Brenna, Ayla, Heather, Katharine, Kelly, Kinnik, Lisa, Mandisa, Melissa, and Paris. All ten sang tonight -- two will go home Thursday. Most of you watched the show, so I won't profile the songs, but here's who I think is safe, and who will go home.
Best performance of the Night: Paris Bennett, who not only had the courage to sing the world's most oversung song, "Wind Beneath My Wings," she made you feel like you did the first time you heard Bette Midler sing it. The judges weren't impressed -- again, telling her (as they slammed Kinnik last week) that the song was too old for her. Didn't get that, but -- hey -- I don't get paid several million dollars a year, either.
Madisa is a close second, proving that she can belt out a song better than anyone else. Hampered by song choice and a song she obviously wasn't comfortable singing.
A strong third was Kelly Pickler, who sang Bonnie Raitt's "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About," and like
This week's four evictees were interviewed by MTV, and said a little about why they thought they were voted off. Becky O'Donohue is perhaps one of the most straightforward, stating she doesn't know why she was eliminated, and refuses to make excuses (like blaming the Maxim spread -- which we don't believe was responsible for her removal, either). Stevie Scott said she was sick that day, Patrick Hall said he was "handicapped" by his reliance on a piano (I think he's a wedding singer or something), while Bobby Bennett simply acknowledged that his Copacabana performance may have simply not been his best.
Hats off to Bobby and Becky! They'll go a lot further acknowledging their own mistakes, and improving on them as they seek out new paths in that business we like to call "show."
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This from ZDNet.com:
The steamy, belly-baring photographs of "American Idol" contestant Becky O'Donohue, which have ignited a miniscandal, have also hobbled MaximOnline.com.So much traffic poured into the online site of the popular men's magazine today that they had to reformat how the pictures were presented . . . the hits were slowing the site, nearly crashing them! Becky may have been booted off the show, but she's already too hot for the internet! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSOR!
Becky O'Donohue was first to be evicted in tonights' results show, the first week where American voted their choice. Her performance was aired before the interest surrounding her Maxim spread hit full swing -- had Extra aired their piece a day earlier, she may have received the most votes (considering the overwhelming interest).
Following her was the worst male performance of the night -- Bobby Bennett, who was followed by the worst of the females, Stevie Scott. Patrick Hall was a surprise fourth eviction, but he wasn't anywhere near the best of the males.
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This Week's LEAD STORY
Move over Brittenum Twins, meet the O’Donohue’s . . . well, at least the one that’s on American Idol. Becky O’Donohue brought some of the “twin” magic to this year’s competition, one of three talented twin sets to make it to Hollywood (though her sister, Jesse, couldn’t participate due to throat problems), leading this season to be dubbed by at least one of the judges as the “Year of the Twins.” So, perhaps it was only a matter of time. The day the semi-finals started, Extra revealed that Becky O’Donohue, the last surviving twin on the show, had done a provocative layout in Maxim magazine with her sister, Jessie. Blogs, such as IdolsRising.com, who were fortunate enough to have her name in our tags and keywords, have received unprecedented hits as people tried to discover more information about the O’Donohue’s and their photo shoot.
Rumors of that shoot were old news to O’Donohue fans, and considered scandalous – especially since the pictures contain no nudity, and since former semi-finalist from season two Ashley Hartman had also posed for that same publication in the past.
So, what’s made the story so titillating? Probably the hype from Extra, who dubbed their coverage of this non-event as the “Dirty Little Secret Exposed” – an obvious effort on their part to find anything on any semifinalist to create a ratings boost for their show.
Interestingly, some are wondering if insider information may have been responsible for the leak. Extra correspondent Terri Seymour is seen showing the Maxim video to Idol judge, Simon Cowell. Connection? The two are dating.
In related news, Becky is the odds favorite to be evicted in tonight’s elimination show, according to the sports betting site, Gambling911.com.
Other coverage O’Donohue’s Sexy Background Revealed
Idol Singer strikes a Sexy Pose with Sister
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To answer the question the majority of our viewers today are searching for -- yes, Becky O'Donohue (American Idol season five semi-finalist) and her twin sister Jessie were in a previous edition of MAXIM magazine, a men's publication. Dressed scantly in baseball attire, they made several "sportsmen-like" poses as provocatively as they could, and often with their shirts unbuttoned (although, all points of interest were covered . . . barely).
To check out their pictures on MAXIM online, just click HERE (I've already found them for you). To check out the short video they made for the MAXIM website, click HERE.
