American Idol - Season 8 - Page 15

Re: American Idol - Season 8

This is the final year of Paula's contract, so if the format isn't working, and Paula wants too much money to re-up, well, it'll be easy to do the math.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

I'm sorry, but if someone can't come up with 3 decent song choices, then they don't belong on the show. It's not as though the producers are just forcing them to sing random selections out of the blue.


Oh lord, no. Kara is like Paula minus the entertainment value.

Then again, maybe Paula's been planning on leaving after this year anyway, and they brought Kara in a year early to ease the transition.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Oh, but is is exactly that. The list with the songs is small, barely more than the total number of singers. Of that list, they ask for three. Then the producers assign the songs thereafter.

You know Megan is a favored Idol because she got Put Your Records on. I'm sure that Mishavonna and Jeanine (and probably even Jesse) would have rather had that song instead of the one they sang. That the producers gave it to Megan means she will be a wildcard selection and in the top 12.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

So for each set of 12 contestants, there are, say, 15 songs, and for several of those contestants, there are 13 that would qualify as awful?

I don't think so.

And on another note. . .I wonder if this is on Simon's mind during all those lousy auditions. . .

(Side note: watch Amanda Holden's facial expressions carefully. )

Re: American Idol - Season 8

bullshit

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Well said, Adam! Hooray for discourse.

Aaron, if half the singers sing truly awful songs, do you assume that they are incapable of picking a good song or can you conclude instead that the list is stocked with terrible songs? Why do the same terrible songs come back year after year like a venereal disease?

For all the producer manipulation on exhibit, the fact that the producers are the ones foisting the bad songs on the contestants seems to be the one that encounters the most resistance. I suspect it is because this is the one that shatters the illusion that there is some sort of fairness, and that really rankles most people. However, producers forcing songs has been confirmed by Jason Yeager, Casey Carlson (indirectly) and Garret Haley. You can yell bullshit into the hole in the ground where you rest your head, but whatever -- that's how AI rolls.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

I like the cut of your jib. Let's be friends!

Seriously, though, I think it's quite evident that there is at least *some* producer interference--and I don't mean to the extent that it can be covered by the disclaimer at the end of the show. I guess the entire thing wouldn't be so utterly frustering to me, if virtually HALF (more?) the judges' comments didn't involve a comment on the frakking song choice.

It's one thing berate a contestent for a poor song choice, but to say the same thing when the show itself chose the song, is simply asinine. Sure, the singers chose three songs each, but part of me now believes that if the singer, out of those three, had 2 awesome *perfect* songs, and a crappy song they simply *like,* that the producers would pick the crap song for the "filler" singers, and the perfect song for the "in it, to win it, dawg," singers.

This, in part, explains why some of the singers are quite sure of their song choices ("I think it was a good song choice, I disagree with Simon, etc), as they have been reinforced in their "choice" by the producers of the damned show! I can almost here it now: "Hi, Kai. We agree with your song choice for . In fact, we think it's perfect. You could win with this. Go get em!"

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Which songs are you thinking of? At any rate, they're not terrible songs (although I might personally disagree in some cases ); they're terrible for specific singers.

The contestants are constantly encouraged to take risks -- sometimes risks pay off, and sometimes they don't. With a couple of exceptions, these kids aren't seasoned pros and they don't have much experience to guide risky choices.


OK, I did a little searching online. . .according to contestants, it appears that the list is 50 songs, and one guy (Haley) says that one time he didn't get any of his top 3 choices. In a couple of different places, mention is made of pulling names from a hat when multiple singers want to do the same song. "Producers forcing songs" is stretch at best.

Here's an excerpt from an EW article on Neil Diamond Night from last season:

She ended up performing "Hello Again" and "Thank the Lord for the Night Time."

So you can keep implying that contestants aren't responsible for making poor song choices, but you're going to have to find better evidence to support the idea if you want to be convincing. The "fact" of the producers forcing the songs encounters resistance because it simply ain't a fact.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

First off, if the producers are making it seem like the contestants have a huge catalog like "Billboards Top 100 since it's inception" to pick from and then only give them 50 songs to choose from, then yes, they are forcing songs on them, especially since many of the songs aren't in their wheelhouse and shrink that 50 number drastically.

According to this article on Casey, the producers chose Every Little Thing She Does for her:


You already mentioned to Garret Haley incident, and Jason Yeager stated in his vlog that you pick three, the producers assign from that list. This is SOP on Idol.

