K. Hash, Devon Baldwin, Chris Chatman, Jesse Langseth

Adam Lambert - “Believe” by Cher - VIDEO
Matt Giraud - “Georgia” by Ray Charles

- VIDEO
Jamar Rogers - “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White Ts - VIDEO
Danny Gokey - “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack - VIDEO
Anoop Desai - “My Perogative” by Bobby Brown - VIDEO
Jorge Nunez - “Closer” by Ne-Yo - VIDEO
Scott McIntyre - “Home” by Daughtry - VIDEO
Kendall Beard - “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood - VIDEO
Stevie Wright - “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat - VIDEO
Lil Rounds “I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys

- VIDEO
Kristen McNamara - “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson - VIDEO
Mishavonna Henson - “Everything” by Michael Buble - VIDEO
Tatiana Del Toro - “I’m Your Baby Tonight” by Whitney Houston - VIDEO
Alexis Grace “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood - VIDEO
Kenny Haufpouer - “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz - VIDEO
Jasmine Murray -”Tattoo” by Jordin Sparks - VIDEO
Nate Marshall - “Disturbia” by Rihanna - VIDEO
Joanna Pacitti - “I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys - VIDEO
Casey Carlson - “Tattoo” by Jordin Sparks - VIDEO
Stephen Fowler - “Time of My Life” by David Cook - VIDEO
Nick Mitchell as Normund Gentle - “Georgia” by Ray Charles - VIDEO
Anne Marie Boskovich - “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack - VIDEO
JuNot Joyner - “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White Ts - VIDEO
Kaylan Lloyd - “I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys - VIDEO
Leneshe Young - “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles -VIDEO
Kai Kalama - “Part Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder - VIDEO
Michael Sarver - “All or Nothing” by O Town - VIDEO
India Morrison - VIDEO

Over 2 Dozen Idols Set to Attend the Grand Opening of the American Idol Experience

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:02:16 +0000

Check out the list of Idols set to appear at Walt Disney World on Thursday for the Grand Opening of the new American Idol Experience attraction.

Twenty-five Idols, plus Paula Abdul, Ryan Seacrest, and Idol creator Simon Fuller will be in attendance. All the Idol winners will be present, except for Kelly Clarkson.

The Park will close on Thursday at 6 pm for a private party, but the public is invited to watch the motorcade that begins at 4:30 PM.

Also, according to this article, the Top 5, David Cook, David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado, Jason Castro and Brooke White, recorded videos that are about “the blending of two giant brands, Disney and Idol.”

I’m hearing that the Top 5 of each new season of Idol will record videos for the attraction.

See the list, after the JUMP…

Paula Abdul
David Archuleta
Fantasia Barrino
Bo Bice
Jason Castro
David Cook
Bucky Covington
Diana DeGarmo
Melinda Doolittle
Simon Fuller (Idol Creator)
Josh Gracin
Justin Guarini
Taylor Hicks
Michael Johns
LaKisha Jones
Kimberley Locke
Sanjaya Malakar
Mandisa
Syesha Mercado
Ryan Seacrest
Chris Sligh
Carly Smithson
Jordin Sparks
Phil Stacey
Ruben Studdard
Carrie Underwood
Brooke White
Ace Young

Carrie Underwood Nominated for Entertainer of The Year, Top Female Vocalist

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:01:24 +0000

and Jessica Simpson were on hand this morning to announce the nominees for The Academy of Country Music Awards.

Carrie Underwood was nominated for “Entertainer of the Year” with all the big boys–Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, George Strait and Keith Urban! Impressive. Congratulations Carrie…

Plus, Carrie is nominated for Top Female Vocalist, along with Miranda Lambert Heidi Newfield, Taylor Swift and Lee Ann Womack. It’ll be interesting if the crown gets passed to the mega-album selling Taylor Swift this year.

