AMERICAN IDOL: Official Ledge Thread

[TrueFaith77]

American Idol – Season 8
Semi-Finals: Wild Card Round

Tonight’s “Wild Card” round ended the epic battle for what a friend of mine called “fairness” and “justice” on American Idol. The “Wild Card” round features semi-finalists not voted into Top 12 (surprise: Top 13 -- yawn) positions who are given a second chance to get placed in the finals by the judges. Getting rather metaphysical, Simon last night declared that the evening would be all about “redemption.” How right he was. . .


The Good

Tatiana Del Toro – “Saving All My Love For You” -- It will stand in Official Idol history as one of the great mistakes: Tatiana repeated her semi-final song choice of “Saving All My Love For You.” Like Sanjaya Malakar’s producer-imposed selection of “Something To Talk About” on Country night, the decision smacks of foul play. After giving another beautiful rendition of the song and easily ranking as the best VOCAL of the night (notably stronger in the beginning portion, and the big notes EVEN sweeter), the judges tore into her for repeating her previous song. She rationalized the decision in three parts: 1) she couldn’t get clearance for another song in one day; 2) she couldn’t get clearance for a song AS GOOD in one day; and 3) if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The judges rationalized their decision to cut her, despite being the night’s (the season’s) best female vocalist, by instituting the “no repeat” rule. But I smell something is afoot. I see a contestant backed into a corner and trying to make the best of it: trusting that better talent will win out. Today, E!Online quoted a backstage source who made it clear that the show had no intention of moving Tatiana onto the next round (Google it). What a strange coincidence that she was either a) forced to settle on a previous song by being given a more limited song list choice or b) was allowed to follow her fancy in repeating a song: despite the impact that would have on the show and on iTunes sales (honestly, I wanted a new Tatiana song to play on my iPod). In other words, she was encouraged to fail. But did she really fail? Was she WRONG?

No.

Unlike the other contestants, Tatiana did not have to redeem herself. The judges had to redeem the show, after the show’s unfair presentation of her to the public made it impossible for her talent to be gauged by the voting process. She gave THEM another chance. They failed. The image of Tatiana bowed down before the American Idol logo, with the four judges (the outward representatives of producer prerogatives), was almost unbearable because it revealed Tatiana’s great flaw: that she believes that “talent” will win out in the end (on Idol). It represented our last image of Tatiana on the show: after so many. We’ve seen a person who in good (misguided) faith opened herself and her enthusiasm to the camera. Many of us saw a person whose drive, talent, and spark proved catching – like a pop melody you can’t shake. While many others were turned off by how much she seemed to weigh the fate of her hopes and dreams on that of her fate on Idol. During the live semi-final portions of the show, Idol viewers witnessed the phenomenon of a person now hyper-conscious of Idol producer manipulation and construction of her presentation on TV. Her attempt to regain ownership and control of her own image was probably not successful in the way it was intended, but it did something more: it revealed the kernel of truth of her humanity. That provided the context for appreciating her superb rendering of the Whitney song. . . on both televised appearances. Do not mistake her final genuflection as being directed to false Idols; it was her final challenge to the audience, to the judges, to the show: to join her in bowing down to Truth.

Cut to commercial. . .

Von Smith – “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” -- :robbed! Paula summed up the judge’s criticism by pointing out that Von seems overly concerned with technical precision – which he achieves – rather than emotional connection. Some people might feel that you can’t have the second without achieving the first. Von and Tatiana simply creamed the competition with their vocals. Via his vocal precision, Von’s slow build in the song proved emotionally resonant.


The Bad

Matt Giraud – “Who’s Loving You” – The first half of this performance was “Good”-worthy; full of soul, feeling, and he perfects the growl Alex Wagner Trugman attempted two night’s ago. The second half: disaster. Simon Cowell rightly id’d that turn as one from Justin Timberlake to Taylor Hicks. Not a compliment.

Megan Corkrey – “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” – She’s probably as evil as Duffy.

Jesse Langseth – “Tell Me Something Good” – I just don’t respond to her. My brother said she reminds him of Janeane Garofalo and that sums up why she grosses me out (“too cool for school” the judges call it) despite the fact that she’s probably a better singer than any of the girls who made it through in the Wild Card. Simon rubs salt in the wound by saying she was “close” . . . but that’s before he announces there were actually FOUR spots to be filled. . . predictably.


The U-G-L-Y (You Ain’t Got Not Alibi)

Anoop Desai – “My Prerogative” – The judges say this is BETTER than his rendition of the song in Hollywood Week. In which case, I would like to know the justification for his placement in the Top 36, much less in the Top 13. Yes, the big notes are very nice, but the rest of the song is what Simon would sometimes call a “mess” – and he’d be right. But no, this song-repeater gets the wet-tongue-bath as the show attempts to ride the Slumdog Millionaire hype. My truest hope is that Anoop is taking notes and will give the world the definitive anthropological take-down of Idol hegemony – and how the show is ruining the culture. I will have to re-watch to see if Anoop shared my disgust at the condescension apparent in his role as the dupe in the Top 13 fake out.

Ricky Braddy – “Superstition” – Totally karaoke, embarrassing dancing, completely indistinct vocals. A waste.

Jasmine Murray – “Reflection” – After her disastrous first-round semi-finals performance, this shows a contestant willing to play the game. She goes the Christina Auguilera ballad route. And every sound she emits is unpleasant and loud – but she’s playing the game, so the judges LOOOOVE her and she unsurprisingly makes it to the Top 13.

iTunes-worthy: I’ll buy the Tatiana to hear how she switched it up (I think she cut the verse Randy had dissed last time) – See, Idol, Tatiana is so amazing, I’ll buy two versions of the same song if she’s singing it! I’ll get the Von Smith, too.