They're No Good...

or so Simon said about all but Crystal tonight. And for the most part he was correct. KK said it all about Miley Cyrus who I had never heard sing until she sang The Climb on Idol last year and I thought...*wow...she really does suck, doesn't she?*. However, she was fine tonight, for the most part, despite looking like a hooker in her black shorts jumpsuit and black hose. I found it interesting that several of the contestants felt the need to justify her being their mentor on the basis of her hit albums and all her experience, despite her age. I think they were a little taken aback too. And, thank goodness they changed the theme from *Teen Idol NIght* to Billboard #1 night...not that it helped most of them.

OK... here we go.

Lee DeWyze sings The Letter. (I can remember exactly what I was doing the first time I heard that song when I was 17 and driving west on Central to Tyler Road on my way home from some school event). I thought it was his best performance yet, he changed up the song and I thought came out of his shell to a point we haven't seen before. I was surprised at Simon's comments. I think he wanted him to sing something more current and edgy. Still...I would rank it among the top 3 or 4 tonight.

Paige... Take a Look At me Now. I cried when she sang (well I got tears in my eyes anyway) and not in a good way. I just felt so sorry for her. She was so terrible. She really cannot control her nerves which means she cannot control her voice. If she isn't gone this week it will be a miracle. But the thing is, as she gets worse and worse every week, I like her personally more and more. What a happy soul she seems to be!

Tim Teflon Urban. A Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Well its a crazy little thing you are still on this show Tim. Your Elvis at his fattest imitation didn't endear you to me. Grabbing girls hands and going into the *tween pit* just made you look stupid. Good on Kara for calling you on that over the top nonsense. Blah Blah chunks to you!

Aaron sings I Don't Want to Miss a Thing. I'm pretty sure KK missed your performance tonight. Ryan called him David Archuleta tonight. I would say David Archuleta minus about 50% of David Archuleta's talent. It was OK. The judges never hate on him so he's going through with flying colors to the tour.

Crystal Bowersox and Me and Bobby McGee. Written by Kris Kristofferson and made a hit by Janis Joplin. All of Crystal's fans wanted her to sing it, including me and I am so glad she did. It is in my top 10 best songs ever written of all time list. As she let go on the chorus I got tears in my eyes in a good way because she just seemed so joyful singing it. I haven't heard the Pink version so don't know if she covered that or not (Simon sometimes doesn't know what he is talking about there). I cannot imagine anyone other than Janis doing it any better and my only regret was she had to cut the song short to fit the time frame. I think Ellen and Kara were a little off base about her not connecting with the audience. I think she is just not someone who is fakey fakey lovey dovey with anyone. I can relate to that and so can a certain niece of mine called M. I just wish we could sing and play like her too.

Ok...was there anyone else that sang tonight?

Oh...BM practically stopped up the stool tonight with his over the top version of When A Man Loves A woman.

Andrew was just sad in a Paige way. Face it judges, he took his Hollywood Straight Up straight off of You Tube and that was his moment of glory. Myley was right to get him out from behind the guitar but what a strange song choice for him. Do a ballad Andrew.

Katie does an age appropriate song dressed in tight black clothes like Miley Cyrus wears. I think Fergie stinks so I really was not impressed with Katie and Big Girls Don't Cry. Maybe if she had sung the original Big Girls Don't Cry it would have been more interesting to me.

Casey...and The Power of Love. Casey leaves me lukewarm. At least he didn't go into the tween pit. Also liked that he said he was a fan of Miley's father (although that is pretty sad too).

Didi. I don't like her and wanted her to fail but had no idea she would fail so epically. You may or may not believe me when I say I wrote in my notes that she was doing a slinky version of the song and then my opinion was ratified by Kara's comments. It was too coy, coquettish and she acted like she would go back to the jerk any minute. That is not the way Linda sang it. Linda is a dame. You are not. So go back to singing songs about flowers and stuff.

And now for the sainted Siobahn. At least it wasn't a dark song but her screaming stuff is getting old. I don't hate her but she is getting to be less of a dark horse and more of a caricature. Just sing lady. Has anyone told you that Adam Lambert didn't win last year? Still, have to love a girl who wears glasses.

So..my guess is that Paige will go. I wish it would be Tim Urban after the pit antics, but it will probably be Paige.

Crotchety Old Curmudgeon

Miley Cyrus is tonight's mentor.

She's 17. SEVENTEEN!

What was I doing at 17? Failing Chemistry, fighting with my boyfriend over the Kathy Ireland poster he had hanging in his room, and unsuccessfully sneaking back into the house after my 10:00 curfew.

Yes, Miley has been hugely successful. She's had a hit TV show, movies, songs. She goes home at night and rolls around in piles of money.

But, she's SEVENTEEN.

Her latest hit song included the lyrics: "nodding my head like yeah"

You know, though. On a season where most of the contestants take themselves WAY too seriously, it might be interesting to watch a real "teen idol" knock them down a peg or two.

And I'm totally singing Party in the USA over and over now. Because it's just that catchy.

(I also still know how to do the Achy Breaky Heart. Do you?)

"I'm doing this for my people"

The only good thing about last night's show was the return of the-man-I-would-leave-my-husband-for ripping through Jumping Jack Flash. Now THAT'S how you do a Rolling Stones song. He's amazing, isn't he? And I love what celebrity has done for him - he looked so good.

Coming in a distant 2nd was Big Mike's obnoxious bragging about his self-inflated fan base: "I'm just doing this for my people" . It's like we're literally watching his head get bigger and bigger each week.

No shock about the bottom 3 or Lacey's exit.

I did feel a little sorry for Ellen when Ryan asked her if any of them were worth saving. She tried so hard not to just blurt out "no way".

And we all knew that Eyebrows and Katie would stick around. I think Tweens shouldn't be allowed to vote. My daughter will NOT be voting when she's a Tween, unless she votes for the person I like. Tweens ruin everything.

I suppose I could make one comment on Ke$ha's pre-taped dance/lip-synching routine. Blah Blah sounds just like Tick Toc - both are only fun when you're drunk at a Bachelorette party in LoDo (what?), and I'm still holding out hope that she'll be a one-hit wonder and fade away like Milli Vanilli.

Not a Shocker...

thank goodness. Lacey was clearly on the cusp. A little surprised that Teflon Tim survives to sing another day but I guess there are young girls our there who like him. Would the judges really have wasted a save on Paige? I don't think so. Pray that she recovers from larynitis, pray that she picks a good song and then MAYBE we can see why Simon loves her so much (although she does seem like a nice young woman personally). I think Simon has a faulty memory. He thinks he heard Paige's good voice once. Since he hasn't heard it again he has ballooned it into mythic proportions in his mind, even though Paige has done nothing since the show began that could remotely be called interesting, let alone special.

It was nice to see David Cook rock out on Jumpin' Jack Flash. I missed the second performance by the blonde woman because I had to see if the mean girl got voted off America's Next Top Model (she didn't...but the one who I strong suspect is a pathological liar did...I know...to much reality TV is a bad thing). Then comes Kesha or however you spell that woman's name who sang Blah Blah. I was nearly blah blahing chunks watching her perform. First of all, Lady Gaga already did that circle of makeup aroune the eye so she is not even edgy (or as I like to say, stupid) ..just a copy cat. Were there really humans dancing around on the stage with what looked like computer monitors or old fashioned tv sets on their heads? What is this....Romper Room or Captain Kangaroo? Not to mention the sheer stupidity of the song itself. I'm too old for this nonsense.

