AMERICAN IDOL: Official Ledge Thread

[skcin]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

Yay! I'm running around my apt like Tatiana after she got the Top 36!

Great! I was gagging! Agree to disagree.

Generally, I think the right decisions were made. I did like Frankie a lot & that Brandi Carlisle that she chose for her "sing off" rocks, but it's hard as hell to sing - lots of vocal gymnastics. Probably would have done better with practice, but whatareyougonnado?

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by skcin

Great! I was gagging! Agree to disagree.

Oh, you're sorry to see Joanna go?

[skcin]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

Oh, you're sorry to see Joanna go?

Nah, I don't really care about Joanna, I was talking about Tatiana. Not a fan.

[BellaDonna93]

Well, as you might know, I live in Sweden and I was watching American Idol yesterday, think they show the program later in Sweden, haha!. But I don't do it often...I watch the swedish Idol And when I watched American Idol, it was the audition from Phoenix, you know...and there were Stevie Wright! Named after Stevie Nicks! And then, as we know, she sang awesome and then after she had been singing they put on Rooms On Fire by Nicks!!! I was like "This is great!" Well, I don't watch it very often, as I said =)

[TrueFaith77]

American Idol
Season 8 - Semi-Finals Round 1

Ryan Seacrest kicks off Season 8 proper by repeating Simon Cowell's seasonal Semi-Finals lie/advice for the contestants to advance in the competition: "Sing well." The judges throw that criteria out the window, of course, as they talk about "likability" and how demonstrably bad, unprofessional performers deserve votes from America. With that said, I will take the bait for the season's first breakdown: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly. In this breakdown, I rank (preferentially) the performers based on "singing well." Based on that criteria, it was not pretty last night.

The Good

Tatiana Del Toro -- "Saving All My Love For You" -- Last night, Tatiana represented everything -- objectively -- that this contest is about: finding a singer who can interpret a song in an interesting, commercial, attractive manner. In other words, Idol is not a search for the next geniuses, the next Aretha Franklin or Morrissey; Idol seeks out the next Whitney Houston, the next Celine Dion, maybe the next Britney. These are not "artists," per se, but they can deliver a song, and, thus, the song's sentiments. But you also couldn't mistake the singers for anyone else; that's part of why they sell. Last night, Tatiana took on a Whitney Houston hit -- and once again made it entirely her own. Her high notes and emotional tones made the song's other-woman angst poignant; her poise earned the audience's attention. I would rank it among the best performances I've ever seen on Idol. If the judges were honest, they would have declared that Tatiana is what Idol "is all about" (and recognized that unlike 9 of the other contestants, she chose the right song). But they lie. They feign shock that she can sing, while trying to draw out the "crazy." Perhaps if Tatiana had received the accolades from the judges that she deserved, we might have seen some more of that signature enthusiasm. Instead, Tatiana emphasized things in her personality that make no sense to TV-minded judges: the desire to get her "music" released (Simon mistakes that for the desire to be "famous" because that's all he undrstands) and her explanation for her refreshingly open emotions during the audition rounds: that, as a "woman," she is "multi-faceted" (recognizing the show's misogyny and reduction of personality to product). One couldn't miss Tatiana's distinctiveness when she closed out her song with a perfect extended siren note, then her, yes, eroticized sense of release at the end of the song: throwing back her head into the light, awash with the applause. She deserved the standing "O". She achieved beauty.

The Bad

Alexis Grace -- "I Never Loved a Man" -- The "Bad" here did something the "Ugly" didn't: they attended the stage like professionals. But that doesn't mean they were good. Alexis mostly hit her notes (except when she strained on the highs and lows), but the peformance was all affectation; it completely lacked the original, meaningful interpretation that Tatiana showed so well. Tatiana lived up to Whitney; Alexis paled in comparison to Aretha.

