Blogging 'American Idol' - It's the 12 Dudes, Dawg

Okay, it's supposed to be the Boys' Night. So, guess what? They're recapping the girls from last night. Okay, I watched the show; it's too late to vote for them. Get on with the male songsters! Sheesh!

Here I sit with keyboard on lap in anticipation. These blog notes are typed as I watch the show and posted to the blog immediately when the show ends, so please forgive any typos or dancing cows.

Finally, Ryan's introducing the guys. And, now the judges. Simon thinks there's potential. Oh, let's watch their journey to Hollywood. @@ <--- my patented eyeroll. Hopefully all will get started after this commercial break. I was very impressed by the gals last night, so my appetite has been whetted to see what the guys bring to the table. Oh, my... this block of commercials is neverending.

Why is there a tire in the table in the Red Room?

Patrick Hall is first up. He chose "Come to my Window" as his song. Darned if I know whose song that was. I'll look it up next commercial break. Hmmm... I do know the song. Melissa Etheridge? He's doing it technically okay, I think. But, it's not doing much for me. He sounds like any so-so boy band singer, nothing spectacular. I liked his last Hollywood audition stuff better. Randy - Not your best, but good. Paula - Stick to what you do best. You're an amazing performance. Simon - You looked uncomfortable. Average performance. I agree with Simon. This song tonight by him wasn't that hot. 1 866 IDOLS 01

David Radford, that cute kiddie crooner, is up next. His song choice is "A Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen. Dang, he looks like he's crooning to a rock song. He's got kind of an Elvis thing goin' on. I like him. I doubt he'll win it all, but he's a fun performer. Randy thought it was terrible. He panned him! Paula disagrees with Randy. Not her favorite, but he was true to who he is. Simon thought it was a bit of a joke. He thinks the audience at home will like him, but he should take himself more seriously. 1 866 IDOLS 02

[I think poor David looked a bit rattled at the criticism.]

Bucky Covington hits the stage next. His song is "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It sounds like a good choice for him. Ah, he does it well -- it's perfectly suited for his talents! I don't think he's as good as Bo Bice in the genre, but this is a strong performance. Judges? What say you? Randy thinks he sang too hard, pushed too much, but cool. Paula, of course, is nurturing. Simon? "Thousands of bars with someone like Bucky..." The others defend him.
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Ah, commercials. I wonder how much time costs during the show as the ratings have been so high... but, when will they end? If I weren't blogging live, this show would only take an hour zapping the commercials away!

Will Makar, the Peter Brady Lookin' Kid, is heading to the stage. Heehee, he sings "I Want You Back" bu the Jackson Five. Um. Rats. I'm not all that impressed. He's cutsie, for sure. But cute will only keep him in for so long. He'll get the teenybopper vote, but this wasn't a strong performance. Randy is favorable, he was entertained. Paula says he's adorable. She thinks it's Bobby Brady... no, PETER! Simon gives a reality check. He said vocally that it was completely and utterly average. Hey, I agree. 1 866 IDOLS 04

"Where there's a Will, there's a Sway" -- Ryan's line, not mine.

Jose "Sway" Penala goes for "Reasons" by Earth, Wind and Fire. He does the falsetto well. Now, midsong, he had to strain for a few notes. But, I think he may get a good reaction. He's not average, as Simon would put things. Randy -- very happy, congrats! Paula -- Amazing. Simon disagrees. He thinks it was a pimpy third rate copy of Earth, Wind and Fire. 1 866 IDOLS 05

Chris Daughtry performs "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi... cool! Ah, good start. I think it's the strongest performance so far. Now we're talkin'! Judges reaction? Randy -- Really, really good. Great recording voice. Paula -- wowed. Simon -- very good choice of song, for the first time tonight I'm hearing someone with potential. Great recording voice. Work on the charisma! 1 866 IDOLS 06

