Don't It Always Seem to Go...

...that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.   I have no interest in American Idol this season.  I have the past two weeks in my DVR, and I don't know if I'm going to get around to watching it.  Sigh.  I'm curious if it will be renewed for next season.  I'm curious if Simon misses Idol (and me) like I miss him.   So many questions.  So few answers.

The Next Hit Reality Show...

According to my good friend Eric (alias Bobo, alias Sausage King, alias PPC):

Battle of the Bloggers.

Please let me know how I can become a part of this show.  Or, how I can go about creating it.  That might be better.  I call being Simon Cowell.

Lee DeWyze!!!

WOOHOO American Idol!!!  2010 American Idol!!

Random humor:
--Snafu #1 - Ryan Seacrest's mike going during Kris Allen's singing
--Snafu #2 - One of Simon's rejects talking about how he was having a Kanye moment and taking Simon's job (which would have been fine) with an awkward cut to commercial - was that not intentional?
--Snafu #3 - The idol music randomly coming on, then not going, right before the commercial around 1:45.

Did they not rehearse this?

Random thought - where was David Cook?  Too busy for the show that made him not just some random dude?

My Early Long Shot Pick to Win American Idol

Siobhan Magnus.

The pronunciation of her first name really threw me. I like the way it sounds but seeing it in writing - it's kind of ugly. Anyhow.

Also, I think this girl, with a proper makeover (which she'd probably highly object to) has the potential to be really pretty.

Anyhow. I predicted Jordin Sparks early on. It was before this blog was born, so I couldn't put it down in writing at the time. But now I can. All of cyberspace; you are my eyewitness(es).

Your thoughts? Other predictions?

Counting Down the Hours....

Ok - as the season 9 premiere/48 hours of audition footage is right on the horizon, I must declare my feelings on American Idol....

First off, you all know my feelings on the ever-so-useless Kara DioGuardi. Secondly, I didn't like the new format last year of having a top 36, then voting in 3 a week, then some bizarro wild card round...maybe I'm someone who doesn't handle change well in the first place, but the old format of a top 24 was definitely, definitely better. One could argue that with the new format, it's really the fan favorites who advance (plus those extra couple other judge favorites we can't seem to shake, which is true of all reality shows). Maybe a happy medium would be a top 36 that eliminates the bottom 3rd of the contestants (as opposed advancing the top 3)...I dunno. Oh, that, and I hate hate HATED the 'sing for your life' concept of last season. And them all living in one house?! Uh, the real world called, it wants its crappy late '90s reality show idea back. Anyhow - are these changes continuing into this season? Does anyone know?

That brings me to the next major change for this season....Ellen DeGeneres. Whop Whop Whop. Now, don't get me wrong, I like Ellen as a person. And I like her in the right context - doing her own schtick on her own talk show or as a guest on a show - I do find her hilarious. But I don't know that I think she can handle the backseat role that she's got to take here. She was bad as a guest judge on SYTYCD - she talked for too long and everything was a tangent into some joke of hers. That, and she only gave positive feedback - she'll be like Paula but with even less substance. I sense it getting so awkward it will be painful.... However, I can easily forsee Simon getting annoyed at her and trying to shut her up...now THAT might be entertaining.

Drama!!

So Paula's out and Kara's in.

I don't think this was a wise decision. Whether or not Paula "made this decision herself", it's pretty obvious her hand was forced. And I don't think the 'puppermaster' on this one is thinking.

Both of these woman are equally worthless in the charisma department. Kara is supposedly some music industry seasoned-veteran, but Paula Abdul is better known. And more importantly, Paula has more entertainment value. One can laugh at (not with) her. Right now Kara's just plain blah and boring. If she starts saying 'listen dawg', she might as well be Randy Jackson. She needs to start taking drugs or something to up her humor ante, otherwise she might as well not be there.

Getting Ready for the Showdown!

I think you know who I'm cheering for. Go CUTE go!

Uh Oh....

So last night I made a scary discovery - I have something else in common with Simon Cowell. Yikes. He commented that he selected the song "One" by U2 for contestant Adam because it was one of his all-time favorite songs.

(Adam, of course, butchered said song.)

However, as I'm sure you can obviously infer - this is one of my favorite songs, too. U2 has had many ups and downs over the past couple decades, but I kinda fell in love with them in high school and Achtung, Baby! is/was definitely one of my favorite albums of all time. Also, U2 is one of those bands that has that 'staying power' I spoke about earlier in the Matchbox Twenty post.

Hmm. Simon and I are on the same wavelength pretty often. Except when it comes to Adam Lambert.

Anyone else out there a big U2 fan?

The Cute Guy

Kris Allen.