Have fun, and come back and see us!
P.S. And here's Ashley Hartman's MAXIM spread as well (second season semi-finalist).
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Avon calling! Order Avon products ONLINE and have them shipped DIRECTLY to your home! Check out the ordering site from a preferred representative . . . and tell her "Jay" sent ya!|W|P|114063115472649698|W|P|O'Donohue's in Maxim (and Ashley Hartman, too)|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
Twelve girls bore their heart on soul on American Idol tonight, and Idol judges gave their opinions -- and they were mostly on target. Simon said there were "four great performances," and others were just safe. Two weren't very good, and one . . . unbelievable for this season (the show being in its prime) . . . was absolutely awful.
However, on performance, Randy and Simon were the ones that were a bit off: they blasted Kinnick Sky's performance of "Get Here," one of the most stirring performances of the night: Randy said "It was a bit sharp," and gave it a six out of ten, while Simon said it sounded "very cabaret," and tore into her about her age (28), and how she compared to the "young pretenders."
The hypocrisy was as thick as curdled cream. For starters, this season is backed up behind a season where many of the final twelve were mid to late twenties (being the first year with advanced age limits), and secondly, there were several of the younger singers performing songs much older than themselves. There was a slight moment of sharpness, but she played it off and wrapped the song up beautifully. Randy compared it the original performance by Oleta Adams, but how many of the 16-17 year olds that performed tonight have even heard that performance? I'm twice as old as most of them, and I can only remember Justin Guarini crooning it to Paula, and singing it on the final show. Not only were many of the songs older than the performers, two others blasted the judges into idiotic ooing and ahhing -- with cabaret-style songs (Lisa Tucker, I Am Changing & Katharine McPhee, Since I Fell For You).
Apparently, Simon and Randy were salivating all over the young blood, and bombed Kinnick over her most profound quality that set her apart from the rest -- her maturity.
If you want to help save Kinnick Sky, dial NOW and dial OFTEN!!!
Well, if I knew the answer to that, I'd be worth a million dollars, but that doesn't stop people from making educated guesses. Personally, I won't have a clue until I start seeing some head-to-head competition, but some others are already ahead of me in the game.
Yesterday, I wrote about the odds according to how people are placing real-money bets on the competition (Bookies Grade Year 5), but there are a few Idol bloggers out there who've formulated their own ideas on who's going to come out on top. Reality TV Magazine has released their list of predictions for their Top 12 predictions, but don't do much handicapping except for their belief that Ace Young will probably make the top four, Chris Daughtry probably won't win, and that Paris Bennett could prove to be the first "surprise" elimination.
Foxes On Idol (put pop-up blocker ON) has also released their handicap list, but instead of providing odds, they provide hypothetical circumstances on how each contestant could possibly win . . . or lose. Paris Bennett, riding on family success in the industry, was wisely made a bit vulnerable due to a bad week during Hell Week, but the other "riding on family success," Ayla Brown (born to a rich Massachussett's family), hasn't had her comeupance yet . . . which might prove unlucky for a girl convincing ordinary Americans that she needs their vote. Predictably, Ace Young will have to fight a pretty-boy image and work just as hard as everyone else -- if it comes too easy, and he doesn't beat his own performances, he could find an early exit, too.
Idol is on THREE nights this week: the girls perform tonight, the boys tomorrow, with results on Thursday. Let's see how worth all the "handicapping" is worth after that!
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Kelly Clarkson once fought an eating disorder several years ago, before American Idol brought her to a world of fame, acclaim, and wealth. The first year champion battled her weight after auditioning for record industry officials, and failing to score as she was passed over for more beautiful, less talented singers.
"It was only for about six months. I'm a very spiritual person and I believe that God has so much more to offer than that kind of Hollywood life," Breakingnews.ie quotes her as saying.
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Avon calling! Order Avon products ONLINE and have them shipped DIRECTLY to your home! Check out the ordering site from a preferred representative . . . and tell her "Jay" sent ya!|W|P|114050037747491804|W|P|Clarkson's Anorexia|W|P|admin@queertexan.comOpening Odds To Win American Idol
Ace Young 7/2
Katharine McPhee 4/1
Paris Bennett 5/1
Chris Daughtry 8/1
Kellie Pickler 8/1
Taylor Hicks 10/1
Lisa Tucker 11/1
Heather Cox 22/1
Will Makar 24/1
Stevie Scott 27/1
---------------------------------------------------------------------- PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSOR! Avon calling! Order Avon products ONLINE and have them shipped DIRECTLY to your home! Check out the ordering site from a preferred representative . . . and tell her "Jay" sent ya!|W|P|114049470895617732|W|P|Bookies Grade Year Five|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
The scandal surrounding Clay Aiken's alleged homosexuality (according to John Paulus) may delay the release of his album this spring, according to Jossip.com, who reports that (according to his sources) RCA officials are livid at the revelations, and may delay the album until the allegations clear up.
