'American Idol 6' - The Top Eleven and the British Invasion

Yo, yo, yo. Check it out. Check it out.

Graphic artist Zoetawny made me a new tag for my American Idol posts and, guess what?

They brought it tonight! Now, this is entertainment.

Think about it. If I grew up with Motown, it should go without saying that I grew up with the British Invasion as well. I had my Peter Noone (Herman) crush and all. This is my music. Those were my times. Well, the times of my youth, that is. I turned the show on with a bit of trepidation tonight and was thrilled to find it the best show of the season... perhaps the overall most entertaining show in many seasons. No, the contestants weren't all perfect, but the overall feel to the show provided me with a lot of entertainment. And, dawgs, dudes, dames... that's what I'm here for. Or there. Well, I'm here, but you know what I mean.

First up was Haley Scarnato, looking all sexy and slinky (and a bit wiggly when she jumped up and down). The girls were coached by British pop singer from the 60s, Lulu. She sang "Tell Him." It was a good choice for her and it's finally a song which matches her bouncing about the stage. She's not my favorite performer, but she put on a good performance, easily surpassing most of her past performances. Randy and Paula both sang their praises while Simon commented that her singing probably won't be the only thing the audience talks about -- "you naughty little thing."

Chris Richardson took the stage next. Peter Noone coached the guys and didn't seem all that impressed with Chris. He claimed he didn't really "hear his voice" and advised him to stick to the melody. Chris sang "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying." Sigh. I didn't care for it although I have the original hit somewhere in my 45 RPM vinyl collection (yes, I still have them). Again, he was nasal-sounding and, reflecting back on all of the performances, I thought it one of the weaker ones of the night. This is bad... I ranked Sanjaya's performance higher than Chris's this week. Yipes. Yet, the judges loved it. So, what do I know? I'm sure he's safe. But his version did nothing for me, nothing at all.

Next up was Stephanie Edwards, who Lulu compared to Beyonce. I enjoy Stephanie. I think she's a strong singer and performer who could have knocked the socks off of Fantasia in that year. But her competition this year from the other women is rough. She sang Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." I thought she did very well, but the judges weren't as pleased with the performance as I was. Randy called it pitchy. Paula mumbles something about "notes falling off." Simon thinks she's losing her edge, losing her soul, and is too old for herself. Say what? I think she's probably safe.

Then there's Blake Lewis. Each week I'm respecting and enjoying this kid more and more. He's not the powerhouse voice of a Lakisha or Melinda, but he's innovative. He sang "Time of the Season" by the Zombies. I loved it! I thought he was teensy bit off pitch a couple of times, but he mesmerized me. It was a perfect song for him and he Blake-ized it well without destroying the original. Who's your Daddy? Oh, it was so good! Randy said it had "massive yo factor" and was brilliant. Paula said he raised the bar. Simon said it was a million times better than last week and proclaimed it the strongest performance so far of the evening. Blake ain't going anywhere.

Lakisha Jones sang next, singing a song which doesn't thrill me -- "Diamonds Are Forever." Hey, if she's going to sing a James Bond movie song, I want her to sing "Goldfinger." Can you imagine her singing that song? She could bring down the house with it. Instead, we got bling. She sang it well, but it wasn't my favorite performance of hers. I think she displayed excellent quality performance skills. But, but, but... it wasn't the show-stopping Kiki! The judges seemed to think along the same lines as I did.

Phil Stacey sang "Tobacco Road." I liked the start and some bits in between, but my overall impression was "So?" I'll say that I do think it's one of his better performances, but Phil doesn't give this girl a thrill. I can't help but think of Uncle Fester (same time as the British Invasion) when I see him. The judges were a bit more positive than I was about his performance, but I think he's on thin ice this week.

Jordin Sparks, the 17-year-old powerhouse, was next with "I Who Have Nothing." She's another one I see improving week after week. Are we sure she's just a kid? Have we checked her ID? My gosh, she did well. The judges were as impressed as I was. Good girl, Jordin! (Lulu was very impressed with her, too.) Simon mentioned how gloomy the song is, but said she sang it beautifully. She sure did.

When they said we'd see the "wild side" of Sanjaya Malakar, I thought that meant he'd sing "Wild Thing" by the Troggs, but nope. Close, but instead he went for The Kinks' "You Really Got Me." And, though I still want him gone, he did an excellent teenybopper heart-stopper version. He moved in other than his silly floating stuff; he reached down into growls and everything. Oh, no. He's not a Melinda or Lakisha, not a Blake or a Chris Sligh. But he actually showed some spark tonight. For that, I won't even mess with his picture. Hey, are teeth really that white? Randy called the performance his best to date. I agree. I think that he's going to be around next week.

Gina Glocksen hit the stage next looking as punk as punk can be. I'm a tad upset with her. She chose a song which I thought defined me in my teen angst years. She chose "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones. Keep in mind, I saw the Stones sing the song live in their prime on more than one occasion. She sang it wrong. She kept losing the melody. She sang like she was doing a bad impersonation of Joan Jett doing a bad Mick Jagger impersonation. She mumbled words. The judges were a bit less harsh than I was just now, but Simon deemed her vocals "not good enough." 'Nuff said. Based on that performance alone, she should be a shoe-in for the bottom three. Her past and audience might save her butt, but she better not screw up a song I like again! Sanjaya was more loyal to the Kinks. Sheesh!

