American Idol Week 3 - Performance Night

Last night was the third and final round of performances, and frankly, I was underwhelmed by most of them, so let's get right to it.

Von – I don’t exactly understand the love for this kid. He looks kind of like a squished squirrel that borrowed some clothes from the set of Miami Vice. The judges previously berated him for being too “shouty” but I really didn’t hear much improvement this week. It was difficult to hear his unremarkable voice singing a Marvin Gaye song. Simon compared him to Clay Aiken and with any luck, he’ll have his music played in shopping malls across the country, come out of the closet, and only make headlines when he donates his sperm. I think he’ll score with young girls, so he might make it through.

Taylor –I don’t remember this girl at all, and I don’t think I will after tonight. Funny how later Simon forgot there was someone named Taylor that performed. She picked Alicia Keys, and, well, you can’t pick Alicia Keys and butcher it like that if you want some votes. I think this is the last we’ll see of her.

Alex – I had high hopes for this kid, as it’s always kind of fun to have a geek in the mix. Not Sanjaya or Archie, but a real, bona-fide geek. But apparently, he just hit puberty and smoked a pack of cigs before his performance, ‘cause his voice was all screechy-growly, kind of like my Dobie when she wants something. But she doesn’t get a reward until she’s quiet. Maybe Alex can take a cue from her.

Arianna – Of all the ABBA songs in the world…*sigh* I actually like Arianna’s look and her voice, but that song was like the soundtrack to a divorce, kind of middle-aged and depressing. Unfortunately, this is not the song that will get her through to the next round, but hopefully the judges will take pity on this “cute as a button” singer and give her another chance.

Ju’Not – OK, so he performed “Hey There Delilah” in Hollywood, and seemingly “stripped it down” for this performance. However, I was not a fan of the R&B “spin” he gave it, and I grew bored after the first minute or so. I don’t doubt that he can sing, but I’d like to see him with a little more vibe. Good enough for a wildcard.

Kristen –here’s the girl that lost on “Nashville Star” – but was it because she can’t sing, or because she’s not “country enough” (Read: Kendall Beard). This girl definitely has a voice, and I kind of like her awkward, hopeless, style-lacking image. But she loses lots of cool points for her ghastly arrangement and over-singing of “Give Me One Reason.”

Nathaniel – is there really much I can say about Nathaniel? He one-upped Nick/Norman with a sparkly headband –his version of Homo Flashdance? (Did Simon and Kara just refer to him as Richard Simmons? Nice!) And to be honest, he’s a little to chubby to wear skinny jeans. (So am I, but I don’t go around wearing them!) Oh, I’m supposed to talk about the song, right. He sang “I Would Do Anything For Love,” but Simon thinks he would, even though he just killed that song, and not in a good way.

Felicia – Seriously, the judges let this girl go? So far, I think she’s the only one with a nice voice, even though her song is a little karaoke. Another Alicia Keys, a better choice IMO, but she didn’t play up the uniqueness of her sound enough. Next time I hope she chooses a really daring song that really showcases her voice. Yes, I said next time – I hope she goes through, but if not, I think she’s definite Wild Card potential.

Scott –I wasn’t expecting much when he said he’d be singing “Mandolin Rain,” but I think he did a fair job. Definitely one of the top men thus far. I’m glad that someone dressed him in a collared shirt and vest, but equally appalled that they continue to promote his electro-shock hairdo.

Kendall – If you’re going the country route, please pick something a little less in-your-face, or even something non-country that you can put a southern flavor on. Carrie Underwood did exactly that 4 years ago and won. But sticking to mainstream country will be the kiss of death– just look at Kellie Pickler or Kristy Lee Cook.

Jorge –I have nothing against Jorge, or his heritage, or even his accent – heck, Enrique Iglesias sure makes it work for him—but I just don’t see this sweet guy going very far in the competition.

Lil – She goes last, the final contestant to be pimped by the judges. It’s pretty safe to say she’ll come out the clear leader this week, joining the ranks of Danny and Adam. She sings a Mary J. Blige song, but she doesn’t make it her own. She’s a great singer, but needs to prove that she’s young, fresh, and current.