Last week, John Paulus, his presumed partner in an North Carolina motel room last holiday season, appeared on Howard Stern's program, and once again detailed the alleged encounter. To listen to the interview, follow this link to Malcontent.biz.|W|P|114012585407422268|W|P|Clay-Gate May Delay Album Release|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
After appearing in such magazines as Maxim and CoverGirl, it was rumored that second season's Ashley Hartman would be appearing in the 2006 edition of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition. Well, she is . . . kind of. She's appearing in an ad in that edition for Ford Motors. Way to go, girl (I guess).|W|P|114010154201540721|W|P|Ashley Hartman in Swimsuit . . . Kind of|W|P|admin@queertexan.com"This is going to be 10 steps away from Breakaway!"|W|P|114010041150362799|W|P|Clarkson Planning Third Album|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
"Group" day was reminiscent of American Idol's past: complete with tight groups, fighting groups, break-ups, divas in high form, etc., etc.
What promised to be one diva on the commercials last week ended up not being so, at least before their upcoming audition. Terrell Brittenum was seen screaming at the camera last week: "I don't do groups!" This week, we saw that was because he was trying to get his quartet to practice with him and group-mate, Anthony Hansen. Absent members Jose "Sway" Penala and Elliot Yamin preferred sleeping, which led to the Terrell ranting in front of the cameras, which finally caught (and displayed for us) his complete statement. "This is why I don't do groups!"
When his troupe finished their performance (they were second up) that next morning, he didn't give the judges a chance to comment. He lit into his boy-band members, essentially apologizing for the group's performance. Randy and Simon surprised him by informing him that one of the men, Elliot Yamin, had outsang everyone else -- and that it didn't matter who had slept and who had practiced. His partner in practice, Anthony Hansen, was removed from the competition for his own well-rehearsed, but still wanting performance.
Shortly thereafter, it was Derrell's group's turn to sing, and after their performance, Derrell was likewise put through to the next round. Thinking his brother had been nixed, he interrupted and made a small speech, resigning, remarking that they would go on to make their own records. Out in the lobby, he was informed of his mistake, and a bit later, Ryan Seacrest brought them back on stage for an apology. They were re-admitted a little while later after Simon dressed them down for their "hissy attitudes."
Think the gay jokes on American Idol are over? Think again. This time, it wasn't the judges -- it was the producers and editors of the show. Inspired by their short cowboy crooner, Michael Evans and Matthew Backstein joined the "crying cowboy" Garet Lane Johnson in western gear to pop out their number. Before the song could be aired, American Idol treated viewing audiences to a full-two minute pseudo-commercial (SNL-style), called Broke-note Mountain, carefully clipping quotes from the singers, particularly from Garet, plus video shot from the Johnson family ranch. Phrases like "their sin was not in telling the lie . . ." and "Good ride, cowboy" were used in an obvious attempt to compare the troupe to the movie, Brokeback Mountain, a story about two cowboys who hide a decades-long homosexual relationship. It was unrestrained and merciless -- criticism from anti-homophobia groups should be forthcoming.
After parading the man-divas and making fun of cowboys, the show quickly wrapped up "Hell Week," briefly informing us of the final sole performances (without bothering to actually show us any), and splitting people up into four groups, eliminating one. Most of the favorites where passed, even the Brittenums -- only the singing cowboys were evicted, and that was after their joint performance.
According to the show, the final sort-through will happen tomorrow night -- after which we'll have 12 men and 12 women to compete for our votes starting next week.
Maybe it's just me, but didn't they show more of hell week last year?|W|P|113997371872188485|W|P|Cowboys & Crybabies|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
Tonight, on the Grammy's, an extraordinary thing occurred. Not only were the efforts of two American Idol winners nominated for six (count 'em . . . SIX) Grammy's, but one of those former contestants utterly slew everyone unfortunate enough to be nominated in the same categories with her. Her nominated album was so great, and her nominated performance so powerful, that even the range of Mariah Carey, the soulfulness of Bonnie Raitt, the legend of Paul McCartney, the groove of Sheryl Crow, and the hip-hop of Gwen Stephani couldn't overcome the artistry of that is . . .
