Winners All Around

So the last of the big shows wrapped up this week in a flurry of excitement. No big surprises, but a few good shows to end the season.

First was the final rose on The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman. Andy took both girls home to meet his parents in Pennsylvania. You just knew that Tessa would get the final rose after Bevin told his grandparents that she does research on the sexual dysfunction of menopausal women. She also let his conservative family that she was raised in the Bahai faith. At this point she was toast. And after Andy told both girls that he loved them (can you imagine how he explained this to Tessa Tuesday?) he dumped Bevin and proposed to Tessa. It might be the first time that the girl I wanted to get the final rose actually got it. Supposedly she's moving out to Hawaii to be with him; I give it six months.

Next was the finale of Dancing With the Stars. It was actually higher rated than Idol, which is pretty crazy, except for the fact that the finale was good. (more on why Idol's wasn't later) I'm pretty bummed that it's over, but ecstatic that Apolo won. He's such a good dancer, and completely deserved it.

Finally, there was the two hour love-fest that was the Idol finale. So much of it was actually un-watchable. If they want to be more relevant, having Bette Midler and Tony Bennett perform does little to achieve that goal. And while I enjoyed the Beatles medleys, I wonder how many of the teenagers watching actually recognized the songs. They dragged it out for two hours before they even started to get to the results. And this was where anyone who was watching on tivo (insert your name here) got screwed. The result was read exactly 2 hours and 4 minutes in to the show. The show was supposed to be two hours long. That's right - they kissed their own behinds for so long that they nearly didn't get to the actual point of the show, leaving many to not hear the anti-climatic finish where Jordin was crowned the winner. (and we saw Blake look rather relieved)

This is one of the many reasons the ratings were down this season. This, and the fact that compared to last year, the talent wasn't nearly as good. For this, I have to blame the judges. There were such talented performers that we saw in the early rounds who seemingly disappeared during the Hollywood round. I also think they need to look at the voting process, especially in the first round of voting. They went to the guys and girls format a few years ago, and I don't think it produces the best possible top 12. I think they would be better served by going back to how they did it the first few seasons, where the top 24 were divided into three groups. Each group sang once, and two or three were voted through to the next round. Then there was a final week where the judges brought a few back to sing again (including some who had been originally cut in Hollywood), and each judge put a singer through (plus a singer or two voted on by the fans). And I understand that they will never go to a voting system like So You Think You Can Dance? or Dancing With the Stars where the judges votes get combined with the viewers, but they need to do something (maybe limit how many votes each phone line gets?).

With that, I'm off for a few weeks. I'll be back once the summer replacement shows get going (or earlier if I have a lot to say!)...enjoy your Memorial Day weekend and GO RED SOX!

American Idol Finale (part 1)

It's time for the finale on American Idol...my, how time flies. Before we get started with the singing, there was a very interesting article in The Washington Post today about this season of Idol. The ratings are way down this season, mostly because of how this season was cast. There weren't a lot of people to get behind. This group of contestants was also very savy - they knew that they really just needed to make the top 10 so they could go on tour. I'm sure it's online somewhere - you should check it out if you get the chance.

So on to the singing. Blake won the coin toss, and elected to let Jordin choose to sing second. Poor choice, but lends credence to the fact that Blake knows he doesn't have to win to have a successful career. Smart kid. He started off the show with his favorite song from the season, his version of Bon Jovi's "Bad Name." It rocked the first time, and was completely the right song to choose, but not quite as good as the first time. I did love his second song, another by Maroon 5. He sounded great, but I do wish he had chosen an up-tempo song. He finished off with this season's Idol-ballad. I know they have to just sing it, and he did it pretty well. I hated the song, and I think Blake did too. Maybe that's why he doesn't care if he wins - the winner has to record this song as their first single. Yuck.

Jordin started off with a Christina Aguilera song. She is a much better singer than Blake, but I agree with Simon - she's not quite as good a performer. Her second song, her Martina McBride song from country week was a great choice. I loved it when she sang it then, and she sang it even better this time. Her last song, the Idol-ballad was good too. I think she did a better job with it than Blake (actually, a much better job than Blake), but I'm more and more convinced that he's ok with that. And she really does deserve to win.