So...no outrage tonight. Really, had anyone but Crystal or Siobahn gone it wouldn't have phased me much. Sadly, it looks like we are going to have Katie and Aaron around for awhile.

Gathers no moss ...

First off I think I should admit that I'm not a Rolling Stones fan. I do know and like maybe 3 of their songs, but that's it. I was nervous that the night would be awful, but was pleasantly surprised by most of the contestants!

Best to worst:

Siobhan - Incredible!! I hate to agree with Kara, but it did have shades of Adam Lambert ... Drama! She's just so weird - wouldn't you love to hang out with her at a bar or something? I love that she changed it up but just a little. And I don't think I'll ever get tired of those ridiculous notes. It makes all of the other contestants look like high school choir students.

Crystal Bowersox - I really do think she's got this competition in the bag. She waltzes onto the stage, sings this amazing song, and it's effortless for her! I'll admit it wasn't her "moment" (word of the season, apparently), but Crystal's non-moment would be a huge moment for any of the other contestants. I do think we need to start voting for her though - I worry about whether America gets her.

Lee DeWyze - He's so hot, isn't he? He might be better looking than David Cook - and that's saying a lot. I couldn't figure out why the judges didn't praise him more, because I thought his acoustic version of Beasts of Burden was awesome! I think, had he "rocked out" like they wanted him to, they would've accused him of trying to be Mick Jagger. Good decision, Lee. You're fantastic (and hot, did I mention that?)

Didi - I LOVED this. Sorry, Tee, but I think she's great! Her version of Rhiannon that I downloaded has been stuck in my head for days, and is on repeat play in my car. And I plan on downloading Fire, too. I agreed with the judges that it sounded strange to have her sweet voice sing such a dark song - and I liked it. (And she didn't throw in the dead-friend card this week, so that was good.)

Paige - Huh? Where did this come from? Is it they Laryngitis? Is this what the judges were talking about before? She's still not fantastic when she's in her low range, but those high notes were great! I'm doubtful it'll stick around, but good show, Paige.

Tim Urban - I'm sorry, but I liked it. Maybe it's because I've never heard that song before so it's not something I associate with "rock". (And I'll admit I didn't listen that closely to the lyrics to know if they're misogynistic - although I believe Tee that they are.) I dug it. I liked the Reggae. I liked the risk. I liked his family clip, too. I think he's cute. I hope he stays for awhile.

Andrew Garcia - The critiques he's gotten have been confusing, so I think it was smart of him to play it straight tonight. But I can't get back on the Andy bandwagon. It's just not that interesting anymore. But I am glad that Simon told Kara to stop taking everything so literal - "what did you want him to bring out a tank?" Hilarious!

Big Mike - Yeah, he's down here. Only because of his dancing. I was so distracted by the dancing, I couldn't tell you what song he sang or if it was good. Don't dance Mike.

Casey - Why were you playing the guitar with one hand? You guys have GOT to stop doing distracting things if you want me to actually listen to what you're singing.

Lacey - Is only this high on my list because I can't stand to put Katie or Eyebrows anywhere but the bottom. It was "pitchy" and boring. Even as pretty as she is, I still left the room to do chores.

Katie - What were you wearing, Katie? It looks like something my daughter will put on her babydolls. This is one of the Stones songs I know and love, so I was pretty mad when she butchered it. Could she look any more tense? It's like she's being forced to stand there and sing. (Although, I'll admit, it was much better than most of her other performances. Which isn't saying much.)

Eyebrows - All I want to say is my husband pointed out that they put fake eyebrows on him. Or, they said "look, your eyebrows are stupid, stop plucking them". Because, while they were still totally gelled and over-plucked, they were a little fuller right about the eye. What? Did he sing, too?

Perusing the AI Website

KK, I completely understand your irrational hatred for Aaron Kelley. I feel the same way towards that Katie girl. Seriously..I have no idea how she ever got on this show! If she were in the Miss Teenage Middlebury contest (leading up to being Miss Teenage Connecticut leading up to being Miss Teenage America), the girl with the flaming batons would have scored better in talent that she did. I hate her with the fire of 10,000 suns!

Were the judges absolutely asleep when she auditioned? When she sang in Hollywood? Or were they just looking for another Taylor Swift? No wonder Crystal looked so grim last week...she realized that talent doesnt matter this year! (If it ever did).

Precious Little Satisfaction

Not a big Rolling Stones fan, but I have to at least acknowledge that with the exception of BM, they all sang songs I recognized. For most of them, that is about as far as I can go tonight.

I strongly suspect that the judges were ordered to be easy on them tonight because the producers realize they are left with at least 5 lemons after last week's eliminations. Or else they were all as wonderful as the judges said they were and I suddenly went insane.

In order of performance:

BM. (Did you all know he has a baby?) I underestimated his ability to find a Rolling Stones song that would remind us of this fact. And now he has a dead mother too. All I heard was falsetto runs. I saw his attempt to be Mick Jagger. And the strange thing he did making himself bowlegged with his feet turned it like he was at a urinal. Judges loved it. I couldn't wait for it to end.

Dide BeSorryForMe. Weak, unbelievable, off key and almost losing the lyric but the judges thought it was her best performance. I hope the audience *FIIIII ERRSS* her.

Casey. I thought it was karaoke but all the judges but Simon thought he was a god. He did just sort of stand there. It wasn't awful but as cute as he is I didn't get chills watching him.

Lacey. Love that song. I liked how she changed it up. Just wish she had sung it better. Ellen was right...her stage movements were backwards.

Andrew Garcia abandons his artsy fartsy attempts to change up songs and just sang it pretty much straight. Kara thought he wasn't angry enough about the War. Maybe he should have taken a lesson from Didi and sang it WAAAA ARRR to convey his pacifism. I thought it was much better than anything he has done so far but still just average. Judges praise him because they know they have screwed with his head, that he should have gone home, and now they have to act like they didn't make a huge mistake having him here.

Katie Stevens. I think pretty tame horses could drag her about anywhere and I really wish they would. What a boring little girl. She might win the talent competition in the Miss Connecticut pageant with that version. She would finish about 40th in the Miss America pageant.

Tim Urban. His inexplicable presence in the top 12 may come to an end tonight. First he sings a misogynist song which shouldn't endear him to any woman or girl in the audience (who have to be the only one's keeping him alive thus far) but just in case it might...he does it in Reggae style. Don't Worry Be Happy she's under my thumb. Even the producers couldn't force the judges to eat that dog food.

Siobahn the Dark. Of course she would sing Paint It Black. She did it very well. Best of the night. I'm not sure I'm going to like her screaming those notes every week but she was good and upon hearing her you realized just how awful the previous singers were.

Lee DeWyze. I like his less harsh version of Beast of Burden. I rank him #3 for the night.

Paige (s)Miles. She really should get laryngitis every week. One of my favorite RS songs. She gave it her all even if it wasn't original. I saw a few glimmers of that voice we have heard about all season but never heard.

