Idol Results: A Night of Jaw Droppers!

So the results from Rat Pack night are in, and we said goodbye to Matt G., as most of America predicted. What most of America did not probably expect, however, was that the Second-Coming-of-Elvis himself, Mr. Adam Lambert, would be Matt's bottom two bunk mate.

Now as soon as Ryan sent Kris back to safety (where a shocked and awed Danny and Allison sat), I too sat on my couch with my jaw dropped open, much like fellow jaw-droppers Danny and Allison and ah-hem, someone else(?) (we'll get to that in a moment). But I quickly and flippantly said to my TV, "Yeah right. Give me a break. We all know Adam is safe. You just want to scare us, but it's not working. It would have been more surprising if you kept Kris in the bottom two and actually made us sweat it out a little! Ryan!." (In case you're wondering, yes, I really do talk to my TV out loud like this.) And no matter how much of a front I wanted to put up to my TV, I'll admit, the tiniest of sweat beads (much like those found commonly on Anoopie's upper lip) began breaking out on my forehead.

But if you thought Adam being in the bottom two was weird, let me give you a quick run down of all the uncomfortable events that transpired last night:

4) Gokey gives us the bonus extended version of whatever this secret formula is he has seemed to have figured out. It was a very verbose and cryptic answer, ending in "I have studied performers, and I'd rather not mention who." Hmmm. Why is he being so darn furtive!? And why do I have a feeling he's talking about Adam here? Oooh. It's on like Gokey Kong!

3) This moment also stars Gokey, but it's that jokster Ryan who's the culprit behind our Uncomfortable Moment #3. After a nice little journey to the Idol house, where we watched those silly Idols celebrate birthdays by baking cakes and smearing icing on one another (golly gee guys), Ryan presented Danny with a "Birthday" envelope. Turns out, it was a bill for $6000 for the maid service that cleaned up that gosh darn cake mess! And although this was meant (I think) as a joke, I could tell it made Danny a little uncomfortable, and me as well.

2) The second most uncomfortable moment of the night goes to when Seacrest made lovable Adam choose a side! The NERVE! Adam looks to Danny and Allison. Then looks to Kris and Matt. Don't fall for it Adam! Don't fall for it! But then (after a pushy little Seacrest insists upon it), Adam says, "Well, based on last night . . .." Nooooooo, Adam! Don't do it! Plop your little kiester right in the middle of the two groups a-la Archuletta style. Alas, Adam actually chose and picked to belong to Gokey and Allison, only to be quickly ushered by puppet-master Ryan on over to the dark side. Dun dun dun (that is my stab at ominous music). And finally . . .

1) Uncomfortable Moment #1 . . . drum roll please . . . belongs to none other than . . . Ms. Kara Dio Guardi! Tell em' what she's won Pat. You gotta love it. Kara had another oops! moment when she said "My mouth went open again. That's what happens with Adam. Oh my God." And we have our THIRD BJ reference of the season folks! Hilarious. At least this Kara-ism was acknowledged right away. And if you have to think back to the first reference, I will give you the clue of Tatiana Del Toro. (Now there's a name.)

So what did you all think of this wacky results night? And for the love, could somebody tell me what is up with that robotic thing musicians do in songs nowadays? (Jamie Foxx's performance . . . I can't stand that sound effect!) But hey, it was better than a scat-a-licious Ms. Cole who repeated "somethin's gotta give, somethin's gotta give" about 500 times, with each time getting more off key than the prior. Finally, I found myself, yet again, sad to see "the cat with nine lives" go. I just don't get it. Am I in some kind of abusive relationship with Matt G.? I did find his performance last night better than Tuesday's. Where do you all weigh in on these pressing issues? Feel free to comment below!

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Idol: Almost To The Final Four! My Song for Matt G.

Tonight's elimination will bring us to The Final Four! Holy Cow! Where has the time gone? It all just seems to be slipping away. My emotions are on high right now because while I say it's going to be Matt, an awful thought keeps creeping into my head as I fear for my little Iraheta's life. But, I'm going to shove that nasty thought aside, and stick with my prediction: Matt G. goes home. And I don't know what it is, but for some reason, Matt G. brings out my inner-songstress, so here goes nothin': (set to the beautiful tune of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes," click on the orange link if you need to familiarize yourself with the song).

In every season

There is an Idol.

Regularly in the Bottom Three.

He riffs, He plays.

On his piano.

I'm talking about the boy, Matt G.

I spoke to him in cautious tones.

He answered me with another hat.

And still, I was happy. When he was Saved.

Now, what the hell is up with that.

And everytime. I watched "So Small."

My heart was filled with wonderment.

On how Matt G. could be so vulnerable.

His fedora was his own torment.

He scatted. He riffed.

To be like Justin.

But we don't need another of those.

Why not just be

Your true, great self?

You don't want to listen, I suppose.

And so it goes.

And so it goes.

And I'm the only one who knows.

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To Adam. With Love, Elizabeth

My Dearest Adam:


I just wanted to add this special post for one special guy because after reading my recap below, I don't think I did you justice. I started getting on the Gokey Express and began feeling myself to be a little bit of a traitor.

Also, I went back and re-watched you over my lunch break and realized the true genius behind your "Feeling Good" performance. You clearly took your rendition from Muse, but that just proves your genius even more (taking an old jazz standard and finding how it relates today). No question about it, you possess that rare "It" factor.

Every once in a while, a true star comes along, and we are fortunate enough just to witness it. From the moment you ascended those hot pink stairs, perfectly timing every foot step to those delicate beats of the song, to that end note that could have shattered roof tops (in a good way), I feel like whenever you are finished, it's like we have just seen history in the making. And your MODESTY! Oh my. Sorry. Just had to pay you my ever-present allegiance. (I know you will forgive me, Adam. Kisses.)


-Your number one Glambert, Elizabeth

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American Idol: Rat Pack Night "Sways" My Opinions

Well our Top 5 performed the Rat Pack Standards last night, and when it was all said and done, I must say . . . I felt a little swayed. I have to use the word "swayed," first of all, because it's my clever pun on a popular song during the Rat Pack era; and secondly, because the night didn't make me into a full-blown convert -- it simply swayed me, like a gentle yet confused little branch blowing in the wind, unsure if it wants to waver on back to the safe side of "Adam & Simon," or dare to venture and possibly snap on over to the unfamiliar side of "Danny & Kara."

Sway Factor #1: Jamie Foxx is a rockin' mentor! Who ever would have thought that Mr. Foxx would mentor Rat Pack night?! Turns out, he did a kick ass job! Getting all up in Danny Gokey's grill, refusing to let "D" (nickname compliments of Mr. Foxx) detour from his emotions. Channeling "Field of Dreams" and telling Matt Giraud, "if you change the key . . . they will stand." (Which sure enough, he did. And sure enough, they stood!) You go, Jamie Foxx! Your excellent advice, along with your funny quips, such as "You don't care who I am at all" (to Adam) have swayed me, and I can now definitely proclaim, I am a fan.

