(S06E16) Ryan sums up the last two nights by saying "The girls ripped it up and the boys threw it down," and tells us that once again they received almost 32 million total votes. Let's just skip all the other stuff and get to it. AJ TABALDO is going home! I'm shocked. I really didn't see that coming. I would place AJ above Phil, Brandon, Jared, and definitely Sanjaya. He gave a good performance Tuesday night and received praise from all of the judges. He has a great personality to match a great voice. Yet, AJ's journey ends tonight...and Sanjaya (adorable, yet flawed) lives to sing another song.
Oh yeah, ALAINA, NICK, and LESLIE are also going home, but I'm not surprised at all. I pretty much expected that. Did I mention that I'm still in shock over AJ getting the boot?
While I'm disappointed that one of my favorites is going home, I realize that this shock is what makes American Idol so exciting and unpredictable. Unfortunately, it's also what makes Idol so frustrating. I want America to vote for MY choices. Or I want to believe that I KNOW who America will vote for (even though I have no clue).
It seems that no matter how hard we try, we can't really predict how our fellow Americans will vote. The AOL online poll got it half right, and half wrong (Sanjaya and Antonella are safe). Meanwhile, Alaina and AJ looked safe over at dialidol.com, but obviously weren't.
Randy, Simon, and Paula think maybe America got it wrong tonight. Do you agree? Or are you glad that AJ, Nick, Alaina, and Leslie are going home?
Other highlights: - Kellie Pickler shows up to sing "I Wonder," and talk about her upcoming tour with Brad Paisley. She doesn't sound nearly as ditzy as she did last year (despite the spider sushi comment). She says she spent money on new shoes, and Ryan wonders (as we all do) if there's something else she's bought lately - like maybe, er, I don't know, implants? Her voice is better than I remember, but the performance is stiff. And her hairstyle is too "old" for such a pretty, young girl.
- The contestants perform "Joy to the World" as a group, and my favorite part is when AJ sings the line "You know I love the ladies." There's been lots of speculation about AJ, and many doubt he's straight, so I find it interesting that he sings this part of the song.
- Alaina is such an emotional mess after her rejection that she can't sing her final song. I've never seen this happen before on Idol. It definitely didn't improve my final impression of her singing.
- Sundance cries a lot tonight. Really, they show him at least half a dozen times and he's always wiping tears from his eyes.
- Paula tries to give Alaina parting advice, but I think Alaina drops her microphone and the sound drops out completely so we can't hear what Paula is saying. It's not a big loss, I'm sure.
- Last week's American Idol Challenge winner is in the audience to prove that the contest is real. This week's question is ridiculously easy again. Nobody tells us what we really want to know, which is how much money they made on last week's Idol Challenge phone calls.
- Leslie and AJ both sang "Feeling Good" and both got booted. I thought it was an interesting song, but apparently it didn't sit well with America. I would cut it from the playlist for next year.
- We get the usual compilation good-bye video set to Daughtry's "Home" and darn if I don't feel a little emotional. I just become a big, mushy softy during this part of the show (sorta like Sundance, without the actual tears). I even feel bad for the contestants I wanted to leave.
- Leslie wins me over during her final few minutes, when she ad libs the end of her song, saying something like, "Why did I decide to scat? Americans don't care for Jazz."
For more Idol thoughts on last night's show, check out People.com.















Reader Comments (Page 11 of 19)
3-02-2007 @ 12:39PM
Trish said...
I wish Alaina and AJ could have been spared another week... Sanjaya was way over do to go... he's horrible and he gets worse each week. Antonella is equally bad, as far as I'm concerned.
It's sort of sad that 12 to 16 yr old girls make up the main votes and they choose the one's with the best hair, nicest smile or cool clothes to go on..
This is about singing and the best ones aren't even being noticed.
Oh and, buck up, Sundance... it's not too cool to see a big guy wimping all the time... geeeesh!!
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3-22-2007 @ 2:40AM
Edward said...
I beleive that A.J. along with Nick should of stayed, and Brandon and sanjay should of went home. why Brandon and not Nick because Brandon was not strong enough in his song. About the Girls, Avaina should of stayed and Antonella should of went home. Whatever happen to the young kid who was adopted by the Burmese Family that made it through to L.A.. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves about your comments on Kellie. She was excellent in her own way. If she wasn't bl;ond you would not be clowning her like this. you will be Praising her for a Job well done. At least she is still singing after getting kicked off of AI. Not like the other Singers.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:40PM
Jann said...