It's a matter of semantics, I suppose, whether this constitutes "forcing" the song on the contestants -- the bigger issue, as Josh pointed out (hi Josh!) is that the judges batter contestants for their song choice when, countless times, there is not much real choice involved. Picking between lesser of evils is, I suppose a form of choice, but for the producers to foster an illusion that they can pick anything when they cannot is a lie. Blaming the contestants for the producers' meddling is simply cruel.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

I agree. The show "implies" that they have that huge catalog to choose from (or, on any given theme night for that matter) but they don't. Just remember, prior to season 7 (I believe), the Beatles catalog was off limits. If tonight was "Sixties Songs", and the Beatles were off-limits, imagine someone watching thinking, "Gee, Joe was stupid to not pick 'Yesterday' to perform." Conversely, do you really think that with so many songs to pick from so many contestants would choose Heart's "Alone"? (PLEASE retire that one!)

Re: American Idol - Season 8

How are they "making it seem like" that? Anyone who wants to can spend 2 minutes on Google and find out the details. As for the top 100 throughout history, we don't know that they were only given a list of 50 songs that week. We only know that the list is *usually* 50 on theme nights.

And you can't keep changing the definition of "forcing" with each post. Sorry. Giving them 50 songs to choose from doesn't count.


According to a third-hand paraphrase passed through the filter of a journalist, she was "prompted." Sure. If you want to accept that as proof that she was forced to sing that song, feel free.


No it isn't. Forcing is forcing. Being assigned a song from a list of three that the contestant picked out from a larger list of 50 isn't it. Unless there were 48 awful song choices out of 50, the contestant wasn't forced to pick an awful song.


Three out of 50 is picking between lesser evils? That's another stretch. The bigger issue is a contestant who can't handle at least three out of a list of 50 well-known pop songs -- that person doesn't deserve to be the Next American Idol.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

But I enjoyed "Heart's" Alone as recently performed. And this coming from someone who doesn't listen to Rock and isn't particularly familiar with the song.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

What are they supposed to do, announce a list of every artist they haven't contracted the rights with at the beginning of every season?


On the one hand, contestants who do that song seem to have pretty good luck with it. On the other, I agree that we've heard enough of it!

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Kinda off topic. But, a few seasons ago their was a guy that was pretty good and right before the top 10 he quit. He said it was because his mom was sick. Others thought it was because he was going to sign a music deal. What happened to him? And was the truth ever figured out?

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Lil Rounds will nab the top girl spot. But that being said, she can sing confidently, but I find nothing all that special about her voice, she simply sings well.

I suspect Scott will get the sympathy vote and get the top guy spot. It's just awkward watching his stand and sing, while knowing he's blind and it shows at times, making it off-putting to watch him. Plus his vocals were not on point tonight.

This will most likely leave Ju'not in the cold as Jorge gets the 3rd spot from this group. Jorge sounded a little sterile in trying so hard to sing without a Spanish accent, but he is a natural-born singer.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

I like Scott and it has nothing to do with sympathy. He may not have the perfect voice, but he's got passion and he means what he sings. It's like, people think Billy Joel has a terrible voice, but I would rather listen to him on a daily basis over, say, Pavarotti. I think he's marketable.

Kendall probably won't go on, but I think she's marketable, too. Of the also-rans in this group, she seems to have a decent shot at at least getting a spot on the wild card show.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Von – What can I say about this over-singing nincompoop with the Bob’s Big Boy hairdo? Von’s the guy who had one of the most over-sung versions of Over the Rainbow, and that’s feat considering it’s an inaugural inductee in the Over-Singing Hall of Fame. In tribute, Von wore Ruby Red sneakers to complete the merino wool sweater and two-piece suit combo made famous by the Night at the Roxbury dudes. But instead of singing What Is Love, Von chose You’re All I Need to Get By. He started off like he had a stuffy nose from a head cold, but don’t worry folks, he went into full bore shouty Von just in time for the chorus. He may be loud, but his voice is vanilla and lacking any character or substance – it’s like a junior air raid siren. Randy kicked off the night of The Worst Judges Commentary Ever by proclaiming it as “hot”. Simon was right about sounding like Clay only in that Von sounded like a girl. It was horrid.
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Taylor – The first WTF was she wearing award of the night goes to Taylor, who wore rubber pants, a dominatrix staple, presumably so if she got really nervous and pissed her pants, no one would notice. Her version of If I Ain’t Got You didn’t start off that badly, but halfway through the first verse, the performance got very boring, like she was marking time until she hit the big notes of the chorus. The thing was, she didn’t do anything with those notes, and it felt like she was building up to something that just never happened. For some reason, Kara believes a successful performance should reflect what it would be like to go shopping with the singer. Judging by Taylor’s outfit, that shopping spree involves a trip to the dominatrix shop.