Dancing with the Stars Julianne Hough is nominated in the Top New Female Vocalist category. And Carrie Underwood’s video for “Just a Dream” was nominated as Video of the Year.

There are no Idol nominees in the Single Record, Song of the Year or Vocal Event categories.

The Academy of Country Music Awards air on ABC, Sunday, April 5, 8/7c pm.

Hollywood 4 Rooms Episode

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:59:55 +0000

Hollywood Week #3

This is the “this room stays” episode. Usually it’s pretty bad, but ever since Idol hit Hollywood it’s been on a bit of a roll. This episode rips through 28 performances (out of 72) and we get glimpses of all of our favorites who made it and who went home in under an hour. Because of the relentless editing, if you don’t have TiVo this was a useless episode.

Oh, and Tatiana cried and stole the show again.
———————————————————
I’ll just comment on some of the people that we might be dealing with in the Finals.

1. Adam Lambert — sings “Believe” by Cher, but in a slowed-down, hyper-emotional ballad style. Yes, this guy is getting more entertaining as he goes along. The clips from episodes past remind us that the judges think he’s “Too theatrical.” That’s exactly why we love Adam.

2. Matt “Dueling Pe-enist” Giraud — He saved his group’s performance with his excellent tenor harmonizing. He plays his dueling pian’ah and does a Taylor Hicks impression on “Georgia” with facial ticks, falsetto leaps and vocalise runs. Matt’s about as over-the-top as Adam is. He’s not nearly as interesting as Adam, but he’s decent.

3. Danny ‘N’ Jamar — These Bosom Buddies continue to bore me, even though Jamar hurts us with his Aaron Neville singing through a fan staccato song stylings. He’s still dull. Danny sings some “Sense of Wondah” inspirational twaddle that makes Paula giddy. Well, we know he can sing on charity telethons. Snooze.

5. Anoop Desai — Anoop rocks on Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative.” Bonus points for originality and ironic usage of a cheesy song by a drug-addled celebrity has-been.

6. Blind Scott — Sings Daughtry and is pretty iffy vocally. He’s gaspy and mostly out of tune. “I found out Paula gave me a standing ovation” he says. See, he’s mediocre, has a sob story that you’re reminded of every time you see him, and Paula is having his child. AMERICAN IDOL WINNER! And he’ll definitely get VFTW votes when he hangs around long enough so that all of our no-chancers have gone home.

7. Lil Rounds — She’s over-singing and blowing out the mic, so of course she stays. I still don’t like her.

8. Kristen Boobs – She’s going for it, and she’s so far over the top that we can’t help loving her.

9. Tatiana — She’s a singing machine, she never stops singing, or being annoying, either. She sings Whitney, of course, and ends the song in a fluttering dead bird vocal run that doesn’t end as much as croaks. She gets yanked around by the Idol Producers. She’s forced to move rooms, and the funniest moment of the night comes when she walks in the door of her new room and you could just see everyone’s hopes and dreams die. You know she makes it, though. And she has a nervous breakdown afterwards. Awesome.

10. Alexis Grace — She’s got a pink and blonde bob. We’ve never seen her before but she’s pretty bad singing Carrie Underwood. We’ll keep an eye on her.

11. Drama Queen Nathaniel — plays guitar and sings the worlds “disturbia” over and over. You picked a perfect song, dude. And he’s through. YES!

12. Joanna Pacitti — Gasps and botches Alicia Keyes, forgetting her words. Yes! When she melts down in the Finals it will make it all that much more awesome. The Evil Idol Producers let several more people who botched the lyrics through to the finals so that Joanna doesn’t look like SUCH A TOTAL PLANT!!! It doesn’t fool us, though.

13. Casey Carlson — Pretty hot girl who got her boobs out to help fight cancer. She screws up her lyrics, so we’ll keep our eyes on her, too.

14. Stephen Fowler — He was great last week, but screws up this week. His voice is still superb on the parts he remembers. Sort of a R&B Al Green style. He’s probably too subtle for this show, but I still like him.