Sway Factor #2: Kara is lucid and Simon is HUH? Probably my favorite critique of the night was when Kara used the word "sleazy" to describe Adam after his performance of "Feeling Good." Indeed, the way Adam gives those little smirks, the way he walks with that Adam swagger . . . it is all very, well, um, sleazy! And I love it! Meanwhile, Simon critiques Kris' performance of "The Way You Look Tonight" by saying that it was a little bit "wet" and explaining this with something about a comparison to a well-trained Spaniel. It made no sense! And did anyone else catch Simon's oops! moment when he told Adam, "what I get from you and Adam" . . . um, is Adam two people? (Don't I wish!) Maybe Simon was jealous of Kara's sanity and that's why he chose to act like Kara wasn't even there -- "I'm going to disagree with . . . Randy." This came after Matt's performance of "My Funny Valentine" to which Kara and Randy's opinions were the same, but I guess ol' Cowell decided that only Randy mattered. [For the record, I liked Matt's performance.]

Sway Factor #3: Danny sings "Come Rain or Come Shine" and I dug it! It was like he was a tiger on the prowl, and the only thing that would satisfy was the Idol title! (Why do I suddenly feel like Bruno Tonioli?) Yes, I would have to say that it was Danny in the broom closet with Allison's confidence! Boy had all the swagger in the world! (Another sound critique by Ms. Dio Guardi.) In the traditional style of Danny, he started out somewhat slow and built to a strong finish. But something about this performance was different. I mean, as soon as he stepped out from behind that mic stand, I was like, whoah! Take hold. Something special yet kind of scary is going on here. Don't eat me, Mr. Gokey. I have swayed to your side (if only perhaps for one week), but I have swayed nonetheless!

Now I would be amiss if I didn't comment on Ms. Iraheta. She sang "Someone to Watch Over Me" and it was "tender" yet still had elements of her rocker edge. Kara even suggested the performance was Allison's ticket into the finals. However (and please note that I have a disturbed look on my face as I type these very words), I have to agree with Simon when he told Allison that he doesn't believe she believes she can win. He asked her point blank: Do you think you can win this competition? And she took just a little too long to answer "Yes" in my opinion. Come on, Allison! Steal your confidence back from Gokey (and hey, Adam has enough for everyone to go 'round) and show em' what you're made of! By the way, Allison looked the best she has ever looked since her "Alone" performance. The Glam Squad has finally tamed those crazy sprouts on the back of her head and found her a simple dress to boot. And while we're on the subject of last night's fashions, can I just say, Adam? My lord, homeboy looked FINE in that white suit walking down those stairs, like he just descended upon the stairway of heaven.

So what did you all think of Rat Pack night? Are your emotions in a tizzy like mine? Who do you think will go home? Do you agree with Simon and think Allison is in trouble? My gut says Matt will be out. (Why again did he not play the piano last night?!) Do share your thoughts below!

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American Idol: Rat Pack Predictions for Tonight!

Hip hip hooray for Tuesday! And, it's "Rat Pack Standards" on tonight's Idol! I can't wait! This should be sooo much better than Disco week! I mean, Sammy is a much cooler cat than um, oh I don't know, let's say . . . K.C.! So let's head to Vegas baby and bet on my predictions for tonight!: (again, you can click on the songs if you ain't hip to my jive).

Kris Allen: "Fever" First I thought this song would be a definite choice for Allison. But then, suddenly I envisioned Kris singing it in some funked-up fashion when I peered into my Idol crystal ball. Now we have seen Kris at the keys, and tonight would be a great night to tickle the ivory, so this is the only reason I worry about my prediction here. Who do I want to sing this song? Adam! (Could you imagine?)

Allison Iraheta: "Something's Gotta Give" Channeling back Kelly Clarkson's "Stuff Like That There," I chose this song for Allison because it kind of parallels Kelly's . . . and we all know the similarity that already exists between the original Idol and the sole remaining female in the competition!

Danny Gokey: "Sway" or "Mac the Knife" Danny is getting into the karaoke realm, and while I would like to see him choose a slow song, I have a feeling he might go with one of these tunes. They have Danny written all over them.

Matt Giraud: "One For My Baby" A more obscure song, but it definitely has the piano element, and Matt would be an absolute fool if he doesn't sit his butt down at that piano stool. I want him to stick to the melody tonight, whatever he does . . . it would be terrific if he's not riff-er-ific.

Adam Lambert: "My Way" This could be the show-stopper if he closes. This song is perfect for Adam because the boy has certainly proven to be a unique individual, doing it his way the whole time!

Four and a half hours to go!!! What do you think our Idols will or should sing? And will Tony Bennett be the mentor again? Please, if there is hope, it will be Michael Buble! So go on ahead and make yourself a martini, and please, feel free to offer up your opinions below. Ya dig, baby? (Okay, I'm done with the bad impressions now.)

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Celebrity Apprentice: The Rivers "Ladies" Kiss Off!

How about that Celebrity Apprentice last night?! This episode was so jam-packed with a Rumbling of the Rivers, I can't even express how frustrated I was (yet again) with the stubborn troll that is Clint Black. (I mean really people, how many times could he say the word "branding"? And does he really think the key ingredient to every ad campaign is a dash of t & a?) His ignorant behavior just made my soft spot for genius, Jesse James, grow even more. But enough of that, the Rivers have been rippled! . . . And it ain't pretty, folks.

Just when I was starting to (and please, brace yourself and make sure you are sitting down), just when I was starting to like Melissa Rivers, they fire her! I know what you're thinking. Did I really just use the words "like" and "Melissa Rivers" in the same sentence!?!? Let me clarify. I liked watching Melissa finding herself becoming the unpopular girl in high school, reacting to mean girls, Brande and Annie. Her classic lines (as she stands alone outside by the bus she must be so terrified of being thown under) such as "I had some cute funny ideas . . . but apparently I'm living in this weird cone of si-lence" were classic! And please let us not forget the awesome facial expressions that go along with such a statement - like she just whoofed down three sour balls and yet, still trys to smile at the same time. Yes, in this sense, Melissa added EXTREME entertainment value to the show ever since the derailment of Trainwreck Rodman!

But after a heated boardroom, in which Brande finally grew a backbone (how uncomfortable was that to watch?), and in which the Donald slipped a mysterious note to an over-reactive John Moschitta look-a-like, Melissa is fired.

But you better believe Mommy Dearest has something to say about this. As quickly as Melissa stormed out of the boardroom, hobbling along all gimpish-like and still trying to look authoritative, ordering production, "I want my stuff!" and "No interview!", Mommy Joan is packing her stuff too and it's a River Rumble! Never one to believe her cry-baby daughter could possibly be fired on the merit that she most likely couldn't fund raise enough when it comes down to crunch time, Joan has to belittle Annie exclaiming over and over again, with a complete look of disgust on her face, "You're a poker player. A poker player." Well what the hell are you Joan? And, I'm sorry, what the hell is your daughter?! And does Annie's money really have blood on it? Hmmmm. These two need a life-lift as opposed to another face-lift. Even though Joan provided the quote of the night ("Clint is a one man band. He would give himself a hickey."), I still find myself disgusted with her.

What do you think? Are you sad Melissa is gone for the sheer entertainment factor of it all? And do you care to even see Joan come back?! My gut says we haven't seen the last of that cat woman!

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Sound Bite of the Week

Please tune into the Millionaire Matchmaker next week. If nothing else for the little one-line zinger sound bites. Case in point, next week, bring in Dr. Pat Allen. The little old lady with these gems of wisdom:

"Vaginas are fun to play with, but you don't marry vaginas. You marry virtue. He’s been playing with a lot of vaginas, but the problem with playing with vaginas is, within a couple of weeks, they’re boring as hell. Do you see, he gets bored playing with vaginas. There’s nobody to talk to . Vaginas don’t talk."

