TVSquad

Welcome back to "AI Aftermath," where we explore Idol's past. Each week, as one more American Idol hopeful is eliminated from the competition, we take a look back at contestants past who were eliminated in the same week. We'll examine how they did on the show and what they've been up to since their elimination. In honor of Ramiele Malubay's elimination last week we'll be looking at other ninth place finishers.

This week: 9th place finishers, featuring featuring Jim Verraros (Season One), Corey Clark* (Season Two), Camile Velasco (Season Three), Nikko Smith (Season Four), Mandisa (Season Five), Gina Glocksen (Season Six).

* - Corey Clark was not voted out by viewers but was disqualified.

This week, Martina McBride will be coaching the remaining seven Idol finalists with their country music selections. McBride, considered the "Celine Dion of country music," will also perform her Top-5 single "Anyway" during Wednesday's live results show (April 18) on FOX.

Oh boy, this is going to be a rough week for me. I'm not much of a country music fan, so the songs aren't going to be familiar (unless they all perform Shania Twain or Faith Hill). The contestants already butchered Latin-themed music last week, under the guidance of Jennifer Lopez. But, I have a feeling that this week could be worse.

Mandisa, who was voted off American Idol this week, is responding to criticism that she's anti-gay. In her bio on the FOX/Idol website, Mandisa mentions her strong Christian faith and praises Beth Moore, of Living Proof Ministries. Moore's website has all sorts of links to various organizations in the ex-gay movement, or Christian organizations that seek to reverse homosexuality. Naturally, some folks thought that meant Mandisa was supportive of groups that try to turn gay people into straight people.

Mandisa told Advocate magazine that she does not support the groups, is not anti-gay, and believes in treating people as she would want to be treated. But, she also said she would not perform at an event held in support of the gay community.

This is the part of the season where Ryan gets creative with his elimination torture. Seacrest is the master of the long and tedious elimination. I wonder if, when he was in high school, he put his girl(?)friends through the same emotional rollercoaster ride before telling them that they would not be his prom date. Naw, no way. Seacrest was probably too nice a guy, too much of a dork to ask any girl to prom.

I will not put you through that same amount of torture -- Mandisa is out. I'm surprised, but not saddened by it. She was a great performer, but just didn't have enough personality to take her all the way. And what she lacked in personality, she made up for in big booty. Big boobs can get you to the top, but not a big butt. A big butt can only get you to about the middle. (Unless you're riding the coattails of P. Diddy...cough, cough....J.Lo) Plus, with Elliott and Paris joining her in the bottom three, no way was I rooting for Mandisa to stay.

You know who should have been in the bottom three? Kenny Rogers. He just doesn't have it anymore. I could make a lame he needs to "know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em" joke here, but I'm not. Instead, I'm going to abruptly change the subject, and even more abruptly end this post. When is it going to be Dolly Parton night on American Idol? How great would it be to have Dolly Parton on? Her and Kellie could have a calamari giggle-off.

Tonight's the first night where everyone is competing against each other. There's no longer guys against the girls. Only the best of the best will survive from here on out. So who do you want to see win it all? Join me tonight at 8pm EST right back here for a live chat with me, and other American Idol fanatics. Again, check back here to this very post at 8pm tonight, and that's when I'll unveil the location for our super secret chat room. Right now it's being chatted up in the pre-show by Kimberly Caldwell and Rosanna Tavarez, waiting for it's big debut. Are you a member of Taylor Hick's Soul Patrol, or one of Mandisa's Mandisiacs? Come back tonight and sound off.

Update:
Come one, come all;  here is the super secret location for our American Idol Chat! Look for me (TVSRyan) in the chat room. See you inside.

Disclaimer: All or parts of the discussion in this chatroom may be posted in a later column on this site.

American Idol isn't just a talent competition, it's also the slowest televised makeover on television. How do they manage to makeover the contestants sooooo slowly? They look better and better every week. And yet, it's not an extreme makeover. It's done so gradually that you barely realize it's happening, but it's happening. A tweeze of the eyebrows here, a push-up bra there. It's really amazing. I think they do it that way so you still recognize the contestants every week. Imagine if they would have done Clay Aiken's makeover all at once? It would have felt like a fraud. It's better this way. Slow and steady wins the race.

One person in need of a makeover is Ryan Seacrest.