Idol Chatter 4/29/08: Diamonds in the Rough

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Bottom Two:
Jason - Went first and sucked both times. Anybody who is still voting for him isn't using their ears.
Syesha - She has been struggling for votes, and her second song was worse than her first.

Going Home:
Jason.

I thought David A was only mediocre tonight, but the audience and the judges loved him. Brooke may have saved herself by improving in the second round while Syesha tanked.

I thought that Jason was better in the beginning of the first song, when you could hear the acoustic guitar. He should have made the whole thing acoustic.

I can forgive him his second performance. He was already told that it sucks, I'm sure that it was disheartening and he lost his focus.

I hope that David A goes home tomorrow.

All I have to say about Jason is:

Good thing he is cute.

He is really cute. He's got such pretty blue eyes.

I think that he can sing, but he is best suited to singing simple arrangements accompanied by few instruments. I really like the quirkiness of his voice.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

A major storm is brewing over Paula's slip up tonight. At best, she read her comments on David Cook as her comments on Jason's 2nd song (which he hadn't yet sung), meaning she was more incoherant than usual and really needs to be off this show, as she was so out of it she didn't even realized that they'd only sung once.

At worst, it means that the judges' comments are pre-scripted and that many viewers' suspicions are true..that the judges are told to push certain contestants and slam others who the producers do not want to win.
Or it means that they have written their critiques based on rehearsals, which also is not cool.

One interesting note. Anyone who has recorded this, please let me know if I am misremembering this. As I recall, Paula first said "I thought you had sang twice". This after Randy said "we're only doing the first one". Then she said she was reading David Cook's performance notes. However, she criticized both of "Jason's" performances, but later said she loved David' C's. So if the comments she accidentally made for Jason's "second song" were actually meant for David's, why did she not like Jason's 2nd song but like David's first song, when they were actually one and the same?

Something smells really really rotten in all of this. You will be hearing much much more about this. I am positive that the spin doctors are already working on it. I wonder if they will edit it from the West Coast feed?

Could it not be live and they did this part after the 2nd round?

The show is live. Randy tried to correct her. She was so out of it that she didn't realize that the contestants only sang one song. I think that Paula took notes in rehearsal when they performed both of their songs and read them or somebody wrote her notes for her, trying to manipulate the outcome. (I'd like to know who votes based on Paula's reactions.)

[peacock2121]

If Brooke's second song did not bring chills and/or tears to you, you have no business watching this show any longer.

David C. could have/should have gone home before they got to the final 24. Period.



















Just kidding about the chills/tears. I am just a Brooke fan. I think she will be out this week or next.

I still don't and won't ever get the hype over David C.

That you love Brooke makes you even more endearing to me.

[starfish1113]

If Brooke's second song did not bring chills and/or tears to you, you have no business watching this show any longer.

David C. could have/should have gone home before they got to the final 24. Period.



















Just kidding about the chills/tears. I am just a Brooke fan. I think she will be out this week or next.

I still don't and won't ever get the hype over David C.

Kusch and I are the same and opposite all at once! David Cook and Brooke have been two of my three favorites since the top 24. The other was our dearly departed Carly.

I haven't seen last night's show yet. I can't wait to get home this afternoon and see the Paula miscue! My plan coming into work this morning was to avoid all spoilers, but the AP News Brief at the top of the hour, of all places, talked about it. It piqued my curiosity enough that I've now devoured all spoilers!

[Appa23]

Well, David A will not get a single vote from New England, after his rendition of "Sweet Caroline".

In my mind, he needs to go home for totally destroying the iconic version of the song. I mean, there are songs that you do not mess with the arrnagement.

Sing it like everyone does at weddings and ball games!

[christie1111]

Well, David A will not get a single vote from New England, after his rendition of "Sweet Caroline".

In my mind, he needs to go home for totally destroying the iconic version of the song. I mean, there are songs that you do not mess with the arrnagement.

Sing it like everyone does at weddings and ball games!

Maybe you should limit that to Boston and vicinity. Some of us New Englanders do NOT cheer for the Red Sox.

[Ritterskoop]

I'm looking forward to the spin they put on it tonight on the results show. I bet they say Paula was reading from her notes from rehearsals, as that is tacky and probably wrong, but not so scripted that we will stop watching.

Paula made for great TV, though. Without them hurrying and her screwing up, it would just be a talent show.

[peacock2121]

Paula made for great TV, though. Without them hurrying and her screwing up, it would just be a talent show.

