Okay you guys: after watching last night's performances, you cannot call me crazy because of my love for Kris Allen. I know my adoration for Anoop was irrational, and while I was sad that he went home last week, I knew he wasn't going to win. But Kris? Kris should win. Of the five contestants who performed last night, his would be the only CD I would consider buying. My dad, however, thinks that Adam is in a class of his own and no one can touch him. That he'll win and nobody else even deserves to be in the competition. I pointed out the fact that he scream-sings all of his songs, but my dad was hearing none of it. My father is also tone-deaf -- not that that means anything.
Anyway, since we couldn't talk last night, I had to get that all off of my chest before we get into the Taylor Hicks and the Jaime Foxx and the elimination in tonight's show. Regardless of who leaves tonight, Adam's going to win and I'm going to be sad. Everything leading up to that is just going to be vague disappointments. Let's get started!
American Idol' Show Photos
AMERICAN IDOL 8 Danny Gokey performs in front of the judges. Airs Tuesday, April 28, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Matt Giraud performs in front of the judges. Airs Tuesday, April 28, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Allison Iraheta performs in front of the judges. Airs Tuesday, April 28, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Adam Lambert performs in front of the judges. Airs Tuesday, April 28, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Anoop Desai performs live. Airs Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Danny Gokey performs live. Airs Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Kris Allen performs live. Airs Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Matt Giraud performs live. Airs Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Adam Lambert performs live. Airs Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
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AMERICAN IDOL 8 Allison Iraheta performs live. Airs Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
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Simon, I'm convinced, has been drunk for the past few days. He was irrationally nice to the contestants last night, and tonight he calls this the "most wide-open competition" they've had, saying that everyone was good. Isn't Simon the last judge you thought would be saying that? The world has gone mad.
First up is the Ford commercial. Now I know I've been hating on these things for the entire seven-year run of Idol, but I just had an epiphany: these commercials are important. They provide endless fodder for the contestants' future children to make fun of their parents and how lame they were that one time they were in black and white, singing doing wind sprints in a desert while a hybrid car zoomed by them. Those are the kinds of memories upon which happy childhoods are based, and I wouldn't want to deprive the future generations of that.
I've barely wrapped my mind around this when it's group-sing time. Tonight, Ryan informs us, they will be lip-synching singing "I Don't Mean a Thing," and "I've Got Rhythm." It's delightfully dorky as these things always are. Adam scream-sings and Danny growls, while everyone else just looks vaguely embarrassed.
After we come back from commercial, the weirdest thing ever happens. Both Allison and Danny had a birthday this past week, so Idol producers go to the mansion and film a cute little segment with the five finalists making birthday cakes. Of course they're told that it would be really "cute" if they have a food fight, so they do. Then, back on the live show, Ryan gives Danny a bill for the cleanup -- for $6,000. $6,000? That has to be for more than some cake batter in the kitchen. There's a dead hooker somewhere, right? Right?
Now it's bottom three time: Ryan calls Matt up. and tells him to stand on the right side of the stage. Danny is next, and Ryan tells him to go to the left side of the stage. Allison is sent over to stand next to Danny. When Ryan says Kris's name, the audience starts cheering, so I hope that's a good sign. He goes over and stands next to Matt. Ryan wisely talks to Adam last, because everybody knows that the side he's on is going to be the safe side.
Everybody else knows this too, and Ryan does that thing that makes me hate the show sometimes: He puts Adam on the spot and asks him which group he thinks he belongs in. Come on! These people still live together; it's still national television. That sucks. I start to feel badly for Adam, but he answers very quickly -- and puts himself with Danny and Allison. I would have refused to put myself anywhere, but I guess that's just me.
Even though Adam was correct and placed himself with the top two, he was wrong in thinking that was the group in which he belonged. For the first time, Adam Lambert is in the bottom three, and if I said that I didn't let out a mean giggle when Ryan grabbed him by the shoulders and put him over with Matt and Kris, I'd be lying. With that said, Matt seriously needs to go home.
Following this, there's a lot of awkward banter, and Kara inadvertently makes a blow-job reference, and ... let's just move on.