Chris Sligh talked with Peter Noone about singing "Henry the Eighth" and I was so hoping he would! "I'm Henry the Eighth, I am, I am. I got married to the woman next door and she's been married seven times before. And every one was an Hen-er-y." That song always makes me smile. But, instead he went for "She's Not There" by the Zombies. It was a good song choice. It wasn't my favorite performance of his, but it was light-years better than Phil Stacey or Gina Glocksen! Second verse, same as the first... the judges enjoyed it. I couldn't but help noticing that a family member or friend of his had a sign playing with Timberlake's song -- "Bringing chubby back."

They saved the best for last. Ah, Melinda Doolittle. Why hasn't she been out there making records for years at this time? She amazes me. She can sing songs I really don't like and make me sit there in awe of what she does to them. She said she was going out of her comfort zone and chose a song from Oliver - "As Long As He Needs Me." Now, my favorite song from that show is "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two." So, you can see where I stand. Well, consider yourself a star, Melinda. Consider yourself part of the furniture... or something to that effect. Randy told her, "Dude, you're a pro." Paula said she's in her own league. Simon said it was sensational, impeccable vocals, and said she's indeed as nice as she seems.

I think we'll see Phil Stacey going home this week. What do you think?

'Dancing With The Stars' Blog Discussion Entry

I only catch this show now and then, so I won't be writing regular entries about it. However, I know many of the readers here would like to discuss the show.

So, this entry is for you! Hang out, discuss the show's happenings with others, place wagers on whether Heather Mills' leg will um... be a problem, and just have fun!

Here are some links of interest about the show:

• The ABC official website
• The AOL "Hot Show" feature page (you don't need to have AOL)
• SirLinksALot Dancing With The Stars links page

You can discuss the shows here, use articles you see linked, dance, and more in the comments. I'll be making a label (category) for the show a bit later tonight so that it will be easy to find this post to join in on the discussions. And, I'll probably post something now and then if I catch the show or see some interesting news. So, that label at the bottom of the post will get you here!

NEW DISCUSSION POST IS UP -- DANCING WITH THE STARS FALL 2007

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, March 19, 2007

It's time for those bits! Yes, I'm talking those television-related Newsy Bits I find while perusing that big bad Internet.

What bits did you think I was talking about?

Sheesh.

Here's the skinny:

• AOL Music is streaming Elliott Yamin's (American Idol 5) new CD before it hits the markets. It's free for the listening and you don't have to be an AOL member to access it. He's had a makeover and now a new CD. He's a non-winner on the move. Hey, remember when the guys were so good?
• Remember... Survivor 14: Fiji will be on Wednesday night at 8 PM ET/PT this week, not on its regular Thursday night. Celebrity Spider has a bit of info with minor promotional spoilers in this article.
• The local newspaper (online) has an article about Jersey Girl (who woulda thunk it) Muna Heaven being fired on The Apprentice: L.A. Now if Jersey City inhabitants could pick up that accent, youse guys.
• ET Online has an interesting article about how fans on the Internet kept Jericho alive and well during its long hiatus. Which reminds me... I keep getting more information from Primatech Paper (Heroes). I have to get that stuff written up for you.
• Some artists in NYC are suing NBC claiming that the idea of an artist painting the future was stolen from them by the writer of Heroes.

Okay, I'll be settling in to watch The Black Donnellys before long while taping 'Til Death Do Us Part with John Waters as The Groom Reaper on CourtTV. Paula Abdul is on Letterman tonight, so I have to see that!

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - 3/18/07

Once again, I won't be writing a full review/recap of the show, but here's the skinny:

The task was to create a webisode.
Arrow with James as PM won the task.
Kristine was the PM of Kinetic.
The Trumpette was back (Ivanka).
Muna was fired.
Oh... and Arrow got to meet the Governator.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 5 -or- "We didn't come here to be sissyfoots."

Each week I'm reminded why I like Oswald and Danny so much. Even when they bicker a bit (like they did tonight), they can be a hoot and deliver some of the best lines in the show.

On the other hand, every week I'm reminded more and more why Charla and Mirna irk me so. In my book, Mirna is more irksome than Charla. I honestly think I'd take to Charla much better if she had a different partner.

Seven teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The teams started out from their last Pit Stop at the "End of the World." This is the closest we've seen the race actually get to Antartica, which is kind of cool in and of itself. Heck, not cool... outright cold! Teri and Ian were shocked that Romber was eliminated while Mirna seemed to take credit for the elimination. Oswald and Danny, the first team to arrive, left first at 12:02 AM. In last place, Charla and Mirna left at 2:41 AM, almost a three-hour gap betwixt first and last. Will it matter? Of course not. It's the Amazing Race!