Aaron Kelley. He picked the right song. He was ok. No substitute for Alex so the judges praise him inordinately to make up for it.

Crystal...my favorite and the only one I am going to vote for until she is voted off. A little lackluster tonite. She does just sing so easily that she gets lost in the drama of the others. Still, the 2nd best of the night. I wish Simon hadn't said *you may think you have already won this contest* but I am glad she got to say that she didn't think that and that she praised Siobahn. Stupid fans on the website have been trashing her all week because she didn't smile and be all perky when she was safe last week.

We got to meet their families, and it appears my speculation about Crystal and an estrangement with her father (based on the song she wrote called Farmer' Daughter) was way off base. I'm glad to know that.

Maybe its time for Tim Urban to go home. Based on last weeks results, however, I am not making predictions.

A moment of silence ...

Seriously? This will be short because I'm totally pissed off.

It's not a dream, is it?

Paige, Katelynn, Lacey and Katie are in the Top 12 and Lily isn't??

Eyebrows Aaron is in the Top 12 and Alex Lambert isn't??

That's really how it went down?

Last night was wrong in about 16,000 ways, and I can't even find the words to express my absolute shock and dismay. You are kidding me.




Okay, I have found a few words.

I admit I might have been wrong about Andrew Garcia. I, like the judges, was blinded by Straight Up. But I'm over it now. And I'm with Tee ... the Rolling Stones were all men, Andrew. What are you going to do next week?

My husband points out that when BM was in the early auditions, he sang Maroon 5 and Jason Mraz. Now he's all Gospel-ed out. Because the judges need a big, black, man to complete their type-casting. I audibly cringed at the stage direction situation last night, too. Watch your head, BM, it's getting bigger than your biceps.

And I think there might be something wrong with me, mentally. I have a pure hatred for Aaron. Not since Pukaletta have I absolutely despised somebody so much. I don't know what it is about over-groomed adolescent boys that brings out the fire in me (it doesn't bode well for my daughter), but I literally want to shove a sock down his throat. I want to shave off his eyebrows while he sleeps. I want to yank that stupid necklace off of his neck. I hate him with the fire of 1,000 suns. (See? I'm mental.)



Finally, remember Anoop? He was "good" enough for the judges to create a Top 13. I don't suppose they could bring back Lily?

Just Had Another Thought

Just had a thought...what is Andrew Garcia going to do? The Rolling Stones were men! How is he going to get genius points for covering a man's song?

Crystal's Face Said It All!

I am not a happy blogger tonight. I knew it was going to be a bad night when Ryan said there would be *surprises*. Didi makes the top 12. Not a surprise but I would have been thrilled if she had gone home. Siobahn makes the top 12. Good for her...she deserves it although I'm not buying this whole quirky label. So she's a glass blower and wears a nose ring. Then the shocker, Paige, who was the choice of the Vote For The Worst Gang, beats out Kaitlynn who was the choice of...well not too many I guess. She made a mistake with that Carole King song. If you are going to sing Carole King, and Natural Woman is owned by Crystal, sing Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow...or So Far Away...or Its too Late. But better yet...choose a song that shows your voice off. Not that Paige did...I have yet to hear the amazing voice Simon keeps saying she has. Mr. Auntee interuppted me with nonsense when Simon was explaining why Paige was better than Kaitlynn so I didn't get his rationale. Crytal looks morose as Kaitlynn sings hers swan song.

Then the men...I forget who they teased us with when they eliminated Toddrick...oh yes..Lee DeWyze. Sorry Todd...Lee didn't do so great this week but he is way cuter than you and he has done better in the past so thank goodness THAT one wasn't a surprise. But Lee looked worried.

Big Mike comes out and rearranges the stage directions. Thats it BM...get right out there in front of Ryan and declare yourself the winner of the whole shebang right now. I don't like BM. Kara does point out he keeps singing songs reminding us he has a baby...which unfortunately is only going to encourage more of the same. Did the Rolling Stones do a song about a baby? Well, As Tears Go By does mention children playing.

Cannot remember if they declared Lacy or Crystal safe first. I'm not unhappy about Lacey getting to the top 12 as I think she is better than Katie and we already know that the arguably worst, Paige, has made it.

Crystal is called up and she is not smiling. She is safe and still isn't smiling.

Then the worst moment of the show for me. Its between Andy Garcia and my new favorite Alex. Andy stays. The judges look a bit shocked. As they should be but its their own darn fault for praising him for that Straight Up deal he did. Vote for the Worst guys say about 5 people had done Straight Up the same way on Youtube long before Andy got to Hollywood. Crystal not only looks sad now...she looks pissed as do about everyone else in the group Judges seem a bit surprised too but recover well.

Finally...the All American girl against the truly quirky one, Lilly. Yes, Lilly's rendition of I Fall to Pieces was not very good but Katie was just terrible. Lilly goes and now Crystal has tears in her eyes. And the rest of the group look upset too because they just realized we have two teenyboppers...Aaron and Katie...who the fans seem to love even when they stink up the joint...so was this really a good career move for us? Lets just enter Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus into the top 12 and get it over with.

So...now I'm left with watching to see how about 4 or 5 out of the top 12 do each week: Crystal, Siobhan, Lacey, Lee and Casey.

I am predicting BM will win and have the same illustrious career as Taylor Hicks, despite my malevolent eye on him the entire time.

Poor Alex...I loved him. I wanted to adopt him.

Oh..I almost forgot the piano duet between Matt and Scott. This was the song they were supposed to do in finale week but which got cut due to time. I enjoyed it a lot. Except I kept wondering...did Matt get that lump removed from his forehead or was his new hair do covering it up?

Glad to see that they both are recording.

Ok..next week the Rolling Stones. Which means I'm going to have to reacquaint myself with their songs. I am interested to see what Crystal does. I'm actually rooting for a Crystal/Siobahn finale I think. I might change my mind.

Nobody To Love

I probably would have blown off voting tonight except I had to go to the bathroom so I picked up the cell phone that had been recharging on the way back.

Oh my...pretty much a disaster of epic proportions for all but Alex and BM and surprisingly Tim Urban.

Lee was cute as always tonight but I felt like his song was a firefly that I could never catch and then when I thought I had it in my grasp it died on me like the fireflies always do when you catch them. I think he will be safe because he is cute and was not awful but he was not as good as he could be...at least I hope he can be better.

Andrew Garcia, still searching for the elusive moment of genius when he covered Paula Abdul's Straight Up in Hollywood, chooses ANOTHER woman artist to cover (he has yet to cover a song that a man sang and made a hit). I don't know the original song well...I seem to remember it being used in a lot of ice skating shows about 10 years back and I don't remember the bossa nova feel that Andrew put into it tonight. His vocals were weak...this guy is just sapped of confidence. Geeky genius to just plain geek in 3 short weeks. I'm sorry Andrew, if I found a bottle and there was a remote chance you might be the genie in it I would put it in the furthest corner of my backyard with an electrified cage around it and surround it with a 10 foot tall fence just on the off chance that something alive might rub up against it. I would probably put a bug zapper next to it too to make sure the fireflies didn't inadvertently rub against it and let you out. You were that bad. And I really was over not liking you and starting to want you to do better.

Casey, I will think of you because you are eye candy and not because you gave an especially compelling performance tonight. Like Lee, you did not suck but you did not shine either. Step it up.