The youngest contestant, Kevin Covais, is up next. His song is "One Last Cry" by Brian McNight. I'm not sure a ballad is the best follow up to Chris's strong rock performance. A very nice voice. I think he sang it well. Randy -- honestly talented; that was the bomb, man! Paula - you make me beam. (Reckless abandon?) Simon pans him. "Vocally, it was excruciating." I disagree.
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Gedeon McKinney is ready to take the stage. He's going to sing "Shout" - let's see if he can perform. He's doing it well. I could see him on the stage in the 50s doing this. I think this is a very solid performance for him. Randy liked the song choice and likes it all. Paula - A great surprise. (Paula actually captured a bit of my thought about seeing him in the early rock star setting. That's scary. I'm not a Paula!) Simon - It was like watching the line up for the Chippendales. Simon doesn't like his smile, either. Me? I'm pleasantly surprised. Gedeon hasn't been on my favorites list, but he moved up a bit with "Shout."
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Elliott Yamin goes up next. "If You Really Love Me" by Stevie Wonder is his song. He says he gets karaoke requests for it all the time. That will go over big with Simon. He's singing it well enough. It's an okay performance, but will it win the hearts and calls of fan? Quite possibly. Randy loves it. Paula gushes. Simon -- potentially best male vocalist they ever had.
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Bobby Bennett will sing Barry Manilow's "Copacabana." Dang, he's reminding me of a twisted Jackie Gleason/Barry Manilow Nightmare. He's singing it well enough, but he's so darn busy through it all! Randy -- More entertaining than vocal. Paula - Entertainment and great showmanship. Simon -- Pans him. Complete nightmare. Umm, weird that I used the word "nightmare" before Simon did, but not in the same context. 1 866 IDOLS 10

Ace Young sings "Father Figure" by George Michael. Very nice, although I don't really care for the song selection all that much. I think he nailed it, though. Kind of mesmerizing. Randy - worked the room and can really sing! Paula -- monotone gushing with a little helium hello. Simon - Not the best vocal so far, you have the X Factor. He likes the choice of song. The judges seem to think that amongst the guys, Ace has it aced. 1 866 IDOLS 11

Taylor Hicks, the one I find most intriguing, is up next. Ah, he's going to sing "Levon" - a personal favorite of mine from the early Elton John days! A good performance, not as unique as I was expecting from Taylor. Solid enough, though. Randy - Not perfect song choice for him, but he has it goin' on. While Randy and Paula gush, Simon looks very pensive. Simon's up... says he was wrong about Taylor not making the finals. He's interesting. More positive feedback about Taylor than anyone else on the show. Heehee, this guy is a hoot! I love him even if that wasn't my favorite performance. 1 866 IDOLS 12

The voting sarts at 10 PM ET and last for two hours. (Gee, how does that get handled on the West Coast?)

My favorites or ones that I'm sure will make the cut? Chris, Taylor, Ace, David, Kevin, Elliott, Jose.

The cut? William Makar and Bobby Bennett or perhaps Patrick Hall. Maybe Gedeon. I don't know

Looking in on the "Official" 'Survivor' Blog

I was reading through this season's 'Survivors Strike Back' blog at the CBS website. I read last season's version on and off, mostly to get giggles from Coby's entries.

Who's the Blogstar there so far this season? I have to give Brian of Guatemala that title! First, he writes well. Believe it or not, some of these ex-castaways really need editors although most come off as functionally literate. (Phew!) What I enjoy about Brian's entries is that it shows how much insight he really has into the show. Now, I had picked the "Platinum Kid" as solid material for the Final Four last season. We all know how that worked out! But, he's got such knowledge of what works well and what doesn't that he could have gone much further had circumstances been a bit different.

Back to the blog -- Brian obviously is a bit smitten and has something for Survivor women in cowboy hats. :::snicker::: A quote from one of his entries:

Misty, I thought you were awesome, and I’m so sorry to see you go out so early. You fell into the Brianna-Varela-Memorial-Beautiful-Brunette-With-a-Cowboy-Hat-Third-Voted-Off trap.

Heh. Check out the blog over there -- it's got Cindy, Bobby Jon and more posting their thoughts on this season. Need I mention they all think Shane is a nutcase?

Today's TV Newsy Bits - Feb. 22, 2006

I apologize for not posting Newsy Bits for the past two days, but these will catch us all up to date! Well, at least with the television/entertainment related newsy bit links that caught my attention, that is...