Danny Gokey -- "Hero" -- He reduced pop emotions to silly calls for people to find the hero in themselves (unlike Tatiana's dramatic representation of universal emotion). This was the most repugnant performance of the night for me. Every cheesy inflection repulsed: from the growl on "inside of you" to the melissma on "sur-v-I-vah" to the finger-pointing closer on "A hero lies in you." However, I can't deny that every cheesy inflection sounded in tune. He did what he believes entertains an audience -- and gets Idol votes. In other words, "the bad" at least take the competition seriously.

The U-G-L-Y (You ain't got no alibi)

Anoop Desai -- "Angel of Mine" -- Anoop returned the song that first turned him onto r&b. Hasn't he heard anything better since?

Ricky Braddy -- "A Song For You" -- Nice voice, but he looked like an ostrich dancing to an Elliot Yamin record.

Ann Marie Boskovitch -- "Natural Woman" -- Competent performance, but absolutely no connection to the song or the audience.

Jackie Tohn -- "A Little Less Conversation" -- Fun, but totally karoake.

Stephen Fowler -- "Rock With You" -- Good voice; no awareness of himself as a performer.

What's Grosser Than Gross?

Michael Sarver -- "I Don't Want To Be" -- Hilariously Paula recaps all former Idol performances of this song: Elliot, Chris R, Bo Bice. And every single one of them was ten times better at it.

Casey Carlson -- "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" -- I never laughed harder during an Idol performance in my life.

Stevie Wright -- "You Belong With Me" -- Even more a mess than Casey, but not funny.

Brent Keith -- "Hicktown" -- Perhaps the worst performance I've ever seen at this stage of Idol, it offends because in every manner of its conception, there was no recognizable desire to please the crowd (Michael S, Casey C. and Stevie W. just aren't capable of it, but they tried).

[Chrislit18]

I didn't watch the whole show, cause I found something better (an IFC thing about teenagers/sex in movies. It was quite interesting actually.)


But anyways: I did watch most of it, and made damn sure to catch the 'recap' at the end.

I Liked [for the two spots]:
Alexis Grace
and Anoop

I think these will go through:
AnneMarie B.
and Danny Gokey.

And probably Tatiana, due to the fact we all know this voting show is completely rigged by producers

I hate the format this year btw, I prefered the 12 guys and 12 girls, and then get rid of two each week.
overall my verdict on the live show: dissapointed.

[vermicious knid]

Danny Gokey seething hatred! My dead wife this, my dead wife that! Singing a song that glorified himself and how wonderful he is. There is also some controversy about a charity he set up and whether the money is being funneled to his church. Taylor Hicks version 2.0.

[HejiraNYC]

I am normally exquisitely bored with AI, but Tatiana held me in thrall ever since her first televised chortle. That girl is a hot mess. As such, I was a bit disappointed to see her so restrained last night- she only teared up once and she got those nasty yellow teeth bleached. But a crazy girl can't keep the crazies down for long... I noticed at the end of her performance, as the spotlight dimmed, that she did one of those majestic "I'm all that" poses- kind of like Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall. Drama! Sure, she can definitely sing, but her phrasing is a bit clumsy- she tends to draw out notes overlong in places that should have been more staccato- it was very lounge-y.

Otherwise, what struck me about last night was the absolutely dreadful material. I mean, I realize they have a finite list of songs to pick from, but come on... "Angel of Mine?" "Hero," for crikeys sake! Have these kids no shame? Also, could it be any more obvious that AI is in the tank for Danny Gokey; he is clearly going to win.

[TrueFaith77]

I agree. NINE people picked the wrong songs and then sang them badly. I mean. It's a singing competition. That means you have to do two things: sing the song well and pick a song that will get you forward in the competition. After 8 years you'd think these people would understand how the show works.

According to that, I would say Danny and Alexis, although bad, were thinking competitively. Tatiana was also thinking competitively but she can't counter the hype.

So my predictions for the three who advance are:

Danny Gokey
Alexis Grace
Michael Sarver

I could be wrong about Michael S. Maybe it'll be Anoop.

Originally Posted by vermicious knid

Danny Gokey seething hatred! My dead wife this, my dead wife that! Singing a song that glorified himself and how wonderful he is.