Toddrick once again does his changing the song routine. He hit a few falsettos at the beginning which shows he sort of can sing. Seeing how well Germaine did last week with the Church music style, he decided to gospel it up now and then but not entirely. I thought it was a cold mess. I don't kow why the judges liked it. I thought it was even worse than his other performances because the gospel stuff was just phony. He needs to stop worrying about finding somebody good enough for him to love and finding any one to vote. And Toddrick, pay back those kids you cheated!

Well, KK, you told me so. Aaron Kelley did a poor imitation of David Archuleta tonight. And while I agreed with Simon that Kara should not have said *you are too young to sing this song* he was way too melismatic for me. He and Katie just don't have the experience to be here yet. Although...considering he was abandoned by his parents as a baby and left to his aunt to raise...perhaps he has more experience with the father not being there thing than Kara could ever guess. So, Aaron, my verdict is you are not there yet.

BM tweeted today he couldn't wait to do his song because his wife was going to be in the audience. She has been in the audience every week but I guess we need to be reminded once again that his wife had a baby. And so he sings a song about a woman having a baby. And him not being there. Very slowly. Very self-indulgently. And Kara cries. He's cruising into the final two because a woman gave birth to his kid when he wasn't there and he's made himself a saint because of it. Regrettably. My malevolent eye is on him. He is a fat Gokey.

Hallelujah. When I heard Tim Urban was singing this I was like...OH NO! Jason Castro owns the Hallelujah moment on Idol for me, perhaps its because its the first time I heard that song although given that I grew up in the Leonard Cohen era and knew some of his work very well, it shouldn't have been the first time I heard that song. Unfortunately, one of our blog followers, who I shall call Little J, replayed k.d.lang's performance at the Olympics for me a week or two ago which made Jason Castro's version look pretty amateur. According to Little J, Leonard Cohen said, after hearing k.d. lang, he never wanted to hear another singer perform that song again. I don't think he will change his mind after hearing Tim Urban sing it... BUT....it was ok for me. Not quite a *moment* but Tim got into the song. And Leonard can console himself with the royalties (he is still alive isn't he?).

So...who did I manage to vote for during the commercials of Shear Genius (by the way..the new hostess of that show has the most irritating voice in the whole world..bring back Jacklyn Smith) ? Alex Lambert. He is trouble all right. Trouble for Big Mike and the rest of them. No stupid falsettos...he just stood there and sang. I love his phrasing. No...he doesn't change the melody, slow it down, speed it up, add bossa nova or gospel or reggae or ragtime to it....but I thought it was soulful phrasing. I hate the mullet but he cannot change it now.

Lots of criticism on the boards of Ellen as a judge (*she doesn't know music* *I'm sick of her bad jokes*) but I have no complaints about her. Kara can get rid of the *I'm too sexy for my shirt* attitude at any moment and start acting like the serious artist she thinks that she is. I loved that Ellen hugged Tim Urban. She was hired to make jokes and to be the *nice* judge. And I like that she brings to the table the taste of those of us who are not musically trained but *know what we like when we hear it*.

Finally...why is the *Final 12* such a big deal when only the final 10 go on tour?

Crystals' to Lose

For sure. She's got this competition in the bag, if she just keeps doing what she's doing. The girl is amazing! I love everything about her - from her crazy hair, to her bad teeth, to her adorable little boy. While I don't think it was as great as her CCR performance last week, she killed Tracy Chapman.

My other favorite tonight was Siohban. I remember my father used to listen to that song, too (something about those old hippies, I guess). And I love how she changed it up. The beginning was haunting to me, she built it up slowly, and she killed the end. Amazing!

I don't want to talk about Lilly today because I love her, I do. But she wasn't good last night. I agree with Tee about her looking like a wind-up doll and sounding like a baby. Why did she ruin a perfectly good Patsy Cline song? Please come back again Lilly. (She will. The judges clearly love her.)

I'm giving a comeback performance award to Didi. I agree with Tee that her "story" is comparable to Gokey's and we hate that here. But her soulful rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon gave me goosebumps. I downloaded it. And we all know that's how I judge a good performance - if I buy it later.

I'm over Katelyn. I liked her last week, but that's the only time I've liked her. She looked like a weird little puppet dancing around the piano to Carol King. She does have pretty hair though.

And on the "she's got pretty going for her" note, I like Lacey, but not enough to go to the top 12. Her song last night was the best she's done by far, I agree with Kara on that. And she's gorgeous. That's all I can say.

I do feel a little sorry for Katie. She IS taking the judge's comments and doing what they're suggesting. She's trying. And I think that's her problem: she's so young she has no idea who she is or what she likes to sing. She wants to be a star so bad that she'll just do whatever somebody tells her to do. And in this competition, original wins.

And Paige. Oh, Paige had me and my husband cracking up last night. The reason Smile was bad is because she got emotional in the middle of it reflecting on Michael Jackson's death! That's hysterical!! Look, I get it. I grew up with Michael Jackson, too. It's sad that he's dead. But I don't cry over it in my every day life and I certainly wouldn't let it ruin my opportunity to be a star. It was just a horrible song choice, a horrible performance. I'm glad it'll probably be her last week.

I don't really care who goes home as long as Crystal, Siohban, and Lilly stay. And I'd kind of like to see Didi again.

I think Lacey and Paige might be on the way out. Maybe Katelyn. I think Katie is safe because she strikes me as the type to have a big supportive base of fans.

Oh, and the girls ARE much better than the boys.

I Fell To Pieces

I like Lilly. Not as much as I like Crystal...but I like her. I didn't like her performance tonight. First, I am a huge Patsy Cline fan and that song is probably my favorite song of hers. I didn't mind Lilly changing up the notes so much...although her changes did not enhancethe song at all and actually made it weaker. What I hated was that stupid mandolin that she barely plucked and her singing it in a baby voice. She looked like a kewpie doll and sounded like one too. For the first week since voting started, she is not getting any votes from me.

Once again, Crystal blew it out of the park and there is not much else to say but awesome. I notice that Didi decided to bring her guitar out in an effort to steal Crystal's magic. While Didi did not have the atrocious performance she did last week, I think the judges were a little too easy on her tonight. She didn't suck. She will probably make the top 12 because she didn't suck but she was not all that great to me (of course I don't like her BeSorryForMe persona so I probably didn't appreciate how much she didn't suck).


I don't know what got into Katelyn....that is probably the dullest Carole King song ever written and she did look like she was just going through the motions with it. It did nothing to showcase her voice...which is a good voice. She seems contrived to me. She's probably very lovely.

Lacey got some votes from me tonight. I liked that song for her, I liked how she staged it and I like her. Is she the next American Idol? I don't think so. But I hope she gets enough votes this week to make the top 12.

Siobahn...I liked her performance. I liked the song. I liked that she sang it because her hippie dad likes that song and he was in the audience. If her performance was dark...clue to Simon...its a DARK SONG! I think she has a lot of fans.

Poor Paige. She tried to be artistic with the song but she was crying her way through it and it sounded like it. I think she is history, which is too bad because I never did hear the marvelous voice that Simon says she has.

Katie just failed. She is too young for this show. She was pitchy from the start and only sounded good on the few glory bars in the song. It was boring.

