Well I'm starting to feel good about this season after all. I still don't think the guys are as good this year as they were last year, but they sure were better than they were last week.
Last night, I said that four of the women were generic and similar. The most similar were Amy and Nicole. Not in singing. One was out of control and the other was too in control. But as far as looks, I had trouble telling them apart.
Now we all know that the way the announce the semi-finalists has nothing to do with the way they choose them. So, for example, when Sundance and Jimmy were sitting there as the last two eligible guys, it doesn't mean that Sundance was number 12 and Jimmy was number 13. They just do that for dramatic appeal.
However, I'd have to think that if the judges had it to do over again, they would gladly trade both their 12s for the 13s that got left behind. Sundance was awful and so was Antonella, and I'd really like to know what Jimmy and Marissa would have done in the finals.
Both would give the competition a bit more of what it needs. The guys side has too many so-so white guys, and based on the performances of the the one black man and five black women in the competition, a little more color could sure help the guys.
Then there's Leslie Hope(less). When I watched her, I didn't think she was that terrible. Simon called her ungainly, but I actually found that endearing about her. She came across very real, which made Natural Woman a good song choice. Until two women with real voices came on and sang the hell out of a couple of Aretha songs.
I do see Gina going far though.
following.
Do these guys suck as much as I think they do?
away. Of course he didn't like Taylor at first either. These guys loved Sundance's audition so much, they ignored bad performances in Hollywood and put him in over that guy Jimmy who was good. And then he came out and just stunk up the joint. One of the worst performances ever.
made Chicken Little sound like Al Green. Just plain awful.
ballad-ized the beginning of Rock With You, but through the rest of it, he sounded like a background singer.
The women better be better
Okay, I know we only see a fraction of what is done, but based on what I've seen, the top 24 this year sucks.
Is there anybody who seems great? Anybody with that Reuben-Clay memorability factor? They're really gonna have to turn me around on this next week.
They spent so many weeks on auditions this year and I thought I saw a lot of good singers. Simon has mellowed considerably and had good things to say about a lot of them. I actually didn't watch the last audition show till the last night, and I saw it back to back with the first Hollywood show.
So, one of the last things I saw were those three girls on rollar skates. Two got through and one was outstanding. Never saw her once in Hollywood.
Then last night they do that fake drama thing where they make every person sweat, they show you how they sung (mostly unmemorably) and they sent through a bunch of mediocrities.
There were three guys who I like. Brandon Rodgers, Phil Stacy and Chris Sleigh. They really didn't show much of Brandon in Hollywood, but his original audition was outstanding. Great voice and a lot of charisma. The only thing I remembered about Phil Stacy was his shaved head and the fact that his wife gave birth while he was auditioning. I remember thinking his audition was just okay, but the singing they showed yesterday was great.
Chris Sleigh is the fat funny guy. He's got great confidence and stage presence and when they showed him singing seriously, he sounded like he had great tone. Then Simon said his voice wasn't so good.
The rest of the guys I can take or leave. The one who dropped out last year is pretty good. I hate Sundance. Yeah he's got a voice, but he tanked all week in Hollywood and they kept overlooking him. They chose him as part of the last two over a guy who also has a great voice and I thought he acted like a jerk, telling the guy he could be his bodyguard when he makes it big. That's his idea of a nice thing to say to a guy who's just had his dream crushed?
The women were just uniformly forgettable. There were two or three where I was watching them sing for 10 or 15 seconds and thinking please don't make me listen to them sing a whole song. And they got sent through.
Then Marissa Rhodes came up at the very end. I had noticed her yesterday and she was the only one I made a prediction on. They showed her again and again she sounded great. They put her against that Antonella (who is hot, but I never liked her) and took Antonella.
I'm telling you all right now, if these people don't really surprise me next week, the pole is cancelled, cause I ain't running a pole on a show I can't be bothered to watch.
Seth
In a shocking reversal, Jo Clemente was stripped of his '06 Idol Pool Crown when photos were discovered of pool participant Tim Bos just kickin' it with Idol idol Katherine McPhee.
Bos somehow or another got to tag along with a friend who was delivering a car to Princess Katherine and convinced her to pose for the photos just to make me insanely jealous.
And it worked.
Some of the photos are posted here. Please note:
1) That Katherine looks awfully good just hanging around in jeans, t-shirt and little make-up.
2) That she appears to have written something on the back of her hand (lyrics to "Over the Rainbow"?) and
3) That Katherine looks great (oh, did I already say that? well, it bears repeating).
Okay, enough about last year's news. Let's talk Idol '07.
Just watched Hollywood Week, part one. Is it my imagination or are they now spending more time on auditions and less time in Hollywood? Guess Hollywood week is not as big a draw as the auditions. Still, it feels they race through it. An hour ago there were 170 contestants, tomorrow there will be 24.
Not many standouts for me. That one girl Bailie, seemed like a shoo-in but she forgot every word of This Old Heart of Mine. Guess there is only so much they can forgive. That Sundance guy has a voice, but he sucked twice in a row. Don't see him going far if he can't bring it when it counts. I like the other fat guy, Chris. He's funny, can sing and has confidence. I'd like to see him in the finals.
Okay, I got a prediction... Marisa Rhodes. Hasn't gotten much face time, but I thought she stood out. She was in the group with three good female singers and that Columbian girl Perla. She was the skinny one with the big voice. Great voice, extremely cute. You heard it here first.
Seth