Alex – I really didn’t think Alex even belonged in the competition, being more of a mascot than a contender. And yet, I was actually impressed by his voice as he covered I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues. There was a really nice tone in there with a pleasant and not too goaty vibrato. Unfortunately, Alex has little range and strained to reach anything that was even a remotely high note, and the frequent screeching and growling made me wince a few times. The spastic dance moves were distracting as well. Still, it was 100 times better than the crap Von was spewing out. I didn’t get where the judges were coming from – it’s like they expected some sort of comedic incompetence, and they appeared to be critiquing from prepared notes and not the actual performance. I know he’s obviously not top 12 material, but they gave better critiques to Nick Mitchell.

Arianna – My wife pointed out that the juxtaposition of the stage lights and Arianna’s intro made her look like a holographic projection. With the blue light and blue outfit, all I could think of was, “Help me Obi-Wan, you’re my only hope”. But Obi-Wan probably couldn’t perform enough Jedi Mind Tricks to cover the bad parts of this pitchy rendition of The Winner Takes It All. I really liked her little falsetto runs and the last third of the performance was actually sung well, excluding the terrible cracking of the last note. But the song started with so many pitch problems it sounded like she got vocal coaching from Stevie Wright, and it’s difficult to recover from something like that. In the end, no one was happy with the performance – not Arianna and certainly not her parents (her mom resorted to slow, sarcastic clapping to accentuate her disapproval). If it’s any consolation, I loved her dress, and the Lia Sophia necklace, although her droopy hair looked like she got caught in the rain.

Ju’not – I wasn’t the biggest fan of Ju’not’s slowed down, stripped down, almost a cappella version of Hey There Delilah. I think if you’re going to do something like this, you need some more show-off moments. As nice as his tone was, it was quiet and unassuming, and, lacking any vocal pyrotechnics, ultimately forgettable. I’m not sure why Ju’not had handcuffs dangling from his belt to complement his Member’s Only jacket, but there’s a joke in there somewhere regarding the fashion police that I can’t fully form. Is one of the Idol producers a Trekkie? Jesse Langseth looks like a whole host of Star Trek aliens, and Ju’not joins the fray as Dathon the Tamarian captain from the TNG classic, Darmok. And it’s no just the contestants – Simon looks like a Founder.

Kristin – Give Me One Reason is one of those songs where you can record the first three measures and loop it for 90 seconds, and no one would notice. Kristin has one of those big, loud, rangy voices, but this performance didn’t show that off at all. I know some singers open their mouths wider to hit certain notes (David Cook did it every song last year), but Jebus – this chick opens sooo wide she looks like a screaming chimp (readers from last year may recognize the same chimp in a Separated at Birth with Cookie – however, Kristin just owns that picture now). Yes, Kristin’s look has improved, but then again, you could hardly do worse than this. The coral baby-doll dress almost works except for two things: First, wear a bra (or better bra) because your boob look saggy. Second, what’s with the fabric flowers on the shoulders? A really stupid looking accent.

Nathaniel – Our Drama Queen/Clown of the night comes from the too perfectly appropriately named Chateaugay, New York. You see, “Chateau Gay” is French for “gay house” (I suppose colloquially it means “happy house”, but gay is a synonym for happy, so “gay house” it is). So of course, the AI media guide has his hometown down as the boring sounding Malone, New York. Nathan tackled I Would Do Anything for Love, and any thought that the song was too big for him was… right on the money. The thing is, Nathan’s voice isn’t Idol material – it’s thin, non-descript, and just flat out boring to listen to. It was all so very high school talent show, and like Tatiana, Nathan didn’t even deliver on his promise of drama queen histrionics. And the outfit was ugly but not outrageous. Boring and disappointing on so many levels.

Felicia – While I thought Felicia had some nice moments and was a serviceable singer, my wife’s opinion of No One was that it was pitchy and that Felicia lacked breath control. She was also appalled that she was singing so loudly with her head voice and not from her diaphragm – this is the kind of thing that will wreck someone’s vocal chords, and perhaps her raspy vocal quality is a result of years of improper singing and not a 3 pack a day Marlboro Reds habit. Indeed, she strained badly for high notes throughout. I get the feeling Felicia was going for a Joan Jett look with her hair, but it came out more like Joyce DeWitt.