Very well-put.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

So my predictions for the three who advance are:

Danny Gokey
Alexis Grace
Michael Sarver

I also sense that AI is in the tank for Michael Sarver as well- they seem to have these romantic notions about this blue collar dude working in the oil rigs singing the songs of the common man. Meanwhile, based on last night's performance, all I saw was this fat frat boy singing bad karaoke. He has no stage presence whatsoever and his voice is really not remarkable, so I don't think he's going to progress.

My predictions for the three who advance are:

-Danny Gokey (for obvious reasons)

-Tatiana del Toro - she's got the votefortheworst.com voting bloc behind her and she is BY FAR the most memorable contestant. Personally I would be extremely disappointed if she didn't progress- she is the best kind of trainwreck.

-Anoop Desai - he's a bit of a dark horse, admittedly. But besides the fact that he didn't suck, he's going to get the Asian and Indian community behind him big time- that's what helped Sangina, er, Sanjaya get so far. And call me crazy... but I get this sense about this kid... that he's doing this competition as some kind of goof. He seems like a super-brainy college kid with a dark sense of humor who is about to pull off the biggest prank ever; I mean, come on... "Angel of Mine" being the best R&B song ever? Anyway, I know I'm not the only one who is onto his stunt... and hoping that he pulls it off!

[skcin]

Good God, what an awful show. Terrible. I almost turned it off. Crappy song choices, bad wardrobe, dated musical arrangements...yuck.

I liked Alexis a lot. Bitch can saaaaaang. I know the producers are totally setting Danny up to go far by the constant focus on his late wife, but I truly do feel that he had the best performance of the night.

I thought Anoop did quite well. And I agree with Hejira that he will have the Asian community behind him - and hey, at least he can actually sing (I'm talking to you, Sanjaya Malakar!)

I was pleasantly surprised by Tatiana's performance, but put off by her demeanor. She's a bit...off, IMO. I used to work psych & she honestly reminds me of a few past patients. She's an odd bird. Interesting how her accent seems to randomly come & go too.


The rest of them sucked. I almost cried, Jackie did so poorly - I love her voice but that performance was embarrassing. Poor little Stevie was so out of tune. That girl that did The Police - painful to watch & listen to. The rest of the guys were totally forgettable - all of their performances blend together in my mind & I can't recall who sang what (nor do I give a ****.) Ann Marie was bland bland bland.


Who I think did well enough to get through:
Alexis
Danny
Anoop

Who will probably get through:
Danny (awww, poor guy, he just lost his wife, and he's kinda cute!)
Anoop (Indian & Asian people will vote for him in droves)
Tatiana (thanks to www.votefortheworst.com)

[GoldDustOrphan]

I find The Widow Gokey absolutely repellent and completely disingenuous. If anyone is following a script, it's him. Choosing "Hero" for his first performance demonstrates his willingness to actively court the sympathy vote as if it were a specific voting block.

He's calculating and shrewd, much more of a careerist than the judges suspect. He's watched this show and he knows how it works. He has a better singing voice than the majority of contestants, but he lacks charisma, commercial selling points, and he's not stylistically specific (unlike similar-voiced Elliot Yamin and Taylor Hicks). He's really taking his cues from Hicks, who won despite Cowell's disapproval. Gokey knows he too will incur Simon Cowell's wrath for not being relevant or commercial, and he needed a preemptive measure to insulate him from Cowell, who will use Hicks' commercial failure and return to obscurity as a big "I told you so" to similar candidates. But, as the brave widow who lost his wife four weeks prior to his AI audition, he can hard sell his Michael Bolton vibe to single women who like cuddle without incurring Cowell's full wrath for appearing, well, hokey. However, if Gokey continues to inform his every move with the dead wife card, Cowell is the only judge likely to address what has polarized fans on AI message boards - Gokey's appearance of insincerity.