So we'll find out the results tomorrow. And I have no idea who will win. Jordin is a much better singer, but I think Blake has a bigger fan base. It should be interesting.

Shocker in the Final Two on Idol

Ok, so everyone but me was shocked at last night's results show on Idol. No one believed that Melinda could actually be voted out before the finale. But after nearly an hour of filler, that's exactly what happened. And I, for one, am not surprised. When it comes right down to it, there's no question that she is a better singer than the others. But there's also no question that she seems about 30 years older than the other two. That's great if you're looking to sell records to the parents of the pre-teens that watch Idol. She had to know that her fan base was older, since she consistently chose songs this season that were recorded 20+ years ago. And for every vote that a 40-something casts, a 13 year old sent 100 text-messages. So Melinda is out, and the much younger Blake is in.

A personal side note for those of you who have been following my Idol pool picks. With Melinda leaving last night, I am guaranteed at least second place. And if Blake wins, I win the whole thing. It looks like being a reality tv nerd has finally started to pay off...

Final Three Sing on Idol

It's going to be an interesting results show for Idol tomorrow night. Three very different performances - it's going to come down to which kind of people vote.

First there's Jordin. She's probably the most marketable of the three singers left. She's young and pretty, and she has an amazing voice. She sounded great again tonight, especially her last song. I understand where Simon's criticism of singing older songs is coming from, but she could record those older songs and sell them tomorrow.

Then there's Melinda. She has an amazing voice as well, and she's very similar in sound to Jordin. The biggest difference is that she has consistently sung "older" songs and both looked and sounded much older than the rest of the contestants. (that, and she just looked bizarre singing her second song tonight...at some point I just had to look away) This could be good, but if it's mostly teenagers that vote, we could have a shocker tomorrow night.

Totally different than the two girls is Blake. I really loved him tonight, especially with his second song (the Maroon 5 song). He sang songs that were so much more current - if it's younger viewers that call in to vote (which I think it usually is), he could be a surprise winner.

When it comes right down to it, I win my Idol pool if Blake wins, and finish second if Jordin wins, so, of course, I'm rooting for the upset tomorrow night. Idol pool aside, it's a tough choice. They really are very different singers, and appeal to very different groups of fans. Should be interesting...

Final Four Sing on Idol

After the amazing night of singing last week, this week's episode of Idol was quite the letdown. It's one of the most talented final fours in years, yet tonight's performances were just blah.

Melinda, the presumed winner, was good but not great. She has gone from the false modesty to over-confidence. Someone has clearly told her that she is the favorite to win, and she is showing it. Her second song was better than her first, and she's clearly going to move on to the final. I also appreciate that the stylists are doing everything they possibly can to make her look like she actually has a neck.

This was an off week for Blake. After his breakout performance last week (which reminds me, I need to download that...), his first song paled by comparison. I didn't like the falsetto, and the beat boxing, which I normally like, felt out of place. I actually really liked his second song; hopefully enough people will agree with me to keep him safe this week.

Lakisha had an off night as well. I hate when the guest coach gives a singer advice and they completely ignore it. It happened again tonight, when Barry Gibb told Lakisha to take it up an octave. Of course, she didn't, and it was a very flat performance. I was also totally distracted by her hideous outfit. Those stylists need to help her out as well. I agreed with Simon - her second song was better, but still not great. I think she'll be standing with Blake in the bottom two tomorrow night.

Jordin's first song certainly earned her a place in next week's show. She sounded great - much better than the others. Her second song wasn't as good, but it was better than Lakisha's. I think she'll be safe for sure.

So I'll be voting for Blake, mostly because I have him picked as my winner in my Idol pool. But I think that it should be Lakisha going home this week; hopefully I'm right.

Idol Gives Back - Night 1

It’s an interesting dilemma with tonight’s episode of Idol. I love what they are doing for charity. Turning their hold on the viewing public (seriously, everyone watches their show…the other networks won’t even program against it) into something positive is highly commendable. That is, if it ended there. But let’s be real – they’re also using it to draw in even more viewers and advertising. I wish they would just give the money without all the hoopla. But that being said, thank you to the producers of Idol for bringing both funds and attention to where it is so desperately needed.