Natalie Cole sings when we get back from the break. I had no idea how tall and skinny she is. She makes Ryan look like an Oompa-Loompa. After Natalie Cole performs, it's time for Taylor Hicks to make his triumphant(?) return to the Idol stage. Isn't it funny that he won? What was the country collectively smoking that year? It boggles the mind.
Anywho, after that performance, Ryan calls Matt, Kris and Adam up back on stage. Much to my surprise, he makes me happy by telling Kris to go sit with Danny and Allison, because he is safe! Woo to the Hoo! That leaves Matt and Adam, and Matt can't be too happy about those prospects.
Before we can find out what happens, though, Jamie Foxx is on to sing his latest single, "Blame It." It's a fun-enough song, but he's using Kanye West's crazy robot mic, so that's a little weird. Kara and Paula seem to be into it, though. Simon is not.
After his performance, Jamie and Ryan chat about his mentoring stint. It's pretty awesome, because when Ryan asks him if America got it right by putting Matt and Adam in the bottom two, Jamie flat-out tells him that it doesn't matter -- then he plugs his movie.
Finally, after what seems like 15 years, it's time to find out who's going home. Completely unsurprisingly, Matt Giraud is going home. I'm so glad -- I've been over this guy for weeks.
For the most part, I've been really impressed with the way voting has gone this season. Every week, when someone gets eliminated, I generally think America has gotten it right. Matt had the worst performance last night, and now he's going home. Hopefully, this will continue and give Kris a win instead of Adam.
And let the death threats start ... now.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-30-2009 @ 4:32AM
Phish said...
danny gokey will win, adam prob 2nd, and kris 3rd.
good riddance to that rubbish matt. such a wannabe.
adam's sexual preference has outcast him among female voters, and kris is just too girly.
leaving danny in the top spot.
contrary to what most ppl think, no one really listens to simon. thats why he wont renew his contract.
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4-30-2009 @ 9:27AM
Jimmy said...
I doubt seriously Adam's sexual orientation (it's not a "preference," by the way) is the reason he was in the bottom three. If that was the case he would have been in the bottom three a long time ago; right around the time those pictures surfaced of him kissing a guy. Also, don't underestimate 'tween and teen girls; someone being gay doesn't really factor into their decision to fall head or heels for a performer. Certainly not for all those screaming girls in the audience.
4-30-2009 @ 11:22AM
Eric said...
actually it is a preference.
4-30-2009 @ 12:25PM
Jimmy said...
Actually, Eric, it's just who you are. A preference implies it's a choice that can be unmade.
4-30-2009 @ 5:43AM
Molly said...
Hmmm...Adam and Kris in the bottom three right after it's discovered that they are the top selling Idols on Itunes. Okay. What good are ratings without a little competition? Adam was walking away with this thing. Now having him in the bottom three is going to make his fans vote harder. Kris will go next week. Allison after that. The producers will have their Gokey/Lambert finale with Adam winning.
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4-30-2009 @ 6:22AM
Char said...
Does anyone else feel as though the bottom three antic was rigged? This could mean that Adam's fans will really push the votes through. Said it before, if it wasn't for his showmanship he'd be g-o-n-e. The screamin' singer makes me want to puke. The final three are all different types of singers. Kris is mellow....Danny is reminiscent of soul...Allison is a rocker. Depends on what ya like I guess.
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4-30-2009 @ 7:15AM
Jason said...
I stopped wondering if AI was rigged a while back and just accepted that it was Hollywood, and anything goes for a buck. AI has just as much money shifting hands as Washington, D.C. on a Sunday.
4-30-2009 @ 7:18AM
Dana said...
I am so happy someone else likes Kris as much as I do! Let's face it, all of these finalists will have a career in music, but Kris' albums are the only ones I'll be buying.
Adam not only scream sings, but there's some creepiness about him as well. At this stage though, people seem to be so in awe of him. I think he could crap on the mic and everyone (particularly Paula) would think it was art.
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4-30-2009 @ 7:31AM
Jimmy said...
At this point, it doesn't really matter who's safe and who's not, so long as the right person is sent home. In this case, America got it right -- for a second time!
The only other thing I'll say about last night's show is: I thought Taylor Hicks was bad -- until Jamie Foxx performed. Who listens to (and buys) this crap?
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4-30-2009 @ 8:32AM
Nate said...