While Team Guido (Joe and Bill) promised they were going to show a "kinder and gentler Guido," we see them provoked later on in the leg. The teams had to travel to a glacier where they received one avalanche beacon and were directed to follow the signal to find a buried beacon with their next clue. It all started out with an 8 AM opening, thus a bunching point.

The more I see Eric, the more he irks me, too. Perhaps he should team up with Mirna. He deliberately tried to annoy the Guidos and seems to have some problems with both gay and older folks on the whole. The Guidos walked away refusing to let him instigate problems which may make them look bad.

Once the gates to the glacier were opened, some teams zoomed right through the task. Others had issues. For example, once again Dustin and Kandice blew by a clue. But they caught themselves this time and went back before losing too much time. Charla/Mirna took a long time, but Danny and Oswald took forever. The ChaChas also took turns being cranky about it.

After completing the glacier task, teams had to fly 7,000 miles to the town of Maputo in Mozambique. Any plane tickets have to be purchased through travel agents as the airport can't sell them. The show has back-up tickets which would get them in at 3 PM if teams cannot obtain earlier flights. But all the teams, including the lagging ChaChas, managed to get on the same flight and their arrival time was 9:40 AM.

Once in Maputo, the teams had to get in marked cars with drivers and head to APOPO Training Field. Again, there was a bunching point and Eric called the Guidos "freaks." It was there that they faced a Roadblock (a task only one member of a team can do) and one of the coolest ones I've ever seen. Rats! Oh, I'm not talking the rats running around KFC/Taco Bell in the Village. I'm talking working rats. These rats have been trained to detect explosive landmines and work with trainers. It's fascinating to read about and gives us a whole new insight of a much-detested animal. Well, I never detested them. I just don't want them in my abode... or where I eat. Pet rats have always been okay with me.

Not only did I think the challenge was fun and really interesting, but Charla's rat was more interested in grooming for the cameras than finding the landmine/clue. The name of the Roadblock was "Who Smells a Rat?" I couldn't help but compare Mirna to them each time they showed her. During the task, one of the ChaChas promised their rat, Nelson, that if he finds the clue, "We'll take you to a nice lab where they'll apply make-up on you." Ian gave his Cagney impersonation, "You dirty rat."

Once the rats did their thing for the teams, they had to travel 50 miles back into Maputo, but it wasn't as easy to get to the location as they thought. The road sign must have loved the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. "Some people go this way, and others go this way." The road sign indicated Maputo was either to the left or straight ahead. The teams going straight ended up lost. Or, was it the teams who went left who got lost? All I can say was one way was better than the other and shifted the dynamics of who was leading the pack.

Once they finally got to the next clue, it was a Detour. Both choices were ways folks make a living in the area. In Pamper It, the teams had to go to a market stall where they had to sell nail-painting to locals. Men in the area both do the painting and have their nails painted. Once they earned a certain amount, they would receive their next clue. In Porter It, teams had to load ten bags with coal, sew them shut, then lug a single bag by foot to a location in town.

The Guidos were running in first place at the time and chose Porter. Hey, Eric can say what he may, but there are two male gay teams in the race. Both chose the physical task of Porter It. Alas, they should have chosen Pamper It. Mirna and Charla, way behind the other teams, finished that one in short order. So did the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice), who even took the time to paint a young girl's nails even though she had no money. Geez, Ian and Teri were headed to Porter, but accidentally ended up in Pamper and they nailed the task, too! (Get it? Nailed the nail task. I kill myself sometimes.)

Ahem.

But all the teams faced with the Porter task found it dirty, time-consuming, and probably the wrong choice. Uchenna and Joyce fell way behind as they got lost while lugging the bag of coal around.

Here's the order at the Pit Stop in Fortaleza, Maputo:

1. Charla and Mirna - Their first time (and hopefully last time) in first place ever on the show. They won a trip to Aruba.
2. Dustin and Kandice
3. Teri and Ian (who were shocked they did so well)
4. Oswald and Danny - Oswald promptly chased Phil around wanting to hug him with his coal-covered hands. That was a hoot! When Phil commented about them taking the coal task, one of them said, "Hey, we didn't come here to sissyfoot!" (Ah, but I bet they will shop again sometime!)
   
5. Joe and Bill - They beat Eric and Danielle in a close footrace which prompted Eric to blame Danielle and later fuss that they were "beat by a bunch of queens." You go, Queens!
6. Eric and Danielle
7. Uchenna and Joyce

As it was one of the three planned non-elimination legs, Uchenna and Joyce are still in the race. However, they are marked for elimination. They must come in first place on the next leg or suffer a thirty-minute penalty which theoretically could make them lose the race.

I still hold with wanting Charla and Mirna gone, but Eric is about on par with them. Danielle, I have nothing against. Well, other than the fact that she's running the race with Eric. I'm liking the Guidos and ChaChas more each week and have to say the same for Teri and Ian. Dustin and Kandice are a strong team in many ways, but this is the second time they've gone by a clue. They have to pay more attention. I liked Uchenna and Joyce in their season, but they are dragging a bit this season. I did smile at Joyce's reaction to the rat... "Oh, he's cute!"

Who are you cheering on?