LOL

[Sir_Galahad]

Paula made for great TV, though. Without them hurrying and her screwing up, it would just be a talent show.

That's true. It's not often you get to see a drunk perform live on TV. Even Foster Brooks faked it once in a while.

[T_Bone0806]

I'm looking forward to the spin they put on it tonight on the results show. I bet they say Paula was reading from her notes from rehearsals, as that is tacky and probably wrong, but not so scripted that we will stop watching.

I would not be surprised if they take it one step further and say that she mixed up her notes from the rehearsal with the ones she took (wink wink nudge nudge) during the live performance. Since they have admitted that she was at the rehearsal, it then becomes another "wacky Paula moment" instead of the more sinister possibilities that one or more of the judges have already scripted their critiques based on their own agendas, or, worse, that the producers have written what they wanted them to say in order to manipulate the "unsuspecting" public...thus making it easier to believe that the producers tweak the voting results themselves (the fine print in the credits say, in so many words, that they are allowed to do that). Of course, the judges promoting and hyping their own favorites and discrediting the ones they don't like, often when the evidence of the performances seem to contradict the opinions they're spewing, is not a new phenomenon. Randy, even more than Simon I think, hawks his favorites beyond all reason (see Jordin Sparks last season and little David this season..especially last night!). It's just that, with last night's debacle, there SEEMS to be cold hard evidence that the manipulation is blatant, rather than just a feeling that there is some monkey biz goin' down.

I keep going back to Paula saying that in Jason's "second song", he's just not doing enough to stay in the competition. Then she states she must've been reading her notes for David Cook. Yet when Simon tries damage control and asks her to just tell 'em who her favorite performance belonged to, she answered David Cook, who she termed "fabulous". So how is it that Jason's "second song" was lousy, but when it became Cook's first song, it was fabulous?

Spin it all ya want, Idol...You'll never FULLY recover from this one. I don't expect it to be canceled after this season (I'm not even saying I'll stop watching), but it will always operate under a cloud of suspicion from this point onward.

[Ritterskoop]

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

[Snaxx]

On the results show . . .

Spoiler

They had a perfect half-hour show going, they called the three guys safe, brought out the girls at 9:26 PM and at 9:28 PM announced that . . .


we will find out later in the hour after some other stuff. Hope next year they go back to 1/2 hour results shows!

[Snaxx]

Who left?

Spoiler

A clue as to who was voted off: *sob* *sob* *sob*

Now we are down to the final four. Barring a surprise pickoff we are two weeks away from David vs David.

[T_Bone0806]

Well, they certainly glossed over the "incident". Some lip service to Paula about being part of their family, then a vague admonition to the naysayers about the "rumors being untrue", then "on with the show".

Probably the wisest move on their part, all things considered. Any attempt to spin it would likely just dig the grave deeper. Still, this will not be completely forgotten I think.

Notice how "Paula friendly" the Q & A segment was? Even Simon was nodding his head in approval at the glowing testimonials to Ms. Abdul's wonderfulness. Obvious much? Showing a smiling Nigel (producer) offstage to combat the stories of his pitching a Gordon Ramsey-like fit last night..Oh, the Public Relations folk were workin' overtime.

By the way, latest rumor has it that David Archuletta's real name is Charles Van Doren III.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

By the way, latest rumor has it that David Archuletta's real name is Charles Van Doren III.

Ha ha ha!

The best thing for David Cook would be for him to go next so that he can distance himself from these losers.

[Sir_Galahad]

By the way, latest rumor has it that David Archuletta's real name is Charles Van Doren III.

Regardless of what his real name is ( ) I am getting bored with his shtick. Maybe it's me but I see (or hear) no variety. Yes, I know that he's only 17 (Wait! I know a song like that... but I digress). I am surprised (and somewhat disappointed) that Jason wasn't shown the door. Out of all of the top-fivers, I don't see any future for him. Once his AI tour is done, I think it's back to bar scene for this troubadour.

And, who was the girl performer? I liked the music but didn't like her singing. I could envision the music being played on an Enigma or Enya song.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I am surprised (and somewhat disappointed) that Jason wasn't shown the door. Out of all of the top-fivers, I don't see any future for him. Once his AI tour is done, I think it's back to bar scene for this troubadour.

I voted for him because of the mistake, I felt really sorry for him. (I also voted for Brooke and David C.) I am sure that many others felt sorry for him and did the same thing.

Also, if he was voted out after what Paula did, I think that there would be a huge controversy.

I wish that they would make the voting results public.