Scott – Man, that version of Mandolin Rain was sooo whitebread… how whitebread? It was whiter than Bruce Hornsby’s original, that’s how whitebread. Scott’s voice is pretty bland and goes off key frequently. Plus, he was whiffing on notes all over the place (the last cracked in the middle). I heard him singing whilst playing the keyboard in Hollywood week, and it wasn’t really any better, so that’s no excuse. I have heard many singers better than him at karaoke bars, and it was just boring to listen to. Scott thinks “it’s crazy” to be on the show. I think it’s crazy that the judges went ga-ga over this pabulum. And might I say, this was about the worst judging night ever. Randy was over-praising everything, Kara was giving the most worthless critiques with a bad case of diarrhea of the mouth, Simon seemed bored, and Paula was Paula. Scott’s uniformly glowing critiques made me wonder if they were even listening. The high five with Ryan was funny, I grant you, but that was the only entertaining thing to be had. Hey, I made it through without a single blind joke. Here’s a semi-blind joke (it’s semi because technically, Little Orphan Annie isn’t blind – she just doesn’t have pupils).

Kendall – As she describes it, her “heart about fell out of her stomach” when she made the top 36, which makes me assume she devoured her own heart at some point, and if it was 72 hours later, she may have said something like, “my heart about dropped out of my bowels”. This One’s for the Girls is one of those generic sounding country songs that’s only elevated by Martina McBride’s vocals, and, needless to say, Kendall is no Martina McBride. It was okay in the beginning, but by the end, it was shrieky and off key. When Kendall crinkles her nose to hit the big notes, I get this Dr. Zaius vibe from her. It’s all well and good that the judges thought Kendall won Best Dressed, but what up with that corsage of fly-fishing lures or whatnot on her belt? Frankly, I preferred Arianna’s dress. Lia Sophia necklace beats fly-fishing lure corsage as an accessory in my book.

Jorge – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me was easily the best vocal of the night so far, male or female– and sadly, it wasn’t even that memorable. What was memorable are Jorge’s eyebrows – these jet black caterpillars slope forever upward and then, just as they are about to reach his hairline, they each make a hard 90 degree turn and head for his temples, almost reaching from ear to ear – at a certain angle, with the eyebrows and the dumbo ears, he could… maybe.. if you squint a bit.. maybe, he could pass for a… Ferengi. Okay, okay… it’s a stretch, but these Star Trek references are hard to pass up. The other slightly memorable thing was the weird way Jorge held the mic at the end of the song. It looked as if he was prepared to swallow the silvery phallus, but at the last second decided against it and just slid it across his cheek (please refer to the picture, I am talking about his face). No one has ever deep throated a mic on the Idol stage, so we almost witnessed history. Maybe Adam?

Lil – Egads – it was obvious to everyone and their mother that Lil would get the pimp spot, and since the producers have decided to be transparent with their manipulations this year, they obliged. Be Without You was probably the best vocal of the night, and again, it was pretty forgettable anyway. I’m sorry, but it’s shocking that we got through twelve singers tonight and even the best one had pitch and, oddly, rhythm problems. Every now and then, Lil kind of got shouty and starting yelling a bit into the mic. That’s so Lil. You know what isn’t so Lil? Her badonkadonk. What can I say? It may not be Lil, but it sure is Rounds. RRRRounds!

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Von Smith - You'll All I Need To Get By - Good Range. Sounded slightly Karaoke. Occasional strange phrasings. Did he have on red gym shoes with a suit? Injected his own style into a somewhat strange choice of song.

Taylor Vaifanua - If I Ain't Got You - OK, but somehow lifeless. The show actually forgot to let Randy comment. Maybe 4 judges doesn't work well.

Alex Wagner-Trugman - I Guess That's Why The Call It The Blues - It's awkward watching him move. I kept wanting to hear Elton John.

Arianna Afsar - The Winner Takes It All - Not much to be said. She has a voice. It did nothing for me. I couldn't help but think about Hanson's recent comments about song choice. It seems impossible she'd have chosen that.

* Ju'not Joyner - Hey There Delilah - I didn't know what to think until it was over. I started off thinking it'd be boring. Then I heard some really sweet sounding notes in there. I converted from boring to understated (which is fine). I wasn't familiar with the song, so I grabbed the lyrics from Google and listened again. Nice. I then went and listened to the original version on YouTube. I like Ju'Not's understated smooth version even more. I'd be interested in what those with better hearing than mine thought of his falsetto. His first falsetto note sounded weak to me. If he has weak falsetto, he should stay away from it.