OMG, to do this quote full justice, PLEASE click on the following link:
http://www.bravotv.com/the-millionaire-matchmaker/videos/breaking-in-a-client

(Possibly not the best string of posts to have together, but I promise to be more p.c. next week. For now . . . Have a GREAT weekend everybody!!!)

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Bonus Look-A-Like

This should be self-explanatory.

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Idol: Disco Results Night . . . Simply Groovy!!

Boy oh boy. Did I thoroughly enjoy the Idol Results show tonight. And I mean THOROUGHLY. Maybe I'm just in a good mood because somebody else bought my lunch today. Or maybe it's because my washer finally got fixed. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the culmination of all the events of tonight's most awesome show!!!

Awesome Event #1: The Group Dance! No, you didn't read that wrong. I meant "Dance" and not "Sing." Because, hey, it was lip-synched anyways. But that was all made up for in the cheesy-delightness of this Paula-choreographed "Shake Your Body Down To The Ground" number. And guess who's moves this girl was watchin'? Tis the boy who has said that if he didn't sing, he would want to be a dancer. Tis the boy with all the natural rhythm in the world - that's for sure. I mean, da-yum, Adam! Give a girl a break with those moves! Yes, I watched this with such a cheesy grin on my face, I had Velveeta dripping from my lips. Oh yeah, can't wait to watch this one again. And how cute was Paula receiving those flowers that were as big as her from the adoring Idols? "We do love you, Paula." What would the show be without her next year if she goes?! I won't think about that right now. Keep thinking about the awesomeness of those Adam moves.

Awesome Moment #2: Lil Rounds gets called out first and no BS waiting around here, folks: Ryan announces right away that her Idol journey ends here. Well hot dog. We are just delighting Elizabeth left and right. Lil sings. Simon looks non-amused. And Kara tells Lil she believes she truly learned something. Huh? Did I miss something? When did Lil prove that she ever listened to and learned from one iota of the judges' critiques? (Heck. Lil even rolled her eyes a bit when Ryan just recapped the judges' comments from last night right after he asked Lil to stand up.) But okay, Kara. Whatever you say. It's Studio 57 (copyright Dio Guardi) time!

Awesome Moment #3: The Disco Medley. Since we didn't get disco last night, we got it tonight in the form of a medley. And I must say, I was somewhat amused. Freda Payne comes out and is awfully winded singing "Band of Gold" but as Randy would say, "she worked it out." Then enter Thelma Houston singing crowd-pleaser "Don't Leave Me This Way" and Simon gives a standing-O. But then, we have K.C. from K.C. and the Sunshine Band. K.C.? Or, by gosh, is that Meatloaf? Oh my. Now this was interesting. This was strange. Was this really him? Or was this some dude off the street? No disrespect. I'm just confused. I mean, I was feeling Thelma. But if somebody who experienced the disco-era could explain this to me, I would be grateful.

And speaking of guest performers . . . lookie there, it's little Archie-boy, bouncing up and down like a little bunny wabbit. And hold up. Um, did he just say he was touring with McFly? Now I'm probably the only person who has watched the Lindsay Lohan movie "Just My Luck," but there is a band in it called McFly and I thought that stuff was made up. Interesting. Aw, but he is just too darn cute.

Awesome Moment #4: It's Anoopie and not Allison! Yes, it was awful seeing Allison dance over to the silver chair of doom singing to Anoop "here it goes, here it goes again," and I was literally holding my breath as she had to stand there next to Anoop, looking scared to death. But I was able to heave a huge sigh of relief once my predictions for tonight were confirmed true! I will even overlook that it should have been Matt in the bottom three instead of Allison. I mean, the boy had two blatant displays of conceit tonight! One: "I just downloaded myself as a ringtone." Two: "I arranged the song myself and was pleased with it. I had a great time." Oh, Matt. You're killing my ears!!!!! But, I digress. Anoopie went home, and I'll agree with this. But why did Anoopie had to wait until now to finally get all sexy on me? That's okay. Adam's got plenty to go around. Ooooooo . . . those moves!!!! Yes, gonna rewind to that beginning dance sequence and watch again.
So Idol-Addicts, did you simply love tonight as much as I did? And did anyone else notice how Kara decided TWICE tonight to restrain herself from dancing? As quickly as Paula jumped to her feet to shake her groove thang, Kara hopped up, realized that's Paula's gig, and plopped her butt right back down, deciding to smile, look pretty, and clap to the beat. Also, did anybody happen to catch what Paula said to Simon after Ryan told Adam to just go ahead and sit down because he was safe? I would like to know. In the meantime, now that we are down to just 5 Idols left and are in the homestretch, I'm going to go ahead and make my Superfecta plus One prediction: Fifth place: Matt G. Fourth: Danny Gokey. Third: Allison. Second: Kris. The American Idol: Adam Lambert.

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Idol Recap: Disco . . . meh, I Feel Numb.

A little overdue, but my American Idol recap nonetheless. No, I was not hiding under my covers because I failed to make a single correct prediction (I won't count "September" or "Stayin' Alive"). I have been a busy bee at work, guys. So if you will please forgive me, I can get on with the disco dishing as well as with tonight's predictions (which, this time, should be correct!).

I'm still trying to decide if I am over or under whelmed with last night's performances. They neither thrilled me nor disappointed me. I guess you can just call me a big ol' Switzerland. Or even a big ol' Sweden for that matter (shout out to you, Jessica Alba).

Neutral Feeling #1: We had 3 1/2 Donna Summer songs, all performed with very opposite arrangements from the originals. Now while I have always championed someone who chooses to do a stripped-down melody, I also felt that three out of seven performances like this got to the point of overkill and predictability. Kris stripped "She Works Hard For the Money." Adam stripped "If I Can't Have You," (okay, written by Brothers Gibb, but performed by Summer, hence - the 1/2) and finally with the pimp-slot of the night, Anoopie stripped "Dim All The Lights." Whoah. Easy now, boys. Disco is going to be left naked! Now, now. Don't get me wrong! (I can already hear the boos.) I thoroughly enjoyed Kris' performance, and I even felt a visceral response from Adam's take on the song (props to you, Paula, on the vocab word of the night). But since the genre of the night was DISCO, these numbers left me with the sense that I needed something more. A disco light perhaps? Maybe even a little Saturday Night Live - I mean - Fever (Kara just keeps em' coming) John Travolta dance move (I would settle for any one here.) Heck, towards the middle of the show, I had forgotten the theme! Now whether that's good or bad? Still not sure . . .

[Side note: While we're on the subject of Kara-isms, could somebody please explain to me what the expression "Donna Summer, Four on the Floor" means? Now disco was before my time, and this very well could be a legit expression, but being that it came out of Kara's mouth . . . I digress.]

Neutral Feeling # 2: Danny Gokey. I can't figure out just why this guy isn't doing it for me anymore. He gives great vocals. He sings from his soul. But nothing ever stands out to me. Ever. Well, I should say, anymore. He used to do it for me. Singing "Kissed From A Rose" and the whole time during Hollywood Week. I just can't put my finger on it . . .