While the way that Chris wobbles his head back and forth is driving me nuts, he sounded great tonight. I wasn’t sure of the song choice at first, but it turned out to be perfect. It’s the best he’s sounded in weeks, and I’m glad the judges saw that too.

I think that tonight is the first week that Melinda has sung a current song, and she did it phenomenally well. I don’t see how she won’t win this thing.

Of course, she’ll have to contend with Blake. Right before he started signing I said to my husband “I hope he doesn’t mess this up.” “Imagine” is truly one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and I really liked his performance. I don’t know about the judges – it was a lot better than they gave him credit for. Hopefully he’ll be safe again this week.

I can’t believe that Lakisha made the same mistake two weeks in a row – singing a song from a former Idol. I agree with the judges. She has a very different sound than Fantasia, and her version paled by comparison to the original. She very well could be going home tomorrow night.

Phil sounded great again this week. He’s really found his niche, and he’s probably saved himself for another week on the show.

Jordin finished off the night giving Melinda a run for her money. She is simply amazing.

So I’m going to actually vote tonight since apparently some money will go to charity for my vote. Won’t say who I’ll be voting for, but you can bet that Blake (my pick to win it all) will get at least a few of them. And who will be going home? It’ll be a shocker, but I think it’s the end of the road for Lakisha.

Bye Bye Sanjaya

Oh thank goodness. Ding dong Sanjaya is gone.

I thought that the bigger story of the night, though, was how Simon dealt with the fall out from his apparent reaction to Chris wishing the families at Virginia Tech well. If you didn't see it, Chris and Simon were arguing about singing nasaly, when Chris threw out a wish to those at Tech. When they shot back to Simon he was rolling his eyes. Apparently, Simon was actually reacting to what Paula said, and the producers did an amazing job of showing both Simon and Chris at the same time, split screen. They turned up the mics on the judges, and there's no question that Simon was right. Wow. I'm amazed at how quickly Idol was able to fix this, and the revelation that the judges aren't always hearing everything that goes on on stage. Very interesting.

So during the ridiculously drawn-out results show, we saw what was probably the best group number of the season, and that they did the same thing they did last year when they were down to seven - split them into two groups of three and make the last person choose which group to go with. This year's victim was Melinda, who wisely sat down in the center of the stage. Turns out that the bottom three was Blake, Lakisha, and Sanjaya, with Blake being sent back to safety. Not surprising at all. And finally, after so many long weeks, Sanjaya's going home.

Country Week on Idol

When we were talking about the fact that this was country week on Idol today at work, everyone had the same reaction - "Oh." It's usually a train wreck, except for the lucky ew who actually want to be country singers. And with no Carrie Underwood or Kellie Pickler this year, it should be an interesting night.

Phil started the show off really strong - I think that was probably his best performance this season. It was a great song choice for his voice, and a great way to start the show. I loved, too, how he interacted with the crowd. (didn't you just love seeing producer Nigel rocking out?)

I wish I could change my pick to win in my Idol pool (yes, that's right, I picked Blake in an Idol pool). If I could, I would totally choose Jordin. Wow. She was amazing again tonight, showing how a really great singer can sing in any genre.

What else is there to say about Sanjaya? I'm glad that the judges are back to being honest about it. I wonder if they had some sort of meeting with the judges and producers about Sanjaya. Something about an agreement to go back to being brutally honest and letting the "vote for the worst" people continue to do their thing. I also have to wonder if at some point the producers won't somehow make him come in last (I don't know how...maybe pay people to vote thousands and thousands of times for the rest?).

For the first time in the competition, I really didn't like Lakisha's performance. She made a really poor song choice for her voice (in addition to making the mistake of choosing a song from a former-Idol - a real no-no). She is an amazing singer, but her voice isn't suited at all to a song like that. I know she has a big fan base, but she might actually be in trouble this week.

Chris wasn't great this week. And I don't understand his banter with Simon about him singing "nasaly" on purpose. It doesn't make any sense. My only thought is that he was more affected by the VA Tech shootings than he let on to. Chris is from Virginia, where a huge chunk of kids go to Tech and we are all rather shaken up.