I'm predicting Katie and Paige go this week. Maybe Katelynn and maybe Lacey.

He's BAAAACK!

Danny Gokey returns to the idol stage with a song that not only reminds us his wife is dead but a song that was written by a man whose wife is dead so its just perfect for Danny's first single. At least we won't see him for the rest of the season and hopefully not in seasons to come. Now Danny, continue moving on with your life but not on my TV screen...OK?

As for the eliminations....I was very pleased to see the Asshat Germaine leave. He really couldn't believe it. He almost trashed his fellow contestants when he said *well I'm not like these guys* then you saw a lightbulb go off and he realized he needed to climb out of that hole. John Park never really had a chance but he didn't help himself with his song choices and I won't particularly miss him although I liked him just fine.

Poor Haeley. I know I've been critical of her but now I'm mad at the judges for putting her in the top 24 to begin with. She was too young, her voice was too untrained and she really wasn't that good. I think they got carried away looking for the next Taylor Swift and crushed a poor kid's spirit in the process. And it seems she was really well liked by the other contestants...almost all of the girls were crying and some of the guys looked like they wanted to. So sad for her. Especially as she sounded so awful singing her swan song. If they had only told her during Hollywood week..get some vocal training and some experience and come back next year. Oh well.

I thought Michelle was boring last week but this week I liked her and wanted her to stay instead of Didi BeSorryForMe.

I was called a racist today on the American Idol Boards because I said Germaine should go because of his attitude alone. I guess the poster didn't see what I said about Danny Gokey last year.

It's Definitely A Woman's World

Top 3 performances of the week: Crystal, Lilly, and Siobahn. I love Crystal's quiet confidence and professionalism. Her performance blew me away. I didn't take any notes I just listened to it in awe. Lilly is probably a tie with Crystal tonight. I think Sayesha did A Change Is Gonna Come two seasons back and Lilly made Sayesha's performance look like dog doodie. And Siobhan taking on Tina Turner and hitting that note. Now if Crystal and Siobahn would lose the piercings and Lilly would get her hair out of her eyes they would be practically perfect in every way.

Following about 40 yards back was Michelle who I admire for listening to what the judges said and taking a risk. I like her personally too. Katelynn was just behind Michelle. I agree Katelynn was too slow and I think her performances are contrived. Neither of them were awful. But they didn't rise to the level of the top 3.

As far as I'm concerned we can send the rest of them home tomorrow. Haeley at least didn't pierce my eardrums so she was better than last week but not good. Lacy is a sweet thing but that song was weird. So is her voice. Katie sang another Idol standard...honey if I know *Girl Put Your Records On*...its not current. And they mentioned Justin Bieber again. I have to You Tube him to see why the judges love him but the contestants all look like they want to upchuck when his name is mentioned. Paige just bored me again. They say she has a great voice...I haven't heard it yet.

Worst of the night? Didi BeSorryForMe. I don't even know how to say what a mess she made of that song and her stage movements looked so phony and forced. And then, she cries when she gets bad news. Just stick to meaningless and light songs. I hope she goes soon. I don't like crybabies.

As for Crystal, who is now my favorite of all contestants men and women, I encourage you all to google *Crystal Bowersox Farmer's Daughter* and watch that video. She wrote the song and I do not know if it is autobiographical or not but if it is, no wonder she is an old soul. I know she was raised on a farm. The song is written to an alkie father who beat his kids up frequently and is basically her writing him off for good. You notice she doesn't mention her parents. I hope she keeps healthy. She could have gotten some sympathy votes by explaining her diabetes tonight and I admire her for not going there.

No predictions this week. Haeley has the Vote For the Worsters voting for her so she may stay safe...Lacy probably should go...I would say that I would be happy for Didi to go (and I would) but I don't think I can stomach her crying her way through that song again.

PS..Just watched about 30 seconds of a Justin Bieber video on YouTube and completely understand the upchuck factor.

Crystal Mystery

For what its worth, posters on the AI website said her hospitalization was related to her diabetes and that she is recovering well and will perform tonight. I don't know where they got that information of if, like me, they were just guessing. I don't know if they will explain it tonight or not. Also, some asshats on the AI site thought she should be disqualified for missing the performance. Nice people.

Stupid HIPPA

I've searched high and low, gone to every gossip website I know, and some I didn't know, and I can not find out what happened to Crystal Bowersocks. It's all I could think about during last night's performances. (Okay, I did have a few other thoughts):

Lee Dewyze has replaced Andy Garcia as the one I'll cheer for. Who cares that he's pitchy? Who cares that he's a bit akward and shy? Who cares that he needs a belt? I'm one of those preppy women who thinks he's awesome. (He's a bit David Cook and a bit Daughtry, and you don't get better than that.)

I do still like Andy Garcia. But please, Andy, bring back the guitar and continue "tweaking" your songs. I know the judges criticized you last week, but they were wrong. Do what you do, kid, America is voting now.

Little Alex Lambert surprised me! I was pulling for him to leave after last week's performance, but I'm happy he got a second chance. I really liked what he did and I'm hoping the judge's good comments will give him the confidence he so desperately needs. Also, I love Ellen for making fun of his mullet over and over again - it never gets old.

All I want to say about Casey is that I don't want to like him, but for some reason I do. Every week I want him to be horrible, but then I end up sort of jamming out along with him.

And rounding out the "good" of the night is Big Mike. I really liked him again this week, and I hope he continues to do what he did tonight because it's better than what he's been doing. For once, the voice DID match the package.

Tim Urban and John Park are more hair than voice.

Jermaine and Toddrick are more cocky than talented.

And I want to smack that little Aaron Kelly kid and his "I'm so metro-sexual and sensitive, all the 13 year old girls will swoon" attitude. Photography, puke.

Is It A Man's World?

Simon doesn't think so. But BM does (I've shortened his acronym because he offended me less this week).

I will actually say BM's performance was number 3 on my top three tonight. I thought it started out a little slow (but better than that herky jerky stuff he did last week). I agree with Kara that for the first time I *get it*. His vocals were a lot less breathy and he wasn't just getting by on being a big old cuddly good-natured bear man. So..I will turn my malevolent eye elsewhere tonight.

While I am being positive, my second favorite performance was Lee DeWyze. But he needs to start singing on key. And he did look a little awkward without his guitar. I would guess he will be attractive to preppie women young and old. A little dangerous but not too much.

My favorite performance was little Alex Lambert. It was a sweet song from a sweet boy and without an overload of melisma. Unfortunately, he went for the falsetto I loathe so much. Fortunately, he hit it.

For the also rans:

I'm starting to pull for Andy Garcia. Will they just shut up already about the Paula song for pete's sake? He probably should have kept his guitar. His voice had a bit of a raspiness tonight which I am ambivalent about because it makes him more Gokeyesque to me. I'm trying to be fair. He no longer has my malevolent eye but it could come back to him one of these days.

Aaron Kelly. I agree with Simon that the song was not a good one for him to sing. Too old fashioned even though I love the song. I don't know the artist they mentioned he should emulate...Justin Beeber? I don't think Aaron knows him either. Who is he?

Jon Park is the Anoop of the season. All ballads all the time. (Didn't Anoop sing in an acapello group in college too?) You can't hate him but you cannot love him either.