I want to know who is voting Antonella and Sanjaya in each week. There will be some major backlash if they let Antonella go on through the contest with her pictures being splashed all over the internet and the other girl a couple of years ago was taken off the air because of her pictures. Antonella can't sing and she has an attitude that keeps going and going. Sanjaya can't sing either. I don't get it! She needs to go and so does Sanjaya.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:40PM
honest guy said...
The voting is a hoax. I think it's a bit shady having the people vote for the contestant or contestants they want to keep. This leaves openings for big city contestants to draw more votes from their home town folks or minorities to back their own. Instead I feel they should be voting for the contestant they dislike, and the one with the most votes goes home.I know this will never happen because it's all about revenue from text messaging, but the fairness has got to be considered. There should only be one vote from every phone.I understand programs are created to make money, but the opportunity for singers who don't have the finances to make it to where they could be in life as a singer should be the main objective.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:41PM
Mike Abreu said...
WOW, can y'all believe Pickler's rack?? Looks like she got ass implants, too. And that hair - yuck. She was tons cuter last year when she was still innocent.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:57PM
BB said...
Someone please help Kellie. That hair couldn't have been Kellies idea. Wanted to rush up to her and muss it up a bit. It was very distracting ...Kellie don't let them change the real you. The real you is the one every loves.
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3-06-2007 @ 11:21AM
Christina said...
Obviously all the contestants are somewhat talented, but Antonella, and Sanjaya should have def been the first to go before AJ and Leslie.....I like Leslie's voice, its kinda smokey sounding (if you will) shes different then what most of us are used to, but thats what I like that she is different. Antonella cant stay on key, I liked her at first and still think shes got talent, she just gets to nervous and it shows. We apparently have to do a lot of voting to keep the right people in!
I absolutely love Blake and Chris, in the guy department and for the ladies Gina and Jordin!!!
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3-02-2007 @ 12:58PM
BB said...
Someone please help Kellie. That hair couldn't have been Kellies idea. Wanted to rush up to her and muss it up a bit. It was very distracting ...Kellie don't let them change the real you. The real you is the one every loves.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:46PM
Mike said...
Lets not put ALL the blame on the Voters. Sanjaya and Antonella should NEVER have been part of the top 24. That is ALL on Simon, Randy, and Paula. They are suppossed to be experts. They could and should have nipped that in the bud.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:46PM
cynthia said...
I think Kellie Pickler is a Dolly Parton wanna-be! My husband thought she has spent her money "wisely". Yep, Sanjaya needs some polishing...but what can we say..Americal says to keep him another week!
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3-02-2007 @ 1:22PM
Malena said...
The voting last nite was a joke. Actually, it was beyond a joke and hurtful to the contestants. These groups that vote for the worst may think they are hurting the producers or whoever but they are hurting the people that actually have talent and that went thru a lot to get there.
Poor AJ will never know how far he could have gone. Someone wrote that AJ lacked charisma. And Sanjaya has it? Not by a long shot.
Many of them showed something in auditions but are not coming across in the show. Sanjaya and Antonella are two of them that should have been gone already. Do they realize the voting has been tainted or do they really believe America thinks they are good? Judging from their own faces, they know they don't still belong there.
If they had any sense of decency, they both should have offered to leave instead of the ones chosen. At least it would have shown character if not charisma.
Antonella should not have made it to the TV part at all and Sanjaya has bombed consistently since he got there.
Leslie had a little more time in her. She has personality. Her performance had originality. According to her comments, she now thinks she left cause America doesn't like Scat. Someone needs to tell her that it probably had nothing to do with her at all.
This vote was so obviously a travesty that they need to consider changing the voting. Maybe it should be a mix of judges and the public. That would be interseting.
Kellie needs to go back to who she was when we first met her. She was great the way she was. Someone gave her bad image advice or maybe she needed advice.
She was refreshing, appealling and adorable with a voice and personality not to mention great humor. Now her hair is old, implants look ridiculous and if weight was gained then pick the right outfit. She looked like she was busting out (pun intended) of that dress from every angle. She looked all out of proportion. Doesn't she have people to advise her? Can't believe they let her on stage like that. Someone needs to be fired. It looked ridiculous and no reason for it. Very sad.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:49PM
Truth Is said...