My favorite part of Melinda's performance was her taped piece before she sang where she made a comment about singing a "current" song. I looked it up (since I hadn't heard it before either); it came out in 1999. I suppose by Melinda standards that makes it current. I was also glad that Simon finally asked her to lose the "gee whiz you really like me?" act. Thank goodness. It really was a good performance - another example of how good singers can sing any genre.

I didn't love Blake tonight. I don't know why - he's been my favorite this season. It was ok - hopefully it was enough to keep him around another week.

Overall, it was a much better night than I expected. And other than the fact that I can kiss my money in the Idol pool goodbye, I have no clue who will go tomorrow night. I'm hoping we'll finally see Sanjaya in the bottom three, though it's not likely. What's more likely is that this will be one of those shocker weeks when a favorite gets elminated and we'll sadly say goodbye to Lakisha.

Twice the show, same number of results

Results for a full hour! How could it get any better? Oh, wait...

First, it just has to be said - that was the worst group number perhaps in the entire history of Idol. It really rivals the bit a few years ago with Barry Manilow (which was made even worse by being played at least once a week on the news program at the elementary school where I teach). It's very clear that not everyone's voices are cut out for Latin music (and just how hard it is to sing).

After what felt like a lot of filler (tell me again why this show has been expanded to an hour?), we finally find out that the bottom three is Haley, Chris, & Phil. For the life of me, I can't figure out what the fascination is with Sanjaya. And Haley and her legs finally head home. Not really too surprised. More excited to see how country week plays out.

Idol with a Latin Flair

It's Latin night on Idol, and J-Lo is helping out the contestants. She may just be the best celeb mentor yet - she's such an amazing singer, and it seemed like she was actually helping them. Hmmm.

Melinda sounded good, but I don’t think she has sung a single song in the competition that was written in her lifetime. When on earth is she going to sing something contemporary? I agreed with Simon that while she sang well, there was no personality to her performance at all.

Lakisha did better than Melinda, but still just sang the song. Neither girl really embraced the whole flair of the Latin theme. It's a shame, but I'm glad that we're starting to see that both of the supposed front-runners do have their limits.

I love the song "Smooth" that Chris sang tonight, and Chris did a really good job. I'm glad that Simon pointed out that it was far more contemporary than the two girls (someone should force them to sing something from this decade).

Haley continued her strategy of wearing less and less clothing (I swear, I typed that before Simon said it). It seems to be working.

Phil wasn't great, but had the problem of being compared to the original (which is amazing). It's hard to sing Santana, though good for him for trying. And I love that his daughter named her stuffed animal "Simon Cow-ell".

I feel really old after Jordin said she was born in December 1989 (oh my goodness, my husband was already in college!). I'm blown away by how good she is at such a young age. She was really good again tonight - way better than Simon gave her credit for.

Blake rocked again tonight. Does anyone else think that he's J-Lo's favorite? Best performance of the night by far.

We finished up the night with Sanjaya, "the embodiment of Latin passion" (way to go Ryan Seacrest). Even though I was so hoping for a Shakira number (come on, how much would you have loved to hear him do "Hips Don't Lie"?), he sang a ballad mostly in Spanish. Somehow, the judges claimed to have liked it, which may just be strategy; it was horrible.

With any luck, this will be the last week for Sanjaya. But I'm starting to learn...the bottom three will probably be Phil, Haley, and Chris. Sigh...

back from break with a few things on my mind

So, I'm back from Spring Break, and I really hadn't planned on blogging about the episodes I missed (I know, you're all crushed). I really just watched lots and lots of baseball (go Red Sox!), and caught most of my reality shows on tivo the next day. But I have a few things that I just have to get out of my brain and on to the internet.

First, there's Survivor. I have never hated a contestant before. I've hated how some play the game, or the character they choose to be on the show. But they all seem like nice enough, decent people in real life (see Jerri Manthey...hated her on the show, seems nice enough in the real world). But I think I actually hate Lisi. Did she not understand that the things she was saying in her confessionals would be aired on national television? I have a real problem with how mean she was. And I think I could have even forgiven her as it being in the "heat of the moment" if i hadn't seen her on "Survivor Live" the day after she was eliminated. The hosts asked a few times about things she said in the confessionals, clearly giving her the opportunity to use the "I hadn't eaten and I really didn't mean it" line. And each time, Lisi affirmed what she had said on the island. She affirmed that she was on a team of losers (hello! You SUCKED at challenges!), and that she didn't like Dreamz. She also still doesn't understand that Ed's name is Edgardo, NOT Eduardo, and said that Boo is the reason that Moto keeps winning. I can't stand her.