• Odds to Win 'Dancing With The Stars' Finale
• Trump to Stewart: 'Take Responsibility' - Yahoo! News -- My own added note: I saw her show today and she commented about how saddened she is by the reaction of her friend. Aww, po' baby!
• Trump to Martha: "You deserved to be fired"
• World's First Reality Coaster, SURVIVOR the Ride(TM), to Debut at Paramount's Great America This Spring
• The Apprentice 5 Task Sponsors Announced
• The Amazing Race 9 Two Hour Premiere February 28th -- Beware, mild destination spoilers inside
• USATODAY.com - Dunkleman questions leaving 'Idol' gig
• AOL News - Actress Betty White Honored by L.A. Zoo
• NEW NBC DRAMA "CONVICTION" TO DEBUT ON iTUNES TODAY

My First Blogcritics Entry Is Up

I recently joined in on Blogcritics -- "A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, technology, and politics." My first article is basically an edited version of my previous entry here on this blog -- Blogcritics.org: American Idol - Girls' Night Up. The real difference between the two articles is that I wrote the one posted here as I watched the show with keyboard on my lap. Yeah, that's as close as a laptop as I get. Sigh. The Blogcritics one I touched up to make things consistently past tense, perhaps with a bit less spontaneous commenting. Oh... and I fixed any typos as what I post here while live blogging tends to have a few.

Why am I doing this? Well, inevitably, for more exposure. Plus, it's interesting. I have someone looking over my work and editing. I've been so used to being my own editor and typing in train of thought that this is bound to change my style. Or not! ;-)

Will this change my posting entries here? Nuh-uh! Although I have been a bit behind a few days -- I will be resuming TV Newsy Bits today after a two day absence -- that's been more due to the Olympics and reruns rather than any other factors. Dang, it's bad when I'm not excited about what I see on my TV screen!

Oh. Tonight's Lost is a repeat of the pilot episode. I recommend it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but I think I've watched it at least four times already. I'll be blogging the "Boys' Night on American Idol."

Blogging 'American Idol' - The 12 Girls

"No more crying cowboys, no more Brittenum twins."

It's Girls Night Out on American Idol. The top twelve girls are performing tonight -- two will be voted out on Thursday night. The boys (boys?) will sing tomorrow night.

When Ryan asked, Simon claimed he hasn't gotten any criticism, that he's been defending Ryan. Paula said she's impressed with this season. Randy thinks a boy will win this season. Is it a ploy to get the girls psyched?

Flashbacks to the auditions and other related drama. Yawn.

Mandisa is up first. She said that she didn't hear Simon's "fat" comment until she viewed the show at home. "Never" by Heart is her song. She wants to show "sisters can rock, too." Hmm... the outfit looks a bit like a red silk camisole with black lace. Eep! Thankfully she has black gaucho pants and a jacket thingee over it. Performance? I liked it a lot. She has a very strong voice. Randy overall favoring. Paula - "phenomenal." Simon says hi and asks how she is. He says it wasn't perfect but unbelieveable personality. "I think we'll see you through to the finals at the end of the show." 1 866 IDOLS 01

Oh, geeze, Kellie Pickler is crying again. Is she going to spend this season bawling? "How Far" by Martina McBride. She's dressed rather simply. Really not for me. I guess she's okay, but I'm not hearing anything really special. Randy -- thinks it was good. Paula - unpretentious, no diva factor, has likeability factor. Simon thinks she did well. I dunno. They're focusing more on her personality and all rather than the voice. Let's not set a precedent there, judges. 1 866 IDOLS 02

Becky O'Donohue is going to the stage. She's really a very pretty young woman. Her song is "Because the Night" by Patti Smith. It was the first CD she ever owned. What's that wrinkling her nose bit she does? Is that supposed to be sultry or sexy? Performance is good, at least I think so. That nose/forehead wrinkling has to go, though. Randy loves it. He thinks she does the whole thing well. Paula, of course, is favorable but mentions some notes were a bit off. Somon says better than he expected. Visually a 10, voice of a 6 1/2. He says it was okay, but some of the girls in the group are great. 1 866 IDOLS 03

Ayla Brown has to be at least a half foot taller than Ryan Seacrest. I think she's very well-poised for her age (17). "Reflection" by Christina Aguilar is her song. Hmm. I personally don't like the song choice. She is doing it fine. Whoops, a bad note. Overall, she's putting a lot into it. Let's see what the judges say. Randy was pleasantly surprised. Aight. Paula agrees. Simon -- a hard worker. He thinks there's a limit to her voice; he saw emotion. (Remember, he had called her robotic before.) 1 866 IDOLS 04