15. Nick Norman Gentle — He keeps getting better. Nick-Norman goes for the gusto in his final audition, breaking out his Norman Gentle personal (like there was really any doubt), and Norman’s over-wrought, super-gay rendition of “Georgia” is pretty funny. AND HE MAKES IT THROUGH!!! This guy’s got balls the size of cantaloupes. Norman is awesome.

16. Roughneck Michael — The producers remind us he’s an oil-rigger. His mumble-singing is out of tune and completely off-tempo. I’m pretty sure Michael butchers an O-Town song, so maybe there’s some Worter in him yet.

In a blink and you miss them final round-up a bunch of people who we’ve either never seen or can’t remember made it to Hollywood. And that’s the show.

Full List of the American Idol 8 Top 36…. looks legit

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:58:43 +0000

A list of the top 36 was just sent to us via e-mail. How reliable is this list? It looks like it! We’ve talked to JoesPlace and done some more research and we’re all pretty sure this is right. Thanks to JP for helping us out with this, we make a good team. So here you go, without further ado, more likely than not, your top 36 (click read more for the list). That’s a pretty big spoiler! (Updated 2/4/09)

Adam Lambert
Alexander Wagner-Trugman
Alexis Grace
Allison Iraheta
Ann Marie Boskovich
Anoop Desai
Arianna Ayesha Afsar
Brent Keith
Casey Carlson
Danny Gokey
Jackie Tohn
Jasmine Murray
Jeanine Vailes
Jessica Langseth
Joanna Pacitti
Jorge Nunez
Junot Joyner
Kai Kalama
Kendall Beard
Kristen McNamara
Kris Allen
Lil Rounds
Matt Breitzke
Matt Giraud
Megan Corkrey
Michael Sarver (JoesPlace says this is our mystery Michael)
Mishavonna Henson
Nathaniel Marshall
Nick Mitchell
Ricky Braddy
Scott MacIntyre
Stephen Fowler
Stevie Wright
Taylor Vaifanua
Tatiana Del Toro
Von Smith

Even More AI Hollywood Week Spoilers

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:53:50 +0000

Wow, they’re coming in fast and furious. King Julien from Idol Forums (you need to be a member to see) has found more potential Hollywood

Week contestants, and you can find those after the jump.

In the meantime, Joesplace has taken all the rest of the spoilers found so far, and compiled them into a handy-dandy post over at Vote For the Worst. Check it out HERE. She’s also got her own blog HERE.

Some notables from the lists:

Kristen McNamara: Super planty! She was a previous Star Search and Nashville Star contestant. ( Her music ? Not very country, although she does yodel) She boasts a 4 octave range and has been a regular National Anthem singer at 49er games. Her bio says she’s working/writing with Chris Trevett, (Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, Britney Spears, Aaron Carter) finishing and indie record. Her Nashville Star Star profile says she’s opened for Lonestar, Collin Raye, Diamond Rio, Montgomery Gentry, Kenny Chesney, Kevin Sharp, Travis Tritt and Glen Campbell. Recording with John Stewart - Video.

Natasha Valentin - According to IDF and VFTW, she was a contestant on Nashville Star. Her Videos and MySpace

Stephanie Britt - If this girl is the same Stephanie Britt, she’ll fit right in next to the Utah folk. Lolz.

Allison Iraheta - She’s got her own fansite, if that means anything. She won the “Celebrate Life with Hope” award from Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, and sang at the benefit with Babyface. She won a Telemundo

reality show called Quinceañera in 2006.

Ashley Anderson -She’s another singer/songwriter type. She’s really good! My Space

Phoebe Holiday - Yet another singer/songwriter

Kendall Beard - And yet another singer/songwriter. Am I detecting a trend?