Casey James. I really don't like that song of existential angst that everyone sings. OK, he doesn't have a TV and didn't know that its sung every season at about this stage of the competition. His guitar playing was the star of his performance. Vocals not so good and a stupid stupid song .

Tim Urban...well not the worst but 3rd from the worst tonight. He needs to tone down his tone or something. Its too harsh.

Toddrick (or as he is known on the Vote For the Worst site...*Fraudrick*)... I have never taken a cruise. I have this vision, however, of the Cruise Ship from Hell, where every nghtclub has a Toddrick entertaining you. You have a few drinks and are feeling mellow and you try to have a pleasant conversation with your companions. And he comes up to you with the microphone, dancing and singing stupid melisma and falsetto versions of Motown greats or rearranges Carrie Underwoods Jesus Takes the Wheel and you cannot leave the room fast enough. You search frantically for a bar on the ship that either has a jukebox or no music but everywhere you go..Toddrick is there....like Chuckie in the movie Childsplay! Finally, you stick a key in your ear. He is just plain creepy!

If you are lucky, you did not go the nightclub early enough to hear Toddrick's warm up act, Germaine. Who thinks Motown was only the precursor to Germaine the Great. What was that stupid onsie bit? You have to be remotely likable for that to work and Germaine...you really know how to (as Mr. Auntee would say) crap in your rice bowl. Insult the bands, insult the judges, insult your dad for not putting the heat up (did you PAY for the heating bills Germaine) and then invoke God. *What should I sing next week*. I think it took all of Simon's self-control not to respond. *Why don't you ask God about that?*. I do not mean to mock Germaine's faith. But my faith cannot separate belief from actions and Germaine acts to me like an asshat.

Which leads to my next proposition. Each week I am going to nominate an asshat of the week and encourage the blog followers to comment and add their own nominees. Germaine is my asshat nominee this week. I know it is premature as the women have not yet performed but I really cannot envision any of them surpassing Germaine.

I feel guilty because I mentioned Crystal Bowersox and her diabetes and am pretty sure her hospitalization was related to that condition. Its much more serious than adult onset diabetes and can kill quite easily. I'm sure the stress and schedule are not helping matters for her. I also feel guilty because the American Diabetes Association called asking for money this week and I told them no. I hope she is well enough to sing tomorrow.

No predictions tonight. I would say that Lee DeWyze, BM, Alex Lambert, Andy Garcia and Casey James are safe.

Backstory on Crystal Bowersox

As, I was roaming around the Official AI website tonight (I took a 3 hour nap at 4pm so I'm up for awhile...alas) I was told to google Farmers Daughter Crystal Bowersox to see her perform a song she wrote. Which is a good song. Which led me to her myspace page...which a blog on it...which hasn't been updated for awhile. It turns out, she has a pretty good sob story herself, besides having a baby. She has juvenile diabetes and is dealing with it with an insulin pump. She has also been active in fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Certainly preferable to scamming kids.

Surprised?

Well, my predictions are not turning out too well. I was 1 for 4. I figured Ashley was gone because she really didn't have anything for the audience to grab on to in terms of a story and she was not very good. I thought Janelle would hang in there a week or two longer and that Lacy would go. I guess the audience felt sorry for Lacey because this was her second year. She is a chirpy thing too. Haeley survived, I believe, solely by virture of being the Vote For the Worst pick

Poor Joe Munoz. What did he do to offend everyone? So much like poor Jorge last year even down to the unibrow. And Tyler? As opposed to that idiot Germaine or Toddrick? Or Tim Urban (who also survived due to VFTW votes I think). Or Alex Lambert?

All except Tyler were very gracious, particularly Ashley. Tyler had a point (one I made yesterday) that they seemed to encourage his 70's stuff in Hollywood but then changed their minds about it last night. I thought he was likeable enough to go a few more weeks but oh well...AMERICA has spoken!

I love Allison Ireheta but who has been advising her not to enuciate words when she sings and to make those stupid faces while performing? If I had not had the closed caption feature on I would not have any idea what the words to that song were. Is this some new trend that I don't know about because I'm not current?

It was nice to see Kris Allen perform again (yes..now I remember his name).

I looked at the Dial Idol site today to see what the voting looked like. The leading ladies were Katie Stevens (by a wide margin) followed by Crystal and Lilly. The leading man was Andy Garcia followed by Casey James. BMWHAKLE was down somewhere in the middle of the pack which must have surprised him had he chosen to look (and they all look...wouldn't you look?)

I have a very sick feeling that Katie Stevens (a.k.a. *another Taylor Swift*) is going to win this thing. At this point, I hope I am wrong. Maybe she will move me one of these days.

The Candy Man Can

*You're not just eye candy, you're ear candy*.

I REALLY did not want to go into the Kara/Casey drama as my very second paragraph but that would be like ignoring a full cat litter box. I don't WANT to clean it but I have to. Frankly, I am rather chagrined to discover that Kara and I have the same taste in men. Casey is a bad boy who is way too good looking for his own good (although a bit scrawny) and I'm sure has left scores of women heartbroken who thought they were the love of his life . He is exactly the type of guy I adored in my teens and twenties. And then I married a man who resembles Andy Garcia. Except the man I married cannot sing. And, unlike Andy Garcia, he goes to work every day instead of sitting around the house crying about not being able to afford food for our cats.

Seriously, my enjoyment of Casey James is diminished by knowing that Kara thinks he is hot too. Of all the performances tonight, his was the only one I was smiling through. I resisted the impulse to vote for him. And Kara seriously needs to tone down the story line here. It is very unfair to the other contestants. Casey, being the bad boy that he is, is shamelessly taking advantage of her lust (you can hardly blame him) and I hope we don't hear anymore about it. Ryan was right, HR does need to intervene here quickly or they are going to have some legal trouble over this. I like his music. I'm sure KK is going EWWWW...he is so cheesy. Well, I like cheesy. Enough of me on Casey James and I promise I will attempt to stifle my Kara Cougar impulses in future posts (although I think at my age I'm more like a a plow horse than a cougar).

So..back to reality. I was a bit surprised to hear Randy say the ladies *blew it out last night* because the judges seemed to hate all the girls. Here is my take on the contestants who did not make me smile through their songs.

Todrick Hall. Con man extraordinaire. I'm sure the little kids who come up to him and say they loved his original audition song are not the same little kids whose parents got scammed out of thousands of dollars in numerous cities to be in a production he never planned to stage. His song choice was lame and he sang it like a bad cruise ship performer. He cannot leave soon enough for me. He got marks for being *creative* even though it sucked. Sorry....I'm with Simon, except I would go further. His performance wasn't verging on stupid it was just plain stupid. And, as they say...you can't fix stupid.

Aaron Kelly. He was not that original and I HATE HATE HATE those random falsettos that are so popular in the current songs..I guess Mariah Carey started that trend and its ugly to me even when she does it. But he did fine for a 16 year old.

Germaine *the Diva* Sellers tried to live down his reputation for being a complete ass in Hollywood. I was wincing and wincing as he sang because he is not very good. And then of course, he tried to convince us he really isn't a conceited ass but forgot who the heck he had insulted in Hollywood. *Whose Michael?* Oh just some guy who makes a living in the music business which I believe you will never do.