In my opinion, this was the worst group by far. If it were up to me, I’d reluctantly keep Lil and pick two others from the previous groups and send the better ones straight to the Wild Card Round. – Jesse, Megan, and Anoop arguably deserve to be here over most of these contenders. Unfortunatly, that’s not the way it works, and three have to be chosen. For me, those three are Lil, Felicia, and either Scott or Ju’Not for the top male.

Wild Cards should go to Scott or Ju’Not, Kristen, Arianna, and Von.

Jason Gives out the Final Rose...then Takes it Back

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

The Internet has been a-buzzing with rumors that Jason would make his choice in the finale... and then go back on it in the "super secret" After the Final Rose. And they were right.

In last night's finale, Jason did what everyone thought he would do... he chose Melissa, proposed to her, then six weeks later, dumped her in favor of runner-up Molly. He said that he and Melissa were "not a perfect fit" and that he "couldn't stop thinking about" Molly. In all truth, I think he picked Melissa because she was just like his ex-wife and former Bachelorette Deanna, then realized that if he couldn't make it work with them, what chance did Melissa have?

Molly was right in saying that Jason was making a big mistake... after all, Melissa was a bit too grounded for him. So in between sobs, he asked flaky, country-club girl Molly for a second chance.I half-hoped Molly would laugh in his face, tell him she had moved on, and left him alone, but she didn't. Maybe these two dingbats are a perfect match after all.

As for Melissa, she was spot on when she asked Jason, "Why did you put a ring on my finger if you weren't willing to fight for our relationship?" and that "Getting engaged is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and you took that away from me." I couldn't help feel her pain. Well said, Melissa. I hope you find yourself a nice boy in Texas to settle down with.

What is your take on last night's turn of events? Do you support Jason's decision, or do you think he's a jerk?

America Picks 3 More "Idols" for Top 12

Last night's Idol results show revealed three more picks for the top 12. Gaining the top girl's spot was Allison, who was also my top pick. Kris Allen was awarded the next spot over Megan Corkery, even though dialidol.com bet on that spot going to either Matt Giraud or Jesse Langseth. Kris definitely did well enough to surpass the other males - Matt G, Matt B, Kai, and Nick/Norman - but I was almost certain this round would see two girls advance.

The third spot was a giveaway, with Adam winning the third spot over Nick/Norman, presumably winning the highest amount of votes of all the singers, same as Danny. There seems to be a fair amount of love/hate for these two, whose fans already seem to be forming a rivalry between them. You know which camp I'm in thus far in the competition, but it's only round 1- I can't wait to see what they'll bring to the big stage. Just a note to all you Adam haters out there - you may not like his hairstyle, his clothes, or his singing style, but you can't deny his vocal talent or the fact that he brings something a little different, dare I say unexpected to the traditionally one-note (pun intended) Idol stage.

As for the wild card round, I think that Megan, Jesse, and Matt G (Matt based on past performances alone) should be given a second chance. Who would you send to the WC round? Are you happy with last night's picks? Are you ecstatic that this is the last you'll see of Norman Gentle's sweat bands and desperate performances?

American Idol Week 2- Review

So, I didn't see all of last week's show due to my DVR not recording, but I'm here this week with a full recap and review of this week's songsters. So on to the show!

Jasmine – Absolutely the wrong song choice. I agree with the judges that she should have sung something more R&B. Her voice is all wrong for "Love Song", not too mention it was too fast for her to keep up with. Bye-bye Jasmine.

Matt – I really liked Matt during Hollywood and was expecting him to do well. But ss soon as he said he was singing "Viva la Vida", I knew it would be a train wreck. Why are these contestants picking songs with fast melodies that don’t showcase their voices? "Viva la Vida" works for Coldplay because of the musicality, not the vocal range it lends itself to. I heard Matt breathing more than I heard him singing. I'm totally disappointed.