Sharon Wilbur - Christian singer/songwriter

Julissa Veloz - She worked with Gerry Williams, who produced Justin Timberlake and Celine Dion. She’s a model and did a test shoot for Abercrombie and Fitch

Ryan P.A. Johnson - He won the Fox19 AI contest. His Christian Rock band is on tour right now.
My Space, Website, Video, Music, CD, Fox19

If you have a tip? Give me a holler at mjsbigblog. Check out more spoilery stuff Here and Here.

Kristen McNamara
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/kristenmcnamara
Website: http://www.kristenmcnamara.com/

Aubrey Logan
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/aubreylogan
Website: http://www.aubreylogan.com/

Jeremy Sarver
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeremy-Sarver/1097262409

Stephanie Britt
Website: http://www.stephaniebritt.com/user/home.php

Reggi Beasley
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/greggibeascock

Allison Iraheta
Website: http://www.allisoniraheta.net/

Bryan Peterson
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/brianpeterson

Amy Mcintosh
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Amy-McIntosh/610652466

Ashley Anderson
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/doyouwannaillletyou

Ashley Hollister
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Ashley-Hollister/700860804

Dominique Brown
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Dominique-Brown/1278995170

Arianna Afsaro

Patricia Roman

Jesus Valenzuela

Dominic Lynch

Alan Jackson

Sarah Houghton – I’m not sure if she is related to or is Raquel Houghton.

‘Bikini Girl’ Dishes On ‘Idol’ Girl ‘Haters,’ Contemplates Playboy

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:52:48 +0000

Ejected ‘American Idol’ hopeful Katrina Darrell says other ‘Idol’ Divas ‘threw me under the bus.’

After striking out and only reaching her voice mail, “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest finally got through to ousted contestant Katrina “Bikini Girl” Darrell on Thursday (February 5) on his 102.7 KIIS-FM radio show. And, despite the several onscreen kisses Darrell planted on Seacrest during her short, controversial run on the show, the multi-tasking “Idol” master of ceremonies made it pretty obvious that he was not impressed with Darrell’s behavior on the program.

“There are a lot of women who wouldn’t get along with you and didn’t on the show and didn’t as viewers,” Seacrest said, explaining that the swimsuit model came off as a “very polarizing force” on the show. He added, “And there are some that, believe it or not, actually understand you.”

Darrell, who did not endear herself to her group-singing teammates in the “Divas” quartet during the second round of Hollywood Week when she quit rehearsing early to go to sleep and then would not get out of bed the following day, claiming illness, responded by saying, “I know. It’s crazy. A lot of girls are haters.”

Seacrest took it to Darrell, asking her if she purposely created “a lot of drama” and goaded the other women on the show into “loathing” her. He also called her “kind of a bad sport” for not joining in the group hug after three of the four Divas were sent home.

“No, I don’t think so,” she said. “I’ve been nice to everyone.” She explained that she felt she was pleasant to her teammates and that they were nice to her to her face, then “threw me under the bus” and then acted nice to her again after the audition. “If you don’t like someone, you don’t like someone. … I’m not into the drama.”

After playing a clip of Darrell’s on-air excuse that she had to go to bed because her back hurt from wearing high heels all day — which she said aggravated her scoliosis — Seacrest said, “Katrina, this is the shot of a lifetime. Who cares if your feet hurt?” Darrell shot back that she “rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed” and that though it looked like she went to bed, she only got two hours of sleep, during which the Divas were calling her the entire time and coming in and out of her room.

Darrell did not deny that there was tension from the beginning with new judge Kara DioGuardi. ” ‘Oh, I think you’re a beautiful girl, and I like your derriere.’ And then, as soon as I walk out, ‘She’s a b—h.’ You know what I mean?” she said, referring to comments DioGuardi made about her on-air. When Seacrest brought up DioGuardi’s most cutting comment, “Next time, bring your pole,” Darrell got defensive.