[T_Bone0806]

And, who was the girl performer? I liked the music but didn't like her singing. I could envision the music being played on an Enigma or Enya song.

Natasha Bedingfield (sp?)

[KillerTomato]

Regardless of what his real name is ( ) I am getting bored with his shtick. Maybe it's me but I see (or hear) no variety. Yes, I know that he's only 17 (Wait! I know a song like that... but I digress). I am surprised (and somewhat disappointed) that Jason wasn't shown the door. Out of all of the top-fivers, I don't see any future for him. Once his AI tour is done, I think it's back to bar scene for this troubadour.

It isn't just you, although I've never liked Archie's schtick. His immaturity just reeks through every performance, unlike even Jordin last year (who never gave me the impression she was as young as she was.

As for Jason and his future prospects, he really reminds me a lot of James Blunt, who has had wayyyyy too good a career for his talent (I never swallowed the "You're Beautiful" Kool-Aid either). Except I like Jason more than Blunt, so...

Spoiler

I'm really sorry the person who left is gone....I knew that she would never win, but I had hope that her increased confidence might keep her around a while longer, and we'd get rid of the highly overrated Archie.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Spoiler

I'm really sorry the person who left is gone....I knew that she would never win, but I had hope that her increased confidence might keep her around a while longer, and we'd get rid of the highly overrated Archie.

Spoiler

I was hoping for the same thing.

By the way, here's an unsigned British band you might like:

http://www.myspace.com/therebsmusic

I tried buying some of the songs, but Nard, the bass guitarist of the group, told me that they won't sell anything until they get signed, so you just have to listen to the music on their site.

[Ritterskoop]

Well, David A will not get a single vote from New England, after his rendition of "Sweet Caroline".

In my mind, he needs to go home for totally destroying the iconic version of the song. I mean, there are songs that you do not mess with the arrnagement.

Sing it like everyone does at weddings and ball games!

If everyone sang everything as it's always been done, there'd be no point to any of this.

Not that there is much of a point, anyway, but what little there is, is based on people being able to bring something new to a song, not just do it the same way everyone's done it for years. That's karaoke.

[Ritterskoop]

Well, they certainly glossed over the "incident". Some lip service to Paula about being part of their family, then a vague admonition to the naysayers about the "rumors being untrue", then "on with the show".

Probably the wisest move on their part, all things considered. Any attempt to spin it would likely just dig the grave deeper. Still, this will not be completely forgotten I think.

Notice how "Paula friendly" the Q & A segment was? Even Simon was nodding his head in approval at the glowing testimonials to Ms. Abdul's wonderfulness. Obvious much? Showing a smiling Nigel (producer) offstage to combat the stories of his pitching a Gordon Ramsey-like fit last night..Oh, the Public Relations folk were workin' overtime.

Entertainment Weekly has a story about Ryan's radio show this morning, which Paula was on, and his explanation for what happened last night. I will abbreviate, and then move on, because it is only television:

1. The judges first learned they would give critiques after both performances only when Ryan said so live on the show. Jarring, to be thrown off your rhythm.
2. Paula is always late, and probably had not settled in enough to hear this, so someone muttered it to her.
3. She tried to arrange some notes, yes, some based on the rehearsals. This was during Jason's first song, when all the judges asked for paper and pens.
4. Then a FOX exec decided he wanted the mid-show quickie critique, even though they were running late, and none of the judges were prepared. Simon always looks smarter because he goes last, and has time to think of something.

I'm satisfied she was not reading something written by a producer. If she was, I don't care. It's television. We've known all along they pimp certain people and then watch others take over. Every season goes that way.

No one knew, eight weeks ago, that David Cook would be the heavy favorite at this point, certainly not the judges, who thought he was grunge boy and grunge boy only.

[Sir_Galahad]

No one knew, eight weeks ago, that David Cook would be the heavy favorite at this point, certainly not the judges, who thought he was grunge boy and grunge boy only.

And, I don't think Paula's quote of "I think we're looking at the next American Idol" hurts him any.

Yes, early on, Archie was the odds-on favorite to win this one going away. But, I do not think this is the case now. Right now, it's a toss-up between the Davids. It could go either way.

[kayrharris]

CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" had a whole segment on Paula'a bizarre behavior.
No one thinks the show will be canceled next year but it may come back without Paula.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

No one knew, eight weeks ago, that David Cook would be the heavy favorite at this point, certainly not the judges, who thought he was grunge boy and grunge boy only.

I've liked him since the beginning, but I figured that he would be voted out before the finals.