Tim Urban. Oh man. Bad. He seems nice and I liked some parts of his voice but once again that stupid falsetto brought him down. He's gone.

Joe Munoz. Well he doesn't grab me but seems nice enough and is not horrible so that should get him through.

Tyler Brady. Well, he does look a bit like KK's brother but KK's brother is way cooler than Tyler. You know, he was just too obvious with his 70's stuff tonight. Of course he was told in Hollywood week that his 70's vibe *set him apart* so who can blame him for working it.

Lee DeWyze. He almost made me smile through his song. He is a bit of a David Cook type. I like him. I voted for him because I was too embarassed to vote for Casey James. But now I cannot remember what he sang!

Jon Park. Didn't really see much of him leading up to this week, but I like him personally. I love that song and I think he loves that song but I agree it didn't quite work. I hope he gets enough votes for being nice and loving his parents to get a chance to sing something else.

Michael Lynch. More about the baby. More more about the baby. Hey...did you know he has a baby? Unfortunately, it appears he will be on for a long time so I will just refer to him as Big Mike Who Has A Baby Like Everyone (BMWHALE). He thinks he has already won this contest. I thought the song was too rushed and his herky jerky movements made me dizzy. I've tranferred my Andy Garcia malevolent ill will to him.

Alex Lambert. I know he is an awkward kid and was scared. His song had more stupid falsetto in it which he could not quite handle. He complimented the band which was a very mature thing for him to do. I hope he stays for awhile but that is mostly just me being motherly about him.

Andrew Garcia. They gave him the pimp spot because he did knock them out in Hollywood with the Paula song. I have never heard the song he sang tonight which was a pretty depressing thing and, dare I say. it *self-indulgent*. On the other hand, they told him how great he was when he did something original with the Paula song so I imagine he is a bit confused that tonight they didn't call his original work genius. I think it was an intellectual performance as opposed to an emotional performance which is odd since I thought he was emotional. He will be around for a very long time so we will see if KK's hopes for him are realized. I don't hate him quite as much now that he reminds me of my husband (who I do not hate at all..just for the record..for one thing he has moved around a great deal of furniture the past few weeks which I doubt Casey James would bother to do).

Predictions: Tyler Urban and Alex Lambert go home. Todrick should go home simply for dashing the dreams of young children througout the United States but I think he will scam his way into a few more weeks.

Oh..earlier I said that the Todrick scam story had not been verified. It now has been verified and researched. At least one local news station reported on it. He went into communities and approached dance schools and said the kids could be munchkins in his musical about Oz (to be produced at some local location he had already booked). He held auditions and then told the *winners* that the fee to participate would be $50 or $75 depending on the city. Supposedly this was to pay for the costumes the kids would wear. Then, he skipped town. Then he sent word the production was cancelled for various reasons. Local venues he supposedly had booked to show the production claim they had never even been contacted about the show. He now claims he is *trying to pay them all back*. To be fair, the production did actually play in 3 or 4 cities. As everyone who has studied grifters knows...you have to have something that appears legit in order to bring in the suckers.

Now that the first performances are behind them all, I'm hoping the remaining contestants have a good week next week.

And a side note about Angela Martin who was totally screwed out of a top 24 spot. Evidently, Ellen has arranged for her to have a recording contract and Kara is going to write some songs for her (the songwriting could be a good or bad thing). I hope she succeeds. I really think the reason the producers cut her out was they thought that her mother would be discovered dead during the season and that would generate sympathy for her which would be unfair to the other contestants as well as not wanting the news to reflect on Idol (probably more of the latter than the former). But I'm happy for her to get a shot at a contract and hope she is produced well, has good songs, and that the label promotes her. Go Angela!

This One's For the Girls

Or, at least Simon has predicted that a girl will win and that means that the Idol powers that be want a girl to win (according to Simon *another Taylor Swift* who will be an *original*...never mind how you can be another Taylor Swift and be original). I am probably the only person on the planet who has never heard Taylor Swift sing...I've only seen her collect awards. I will have to look her up on YouTube to see what all the fuss is about.

Originality, or lack thereof, seemed to be the theme of the night. I like original...I just wonder why they continue to put people through who are not original. As far as judging this current group, Ellen described it best when she said you don't want to be the performer that makes the audience want the song to end. On that criteria, there were only three who I wanted to hear sing more. Which sort of makes Ryan's comment that this is the best group ever a big fat piece of puffery at best and false advertising at worst.

Lilly sang a Beatles song I am not familiar with. But there are no bad Beatles songs. I liked the song and her jazzy voice. She got good reviews from the judges but then Simon seemed to reconsider later in the program after he heard Didi and Lacy imitate her and Adele and Duffy (who I don't know) and whoever else sings like that. And her hair is platinum, not grey I like her a lot and hope she sings a song I know well so that I can judge her by that.

Siobhan IS a dark horse, as Simon said, even if she doesn't know what it means. She was not featured until the very end of Hollywood week and she was a very pleasant surprise. I thought she started the song in a range too low but I definitely was not waiting for the song to end.

My favorite was Crystal Bowersox, although she can quit talking about her kid any day now. I'll forgive her for mentioning that tonight since she was trying to explain why she auditioned for Idol in the first place. One of our blog followers hates her chin piercing (I hadn't noticed it until the follower mentioned it) but I find it less offensive than a bunch of tattoos. I had not heard that song before either but I know exactly why she chose it...it reflects her attitude toward life. And, I disagree with Simon that there are people in subway stations doing what she does everyday. There may be people in subway stations playing the guitar and singing and playing the harmonica...but not the way she does. And she does remind me of KK's sister (although not as pretty and KK's sister has better teeth and no facial piercings) so I I have to love her. I think the harmonica was a bit distracting though.

And now for the rest of the girls.

Had high expectations for Paige because Simon touted her at the end of Hollywood week, but she didn't blow me away. I was waiting for her song to end. Also, I didn't need to know that she had to use the restroom. Ryan should not have mentioned that but she could have used a more ladylike euphemism. In the house I grew up in, the *P* word was worse than the *S* word so each time I hear it I cringe. In addition, she probably offended every young mother in America when she referred to the snotty nosed kids she teaches. Not to mention that the chances look pretty good right now that she will be right back there wiping those noses next semester.

Ashley Rodriguez wanted to make Simon happy so she sang a song by his great discovery Leona Lewis. I don't like Leona Lewis and don't think her voice is much better than Ashleys, but evidently Leona is right up there with Whitney and Celine and others whose songs should not be sung by lesser mortals. Which is fine by me as I never want to hear or see Leona Lewis again in my life.

Janelle may have potential. But it was not in evidence tonight. She sounded like a wounded Brooke White. I don't even remember what song she sang.

Katelynn was trying very hard to be original and to be good. She may grow on me. I didn't really focus on how she looked. After Kara mentioned it I did think maybe the outfit didn't coincide with the song. I didn't see her face when Kara said that. Kara is just so darn awkward. She was trying to be self-effacing and say that Katelynn probably was calling Kara a bitch in her mind...but it came out wrong and then looked like she was calling Katelynn a bitch and she had to clarify. Just shut up sometimes Kara.