“I am not a stripper,” she said. “I do have a stripper pole in my room. But that’s only for fitness. It’s not for any other reason. So don’t get it twisted.” Mockingly, Seacrest replied, “That’s shocking. … It’s to tighten your core. I understand. So she was kind of accurate?”

As part of her all-day media blitz, Darrell claimed to “Access Hollywood” later in the afternoon that Playboy magazine is one of the “many” opportunities she’s considering since getting the boot from “Idol.” “[I've had] a lot of different offers, like Vegas promotion offers. Of course Playboy has called,” she said. “I wouldn’t say no, but at the same time I don’t want to stunt my career by jumping into that too soon and be labeled once again as ‘just a body.’ But I don’t knock it.”

On Thursday, she told “Extra” that she only wore a bikini to her Phoenix audition because “it was 110 degrees in Phoenix and I heard that people wait 15 hours and don’t even get to audition, so I figured, what the heck — at least I’ll be tan.” And despite becoming a sensation because of her wardrobe choice, she said the Bikini Girl nickname is a “cute gimmick,” but that she doesn’t plan on having it be her title forever.

In the end, Darrell told Seacrest she knew it was her time to leave the show but that she got what she wanted out of it: She got to meet the show’s host, to sing on TV and experience the show, and now she’s moving on to “bigger” things. What things? “I want to go on tour and sing and make a record and be a Victoria’s Secret runway model,” she said.

When confronted by Seacrest’s co-host, who said a caller claimed Darrell never really wanted to be a singer and just went on the show to get exposure, Darrell revealed that she is a classically trained singer, grew up singing in a gospel choir, did musical theater and has been recording since she was 14 years old.

Given the chance to apologize to any contestant or judge on the show, Darrell said to DioGuardi, “Hopefully we can become better friends in the future, but if you continue to hate … then I’m sorry.”

American Idol: Hurray For Hollywood Week!

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:04:05 +0000

Welcome back to American Idol’s “biggest season yet.” Well, at least that’s what Ryan Seacrest called it tonight. And Ryan wouldn’t lie, right? Right? But I have to say, so far it’s just been American Idol’s biggest disappointment yet. Season 8 has been just so-so, with the last few weeks’ worth of auditions being the most underwhelming I can remember. That’s why I’m so delighted that the auditions are at long last over and done with, and the contestants are now through to Hollywood, dawg.

Yes, Hollywood Week (expanded to encompass more episodes this season, yay) kicked off tonight, and I was hoping maybe now things would finally get interesting. At the very least, the much-hyped return of showstopper Norman Gentle and another Kara DioGuardi/Bikini Girl faceoff would surely be worth watching!

Speaking of faceoffs, things did get interesting right off the bat when the atrociously over-plastic-surgerized Barry Manilow returned to Idol as a mentor, pep-talking the contestants in full-on Tony Robbins mode as they sat in a hotel conference room like a bunch of timeshare-purchasing conventioneers. Then the contestants got straight to work. The format of day one of Hollywood Week went something like this: Groups of eight would all audition at once, passing the mic among themselves and taking turns singing whatever they wanted to a cappella. They’d only have one shot during this sudden-death round: After singing, they’d find out right then and there if they were cut, or if they were advancing to the next stage of the game. Rough. To rather loosely borrow a phrase from Heidi Klum, one moment they’d be in, the next moment they’d be out.

Now, I admit I’ve already taken a sneaky-peak at the widely web-circulated spoiler list of the top 36 who actually made it through…but for suspense’s sake, I won’t reveal my findings. Not yet, anyway. The list is easily accessible on VoteForTheWorst.com, for those of you who are the type that like to open their presents before Christmas (such as, um, me). So anyway, I’m just going to pretend that I don’t know who made it through. Why spoil your fun?