Neutral Feeling #3: Should Matt stay or should Matt go after his hip-hop take on "Stayin' Alive"? As Kara mentioned, he did manage to infuse the disco-vibe back into the night, so props there. But I gotta say, his attempt tonight to validate two saves from the judges (let's not forget Wildcard Week) just didn't happen. Matt needs to get out of "Idol-Land" (Simon's new word) and needs to channel himself back to reality. While he's at it, Matt also needs to lose the fedora, perhaps get on his knees, face the Idol stage, front and center, channel Wayne's World, and proclaim "I'm not worthy." Then about-face to the judges, and repeat, "I'm not worthy." However, one of my predictions for tonight is that while Matt will find himself in the bottom three, he will not be out. Not yet, at least.

No, tonight - tonight will send Lil and Anoopie packing. Lil - ah, Lil. I think my words are used up on you. You constantly don't want to listen, and you especially don't want to hear the judges, sassing back with "I had fun." Well whoop-de-freaking-do! Congratulations. You had fun. What does that mean? And, Anoopie. I must say, while you did look fabulous with your extra facial hair, new feathered-winged-back hair-do, and pink suit ensemble, I'm afraid it just won't be enough.

Now I'm going to halt right here and stop with the negativity already. I can feel myself becoming a Debbie-Downer, and I never want to be one of those. Wah. Wah. Wah. I do have some positives. Allison Iraheta for one. True, her outfits never seem to quite fit together (it's like someone is dressing a doll and can't figure out how to make the top and the bottom one cohesive unit), but Allison's rendition of Summer's "Hot Stuff" was, in Simon's words, "brilliant," no matter what tempo. Even though she too altered a Summer song's arrangement, I still thought it to be (even over Kris and Adam) the best performance of the night. [Other positives, of course, being Adam Lambert just showing up and well, that's enough for me.]
How did you all feel about the disco night? They cut out the weekly celebrity mentor and some idle chit-chat to, for once, be on time, but did you still feel rushed? And who do you think will be in the bottom three? Do you think perhaps Danny might sneak in this week? Finally, who do you think should go home? Has Matt's bell finally rung?

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Idol Predictions: Disco Night for the Top 7!

Break out the polyester, strobe lights and bell bottoms! It's DISCO NIGHT on American Idol! Yes, the Idol stage is going to turn into our very own Studio 57! I mean, 54! (Just can't seem to let that one go.)

Okay, prediction time! This week is going to be crucial for our Idols because TWO will be let go tomorrow night . . . (the horror!) Why do I feel like I need to start praying for my little Iraheta right now? But, I'm going to keep the faith, because I think our rocker girl (and I ain't talkin' about Lil) is going to turn into a disco diva!

There has been much blog/online speculation for this week, and I just don't know what to believe. So I have compiled my own short list, taken from what I believe to be the most accurate guesses, as well as some of my own humble thoughts. Most of these, I'm only going to give one song, and I will place my rating of how sure I am next to it, with 10 being pretty darn positive. Here goes nothin': (again, orange = links to click on).

Lil: "Last Dance" (10) (I'm feeling bold.)

Kris: "How Deep Is Your Love" (9)

Anoopie: "We Are Family" (8)

Danny: "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" (8) or "Knock on Wood" (7) (Hopefully, it's the second one!)

Allison: "Don't Leave Me This Way" (8) or "Dancing Queen" (8) (Let me just make it clear that much like Anthony Bourdain, I too have a disdain for Abba. [Nevermind Mr. Bourdain's American Idol reference here, of course.] But I have a feeling, I might be singing a different tune if my Allison "rocks" it out! Both of these choices would be great!)

Matt: "September" (6) or "Rock With You" (7)

Adam: "Stayin' Alive" (7) (Why not give him one of the most recognizable just to see how he can make it his own . . . suddenly, I'm more excited for Disco Night than I thought!)

So what do you guys think? Will tonight "Ring your bell"? I have mixed feelings, but I am excited to see these singers bring their "A" game (hopefully!), considering the pressure. Who do you think will be tonight's mentor? Not sure if we can beat last week's Quentin Tarantino, but there is speculation that it might be John Travolta. Hmmmm . . . .

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Idol Fun Facts For the Weekend

Well since none of my shows happen over the weekend (and I plan on being a busy girl), I thought I'd leave you with some fun American Idol facts: (click on the orange links for hidden extra fun . . . he he he).

Adam's First Concert? Paula Abdul's Under My Spell Tour. (She is also his favorite judge.) Did anyone else notice the exchange of "I love you's" between the two? However, Adam's proudest moment? Falling in love.

(Oh come on . . . you guys know I absolutely adore Adam!! Just having a little fun now.)

Out of everyone in the world, who does Kris want to meet? Will Smith. If he could change something about himself? He would have chest hair. (Let's stick to being a puppy dog. Okay, Kris?) Well, somebody could buy him this for his b-day.

Matt G.'s favorite judge? Kara. (And I think we all have realized Kara's "fondness" for Matt.) What would Matt do if he doesn't make it on American Idol? Go back to performing at clubs.

Anoopie's favorite judge? Randy! Because "he has common sense." Randy's latest common sense excerpt after Kris' performance? "All right, so check it out man. Uh, dude, for me . . . for me, for you tonight dude, I gotta tell you somethin' man, I don't know, I didn't — it never quite caught on — for me. And I love, and yo, I love . . . I love that song. But for me it was pitchy from note one for me. For me." Anoopie's most embarrassing moment? The cameras catching him dancing outside of the KC audition. Well NOBODY can top this guy's audition! This was an all-time classic! Enjoy!

Hope you enjoyed my fun facts! Have a GREAT weekend everybody!!

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The Duel 2: Mark's Still Got It!

Ya gotta love this guy: Mark Long from Road Rules 1 and current cast member of The Duel 2. No one is going to argue that this guy is a vet! I actually couldn't find his birthday, but I was able to do a little hypothesizin'. Mark was 23 when Road Rules premiered in 1995(!), making him either 37 or 38. Last night, Mark won the "Freezing As Puck " Challenge and proudly stated: "Not only did I win -- I think, for the oldest guy here, I look the best in Speedos. So it's a good day all over for Mark."

He wasn't kiddin' either. Boy looked fine in his Speedos! Hmmm. Maybe Eric Nies shouldn't have "retired" from these challenges so quickly to become a D-List VHI Former Teen Idol "star." Just a thought . . .

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Sound Bite of the Week

"I wouldn't be so quick to congratulate him. Number one, two people are going home next week now. Second piece of bad news -- Next week. It's disco week.

-Simon Cowell (on last night's Idol after tears and cheers when Matt got saved.)

Ay-ca-rum-ba. Why do I have a disturbing inkling that Lil might rock this genre? (But I have also thought this about "Songs From The Year You Were Born," "Mo-Town," and "I-Tunes." So maybe everything will be okay after all.)

P.S. How cute is Kris Allen in this pic? Or how cute were all the Idols for that matter when they rallied around Matt, seeming genuinely happy for him and not worried that the "Save" is no longer?

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It's Look-A-Like Thursday!

Left: Celebrity Apprentice cry-baby, Melissa Rivers
Right: Aerosmith front-man, Steven Tyler

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Idol Tonight: Matt G. Is SAVED!

I give you my Idol results recap, in the key of "Saved By The Bell" theme song:

When Idols wake up Wednesday morning

And viewer stats give the warning

"I don't think I wanna vote for Matt G."