Poor Lacy Brown. I voted for her once in sympathy. I think she is much better than her performance tonight. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was the song choice or maybe she really isn't that good but I would like her to have another chance.

Michelle is a corporate singer and it showed. Good luck getting any originality out of her.

I thought the judges were going to slather all over Katie Stevens as I think she is the person Simon has in mind when he says they want another Taylor Swift. She can sing but for some reason she bores me. I really didn't think she was as bad as the judges thought she was tonight. She does come across as *old* in that she is preppy. Which went out of fashion in 1983. But I think that is just who she is and I don't really see her dying her hair pink and putting on mismatched clothing to try to look current.

And now...for the two I absolutely hated for different reasons.

Interestingly, Haeley mentioned the pain she felt when her nose was pierced because that was what my eardrums felt when she sang *I Want to Hold Your Hand*. I kid you not...I felt actual pain. I have no idea why she picked that song and I have no idea what style she was going for as she warbled from country to diva to rockabilly in one phrase and failed at each of them. All I know is I wanted to hold my ears while she was on stage. What a colossal blunder to put her through. They did it last year with another teenager, Jasmine something or other, who also screamed flat notes which made my ears bleed.

And now for poor pathetic Didi who *has had an emotional ride*. As luck would have it, her dead friend Rebecca's family lives in Kansas and our local Fox Station did a piece tonight about the local American Idol connection. So, in addition to watching her perform live, I had to listen to about 4 commercials for the local newscast in which her performance of Terrified was featured. She is a combination of all of the worst of Megan Joy and Brooke White.

Predictions for Thursday night? Lacy and Ashley will go. Which is too bad because Haeley should be gone by all that's fair and just in the world. Plus it irritates me that Haeley's name is spelled so stupidly.

Now I'm going to go to YouTube to listen to Taylor Swift, Adele, and Duffy.

More Contestant Drama!

Yes, I have way too much time on my hands and read all sorts of stuff (primarily from the Vote For the Worst site). Here is the latest:

Didi the waitress who allegedly came from the boonies with the sob story of her dead friend and cried her way into the top 24 while sucking up to Kara singing *Terrified* in Hollywood Week? Well, she is evidently is not the simple little waitress she appears to be but has been working in Los Angeles as a musician for awhile and happens to have some sort of mentor/mentee relationship with the person who co-wrote the song Terrified (according to VFTW which quotes her Facebook page thanking the guy for all of his help to her career). So...she is a PLANT!

Casey James, who is Kara's crush, has a record of DUI's and other similar brushes with the law.

And poor Angela, who was sent home but told she was still a *star*...has even more drama going on. Her mother, who was a recovering druggie, disappeared on Christmas day and the fear is she went back to the drugs and may be dead. I wonder if Idol just didn't want to deal with the potential scandal. While her style was certainly nothing unique from the little we saw of her ( Celine/Whitney clone), she was on key. Unlike Haely who has no talent, is at bottom another Celine/Whitney clone, but has decided to say she is country to be different.

I'm really looking forward to this week so we can sort out the fodder. Its hard to tell from those little vignettes we saw who is really talented and remember...no one knew who David Cook was out of Hollywood Week (or Chris...whose last name escapes me...I would remember it had he simulated sex on stage at some awards show) so we may have some good surprises coming up!

Top 24 in 2 Sentences or Less ...

I confess: I have a 4 month old baby, 4 needy animals, and a husband that works 2 jobs. American Idol is DVRed at our house, and watched (hopefully) the next day. So, my blogging will be consistently late. Please accept the above excuses and my apologies.

Because I despise the audition weeks and Hollywood week, I only have a few short thoughts to offer.

The majority of the Top 24 are people that I could care less about. The ones I was attached to were cut, and the majority of the ones who went through have had about 2 seconds of camera time (if that). So, I'm only commenting on the ones that I deem worthy at this point in time.

1. Tim Urban: Forgettable, boring, needs a haircut. (These are the exact same comments I'd make about Golightly. So, it's a wash for me.)

2. Aaron Kelly: Over-plucked, over-gelled, over-jewelryed, and obnoxious. If you can't remember the lyrics (over and over again), you deserve to go home. He's chosen only to appease the 13 year old girls. I hate him.

3. Tyler Grady: He looks like my brother, so I like him instantly. Plus, I dig his 70's style - it's unique, fun, quirky, and I think he's fun to watch.

4. Michael Lynch: I really like him (even though I still contend the voice doesn't match the package), but I'm disturbed by the favoritism played by AI already. I'd hate to see his dreams crushed because of his stupid Dad, but rules are rules (unless you're AI's pick-of-the-season, apparently).

5. Toddrick Hall: I don't even remember seeing anything about his connections to Fantasia until this very last episode. And I like him.

6. Didi Benami: I, like Tee, am already sick of the dead friend card that's being thrown around. And I 2nd the Brooke-out moment prediction. She won't make it more than 4 weeks.

7. Haeley Vaughnn: I hate, hate, hate this girl. She's not good, she's not cute. In fact, she's downright obnoxious. I predict lots of wrong song choices, pitchy vocals, forgotten lyrics, and mistakes that'll be overlooked by the judges.

8. Katie Stevens: She's okay, I guess. But I'm not as enthralled with her as the judges seem to be.

9: Lilly Scott: Yay, she made it! She's quirky, fun, and different, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from her.

10. Andrew Garcia: My favorite by far! He humbly says: "I like messing with songs", to which I say "I can't wait to watch you get creative!"

Side note: Looks like this season is shaping up to be an interesting commentary between Aunt Tee and KK - Tee's favorite is KK's Archuletta, while KK's favorite is Tee's Gokey. Oh no!!

Update....Contestant Drama

As I watched tonight, I made a list of all the people who made it *in* to the top 24 and when it came to the last bit between Thaddeus and Andy, I was only on #22. So, I figured I missed a name when they were doing some of those quick sequences. As the show ended I added in Tim Urban who I did not remember ever seeing on the show...EVER. But NOOO, your diligent Blogger did NOT miss a thing. In fact, Chris Golightly, the contestant with that awful Orphan Annie Hair, and who was evidently shown in some of the final 24 shots at the end of the show, was recently disqualified because he had an expired contract he didn't tell Idol about. Tim Urban took his place and since the only scene they shot of him was the one telling him no....we didn't see him tonight.

Further drama...they must REALLY love Big Mike because it appears his father did spill the beans ahead of time and that should have disqualified him too. I still don't know why they didn't pick Thaddeus to take Golightly's place except that they didn't want another big black guy stealing votes from Big Mike.

Lets Go On With The Show!

Finally, we have our top 24. None of whom I yet hate. However, I think Todrick might be the first one on my to go list. I think Thaddeus should have been there in Todrick's place. And, Andy Garcia wept quite a bit tonight which really annoyed me. Newflash Andy, you are not the only contestant who wants to do it for his *family*.

About one half of those who made it have not been featured very prominently, so there may be one who will break out among them. My favorites so far are Lilly and Crystal. That Haely is *annoying* as Simon said and while she seems like a sweet young girl, I think I will be tired of her after 1 song. None of the men stand out to me yet, although I like Aaron Kelly, the sixteen year old. I still think 16-17 is too young to be on this show, though.

Well, next week we should finally get some entertainment. I am excited to see them all sing.