Speaking of people I can't stand, there's Sanjaya. Sure, it was funny at first. But now it seems like he's decided he's going to win, and it's just not so funny. I understand that the judges have realized that by slamming him they're only giving him more votes (hence the "I'll take a different approach" approach last week), but they need to accept that Sanjaya's in it for the long haul, and go back to being honest. Either that, or come up with some sort of reason that he needs to drop out. Whatever works.

Still watching Dancing With the Stars, and excited that The Bachelor is back. And last night's episodes of Apprentice and Amazing Race deserve their own blogs. More to come later tonight.

A Huge Surprise on Idol

I’m actually in a bit of shock about tonight’s Idol results show. First, Chris Sligh (who I really thought was a favorite to win) gets the boot. And while I'm a little excited because a lot of people in my Idol pool picked him to win (not me...go Blake!), I was a little disappointed at his reaction. I guess part of him knew going home was a possibility (I mean, he had to have heard his performance last night), but I wish he had shown a little more emotion.

The bigger shock of the evening is how Sanjaya has completely and totally hijacked the show. All anyone has talked about his Sanjaya's hair (including Seacrest & the judges). And he wasn't in the bottom three again tonight. Sanjaya might actually single-handedly kill American Idol. And I hate him and his stupid hair for it.

Top 10 Perform on Idol

I don’t understand the theme this week. Gwen Stefani was there, and it was advertised as a week of pop songs. I was really looking forward to everyone being forced to sing current songs. But somehow, Donna Summer, the Police, and Cyndi Lauper don't really fall into that category. Apparently no one is actually making them sing the theme this season.

Lakisha started off the show tonight with a good performance of what seems to be the same song every week. She’s such a good singer, but I wonder how she would have done with a more current song. Chris Sligh really surprised me this week. His performance was terrible. It was almost as if he couldn’t hear the band.

Gina was really good tonight. I agree with Randy that her song selection was spot-on. I am starting to think that there is something actually wrong with Sanjaya. How else would you explain the hair tonight? I don’t even think that the singing was that bad (though it was a really strange song choice) – I just couldn’t sit and watch him sing looking like that.

I don’t think that Haley was as bad as the judges thought she was. I think that she will be helped by the fact that most of the people who vote probably don’t know the original. I really liked Phil’s performance. I was glad he took Gwen’s advice and just sang the song. You forget how good a singer he is – tonight he really showed it.

Melinda’s performance was very much like Lakisha’s. Really good, but the same basic type of song she has sung every single week. I understand that the judges/producers want her to win (and rightfully so), but I don’t understand why they don’t push her about taking chances like they do with so many others. I would have loved to hear her sing a No Doubt song tonight. Oh well. Blake was really good again this week. It’s interesting that Simon warned him that he might be falling into the same pattern as Chris Daughtry. I would be excited as heck to be compared to Chris – he’s one of the most successful Idol contestants to date. (I actually have his CD playing in a continuous loop in my car right now – it ROCKS)

I really liked Jordin again tonight. I was also excited to see her actually sing a No Doubt song – I wish they all did something similar. Chris Richardson ended the song on a high note. He’s back to making good song choices, and I thought he sounded much better than Simon gave him credit for.

Based on just tonight's performances, tomorrow night's bottom three should be Chris S., Haley, and Sanjaya. But we all know that it doesn't seem to work that way. So Sanjaya will somehow last another week, and we'll lose a good singer. Sigh...