Kristen McNamara - Give Me One Reason - I was at a loss as to how to comment on her performance. It turns out she was a contestant on Nashville Star so I went and looked at her singing "How Do I Live" a song I like and know. She can sing, but she just doesn't wow me. I wonder if she connects with anyone. Not just while singing. Ever. At anything.

Nathaniel Marshall - (I Would Do) Anything For Love - If they had survivor style voting of people off the island, I'd be tempted to vote. I don't care how he sings. I'd vote him off just to never have to see that crying drama queen "I want this more than anything" intro. Simon was spot on.

Felicia Barton - No One - Stretching notes doesn't make them better. I was more Simon than Paula. She added nothing to the song for me, and as an imitation, it fell short. I've never thought it's a particularly great song to begin with. It's Alicia's energy that sells it. It sounded a bit better to me when I played it back without looking at her. The riff at the end ("oh-oh-oh-oh-oooooh") seemed pointless.

Scott MacIntyre - Mandolin Rain - I enjoy listening to him. I wasn't blown away.

Kendall Beard - This One's For The Girls - Now I'm just

* Jorge Nunez - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - It was tough making it to this point, but this worked for me. This is the flip side of song selection. Was he intimately familiar with this song? If he could pick anything in the world, would this be it? Did it matter?

Lil' Rounds - Be Without You - Definitely channeling the Mary J Blige vibe down to the look (when not channeling Adele Givens). She actually worked in "call for me" into her song. I don't think I've seen that before. I didn't think she was as great as the judges did, perhaps at least partially because the band sounded off in my mix. It sounded like a guy playing bass guitar to a singer, not a band backing up a singer.

And Yes, I know I didn't pick a woman. If pushed, I'd select Lil' Rounds, but not necessarily based on performance, just because she's the one likely to give me a future performance I might enjoy.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Von Smith - You'll All I Need To Get By - Annoying.

Taylor Vaifanua - If I Ain't Got You - Mediocre.

Alex Wagner-Trugman - I Guess That's Why The Call It The Blues - Too young & tried too hard. What would he know about "rolling Like thunder under the covers?"

Arianna Afsar - The Winner Takes It All - Good voice meets bad song choice.

Ju'not Joyner - Hey There Delilah - I liked his perormance a lot but he should have done it acapella and built to a better show of range.

Kristen McNamara - Give Me One Reason - She should stick to hosting karaoke -- she's great at it.

Nathaniel Marshall - (I Would Do) Anything For Love - You have to sing better than Meatloaf to pull that song off and he didn't.

Felicia Barton - No One - I like her tone but she tried a little too hard and strained for those big notes. She has a lot of raw talent. In the right hands, she could be awesome. She's cute, too.

Scott MacIntyre - Mandolin Rain - I liked his performance and I think he make it through. He'll kill behind the piano. He won't win the whole thing, though.

Kendall Beard - This One's For The Girls - Adorable but her vocals are a bit on the thin side.

Jorge Nunez - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Best male vocal by far. He'll make it through and do well in the competition.

Lil' Rounds - Be Without You - Great performance over a pretty good vocal. She's got "it" whatever "it" may be. She's got serious potential. Her chance of winning depends on how she grows.

If I got to choose: Jorge, Felicia, Lil

Top 3 -- Lil, Jorge, Scott

Wildcard shots -- Jo'Not, Felicia

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Hanson....



Your performances are far more consistent than this year's contestants.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Hanson,

I have another one for your seperated at birth....

Re: American Idol - Season 8

I got more entertainment out of that one crack (I mean the comment!) than out of the entire show last night.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

OMG, Tatiana has been brought back for the wildcard show. Ugh.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

I'd glad for Ricky. I wouldn't have minded seeing Ju'Not in there either.

Tatiana! They can't quit her.

I've grown tired of everyone saying how much they want this. We get it. I'm sure there are points for desire, but come on.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

Other than Tatiana, and maybe one other, I wish that the Wild Card line up, was the final rather than the ones that "America" voted for. Sheesh, this is going to be the worst bunch of contestants ever.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

I cannot believe they brought Tatiana back!!!

Re: American Idol - Season 8

They probably brought Tat back just to crush her again "live" tomorrow night.

Re: American Idol - Season 8

I can't believe they brought back Tatiana over Mishavonna, but oh well.

I think Megan is a shoe-in at this point. I'd like to see Jesse in too. The third will likely be another guy - either Ricky or Matt I would think.