So the first group to sing on the Kodak Theater stage tonight included Lil’ Rounds and Dennis Brigham. Mizz Rounds belted out a Whitney ballad and, in my opinion, massively overdid it. It was a neck-vein-bulgingly OTT performance, and I even thought it was a little (dare I use this adjective, so early in the season?) pitchy in places. But apparently the judges didn’t hear what I heard, because all of them, Kara in particular, were incredibly impressed. Kara even gave Lil’ a one-woman standing ovation. They weren’t quite as thrilled with Dennis Brigham; Simon Cowell told Dennis that he’d be hard to take seriously because of all his “weird faces.” (I had to agree with Simon there; at times Dennis made some odd bug-eyed expressions that looked like he was doing a bad impression of Jim Carrey circa The Mask.)

Then, in true A Chorus Line fashion, the judges separated the contestants into two packs, telling some of the singers to step to the front and others to take a step back. Unsurprisingly, Lil’ Rounds got through and Dennis “Y’all Suck As Judges” Brigham did not. I didn’t need to look at any top 36 spoiler list to predict that outcome.

In the second group, emo-haired drama queen Nathaniel Marshall sang some song no one knew. This seemed to really rub the judges, especially Randy Jackson, about 10 different wrong ways. (”Song choice song choice song choice!” the judges later barked at the contestants). I thought Nathaniel sang the song just fine–whatever it was, I don’t know or particularly care–but Nathaniel was forced on the spot to defend his obscure selection. He immediately broke down like the supersensitive soul that he is, blubbering onstage about how the inspirational mystery tune meant something to him and that music in general is, like, his LIFE: “It’s on my skin, it just bursts out of me every time I’m onstage and I don’t know why!”

Um…okay…

Favorites “Anoop Dogg” and Jasmine Murray sang more well-known songs next and consequently easy-peasily pleased the judges, and then came one of my favorites, little dreadlocked orphan girl Rose Flack. Ah, lovably awkward, cheek-pinchingly adorable Rose. Rose, however, seemed to be having a tougher time of it than even poor Nathaniel. Her Hollywood Week audition was preceded by a montage of her bawling, whining, repeatedly doubting herself, and just basically freaking out. Uh-oh. But she pretty much pulled it together by the time she sang “Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay” in front of the judges, sounded absolutely wonderful, and skirted through–along with Jason Castro’s red-eyed little brother Michael Castro, whose actual audition was, for some reason, cut from tonight’s episode. (I wonder why? Conspiracy theorists, share your thoughts on the message board below…)

Group three featured Maxwell-haired soulman Steve Fowler (not foul at all), crooner Jorge Nunez (eh), and off-the-charts-annoying Broadway blowhard Von Smith. Simon (quite correctly) described Von’s eardrum-shredding performance (I’m talking the kind of histrionics that’d make Celine Dion look like Leonard Cohen) “indulgent nonsense” and “the sort of thing a child would do when learning to sing at age 10.” So WHY the heck did Von (along with the more deserving Steve and semi-deserving Jorge) make it through to the next round, huh? I wasn’t very happy about that, and I bet Simon wasn’t either. Remind me to wear earplugs the next time this showoff sings on TV. Even with the mute button on, Von’s voice would probably still shatter my windows. And my psyche.

Up next was…(drumroll, please)…Norman Gentle! Or Nick Marshall, whatever his name is. This shiny-shirted comedian claimed he was retiring his zany alter ego during Hollywood Week and getting all serious (”No more Norman,” he promised, much to my chagrin). Boo! So I was thrilled when he instead showed up at the Kodak in his Night At The Roxbury-ish lizard-loungewear and unleashed his inner Norman once again, hamming it up to the max on the Dreamgirls epic “And I Am Telling You.”

And I am telling you, it was super-awesome.

“I’m staying, I’m staying, and you, please you, yes you, you’re gonna love me!” Norman vamped like a world-class Ethel Merman impersonator. He was a-ma-zing; even the highly entertained, hyena-laughing contestants watching in the Kodak seats gave him a standing ovation. Even without checking my aforementioned spoiler list, I knew Nick/Norman had no chance of making it to the top 36 (and I’m sure he was astonished he even made it this far), but I imagined that reality television producers watching his wacky performance were already writing up network proposals to give this wackjob his own syndicated show.