What makes Tatiana Del Toro so watchable is her resolve. Socially awkward, but sweet, she's probably been the odd girl out her whole life, but she clearly believes in AI's mission statement more than its producers. She's there to compete in singing competition, and that's just what she's going to do. The producers may have cast her with a certain role in mind, but she's unpredictable. She knows they're making fun of her, but she'll never let on. And her performance last night caught the judges off-guard. Randy Jackson didn't expect her to be good. Del Toro's composure was a curveball for Paula, who wanted to know where the crazy girl. Del Toro is that girl who won't flinch, the kind who has been a sturdy defense against bullies. It's like the producers invited Carrie White to the senior prom just to humiliate her, and hopefully, they'll pay a similar price.

FYI: Del Toro wrote every song on her self-financed CD and her resume reveals a strong work ethic.

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Anyway, I know I'm not the only one who is onto his stunt... and hoping that he pulls it off!

Hmmmm... to what are you referring? He seemed like a gomer to me but I liked his bbq paper.

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by GoldDustOrphan

I find The Widow Gokey absolutely repellent and completely disingenuous. If anyone is following a script, it's him. Choosing "Hero" for his first performance demonstrates his willingness to actively court the sympathy vote as if it were a specific voting block.

He's calculating and shrewd, much more of a careerist than the judges suspect. He's watched this show and he knows how it works. He has a better singing voice than the majority of contestants, but he lacks charisma, commercial selling points, and he's not stylistically specific (unlike similar-voiced Elliot Yamin and Taylor Hicks). He's really taking his cues from Hicks, who won despite Cowell's disapproval. Gokey knows he too will incur Simon Cowell's wrath for not being relevant or commercial, and he needed a preemptive measure to insulate him from Cowell, who will use Hicks' commercial failure and return to obscurity as a big "I told you so" to similar candidates. But, as the brave widow who lost his wife four weeks prior to his AI audition, he can hard sell his Michael Bolton vibe to single women who like cuddle without incurring Cowell's full wrath for appearing, well, hokey. However, if Gokey continues to inform his every move with the dead wife card, Cowell is the only judge likely to address what has polarized fans on AI message boards - Gokey's appearance of insincerity.

What makes Tatiana Del Toro so watchable is her resolve. Socially awkward, but sweet, she's probably been the odd girl out her whole life, but she clearly believes in AI's mission statement more than its producers. She's there to compete in singing competition, and that's just what she's going to do. The producers may have cast her with a certain role in mind, but she's unpredictable. She knows they're making fun of her, but she'll never let on. And her performance last night caught the judges off-guard. Randy Jackson didn't expect her to be good. Del Toro's composure was a curveball for Paula, who wanted to know where the crazy girl. Del Toro is that girl who won't flinch, the kind who has been a sturdy defense against bullies. It's like the producers invited Carrie White to the senior prom just to humiliate her, and hopefully, they'll pay a similar price.

FYI: Del Toro wrote every song on her self-financed CD and her resume reveals a strong work ethic.

I agree with everything you said.

Who are you?! We should be friends.

I forgot to mention this in my write-up cuz I was focusing on other stuff, but when I talked to all my friends/family about the show, I kept saying that when the judges mocked her laugh -- in my opinion, the series' lowest moment ever -- it reminded me of the pig's blood in Carrie. Brilliant of you to recall that seminal pop culture moment.

And I'm moved by this: "It's like the producers invited Carrie White to the senior prom just to humiliate her, and hopefully, they'll pay a similar price." Wow.

Your paragraph on Tatiana is the best thing written about her ever. I could retire. But I won't.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by TrueFaith77

Hmmmm... to what are you referring? He seemed like a gomer to me but I liked his bbq paper.

I just get this vibe that he's not serious about music; rather, it seems like he's instead going to write some kind of snarky memoir of the experience. There's just something about him that is a bit peculiar- he just seems a bit stand-offish and aloof, yet socially engaging and well-spoken. He's not a ham and he doesn't gush about winning the contest. He just seems to be above it all, I suppose. And, again, his description of "Angel of Mine" as the first great R&B song he ever heard has "spoof" written all over it- it seemed to be straight out of the Borat playbook.