. . . Kelly Clarkson.
Fortunately for Mariah, and the other aforementioned nominees, our supreme Idol winner of all time was only nominated twice.
Go, Kelly, Go!
Third year winner, Fantasia, had the distinct honor of being nominated for four Grammy's, but lost each time to Mariah, John Legend, and others. Better luck next time, and remember . . . Kelly's first album (Thankful) only got one nomination (Miss Independent)!
Kelly sang "Because of You" for the star-studded audience, and Fantasia
got to jam a little with a montage of musicians and singers during a tribute to Sly and the Family Stone. Guess who was pounding the bass strings on that very same tribute? American Idol's own Randy Jackson!|W|P|113946468625868529|W|P|Clarkson: Biggest Idol of them All (and other news)|W|P|admin@queertexan.comOkay, round 1 of Hell Week is over. Here’s some of the faves that got to move ahead to the next round:
Ace Young
Taylor Hicks (the grey-haired dude)
The pre-arrested Brittenum Twins
Katharine McPhee
David Radford (the cute crooner)
Chris Daughtry
Kelly Pickler
Mandisa Hundley
Garet Johnson, who’s already dubbed himself the “Cryin’ Cowboy”
Kaitlin Johnson (the anti-TV girl – her TV time was cut on this episode, much like her audition – but, we saw her for a fraction of a second jumping around on stage in victory)
Kevin Covias
And a nice sounding Patrick Hall from
There were 66 cut from the show, including:
Ronnie Norman (the ladies man)
Steven David (the Paula-loving married police man – hey, wise move, producers!)
Dave Hoover (like we didn’t see THAT coming!)
Joshua and Jarrett Simmons – the other twins, who both actually performed more smoothly and cleanly than the smooth talking Brittenum twins.
More later tonight after the Grammy’s.
|W|P|113945177868593148|W|P|Hell Week, Round One|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
Tonight will produce an interesting dilemma for Idol fans: 1) watch the beginning of "Hell week" on Fox's American Idol 5, or 2) watch and see how Kelly Clarkson and Fantasia do on the 48th Annual GRAMMY awards on CBS.
All I can say, is thank GOD for DVR technology! (I'll be watching both).
Here's a list of "grammy" items to watch for for our Idols on the Grammy's -- there's a total of SIX awards to watch out for.
Kelly Clarkson
1) Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)
Since U Been Gone Kelly Clarkson Track from: Breakaway [RCA Records]
2) Best Pop Vocal Album (For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)Breakaway Kelly Clarkson [RCA Records]
Fantasia (Barrino)3) Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
(For a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only.)
Free Yourself Fantasia Track from: Free Yourself [J Records]
4) Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance (For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.)
Summertime Fantasia Track from: Free Yourself [J Records]
5) Best R&B Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)
Free Yourself Fantasia [J Records]
And, for the last award . . . this one is Fantasia-related, though she herself wasn't eligible for the following award:
6) Best R&B Song
(A Songwriter(s) Award. For Song Eligibility Guidelines see Category #3. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.)
Free Yourself Craig Brockman, Missy Elliott & Nisan Stewart, songwriters (Fantasia) Track from: Free Yourself [J Records; Publishers: Mass Confusion Music, WB Music/CraigMan Music, Dimensional Music of 1091/Nisan's Music, Universal Music Publishing.]
source: http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Annual_Show/|W|P|113944405907333696|W|P|Idols on the Grammy's|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
With 7 episodes of auditions finally over, we head to Hollywood/Hell week . . . with the 175 contestants sent from the various cities struggling to make it to the next level. If the previews can be believed, we'll see more of the Brittenum twins (pre-eviction, of course), but probably not much longer. Who will stay, and who'll get sent home? Will this be the week the less-than-perfect 2-out-of-three ticketers go home? Will the little cowboy make it, or the smallish kid (who looked more like a toddler)? What about the anti-TV girl?
While we look forward to tonight's episode, here's a nice -- and truthful -- summary of what we've had to endure for the last four weeks!|W|P|113943631107102555|W|P|Auditions Over; 175 to Hollywood!|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
She Believes TV is a Sin!