But those producers, incredibly, will have to wait a bit longer to get any such program into production…because guess what? Yep, somehow, Norman made it through. I do not know HOW this happened. And I frankly do not care. Norman was staying! And I was gonna love him, for as long as he managed to stick around.

A few less surprising people to make it through included Amy Winehouse wannabe Frankie Jordan, blind guy Scott MacIntyre (at least Ryan Seacrest didn’t try to high-five Scott this time), and “28 years young” rawker chick Jackie Tohn (who actually sounded and looked a little long-in-the-tooth to me). I’m still not the biggest fan of Jackie, whose glass-gargling vocals seemed a little contrived and “Amanda Overmyer 2.0″ to me…but I was a fan of that tiger shirt and sequined fannypack she was rocking tonight, that’s for sure. I hope the stylists on Idol don’t make her change up her image. Fannypacks were awesome on America’s Best Dance Crew, and they’re awesome on AmIdol!

Best buddies Danny (the young widower) and Jamar (his support system) both made it through next, and then…it was time…for…The Return Of Bikini Girl (aka Katrina Darrell). Of course, she was virtually unrecognizable from her audition earlier this season, since she’d actually bothered to put on clothes for Hollywood Week (much to Simon’s dismay, I am sure). “I’m the next American Idol because I am,” she told the judges at the Kodak. Such infallible logic there. Wow, beauty AND brains? Katrina’s the complete package!

Except, of course, she can’t sing. Her rendition of Faith Hill’s “Breathe” started off a’ight but quickly devolved into nails-on-chalkboard nasality…and without the distraction of her, um, other assets (which were now hidden behind a surprisingly sack-like dress), Katrina’s vocal shortcomings were readily apparent. As were her personality shortcomings: She was obnoxious, whiny, and rude to Kara once again. But for some reason, even fully clothed she managed to charm Simon, who was sugar-and-spice-and-everything-nice to Katrina in way I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed in all eight seasons. He vehemently defended Bikini Girl to Kara, and–ugh!–Katrina got through again. Hmmm. This almost makes me wonder if there is some sort of Corey Clark-style situation going on between Simon and Katrina. If so, didn’t Simon learn from Paula Abdul’s alleged mistake?

The two dads, Jesus Valenzuela (the semi-talented one who dragged his cute kids into the audition room to earn sympathy votes) and Michael Sarver (the roughneck) auditioned next. Neither blew my mind, but Michael was the slightly better of the two and he advanced, while Jesus was sent packing.

Jesus then threw a hissyfit, not exactly setting the best example for his little ones watching at home.

And finally, singing last was one of my favorites, estranged Go Betty Go lead singer Emily Wynne Hughes, this season’s token pink-haired rock chick. Apparently her “controversial” decision to switch her audition song at the last minute to No Doubt’s “Excuse Me Mister” was a big misfire in the judges’ eyes (or ears), but I for the life of me could not figure out why. The song suited Emily perfectly. It was in her genre (i.e., the type of music she’d be likely to record if she landed a label contract); her pink hair almost exactly matched the shade Gwen Stefani rocked back in No Doubt’s Return Of Saturn era; and the bottom line is, Emily sang the tune well. I think the show was just trying to build up some false suspense here, because Emily eventually made it through, after all that drama–along with that Osmond dude, who wasn’t shown singing, and my hands-down fave this season, Adam Lambert. (WHY didn’t they show Adam sing either???) Then some sore loser named Erica didn’t make it, begged the judges to reconsider their decision in a depserately rambing monologue that was almost too painful to watch (seriously, it was pathetic), and then it was all over.