British Invasion Week Ends With a Shock

It's results night on Idol, and I've been looking forward to it all day (it was quite a day at work). I also want to share my theory about the crying girl in the crowd last night. She was all over the news today - I feel a bit bad that she's gotten her 15 minutes of fame at 10 years old. I also truly believe that she was a plant by the producers. Yes, she was probably crying for real with excitement. But I think that she was probably sobbing like that during the dress rehearsal and a producer moved her right to the front of the theater. Do you really think anything on this show is a coincidence? (**UPDATE - 3/22 - it has been confirmed that that's exactly what happened - she was crying during rehearsal, so they moved her to the front for the actual show**

The bigger question, though, I think has to be about the Ford music video. Why was it the best performance of the night? And why was Brad Garrett on the couch with the contestants? Does he really need viewers that bad?

Seacrest tried out a new way to torture the contestants and to "pull out the bottom three" tonight. I wonder if it's all him, or if there are some sort of producers meetings to determine how he'll do it. And I wonder if I can sit in one time (come on...please?...). The bottom two? An actual shocker this week - Chris Richardson and Stephanie. Sanjaya wasn't even in the bottom three. This is ridiculous. In the end Stephanie is going home. And once again, they ran too long and she didn't get to sing one last time (though it didn't seem like they even tried to have her sing tonight)...but we did get to continue to hear the amazing Daughtry (does anyone else believe that not winning was the best thing that could have happened to his career? God, I still love him...). Go figure.

British Invasion on Idol

I’m pretty bummed that this week is British Invasion week on Idol. I really feel like if they had done this one later in the show, we could have seen a front runner go home. But this early in the competition the “big singers” can slide by, even with a style that doesn’t suit their voices.

The clip of Haley working with Lulu featured her getting advice on the phrasing of the song – telling Haley to try to add some staccato. Then Haley performed 20 seconds later completely ignoring the advice. Fantastic. It actually sounded pretty good, much better than last week. I agree completely with Randy – that was a great song choice for her. Chris Richardson sounded really good too. He didn’t try to over do it – he just sang the song, and he sang it well. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – he’s the smartest singer in the competition.

Stephanie sang the song alright (said in my best Randy Jackson voice), but it lacked a lot of pizzazz. It was the second week in a row that she sang a sort of blah song, and she’s starting to get lost in the shuffle of really good performances. Great performances like the one who followed her by Blake. I am feeling SO good about picking him to win in my pool. I loved his arrangement of it (and, quite frankly, his plaid pants as well) That was amazing – he’ll be heading for next week for sure.

I liked Lakisha’s performance tonight, but that wasn’t her best. It’s the theme – it doesn’t suit her at all. I think it was good enough to keep her around for next week, but I worry about her with some of the other themes (I hear that next week is Gwen Stefani…). I’m not too sure about Phil’s performance either. He sounded good, but watching him pretend to be a rocker was just strange.

The one pick in my Idol pool that I’m really regretting is Jordin. She’s phenomenal; I just wish that I had picked her going further in the competition than I did. That was a great choice for her voice, and I agree with the judges that she sang it beautifully.

Am I the only one who thought that Peter Noone was joking with Sanjaya when he told him to sing “You’ve Really Got Me”? Or maybe it was just that he couldn’t stand to hear his own song murdered. Either way, the performance was horrible. The judges went with the “that was your best performance” comments; maybe people won’t feel like they need to “vote for the worst” this week, and he’ll finally go home.

I liked Gina’s performance a lot better than the judges did. Then again, I’ve liked her a lot more than the judges nearly every week. She’s been in a tough spot the past few weeks – the judges want to see her embrace the rocker girl in her, yet the themes don’t fit that at all (and they criticize her for it). Even though I was bummed that Chris Sligh didn’t sing “Henry the 8^th” (my dad used to sing that one with me too!), he made a great song choice. He’s a good singer – I’m glad that he was able to show that tonight.

The show closed with Melinda. Let me say, I really think she's one of the best singers on the show. But I'm not the only one who is sick of this "oh, you like little old me!" act. You're good. We know it, you know it, the judges know it. Enough already. I've heard talk that if she doesn't change the act a little she could make an early exit.

Overall, this was a great theme. Even the bad performances were pretty good. There should be more themes like this - themes that everyone can sound good singing. I have no idea who to vote for - there were so many that were really good...Blake, Jordin, both Chrises. And my prediction for the bottom three? Sanjaya, Stephanie, & Phil, even though I don't think they are the bottom three singers. And if we all keep our fingers crossed, maybe Sanjaya will finally go home.