An IdolsRising.com Exclusive
Though her Austin audition wasn't one of the few featured on Fox's American Idol, rumors are coming out of the Oneness Pentecostal religious sect (they like to refer to themselves as Apostolics) that one of their own, Kaitlin Johnson (pics below), has made it to "Hollywood."
What makes this interesting is that Kaitlin is the daughter of Rev. Rex Johnson of Austin's Christian Life Church, which presents itself as a "church for all people," but is actually a part of this Oneness sect's largest organization, the United Pentecostal Church, International. Why this continues to be interesting is because any member of the United Pentecostal Church (called the "UPC" among those in the club) knows that this organization and each of its member churches teach and believe that owning and watching television is a sin, and within that faith, any sin will send you to Hell. The organization is so serious about their "list of sins," that each minister that holds a license in that faith must sign an annual affirmation* promising to teach every thing contained in their Articles of Faith* -- which contains the television prohibition (check out the paragraph entitled "Holiness").
Kaitlin's participation is being blogged about and is hitting the message boards of independent "Apostolic" networks -- Oneness Pentecostals who don't necessarily hold to the strict religious requirements. It's even spiked enough interest among former Pentecostals to warrant a mention on their network forums (which is where I heard it). But the question remains: why would a person who believes TV is a sin participate on American Idol?
Other odd peculiarities of the United Pentecostals: women must wear dresses and not cut their hair, wear cosmetics, and members in general can't watch movies, swim with members of the opposite sex, or participate in "organized public school activities."
Kaitlin's pics from IdolonFox.com: pics 1 2 3 4.
*links to spiritualabuse.org - a site critical of the teachings of the United Pentecostal Church|W|P|113935987171576415|W|P|Kaitlin Johnson: the Anti-TV girl on American Idol 5|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
Kelly Clarkson comes clean with her post-Idol career in the new issue of Time magazine, explaining her love for and differences with the show and its producers. She has nothing nasty to say; she's just a rising star that saw her career faltering in the hands of Simon Fuller and took control of her own destiny.
On the latest controversy, she stands by her story -- she never refused to allow her songs to be used on American Idol; she proudly allowed them once she was asked.
On her breakup with manager Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment, she says: "I love Simon Fuller, but how can somebody you've seen five times in three years really look out for you?"According to the article, she also fought with the producers of Breakaway over how much creative control she would have. Eager to write and sing her own material and disappointed with the previous effort, she argued with Clive Davis who was also eager to keep her on top of the charts. This is what Davis had to say:
"I always encourage people to write their own songs, but in the pop arena, where the career is totally dependent on hits, you get skeptical. Artists with great voices like Melissa Manchester and Taylor Dayne could have had much longer careers if they didn't insist on writing their own material."The two compromised, and Kelly wrote or co-wrote half of the record, while songwriting professionals and producers cooked up the rest, and a record that is still on top 20 charts after more than 60 weeks was the result. Kelly is claiming to not succumb to the "I am star, I can write music" arrogance; at the end of the article, she admits that only her songs that are better than the professionals should make the cut on future albums. And on the mega-flop movie, From Justin to Kelly, Clarkson says she only has one thing to say: "Contractually- obligated." She really didn't have a choice. With a new Kelly-centered management on hand, Clive Davis to keep her on track, and her own strong determination to do what it takes to keep a long term career . . . Kelly may end up being the biggest star to ever leave American Idol.|W|P|113919937193581123|W|P|Kelly Clarkson Breaks Away from Idol|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
As of today, IdolsRising.com (ranking blog on the hit show American Idol) offers our website in English, Spanish and French. This is intended to provide a greater range of service to American Idol fans throughout
languages. This is only to be used as a tool, and not intended provide perfect translations. Often, this service will translate the entire page, but sometimes only partial translations are provided. On rare occasions, nothing is translated. Our apologies for improperly translated words or improper syntax.
To exit the translated page, simply click on the Google header at the top of the page entitled “Original Page,” or simply close your browser and start your search over.