I have to agree with Jason, I too long ago stopped wondering if Idol wasnt,if not outright rigged, then at least manipulated for drama or whatever else the producers thought was important. I decided to just get over it and enjoy the show for what it is, good, harmless entertainment.
The right person went home last night, but I dont for one minute think that Adam was actually in the bottom three. However, now that Matt is finally gone for good, from here on in, it will be hard to see any of the remaining four voted off each week.
I left the room as Natalie Cole was singing, Taylor Hicks was at best mediocre, but at least he didnt flail around like a spastic, like he normally does, and Jamie Foxx was flat out horrible. Not only was he lip synching, badly, but the "song" didnt even sound like music. Foxx is a very good actor,but that performance was the worst thing I have ever seen on AI, from a mentor or a contestant.
Simon was oddly civil, and down right nice last night, for some reason. On another Simon note, as he was talking about Matt last night, I somehow got the feeling that maybe his wildly undeserved praise of Matts Tuesday performance, calling it brilliant, was a kind of going away present to Matt.
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4-30-2009 @ 9:04AM
jag said...
I have always thought the show was rigged. They want the winner to be someone they can sell to the public. Melinda Doolittle was the best singer in her year but they wouldn't make a buck on her so they stuck two young people in there knowing that young people buy all the records.
When are we going to see the vote totals that come in?
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4-30-2009 @ 9:33AM
Jimmy said...
I wasn't all that surprised to see Matt go home. It was time for him to go; long past time. He should have been gone the week the judges saved him. I wonder how they would have felt if Kris or Adam had gone home tonight?
It was good, however, for Adam to end up in the bottom three -- even if Ryan was a little cruel to him (was it intentional?). All of these singers need to experience that at least once and I think they all have; although, I can't remember if Danny has been in the bottom three.
I still think Adam will make it to the final unless he really screws of up over the next few weeks. I also think Kris has an excellent chance to be in the top 2, but Danny and Allison are both wild cards at this point. It will come down to who has the biggest fan base, and can maintain that fan base. As Adam found out, the audience can be quite fickle.
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4-30-2009 @ 11:43AM
clinton chapman said...
Now whoever becomes American Idol it makes no difference. These finalists are not better than each other.
American Idol is one of the fantastic entertainments of America. Where does success depend on? Scot has more advantages than others. Anoop can become another Bryan Adams. The young Allison is the best of all.
Whatever the judges lovingly wish all the contestants to be successful it will not happen. Only the ones who have the quality of work will enjoy as super stars. Lose or win of idol is not the solution.
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4-30-2009 @ 11:41AM
rick cokely said...
I wish I could find the official "rules" for AI. Do they even have them? I seriously doubt that Adam was in the bottom three much less the bottom two! My feeling is that they probably shift people around as they see fit for TV but ultimately make the person with the (real) lowest votes go home... or maybe not. Who knows!
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4-30-2009 @ 2:57PM
slammindoor said...
I can't believe AI had Jamie Foxx on there at all after the disgusting remarks he made about Miley Cyrus. Don't they know how many young girls watch this show? As for Adam, welcome to the light of day and can't wait to see you go. It's American Idol and like it or not, no one idolizes someone who is gay, except the minute portion of America who is gay as well. Stop screaming and head for Broadway. GO KRIS. A true artist, with true talent. I would Allison if she would just do something with that hair and her clothes...what talent she has.
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4-30-2009 @ 6:04PM
Tim said...
no one idolizes someone who is gay, except the minute portion of America who is gay as well.
I have no doubt that someone you admire is gay and is probably terrified to come out to you because of your attitude. It's sad, really, how you have pre-emptively said that they cannot mean anything to you. I pray that you will someday see how hateful your words are.
4-30-2009 @ 4:40PM
Sigma982 said...
Remind me again what Jamie Foxx has to do with "standards"??? Is it the Ray thing? Or is it simply because of The Soloist? I don't get it, and I don't like him at all (although I thought he was fine as an advice-giver...)
I totally would have loved to have seen either Michael Buble or (preferably) Harry Connick, Jr. take that role for this episode...they certainly know a lot more about the genre and their performing definitely wouldn't have been as grossly off-theme as Jamie Foxx....
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