Paris Bennett. I thank the heavens her singing voice is not like her speaking voice -- kinda like Daffy Duck on helium. Ohhh... she's going to sing "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Now, there's a song I love. Um. I'm not thrilled by her performance. She's jumping up and down too much. Her hair is fluffy and bouncy, too. The song isn't supposed to be that upbeat. Randy was blown away. Paula thinks she's her idol. Simon loves her, too. Oh, my. Hmmm... I liked her other songs so far this season, but her performance of this song really didn't do it for me. It was like putting "Midnight Train to Georgia" to the tune of "Play That Funky Music"... or something. She is a cutie, though. I'll forgive her for going disco on the song. 1 866 IDOLS 05

Stevie Scott, trained in opera @@, thinks she's very unique. She's singing an opera song "To Where You" Are originally sung by Josh Groban. Her voice is good. I'm not pleased so much with the song selection. Boring, but I think she was technically good. Randy daydreamed. Good. It wasn't just me. Paula says nice stuff, blah blah blah. Simon disagrees with Paula. He claims an utter mess. He's being very rough on her. "I will sing the songs which will make America happy." It may be too late. In my predictions, I called her as out. Let's see.
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Ryan's not AS cheesy as in previous seasons.

Brenna Gethers is next. Her personality really turns me off. She will sing Stevie Wonder's "You Are The Sunshine of My Life." Started a bit flat. Maybe I'm tone deaf? I think she's, as the judges say, pitchy. Hmm. Is my dislike of her personality affecting my thoughts about her singing? Randy not all that impressed, said she chose a safe song. Simon defends her personality and says horrible, completely and utterly horrible. Oh, Simon , don't encourage her to bring the claws out. Let her bad self just get voted on out. Please. I want her to "gether" her bags and go home.
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Heather Cox. Now, I like her personality as opposed to Brenna Gethers. "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" as sung by last year's Idols. Well, um. It's okay. I guess. I'm not blown away. Nice note at the end. Randy wasn't slayed. Ah, neither was I. Paula agrees with him. Simon says it's a forgettable performance. I agree. 1 866 IDOLS 08

Melissa McGhee is going to sing Faith Hill's "When the Lights Go Down." Another song choice which far from thrills me. I'm not thrilled at all. Enough. She can stop. It's not that she's horrible. It's just not doing anything for me. Randy... some pitch problems and came together in the middle. He says not amazing. Paula calls it a shining moment ofr her. Amazing. Simon says she had been overshadowed by the bigger personalities. She pointed out that it's the first time she's actually sung on the show. 1 866 IDOLS 09

Lisa Tucker. Her song is "I'm Changing" by Jennifer Holiday. Ohhh... I'm impressed. This kid has got it! She performs without overdoing the performance (my problem with Paris tonight) and has a tremendous voice. Yay! Best performance of the night! Judges...? Randy was very impressed. Paula purple prosed her, but ended up saying she's a star. Simon was very favorable!
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Kinnik Sky is up. Her song is "Get Here" by Oleta Adams. Okay. I think she's singing it well, strong and on key. A good performance. Randy thinks the middle was rough. He gives it a 6. Now, it wasn't my favorite song choice, but I thought she sang it well enough. Paula thought performance was powerful, good showmanship. Simon says her problem was the incredible performances from such younger girls. It was a caberet performance according to him.
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Katharine McPhee is up. She still reminds me of Valerie Bertinelli. Her song is "Since I Fell For You" originally sung by Barbra Streisand. Oh, nice. Her movements are a bit jerky, but I think it's a fantastic performance. Paula is up and dancing, so... Randy says wow. He thinks it was great! Paula is happy. Simon puts her as the best of the "four really good vocalists." Spot on, Simon!
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The votes should be for the contestant you think was the best. By the time I post this entry, the lines should be open. They will be open for two hours.

My predictions for voted off tonight? Stevie Scott and (hopefully) Brenna Gethers. Am I wrong?

My favorite performance of the night? Lisa Tucker with Katharine McPhee as a runner up.

Jackie OUT.