Until tomorrow, that is…when the show returns for what Ryan Seacrest dubbed “Infamous Group Day.” Ooooh, I cannot WAIT to see which poor singers have to share the stage with Norman Gentle or Von Smith. Those scenery-chewers will upstage anyone who gets within 100 feet of them!

This oughta be good…

American Idol: Hollywood week showcases some fine talent

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:07:24 +0000

Hollywood week began on “American Idol” last night, and I believe they had promised us an extended Hollywood experience on TV this year, which is fine by me, especially when they continue to keep these episodes to a bearable 60 minutes.

There were 147 contestants plucked out of the tens of thousands who auditioned in the eight cities last summer. And in last night’s episode, they whittled it down to 104, meaning only 43 were sent packing. This season, there are makeup artists and vocal coaches to get these singers ready to perform in front of the four judges, and even Barry Manilow was a surprise coach and speaker.

The contestants were then put into groups of eight, and each group had to line up on stage at the Kodak Theatre, and sing a cappella in front of Randy, Paula, Simon and Kara. Then they were asked to either step back or step forward, and one line or the other was told they were through to the next round, and the other line was headed home. Immediate elimination may seem cruel, but that’s Hollywood week, and song choice becomes crucial. With that, here were the good and bad…..

THE BAD

Dennis Brigham, the dude who had a dream about Simon in his initial audition and was liked by three of the four judges (not Simon), was less than stellar this time, and was a no for all four judges. But he kept saying he disagreed and was basically throwing a tantrum on his way out….Jesus Valenzuela, who I was surprised made it through the first time, didn’t make it this time….Erika Wesley, who made it through in San Juan, was not great this time, and every bit of begging the judges did not work, even though Paula dug her. Kind of shows you how much pull Ms. Abdul has, huh?

THE GOOD

Well look, there were far more good than bad last night, so we’ll blaze through as best as we can….Lil Rounds, who took on Whitney Houston, something the judges always warn against, did a really nice job and seems to be a judge favorite…Anoop Desai, who is very nerdy but has a really great voice….Jasmine Murray, who I can’t picture in my head, but I had “awesome” written in my notes….Rose Flack, the 17 year old blonde from Idaho, was nervous and had a rough rehearsal, but made it through…..Stephen Fuller took on Stevie Wonder, another bad idea, but performed admirably…Jorge Nunez, who I also wrote “awesome” next to….Von Smith, who shouted his whole audition but somehow won the judges over….Nick Mitchell, a.k.a. Norman Gentle, was shouty and awful, and yet somehow the judges can’t seem to get past the fact that there is a voice in there somewhere, and let him continue. Or maybe it’s for ratings….Scott, the dude who is legally blind, and Frankie, the girl with the guy’s name, both made it through as well.

Whew.

Jackie Tohn, who is a Janis Joplin old soul type, really has some pipes on her…..Danny, the guy who lost his wife recently to cancer, sang Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose,” and dare I say this, I am predicting Top 12 for this guy right here, right now. He was that good….Danny’s buddy Jamar also made it through….Katrina, who you all know as Bikini Girl, sang Faith Hill’s “Breathe” and I thought it was nasally and annoying, but once again Randy and Simon loved her and Paula and Kara didn’t. She made it to the next round anyway….Jeremy Sarver had a nice enough voice to where Randy said he was one of the best of the day…..David Osmond, naturally, made it through. I mean, he’s a freaking Osmond…..finally, Emily Wynn-Hughes, the band singer who left the band to pursue this, practiced a 1940’s song, chickened out and went with a No Doubt song at the last minute. Bad idea, and the judges chastised her for choosing the wrong song, but let her through anyway.

Okay, I just exhaled again. I can only imagine how tiresome it is for the judges to do this. Anyway, tonight is the infamous group performance round, to see how these contestants work together and how they can perform with the added pressure of relying on someone else. This is where “American Idol” starts to get fun, and we’ll recap it here tomorrow morning.