Sobre traducciones de IdolsRising.com (en español)
En fecha hoy, IdolsRising.com (blog de la graduación en la demostración Idol americano del golpe) ofrece nuestro website en inglés, español y francés. Esto se piensa para proporcionar una mayor gama del servicio a los ventiladores americanos de Idol a través de Norteamérica. Si son acertados, aumentaremos nuestra gama de las páginas traducidas de la tela para incluir más idiomas alrededor del mundo. IdolsRising.com utiliza las herramientas de la lengua de Google para traducir nuestras páginas de la tela del inglés a otras idiomas. Éste debe ser utilizado solamente como herramienta, y no previsto proporcione las traducciones perfectas. A menudo, este servicio traducirá la página entera, pero a veces solamente se proporcionan las traducciones parciales. En ocasiones raras, no se traduce nada. Nuestras apologías por palabras incorrectamente traducidas o sintaxis incorrecto. Salir de la página traducida, para chascar simplemente encendido el jefe de Google en la tapa de la página dio derecho la "página original," o cierra simplemente su browser y comienza su búsqueda encima. Au sujet des traductions d'IdolsRising.com (en français) En date d'aujourd'hui, IdolsRising.com (blog de rang sur l'exposition Idol américain de coup) offre notre website en anglais, l'Espagnol et le Français. Ceci est prévu pour fournir une plus grande gamme de service aux ventilateurs américains d'Idol dans l'ensemble de l'Amérique du Nord. Si réussis, nous augmenterons notre gamme des pages traduites d'enchaînement pour inclure plus de langues de partout dans le monde. IdolsRising.com utilise les outils de la langue de Google pour traduire nos pages d'enchaînement de l'anglais à d'autres langues. Ce doit être employé seulement comme outil, et non prévu fournissez les traductions parfaites. Souvent, ce service traduira la page entière, mais parfois seulement des traductions partielles sont fournies. Aux occasions rares, rien n'est traduit. Nos excuses pour des mots incorrectement traduits ou la syntaxe inexacte. Sortir la page traduite, pour cliqueter simplement dessus l'en-tête de Google au dessus de la page a eu droit "la page originale," ou clôture simplement votre browser et commence votre recherche plus de.|W|P|113897808610589688|W|P|IdolsRising.com now in Spanish, French|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
"Since U Been Gone, I can breathe for the first time . . ."These aren't just lyrics to a popular Kelly Clarkson song, they're for real. Kelly revealed recently that she and her boyfriend -- once rumored to be headed for the altar -- are calling it quits, and are blaming their work schedules for it. Of course, they promise to be best friends from now on.|W|P|113891556372023845|W|P|Clarkson Breaks Up|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
Idol went to Austin Wednesday night, sending 11 more contestants to Hollywood -- though they only showed us five of them. For me, the two stand-outs of the night were Jason Horn of Longview and Rickey Hayes of Bedford, TX.
Jason Horn, in my opinion, could be a major player in this contest: from the few seconds we had to get an impression of him, two people instantly came to mind. 1) Anthony Federov, who he sounds like, and 2) Matthew McConaughey, who he looks like (and who's also from Longview). Anthony's problem last year wasn't his old trach scar, it was the fact that he always looked like he had just unplugged from an electrical socket. Imagine that voice on THAT body . . .
Rickey Hayes of Bedford, TX had a very sweet, mellow voice. He reminded me of one of my favorites from last year, Nicco Smith. Simon gave him a rare compliment, saying it was the nicest sounding voice he had heard in the competition. Like Nicco, though, I could see him losing out in the finals unless he can add some personality to a very pleasant, very recordable voice.
The others from Austin: Ashley Jackson of Dallas, Ronnie Norman of Tyler, and William Makar of The Woodlands, TX.
I did forget to mention the three of the eleven finalists they showed us on Tuesday from Vegas: Mecca Madison, Heather Ward, and Taylor Hicks.
Next week . . . one more audition city, then HOLLYWOOD!!!
|W|P|113885484575340435|W|P|Idol 5, Week 3: Wrap up|W|P|admin@queertexan.com
Further proof that the show itself is the biggest Idol of them all is found in an article this week in theLedger.com. For the last two years, Fox TV has been convinced that the show had reached its peak and would begin a ratings decline. This year, Simon Fuller, the show's creator joined in the nihilism, and took a trip to Africa just as the show started this January.
When he called back to LA for the first night ratings, I'm sure he realized his mistake instantly. The show not only beat ratings as it did the year before, it also beat the increase in ratings as well. Season five ratings had risen 15% over last year's premiere among their coveted "younger viewer" demographic, and 10% among viewers overall.
The impact on other networks is also phenomenal. It's kinda like what happens to Safeway when Walmart moves in the neighborhood. Any show put up against on any other network can see their own death warrant written on the wall. If they're up against Idol, their show will not be watched. "Commander-in-Chief," the new presidential drama starring Geena Davis is only the latest show to be decimated by the Idol curse.|W|P|113882780232262764|W|P|The Unstoppable American Idol|W|P|admin@queertexan.com