From here on out, your new name is 'the cute guy'. Let's face it, it's what I've been calling you all season so far. It's played a large role in the fact that you made it this far, my friend. Even having a cute wife hasn't hurt the cause. You're nice to look at. And right now, that's all I care about. Since Allison (moment of silence) has left the show, I am now cheering for you to take the title, cause if you don't, well, it'll be Adam or Danny, and that is a reason to rally behind you. Yeah, it's like you're John Kerry in 2004!!

It was once questionable if you would even make the top 12. Now look at you boy! Our next American Idol? Or America's Next Top Model? They're one in the same at this point to me!

Guest Mentor on American Idol

Last night, it was Slash from the band Guns N Roses (yes, I familiar with said band).

I am really wondering what GNR fans feel about this. I remember a couple years ago, Jon Bon Jovi was the guest (one of the BEST EPISODES OF THE SHOW EVER) and people made a big deal about that one - this seems like much more of a stretch.

Moreso, I am wondering what Slash would have said had we rewound about six years and told him he'd be one day guest mentoring on American Idol.

Slash did, at one point, acknowledge that he never expected to find himself on the show, yadda, but then said some crap about the amount of talent this season or some other lie. Nothing against the talent this season, but the only honest answer as to why Slash was guest-mentoring on American Idol, I think we all know, is "I needed to pay the bills".

American Idol Update - Final Five

This is my favorite contestant who is left. Danny is good, but I'm sorta over him. I like Matt Girard, but I won't cry if he goes home; it's probably his time. Kris is nice to look at (we've already discussed him previously), and Adam is just not my style. Allison is my girl. I am going to be optimistic for her.

Two American Idol Contestants I Could Do Without....

Kris and Adam.

Ok, fine, they are both good. However, Kris has lasted thus far on being a pretty boy moreso than on his singing ability. I am not really sure he should have made the top 12 with that rendition of "Man in the Mirror". No offense to him or his fans. He's decent, but I really don't know about top 5 or, if it goes so far, top 4 material.

However, Adam. He is just not my style. He is a little too 'Pete Wentz' for my taste. I would be indifferent to him, however, the lovefest between the judges and him and the audience and him DRIVES ME NUTS. It's not that there's anything wrong with him - it's just that he's a little too over the top theatrical 'cabaret' if you will (that's for you, Simon). The makeup and performances on stage are just WAY TOO MUCH for me. And I feel like if another contestant were this style, they'd rip him to shreds - but they for some reason really took to this one. That, and when he's good, he's been pretty good, but not more outstanding than any other contestant on the show. But they act like he's something they've never seen before. Anyhow. I predict he'll be the 'surprise' elimination in the next two or three weeks - I don't think he'll see the finals. My prediction.

American Idol Weekly Update

Ok, so American Idol has come up with some dumb new twist to this season in which the judges can save a contestant once who is voted off throughout the season if they so choose, up until the last five weeks of the show. Well, I find this awkward and, well, stupid.

Yes, let me be the first to say America at times makes the wrong decision (see also November 2000 & November 2004). American Idol cited Chris Daughtry, Tamyra Gray, Michael Johns, and Jennifer Hudson as examples who inspired said rule. Well, Chris Daughtry and Tamyra Gray were voted off in the fourth to last week, so they wouldn't have been eligible for the save. Michael Johns wasn't ALL that big of a surprise elimination and wasn't favorite for a spot in the finals anyway (the reason for the save would be to potentially save THE American Idol, right?), and if I remember correctly (and this is hugely embarrassing to admit I have such as vast amount of American Idol History knowledge), Jennifer Hudson was pretty much told by Simon Cowell the week she was eliminated "it's pretty much your time to go" - so she wasn't a surprise elimination and wouldn't have been saved either, even though she's now an oscar winner and more well-known and arguably more successful than the winner of that season (giveaway prize if you can name the winner).

Sidenote: Simon of course tried to save face on this one saying that even though he expressed this opinion, America voted Jennifer Hudson off, had they disagreed with him, they could have gone against his opinion and voted to bring her back. So in reality, Simon was just the head lemming. Anyhow.

Does anyone think this 'save' idea is a good idea?

American Idol, Season 8

Kara DioGuardi does nothing for me. Nothing whatsoever. I'd write more, but there's just nothing to say on her. I'm sure she's a fine person and knows something about the music industry, but as a judge on American Idol, she might as well just not be there. I'd say to her what they tell the bad singers on American Idol "well, you're a beautiful girl, but..."

I can't say I dislike her because I don't know that I care enough to have an opinion about her, which, Simon Cowell will tell you, is probably the worst possible option. Conspiracy theorists believe she was brought in to phase out Paula, but at least with Paula, we occasionally get a drug induced stupor which probably keeps the ratings up. Other than that, it's equally worthless commentary from both.