Idol Injustice

Something has gone very wrong in the world of American Idol. That's right - Sanjaya is still here. Who on God's green earth thinks that this kid can sing?

I think that there needs to be a change in the voting for Idol. Now, I can't take credit for this idea - it comes from the Don & Mike Show - but I think it's brilliant. Instead of voting for your favorite contestant, we should be voting for who we would like to see get the boot. Somehow I think the results would be vastly different.

So enough of my rant. I was surprised that Phil was in the bottom two, but I expected Brandon & Sanjaya. And after way too many commercial breaks and the Ford "music video", we finally found out that Sanjaya is sticking around for another week. That's right, Brandon is the first one eliminated. And to add insult to injury, just as Seacrest asked him to sing one last time, the broadcast ended. At least I get points in my Idol pool for predicting that Brandon would be out in the first three. Such a small silver lining...

The Top 12 Perform on Idol

Even though I like a lot of Diana Ross songs, I hate that this was the theme for the first week. The judges keep talking about how much better the girls are than the guys, then they make the guys sing Diana Ross songs? I just don’t think it’s right.

I don’t even know where to start with tonight’s show. So many of them were so bad, I feel ridiculous for writing it over and over for each contestant. There were a few that I liked a lot more than the judges. But I agreed with them for the most part. The bottom line, though, is that it’s the songs. It’s one of those themes that is good for a few, and is horrible for most. I’m sure they do it on purpose, but it just seems mean. I think that the strategy for tonight should have just taken a straight forward song, gone out there, and just sung it straight – essentially just sing to get through the week, then make an impact and be creative when the theme is better suited to your voice.

Rather than belabor the point, let’s just recap. There were the singers that the judges hated, and I couldn’t agree more. Brandon made a good song choice, but did a bad job singing it. How do you not remember the words to such a popular song? Then there’s Sanjaya, who may be the worst singer to ever make it this far in the show. He looks more and more like a girl every week. If he stays on much longer he’s going to be in a dress and heels. That performance was horrible. Who on earth is voting for him?

Then there were the singers that the judges didn’t like very much, but I didn’t think were that bad. They hated Chris Sligh, but he was in a no-win situation with the theme, and decided to take a chance (isn’t that what they keep saying they want from people?) with the song. I liked it, and I actually loved the arrangement of “Endless Love” that he sang. I also liked Gina tonight as well. And I agreed with Simon that Haley’s song started much better than Randy and Paula gave her credit for – you could tell that she’s a good singer and that her nerves really got to her. (and yes, the second half of the song wasn’t very good, but let’s focus on the positives for a minute or two…yes, I just said that…) And I really liked Chris Richardson as well. I still think that he is the smartest performer – he has song selection down. I don’t know how a guy could have done Diana Ross better.

There were a few that were pretty good in spite of what they were singing. I liked Phil’s performance. And I liked Blake, even though I think it would have sounded better a little faster. Stephanie was pretty good, though with her voice she should have sounded a lot better than she did. She should never have gone ahead with that arrangement – way too safe.

Finally, there were a few singers that really shined. Melinda was good, but then again, she’s always good. Same with Lakisha. I think though that they’re this season’s shocker eliminations. Not now, but when we’re down to 5 or 6, they’ll get tripped up by country week. That’s right, I’m predicting it right now. Lakisha and Melinda, who are clearly the best singers in the competition, won’t win because one will go home during country week and one will go home when they do “British Invasion.” Jordin was also really good tonight. She’s not quite at the level of the other two, but she’s also a lot younger. She was definitely one of the top three tonight.

Now that we’re at the top 12, I’m actually thinking about voting. Who I would vote for is tough. Melinda. Lakisha and Jordin were clearly the best, so I guess I should vote for them. But I’m more inclined to vote for some of the performances that the judges hated but I liked. Both Chrises (seriously, will someone tell me the right way to write that?) and Gina seem to need some votes. And since I picked Blake to win it all I might vote for him too. Who should go home? That’s easy – Sanjaya.

American Idol Pool

I think I may have sunk to a new reality television low. How? I entered an American Idol pool. Really.