AMERICAN IDOL? HMMMMMM...AJ should have never been sent home. Simon says, you have to
stand out AJ, (who they put in the top 20 out of
THOUSANDS of WANNA BE's) What a hypocrite. ANTONELLA?(BLOND HAIR, BLOND TEETH with the racy photos to match, and she stays.(FRENCHIE) PLEASE>>>>.How dare she compare her talent to Miss Hudson. AJ should have never been sent home. You have to record the show, then you it's a better watch. PAST THE CRAP.
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3-15-2007 @ 9:08PM
Norm Pringle said...
I know Simon will poo poo it but I would hope one of the present idols would pick a song from my website
www.cybercloud.com
The demo songs are up there to help out
THE MEMORIAL GARDEN PROJECT
We are hoping to create a beautiful park in Los Angeles dedicated to the over 3000 GIs who have died in the Iraq war.
This project has been
endosed by Govenor Swartzeneger and TIME WARNERS'S
CEO DICK PARSONS. (Te parent company of AOL)
The songs I suggest are THE TREE IN THE MEADOW , THE AMERICAN GI or TREES
That navy guy from San Diego could really do THE AMERICAN GI justice.
Drop me an E mail
Thanks to AOL for a great idea to get to the public.
I have given up on the politicians and big wigs like Donald Trump
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3-02-2007 @ 12:58PM
Diane Wilkinson said...
In response to #11, Phish, you must either be a 10 year old girl, or are really boring. A.J. was not only a good singer, but had alot of stage presence. Sanjaya is sweet, but that's about it.
In response to #7 David, you sound like a really nice guy, being happy about someone's misfortune. The "Southern Hick" part was really nice too.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:54PM
Edward said...
I beleive that A.J and Nick both should of stayed, and in their place. Should of been Brandon and Sanjay. They both were lousy neither one was strong enough. Now about the girls. Avaina should of stayed and Antonella should of went home, she was lousy as well. About Kellie, and your Comments about her. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves. Clowning her like that. If she wasn;t a blond she would get the respect that she deserves. How may other AI singers that was kicked off are still singing. She is a beautiful young women who deserves our respect.
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3-02-2007 @ 12:59PM
Lori said...
Did not know there was previous contestant that was disqualified for bad behavior - Antonella staying is even more unfair that I originally thought and I totally agree with comment #186 - why were Sanjaya and Antonella even in the Top 24??? That was a joke. If they just wanted someone pretty there were lots of others that were more attractive than Antonella and they could actually sing. The judges should be ashamed of themselves and the producers should be also for having such low standards and not setting an example and kicking her off. Bad decisions and behavior should have conseqences not rewards.
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3-02-2007 @ 1:03PM
Pam said...
After seeing the votes last night that sent AJ home and left Antonella and Sanjay, I am wondering how much influence the sites like votefortheworst really have. I know the show claims 32 million votes but who really knows, and how many millions of those votes are from these sites that try to change the decisions based on something other than talent. Why don't the producers of this show figure this out? This is probably the reason TH won last year and that Chicken Little kid stayed on so long. Wake up America - does your vote REALLY count?
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3-02-2007 @ 1:23PM
Bryan said...
Re: last night's IDOL; "TOLD YA SO..."
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3-02-2007 @ 1:14PM
taylor said...
America was right wth two people last night. Leslie and Alaina. Next week Antonale NEEDS to go!!! The person that needs to go even more than her is Sanjaya. Poor AJ. I must applaud his dignity and the way he handled that awful question about going home last night. I hope he does something great with himself. He has a much better attitude than people still there. Do you think Antonella would be so gracious?
Next I have to say what's with the judges? I know America is voting wrong but the judges are the ones that put them there. There would be no Antonella if the judges didnt put her through after she forgot all her words. The girl that didn't get picked because they chose her was much better. America is voting for her becasue she's pretty and she knows it. As for Sanjaya I am no prejudice in any way but don't you think people of his ethnicity are voting for him for that reason? He really has no talent!!! If him and Antonella are in the top tweleve I will never watch this joke of a show again.
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3-02-2007 @ 1:15PM
Anita said...
Is there even a SLIGHT possibility that the voting system could have caller I.D., making it impossible to vote more than once? I have believed since the outset that it's totally lame to allow multiple votes, even for the same contestant, from a single phone line. That's like saying we can vote multiple times during a national or statewide election! This is SO not reality. You can't convince me that Fantasia is a better singer than even LaToya London, who was voted off way early. How ludicrous. I'm very tempted to stop watching/voting because the system needs major controls over the process.
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