Jeanine - I don't remember this girl from H-wood, but that's okay, she'll be going soon enough. Her performance is an even worse train wreck than Matt with her choice of a Maroon5 song. I bet the judges are kicking themselves for even putting her through.

Nick/Norman - The contestant with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Who’s it going to be tonight? Frick, it’s Norman, and he's wearing a sweat band! This performance is so not entertaining that i choose to fast forward through it. Please don’t vote for him. All hail the Church of Simon!

Allison – Finally someone who knows how to pick a song! I really like her voice, but she needs a new hair style. So far, she's the only one that should make it through.

Kris – I don’t really like the song, but it showcased his voice. Where were these people in the Hollywood rounds? He might go through if everyone else sucks, but his performance was kind of bland.

Megan – She started off well, then started shouting. I don't think she stands out enough for this competition. I didn't like her song choice, so I'm not giving her a pass.

Matt 2 – Although he's better than the first few singers, he sounds like he’s singing karaoke, especially with his song choice. And what is with his dancing? Not a great singer, but he might get through on likeability alone.

Jesse – I really like her look and her voice reminds me of KT Tunstall or Alanna Miles. I don’t particularly like "Bette Davis Eyes" for her, but I like her voice a lot. This might not have been her best performance, but I think she should go through.

Kai – Another karaoke performance. Average and boring.

Mishavonna- "Drops of Jupiter"? Really?! She has a nice voice, but I absolutely abhorred the song choice. I could hear her singing Christina Aguilera or Kate Voegele, but this performance won't give her the chance to try.

Adam – This is the guy I’ve been waiting for. I think he needs a stylist, but I really, really like him. He sings "Satisfaction" and he delivers. I didn't like the Fall Out Boy/Twighlight comparison, I think he's more like an emo Sebastian Bach.
But either way, the judges are right that this kid is in a class all his own. You're going down, Gokey!


My top 3: Allison, Adam, and Jesse

Whose performances did you like? Did you love or hate Adam's rendition of the Rolling Stones?

Summer Faves Get Early Returns

When the rest of the television world is starting to wrap up its season, a few gems are unearthed a few months early to shine while the others fade away. And this year, two of everyone's favorite summer shows - GREEK and My Boys are returning earlier than expected, on March 30 and 31, respectively.

On the My Boys front, it's been nine long months since TBS left us waiting to find out if Bobby will choose PJ over his fiance (Elsa the Swedish nanny) on the eve of his wedding, and the real status of Nina and Andy's "relationship."

Over on ABCFamily, we'll learn the fate of ZBZ once Frannie's new sorority makes its debut. And will Max prove himself to be the one for Casey, or will Cappie always be looming?

Are you excited that these shows are kicking off at the end of March? Or are you sad that now you don't have any fun summer shows to look forward to?

Getting LOST in '09

LOST is back, my friends! I'm super excited to finally get some answers about the Island, like why it's jumping through time, how the "Others" got there, how the Oceaic Six get back, and where the heck Richard Alpert gets his eyeliner.

But so far, Season 5 is NO Season 4, and here's why:

-Too much screentime for the newbies. I get that Faraday is the link to the Island's time-tripping, but why do we need an annoying redhead and an Asian guy that hears dead people?

-The only original Losties still on the Island are Sawyer, Locke, Rose, Bernard, and Vincent the dog. And let's face it, Rose and B do NOT get enough screen time.

-The O6ers turn out to be really, really annoying. One can only hope that returning to the Island erases all their stupid behavior in the "real world."

-Sawyer is lookin' kind of flabby. Guess his workout equipment vanished in the flash.

-No more character-centric episodes.

-We STILL don't know who in the world is supplying Richard Alpert with eyeliner! Is there a Walgreens we don't know about?!

What are your loves/complaints about this season of LOST? Share them here!

Dex and Deb are Married? To Each Other?

What kinds of things were going on in the Morgan household?

It appears that Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter, better known as brother and sister Dexter and Deb on Showtime's Dexter, got married over New Year's.

Relax! They're only siblings on TV.