By the time he grabs his hat

and Paula pats him on the back

He walks the plank to be in the Bot-tom Three.

It's alright, cause he's saved by the save.

If he sings his song again

But Simon still thinks he won't win

And Kara just keeps puttin' up a fight

Dancin' with Paula as a pair

Judges pretendin' Matt's not there

If he can hit that high note, he will be alright!

It's alright, cause he's saved by the save.

It's alright cause he's saved by the save.

Go Matt! I was rootin' for ya' boy. The tears just brought it home!

Your thoughts guys?

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No My First Name Ain't Little, It's Lil . . Ms. Rounds if You're Nasty. But Do We Care?

Her hair bobbed. It weaved. But there will be no boppin' and weavin' from elimination for this Idol contestant tonight -- at least that's what this blogger is hopin'!

After six exhausting weeks, we have come to witness a full identity theft of Lil Rounds. Once known as a Mary J. Blige-type soulster, Lil has now been stripped of all funk, leaving behind only Glam-squad hair extension remnants, judge back-talk, and abysmal Celine Dion/Tina Turner performances. After her take on Bette Midler last night, Simon finally tossed his hands up, proclaiming, "You are not the artist I thought you to be." Amen, Simon. I'm spent too.

Tonight's Predictions: Bottom three will be Lil, Matt and Anoopie. Kris will be announced "safe" first, and Lil will be hosta-la-vista baby!

Thoughts? Care to disagree? Do you think maybe it will finally be Danny in the bottom 3? Please, if you dare, comment below.

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Idol Cinema Song Night: Two Enthusiastic Thumbs Down!

Let me start out by asking, "What is the point of Seacrest twittering the word 'iconic' to describe tonight's cinematic song theme if we're just going to sing Bryan Adams songs and completely ignore the very definition of the word 'iconic'?!" That's the first and last time I ever listen to a tweet! Well, as you may have guessed, Idol (with one exception) was a complete disappointment for me.

Disappointment #1: Allison is in the first slot. Now normally, I would cite my stand-by case of sabotage here, but we finally had one momentous turning point tonight. Simon has finally confessed that Allison is the "only hope" for the girls! True, there is only one other female Allison is up against, but that is still a HUGE statement since it comes from the judge who pre-ordained "No my first name ain't Little, it's Lil, Ms. Rounds (if you're nasty)" in the first place! Allison sang "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" from Armageddon, and, for once, received 100% deserved praise from the judges (even though only 50% of them could speak). But in my humble opinion, Simon and Paula are the only ones that count anyways. Allison did well, despite her suffering tonight from the same ailment Anoopie typically suffers from (ailment being tiny sweat beads attacking a part of one's face. They usually target upper lips, but this time, they found their way onto Ms. Iraheta's chin).

Disappointment #2: I didn't get to hear Simon or Paula's words of wisdom after Anoopie's performance. I only could get a shrug from Simon (I'm guessing he didn't agree with the praise Kara and Randy heaped on Anoop for his Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do, I Do It For You" number). Again, not liking this two judge speaking rule. I mean, they still went over by three minutes, so lets just nix Dio Guardi and maybe about five "for me, for yous" from Randy, k? There was one highlight to Noop's segment, though. And that was Song(?) Mentor Quentin Tarantino telling Noop to "rough it up," growling the lines "I'd lie for you!" "I'd die for you!" (insert overly-aggressive, strange hand motions here). This part was actually pretty strange and just made me wanna say, "Ruff!"

Disappointment #3: Matt ignores my stellar song choice of "Moon River" and sings quite the iconic song of, are you ready for this, "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" from the movie, something Demarco. Um, yeah. Again, didn't get to hear Simon's probable bashing of the off-key liberally riff-er-ific interpretation here, but we did manage to get some distracting facials from him, (pretending like he was going to vomit?) all the while Kara talked.

Disappointment #4: Danny ignores mentor advice. Yet again. Since it was Song(?)Mentor Tarantino, I can't say I was as bothered tonight as I was oh, I don't know, the night Danny did not heed the advice of the Smokster! But nonetheless, Song maestro Tarantino requested Danny to push his hands in his pocket, and Danny, true to form, did the typical one-handed reach out all the while singing "Endless Love." Paula liked it, which I am sad to say I disagree with, and after repeatedly saying he was "bored" and "disappointed," about the most positive critique Simon could give was a congratulations for doing a difficult and emotional song. (I know, Danny fans. I know. Ease up. So I will say, I'm sorry. I will even give Gokey props for going sans glasses tonight! He's come a long way from Stay-Puff Land and matching white specs. So, Danny, please forgive me once again. Your performance just wasn't all that.)

Mixed Feeling of The Night #1: Okay. I can't bring myself to label it as a disappointment, because that would just be, well, blasphemy! But I will title it as a mixed feeling. I'm talkin' about Adam's performance of "Born To Be Wild." I don't know guys . . . um, hmmm, yeah. At least he did something truly iconic though! I will say that! And at least he knows who he is and isn't afraid to show it! Okay. I digress now. Gotta get to the spot Adam typically fills, and that's my:

Highlight of the Night!: Kris sings "Falling Slowly" from the movie Once. Or did I get those reversed, because, quite frankly, I haven't heard of either of these. But I will say that this has become one of my new favorite songs. In fact, Kris' performance is the only one I rewound and even downloaded the song as soon as Idol was over. True, this song isn't "iconic." Obviously. It was pretty humorous though how everyone misconstrued this theme, even Song(?) Mentor Tarantino, who said that Kris is one of the few who caught the spirit of the theme because Kris went and saw this movie and it meant something to him and so he sang it. Um, okay. I will overlook all of this because Kris was constrained in all the right ways and still managed to give a very heartfelt, moving performance. He even did those little fist pumps just like he did when he sang "Man in The Mirror" -- when I first fell in love with him. Randy was all "for me for you, it was pitchy." Blah, blah, blah. Let's just tune him out. We can finally tune in Dio Guardi here, who said it was one of his best performances. Paula, of course, giving a sane, approving nod here. Indeed. It was. Bravo Kris! He's all growns up, and he's all growns up!

And that is all the performances of the night. For those of you savvy enough to notice I have only commented on six contestants, I will tell you that this has been a conscious decision on my part. I am choosing to ignore the contestant that was once Lil J. Blige. For those of you who care to know what she sang, you can Google it. For her, for me, I'm finito! This wasted pimp slot would definitely have been a time where the cutting-off of DVRs would be welcomed. Oh wait, it did cut off right in the middle of her ever-present defense mode of her abysmal song choices. Just keep growing that weave out, girl. In fact, I'm feeling spicy enough to just go ahead and predict my elimination for tomorrow night right now: Bye-bye Lil. Simon has finally seen the light, and here's hopin' the rest of America has too!

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Idol Prediction Time: Iconic Songs of The Cinema!

Okay, so a little earlier than I expected -- I present my song predictions for Idol tonight! I figure it's the least I can do for not giving you Celebrity Apprentice lovers a recap post from last Sunday's show. (Sorry! . . . It just didn't wow me.) So here goes nothing! I have taken my choices from AFI's 100 Years 100 Songs list, and by the way, the songs you see in orange are the ones you can click on in case you have no idea what I'm talking about:

Anoopie: "My Heart Will Go On" (Titanic) -- we have to give him a stand-out ballad of sorts. Anoopie has proven that slow songs are his strength. He should also sing a popular one (and who doesn't know this song?) because Anoop isn't the most popular contestant who can take risks with unknown songs like, let's say, um, Adam Lambert.