Here’s how it works (in case you are as crazy as I am and want to do this with your friends too). Put your Idols in groups of three based on how soon you think they will be voted off. Points increase each round…here are my picks…

First 3 voted off – Sanjaya, Haley, Brandon (5 pts each)

2^nd 3 voted off – Stephanie, Phil, Jordin (10 pts each)

3^rd 3 voted off – Gina, Chris R., Lakisha (15 pts each)

Final 3 – Melinda, Blake, Chris S. (20 pts each)

Next American Idol – Blake! (25 pts)

I'm not saying that this is the order they should be voted off - just the order that I think they will be. And there's always a week or two with a shocker...I just hope that I figured that in correctly. There's a lot riding on this...aside from the cash, I really just want to beat all my friends! :)

The Final 12 Announced on Idol

It's time for the final 12 on American Idol, and everyone is excited. Really.

I don’t even know why Ryan tried to play with us at first. The first members of the top 12 were no brainers…Lakisha, Blake, Chris Sligh. And it was so mean to Chris Sligh (“you will NOT… find out until after the break…”). Jordin and Phil weren’t surprises either. The first casualty of the night was Jared. I felt pretty good about that; not because he should have been out, but because as Ryan called him down I said “well, Jared’s the first one out.” In the end, it’s really all about me being right.

Melinda and Brandon headed over to the top 12 next. No shocker for Melinda, but Brandon going over means that this finally may be the end for Sanjaya. Gina and Chris Richardson then happily joined the top 12 as well. Stephanie joined them as well, but it’s finally over for Antonella. Thank goodness. She was on far too long as it was.

The second girl to get cut was actually a shocker. Somehow Haley is in the top 12, and Sabrina is heading home. Same with the guys – for some reason that I can’t comprehend, the progressively more girly Sanjaya is in the top 12 while Sundance goes home. Seriously, what is wrong the people who are voting? I think Simon might have it right – are people watching the show with the volume turned down? It boggles the mind.

The big announcement? An Idol charity. Now, it looks like they will be doing really good work for people who really need it. But it’s that same type of charity that Oprah is famous for – the kind that gets them more publicity. Oh well. At least something good will come out of all of this.

It's the Girls' Turn on Idol

It's funny how much better the girls are this season than the guys. So much so that the rumor floating around the internet today is that the "big announcement" that Seacrest was talking about last night is that they're going to kick off the bottom 4 contestants, regardless of gender. I don't think it will happen, especially because of how Secrest hyped the big announcement on tonight's show (I actually think they'll officially announce the Idol song competition or the summer camp...yes, there really is an Idol summer camp).

Jordin started the show off really strong. It was an odd song choice (I mean, I’m probably one of the only people out there who actually like Pat Benetar), but it was a great performance. She’ll be in the top 12 for sure.

Another one who should be in the top 12 is Sabrina. She’s such a strong singer. I do agree with Simon though, that she needs to add some more personality to her performances.

I don’t understand why Antonella is still on the show. Even though she sounded better than last week, it just doesn’t make sense. Sure she has naked pictures on the internet, but come on. Doesn’t Simon keep saying that this is a singing competition?

Haley is another one that I don’t think will be sticking around for long. I actually agreed with Simon again that she is really forgettable. I have no idea what the deal was with her song choice; I think it will get her voted off tomorrow night.

Stephanie is a really good singer, but she wasn’t that good tonight. She made the same mistake that so many before her have made. Why oh why do they keep choosing songs where they can’t possibly match the original?

Lakisha made the same mistake as Stephanie. She is so phenomenal – I just wish she hadn’t made that song choice. She’s my favorite to win it all – she is full of personality, and is one of the best singers the show has ever seen.

I also loved Gina’s performance tonight. It was really fun, and I think it sounded better than the judges gave her credit for. I hope she’ll be around next week.

Oh Melinda. I totally hear what you’re saying about chewing on both sides of your mouth or touching something cold with both hands. But it’s best not to share that sort of “quirkiness” with others. It’s a good thing that she gave by far the best performance of the night. She rocked it out.

There's no question who the top singers were tonight - Lakisha, Gina, & Melinda will sail through to the next round. And if it were just based on singing, Antonella and Haley would be heading home. But it's not, and I think that Stephanie could be vulnerable tomorrow night as well.