Danny: "The Rose" (The Rose) -- I have paired this choice to Danny in the past with the Songs From The Year You Were Born theme, and he chose "Stand By Me" instead. This isn't really an unpredictable song for Danny (and I think he needs to be more unpredictable), but since I've lost my spark for him, I'm just going to air on the side of his good ol' stand-by balladeer rasp. So, here you go Danny . . . have a ball. (Why do I have an inkling he also might do "Wind Beneath My Wings"?)

Lil: "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" (Gentleman Prefer Blondes) or "I Got Rythym" (An American In Paris) -- Just please, Lil. No "I Will Always Love You" from The Bodyguard! Please! I picked these two songs for Lil because as I have been saying for the past five or six weeks now (geesh! I lost track of time even!), Lil needs to spunk it up! Cut that hair! And get that groove back!

Kris: "Up Where We Belong" (An Officer And A Gentleman) -- I don't know why, I just feel this one for Kris. It would be kind of cool to see him (or really anyone for that matter) do "Summertime" (Porgy and Bess), but I'm afraid no one can touch this one after Fantasia!

Matt: "Moon River" (Breakfast At Tiffany's) -- Matt should scale it back from the last couple weeks and get back to a soulful ballad at the piano. I love this song, and I think it would be perfect for Matt!

Allison: "Let The River Run" (Working Girl) -- what I would like to see Allison do (or at least somebody do; this song really can pump one up!), but I'm also going to pair her with "Unchained Melody" (Ghost). And just because I'm feeling a little spicy tonight, I'm going to do a third pick with her, a not so obvious choice, and say "The Way We Were" or hell, "Flashdance . . What a Feeling" (Flashdance). Sorry, I get a little carried away with Allison.

Adam: Oh, Adam. Never ceases to surprise me. So this is always a tough one. I really like that song, "Everybody's Talkin" (Midnight Cowboy), and I could see him doing something interesting with this. And "Aquarius" (Hair) seems kind of fitting for him too (picturing the psychedelic colors from his "Satisfaction" performance). Now since I only gave one to Danny and Anoopie, I'm allowed two other choices for Adam here. And they are . . . drum roll please . . . "Suicide Is Painless" (M*A*S*H) and "Puttin' on the Ritz" (Young Frankenstein).

So what do you all think? Think I'm crazy? And is somebody going to buy me a drink for every correct prediction? Please feel free to make your predictions below! Yay! It's Tuesday!!!!

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IDOL Tonight: Predictions To Come

So I found out via Ryan Seacrest tweet (by the way, I don't twitter . . . got this info from an AI chat room) that the cinema song choice category will feature iconic songs from the cinema. So, thankfully, this narrows it down a bit more. I should be posting my predictions around 6:30 or so. I would say 7:00 at the latest. (I know it is cutting it close to showtime, but I have been a busy bee folks!)

Thanks,

E

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The Hills: Kelly Employs Another Hopeless Hillie

So last night's episode of The Hills was pretty humorous, thanks to a fabulous appearance by Ms. Kelly Cutrone herself. It looks like Stephanie Pratt is going to be the next Hills cast member to be employed by Cutrone's agency, People's Revolution. Could somebody please remind me again how Stephanie landed this job? First of all, not only is the girl's hair a hot mess, but she presents her resume, folded up in an envelope, nervously enters Kelly's little closet I'm assuming to be her office, and then, within the first two seconds, states that her lifelong goal is to pursue her own handbag line. WTF?! This interview debacle was almost as funny as Charlie's dance moves on the way to the club. Where did this pedophile look-a-like come from? I guess he became Spencer's one and only new bestie because creepy facial hair likes to travel in packs. Sorry, got off track there. Back to the wonderful Kelly. Ms. Cutrone decides to give Steph a try because it is her inclination that if the interview was such a folly, then Stephanie could be genius. Hmmmm. Still trying to figure that one out. It's okay, Kelly. I still love you despite this decision and also despite the fact that your teeth were looking extra black last night.

So, Hill-A-Holics, I ask you: do you love Kelly as much as I do? Who's outfit did you like better last night? No pants-homewrecker-Stacie? Or fur-wearing-dog-Stephanie? And is it just me, or does Heidi's dialogue seem more and more scripted with every episode? Her acting is as fake as her hair. Lastly, just wear is the Dreen-ster? It looks like her plot might finally thicken next week with the "made-up" love story between her and the Brod-ster. Feel free to comment below.

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Idol Tomorrow: Songs From The Cinema

So tomorrow's Idol theme is 'Songs From The Cinema' with a mentor who knows all there is to know about music -- the one, the only . . . Quentin Tarantino? Um, okay. I get the cinema reference, but isn't this a singing show? Regardless, this is all I know about the theme, so this one is going to be a tuffy. Unlike the vocal prowess of last week's victim, Scott MacIntyre, this theme has a broad range . . .

Any guesses in the meantime guys? I need help.

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Celebrity Apprentice Tonight: Hoping We Have A Black-Out

After the Khloe firing debacle last week that I'm still scratching my head over, I find myself wondering -- just how many will be tuning into the Celebrity Apprentice tonight? For those of you willing to overlook The Donald's ludicrous logic, you will be treated to some more annoying antics from the little weasel that is Clint Black.

This guy is not only getting on my last reserved nerve, but as we will see, he also finally upsets the gentle giant, Herschel Walker,when strategizing for tonight's task of creating in-store displays for an identity-theft-protection company.

Ay-yi-yi. With team disruption, Clint corruption and an apparent illness eruption (hey, I'm feeling rhymey today) . . . how is anyone supposed to get anything done amongst all these interruptions?! (Ha! Sorry, had to do one more.)

I'll tell ya one thing, though. I'm ready for the little weasel to go. After all, he's on Khloe's borrowed time! Be gone, Weasel Black. Be gone!

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The Duel 2: Birthdays, Brawls and Banishments

The Duel 2 aired last night on MTV, and alls I gots to say is, could somebody please invite me to one of the birthday soirees they always seem to have on these challenges?! I mean, do they typically pack orange wigs, skull gloves, Pocahontas gear and skin tight body suits (um, hello? Landon anyone?) in their suitcases just in case? If so, I want in!

This season of the Duel has already promised us all the juicy goodness we have come to expect from these challenges. Within the first 8 minutes, crazy Brooke is making out in the hot tub with not one but two guys, and, um, did I mention these guys were gay? Incredible Hulk CT proves yet again to be a complete mad man that even a team of 4 huge guys (plus the producers) can't stop! Hell, even silly things like walls couldn't stop this guy, as he punched his way through, thirsting after shrimpy Adam like a wolverine who hasn't seen his dinner in two days. "I will smash his head and EAT it." I kid you not. Those were his words. And for some strange reason, I think CT means these words quite literally. Mmmm. May I suggest a nice glass of Chianti to go with that head CT?

These people are a bunch of nut jobs and I love it! CT and Adam are already gone, but we still have overall-wearin' Isaac who can be chock-full of surprises. I wonder if he'll see black birds here in New Zealand like he did in Sydney ... And just what is up with that opening sequence?! Holy canoli that thing is bizarre. And are you hoping as much as I am to see Paula go down in flames just like she did on The Island? She still is talking like a total dude after all. Feel free to chime in below!

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Look-A-Like Thursday

I could be way off base here (maybe I just need to find better pictures -- but there isn't a huge database for these guys to choose from . . go figure!), but I present my Look-A-Like for the Week:

Left: Real World Philly Alum and Current Cast Member of The Duel 2, MJ

Right: Actor, Rob Schneider

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Idol: Night's Performances More Surprising Than Results

So, as predicted, we said bye on last night's Idol to the lovable contestant that was Scott MacIntyre. I was glad to see him make his exit from what some might consider to be his over-stayed welcome before getting dangerously close to being a patronized contestant . . oh wait, they did stretch out that judge's save bit a little too long for my tastes last night. Did anyone else notice how Simon didn't even glance Scott's way (while Scott sung his little heart out just a few feet away from those high-and-mighty judges) until he botched that last falsetto attempt? Did Simon really feel the need to make Scott beg ("I'll please you in other ways" . . huh?) by saying "two of us want you to stay, and for two of us, it's a no"? Come on, guys. Have a heart.

Not surprisingly, it ended up being a "no" for the guy Paula referred to as "one classy gentleman." Also unsurprising was my predicted bottom three (Anoopie and Little joined Scott). So why was the audience booing so much? And why did Simon say that this was the first week where the bottom three held one person in particular who they would definitely consider saving? Were they referring to Lil? And if so, may I ask, WHY?!?!!?!?! Her performances these past five weeks have been almost as awful as that gladiator-looking get up she had on. What was that thing? Maybe her and Paula were in cahoots together to conduct some kind of weird solar energy experiment after the show was over . . . I mean, did you see those creepy looking rubber gloves Paula was wearing?

The rest of the night, however, was filled with quite an unpredictable plethora of performances . . from Franky Avalon (yes, didn't know his name until Ryan said it) serenading Simon with "Venus" to Flo Rida singing "Right Round" (did the Fox producers not know the meaning behind this song?!) to a post-op looking Kellie Pickler (it looks like it's the nose this time guys!). Yes, quite the mix! Heck, we even had a LIVE group sing! (Botch-er-if-ic, but still live nonetheless.)

The best part of the performances, though, had to be Ryan's awkward interaction with Flo and Flo's scantily-clad entourage. It was as uncomfortable (if not more) as the interview segments on Jeopardy.

Ryan to Flo's Girls: "hello", "hi", "um, hello" (as he creepily looks them up and down)

Flo Girls to Ryan: (thought bubbles, "who is this shrimp ball and could someone remind me why I just wasted my strip tease on a family show?!)

Ryan to Flo: "My man. I like the company you keep."

Flo to Ryan: (I don't know who this cat is, touching my muscles, but hey everyone, "My album drops soon. I'm going international! Check me out!")

Um . . . yeah.

So what did you all think of the results show? Will they ever use this judge's save that is only in effect for three more weeks? Have you noticed the trend I have of whoever does the best on performance night, is the first one announced as "safe" on results night? Is it just me, or does Matt Giraud seem to be getting paler and paler with every passing episode? And just how darn cute was the ever-supportive, proud brother of Scott MacIntyre? God love em' both.

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Idol Tonight: Sorry to the Sympathetic Folks

Cute new haircut or not (pic obviously pre-haircut), I think it's time we say "that's all folks!" to our good friend, Scott MacIntyre. In fact, I'm surprised, well, no, nevermind. I'm not surprised Scott made it this far. He is endearing . . with his awkward audience acknowledgments, Seacrest high-fives, and little one-liners he delivers to the judges that champion him as a hero rather than a rude a-hole.

It's just that I would like to see him gracefully make the exit tonight before the show makes any kind of mockery of him. I feel we might be pushing that envelope. After last night, it is clear we have reached the point where the judges (with the exception of Simon) are just giving him gentle critiques all the while thinking in the back of their minds, "there's no way in hell this kid is going to beat Adam."

So let's just part ways now, Scott, while everything is just mellow and cool, ya dig? In the meantime, I predict my bottom three to be: Scott, Anoop and for once, Little.

Who do you all want to see go tonight? Lil over Scott? Scott over Lil? And which three do you think should be occupying the three silver chairs of hell while the rest sit comfortably in couch heaven? Or who just doesn't care and would only like for me to take this Scott picture down?

To even it out, I'll post the most beautiful picture I have seen to date of who I think they will first announce as "safe."                                                                                  ("gee guys, you shouldn't have")

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Public Statement on Behalf of Elizabeth

Elizabeth is happy to retract the prior statement below, and she has provided her Idol recap in its entirety. She thanks you for your patience.

The Public Statement on Behalf of Elizabeth Following Tonight's Episode of American Idol:

Elizabeth will not have an American Idol post until she has witnessed the genius that is Adam Lambert. She is too upset with her DVR and the verbose judges to comment any further at this time. At this moment, she respectfully requests the time for her to grieve privately, without any intrusions, and appreciates your patience, thoughts and prayers for her during this difficult time.

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American Idol: I Present 'Songs From The Year You Were Born' Recap

First of all, let me start out by saying thank you for all the thoughts and well wishes. There were so many, my team had to request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in the forms of votes for Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta. Again, thank you. I (much like the constant demeanor of Adam Lambert) am humbled.

Yes, it wouldn't be a surprise, to those of you who know what happened to me last night, to know that I woke up feeling like hell. Once I finally felt it safe to peek my head out from beneath my covers, I squinted over at my living room floor, only to see it covered in electronic shambles that once resembled my DVR. Indeed, the haunting memories came flooding back. Me, my DVR, curse words being exchanged, wires taking on life forms of their own, trying to strangle me. But then, a tiny smirk came over my bruised, puffy, unrecognizable face. Because I realized something. While my DVR may have won the fight, I will win the war!

My computer is still alive and kicking, and I have a little secret weapon called Hulu and YouTube. I race to Hulu. It's not there! Panic creeping in again. I run to YouTube. Quickly type in "Mad World + Adam Lambert." Ah there she is. Schew. First, I only hear a vocal. Then, I find that perfect clip which shows the performance in its entirety, from Adam's toddler days right up to Simon's Standing "O". All's right with the world again, and now -- I can recap.

2 Out of 8 Ain't Bad: For those of you cool enough to follow my song predictions for the last week, you know that I got half, I mean a quarter, of my song choices right (I must be in the Math-Land of Kara Dio Guardi). Danny Gokey sang "Stand By Me" (hey, give it to me because I did list it, and do you know how many song choices there are out there?!), and I nailed Lil's song choice of "What's Love Got To Do With It." Danny's arrangement of the song was a little out there. I was happy to see him slow it down in the beginning, but then, in the middle, I felt like I was riding on an elevator. And the direction of that elevator was going "down," my friends. Danny did manage to save it a bit at the end, but then it was over. And in the Math-Land of Simon Cowell, "good" + "lazy" + "terrific" = "great"! Well how 'bout that? Apparently, Danny was Great! (I'll keep my comments here to myself, because I know how passionate you Danny fans are, and I'm already a little beat up from, well, you know who.)

But speaking of pre-ordained contestant disappointments (oops, did I say that?), Lil fails to impress again. Lil belted! Lil danced! Lil looked good! Lil did everything, well, just like Tina! Wah. Wah. Wah. In the words of Simon, Lil just proved to be a "ghastly copy-cat." Um, hello? Does anyone know where Lil J. Blige scampered off to? She keeps promising us that if we vote her back for next week, she won't disappoint. But haven't we been taking that leap of faith with the fledgling songstress for the past five weeks now? C'est la vie. These two contestants weren't a total failure for me. I've gained two drinks on my friend who promised me a beer for every correct prediction. (You know who you are, and I will be coming to collect.)

Matt Giraud Toys With My Heart. Again.: Matt Giraud sang a sexified-up version of Stevie Wonder's "Part Time Lover." I have been waiting for him to do Stevie. So I will overlook the fact that it was riff-a-licious, and admit that it was a very good vocal. But we already know Matt is one of the most talented of the group, with his amazing vocals and mad piano skills. So what I need, what I beg of, what I include in my prayers every Monday night, is this: please, Matt. Build yourself a little tee-pee of paper or whatever else you can find, get a little match, and gently place that thing on your head in the little fire you have built. And turn away, and don't look back. BURN FEDORA! BURN! ROT IN HELL! I HOPE TO NEVER EVER SEE YOU AGAIN! 'Nuff said.

Kris Slips Up: Why oh why, Kris, did you insist on pulling a Matt G. and place yourself in the American Idol "mosh pit"? It's just weird. No good can come of it. You can't move. There's weird stares from tweens who clap off-beat, and, oh yeah, this ain't Unplugged. Kris went with a goofy song choice of "All She Wants To Do Is Dance," and as much as I hate to agree with Kara, it was a bit "jazz school homework-ish." But who cares about this, right? I mean, Kris is "hot." Even audience members shout this out during judges' critiques. To this I give you the Simon Cowell retort, "This isn't Top Model."


The PC Performance of the Night: Anoop played every Ace he had in his pocket. Now, I admit, I missed out on Anoopie's clip of his younger years because I was busy screaming out "Latika!" and "Sal-eem!" with my fellow Idol-watcher, Stephanie. I don't know, we just felt the need (not very PC of me, huh?) But you know what, I can't stand blatant displays of PC-ism(?). It detracts from one's true character. While I certainly don't want to see a second-coming of Rebel Yell-Back Corkrey, I wouldn't mind seeing Anoop own up to his prior "I wanna be an R&B artist" statement to Kara. I didn't find this statement rude. I didn't find it bad. I certainly didn't find it as something Anoopie had to back-pedal for and apologize to the apparent all-knowing goddess that is Dio Guardi. Regardless, Anoop's final Ace was him taking Paula's advice, as he sat on the stool, spotlight and all, singing a pitch-perfect rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors." The "singing yo-yo" has found himself up once again. Bravo for PC-ness . . . I suppose.
Ah, Scott MacIntyre: What are we going to do with Scott? He is just so darn endearing, especially in his toddler clip when he's wearing his little train engineering hat. But what was up with that haunted house thing part? If you're confused right now, welcome to my world. I was confused by the clip, and then I became even more confused when Scott busted out an electric guitar to accompany him on the "Search Is Over." The whole thing was uncomfortable. I think Scott's time is up. It has to be. His clever comments like "It's my punk side coming out" can only be infectious to viewer's sympathetic voting fingers for so long. Please America?
The "A" Team Does It Again!: Allison sings one of my favorite songs, Bonnie Rait's "I Can't Make You Love Me," and surprise surprise, KILLS IT! Paula was exactly right when she said although Allison stuck to the melody and the arrangement, Allison still found a way to make it her own. A true artist indeed. I was happy to finally see the judges giving her all the praise she deserves, but can Simon please spare me the little jabs he always manages to get in by telling her she needs to start saying things like "cool beans" to be more personable like Kelly Clarkson?! I (like I know many of you) get nervous when Allison speaks. She has tamed that beast. Let's not wake it, okay? I guess we can't "just make them love you" after all, Allison.
And the end slot of the night goes to Adam. I won't discuss any more how this going over the hour time slot allotted just need not happen again. Instead of seeing my beautiful Adam, I found myself looking at some evil alien head on Fringe. Okay, I digress. Adam's "Mad World" was haunting. It was touching. It emotionally reached out, grabbed you, and took a hold of your soul whether you liked it or not. The words seemed personal to Adam, and he gave it a meaning probably no other contestant could. A standing "O" from Simon . . need I say more.


So what did you all think of last night's episode? Who do you want to see go home? And did anyone else have to endure the same torment I did last night? And I'm not talking about Scott's guitar playing. In case you were in the same boat, I give you the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0hEx8quZQE (I apologize if this link doesn't take you to Adam's performance. This is the third link I have posted for this, and for some reason, the go-to site keeps getting taken down. Fitting, huh?)

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Last Two Idol Predictions! Allison and Anoopie!

So here are the last two predictions for Idol for the "Songs From The Year You Were Born" theme. And then, I'm spent.

Anoop: I'll say "Cried Out" by Lisa Lisa (and the cult jam). ("My body never knew such pleasure. My heart never knew such pay-e-ay-e-ain".) Oh yeah. Anoop can combine his sexy dork swagger to his soulful ballad-style singing with this one.

Allison: Born in the year 1992. Wait. Did I read that right? Yes I did. Holy crap, I feel old. I'm going to just give her one song, and that song is "One" by U2. I'm all about the stripped down versions, and so I want to see her take the advice Paula actually gave to Corkrey the other week. Hey, if she was too stubborn to listen to Paula's pearls of wisdom, let's go ahead and give them to Allison. Sure, there are lots of songs that can keep Allison "young" and she could perhaps get critiqued for singing U2. Not that they're really old or anything, it's just that she could also do something like "Galileo" by Indigo Girls. But Allison has already proven her youth. So let's see her sitting on a single stool, single spotlight, singing a rousing, vulnerable rendition of U2's "One." Yep. She could bring the house down with that one.

So only 4 and 1/2 hours left! I've gotta be right with one of these! Can't wait! Can't wait! Can't wait!

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Tonight's Idol Predictions for the 1985 Boys

Oh my goodness, it's Tuesday! The day I live for. (Well, maybe that's stretching it a bit, but it has become my favorite day.) And I still have 5 Idol contestants to pair song predictions to! So I'll try and make this short and sweet and combine these into one post (unlike Danny, Adam and Lil, who all got their own posts.) Ah well. Here we go -- condensed-Soup style.

Kris, Scott and Matt -- all born in 1985.
Kris: "Don't You (Forget About Me" -- I can see him doing this as a folksy-jam style, returning to the guitar that he abandoned last week (hey, I'm not complaining. I dig that he plays piano too). It's true that this song has been done by Michael Johns, but he did it more in the vein of a Chris Martin, rocker performance. So there is definitely room for a different interpretation here folks.
Matt: "St. Elmo's Fire" (Man In Motion" -- I'll tell you what. Whoever does this song out of this group, will be the champion of the night! Mark my words. I just hope somebody is smart enough to do it. There's a stripped-down guitar version (click on song title to view), but I'm going to hand it over to Matt for the piano. Please Matt. Listen to me.
Scott: Ah, let's just give him "Heaven" by Bryan Adams. Actually, this would be a good choice for him. But I have a sneaking suspicion that little cutie Kris will snag it.

Okay. That is it for those three boys for now. I'll be back shortly with predictions for the remaining two: Anoopie and our precious Allison.

In the meantime, any predictions before our big night??

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