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Forum: gent
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Subject: American Idol S5

Posted by: ChicagoTRS - [531551213] Thu, Feb 23, 2006, 00:29

Anyone watching this season?

Who are your favorites?

I think it is setting up for a very good season with ~8 very soild contenders...

ChicagoTRS
ID: 531551213
Thu, Feb 23, 2006, 00:37

Taylor Hicks seems to be an early favorite of many...(gray hair guy)

Can download some of his original stuff here:
link

Perm Dude
Dude
ID: 030792616
Thu, Feb 23, 2006, 00:47

I usually watch some of the very first episodes (the open calls), and then try to catch the episode there all the prima donnas have to try to sing in a group. That's where you sort out the real performers from the one-note Johnnies propped up by parents & friends.

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Thu, Feb 23, 2006, 14:47

Taylor Hicks, the nerdy kid from Long Island, the bald Scott Ian looking dude, and the kid from Richmond.

those are your top four finalists right there.

katietx
ID: 5615158
Thu, Feb 23, 2006, 18:54

Good thing this isn't the poli board, Tree! So I can agree with you in here. ;-)

I do like little Paris however.

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Thu, Feb 23, 2006, 20:38

Agree about Paris, Taylor and the Scott Ian look alike, but disagree about the nerdy kid(assuming you're talking about the 16 yr old with glasses) and not sure who the kid from richmond is...

I also really like Ace and Mandisa, and Kelly is definitely nice on the eyes...

weykool
ID: 60552122
Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 01:30

Ace will win it all.

I call it the "Dreamy" factor.

katietx
ID: 5615158
Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 10:59

I don't know weykool, the dreamy factor didn't work last year. Altho he is easier on the eyes than any of the guys last year.

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 11:10

Paris is up there too, but i think sooner or later her over-exuberance will hurt her at just the wrong time.

the kid from richmond is...err, what is his name...kinda baldish, was sitting next to Scott Ian last night.

the kid from long island his pipes, and he is a motherf*cking stud. he was SO playing the ladies last night. if there is anything i know, it's using your nerd charm to get the girls, and he is SO doing it.

the night he got all those hugs, i guarantee you he got a bit more from one of the girls in the "kitty pound"...

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 12:21

the kid from Richmond is Elliot Yamin. He's the one that Simon said was the best male they've ever had on the show.

Not really a kid, though. He's 27. (Of course, I realize he's a kid compared to me.)

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 21:10

I agree with all the people who got voted off, especially Becky, who I feel only had her looks going for her...

Oh, and to correct my opinion from above, I watched it again when I was a bit more awake, and Mandisa really wan't very good...

JeffG
Leader
ID: 01584348
Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 22:43

On the guys side, my wife and daughter (7 yrs old) are all goo-goo over Ace. I liked Chris and Elliot.

For the girls, I liked Paris and also thought Mandisa did real well. I think Katherine has a real shot. I was sorry to see one of our two locals (Northern suburbs of NY) Becky get cut so early.

It is a great family show. My daughter is very into Idols, should I admit that we've seen the Idols Live on tour the last 3 seasons.

weykool
ID: 60552122
Mon, Feb 27, 2006, 02:29

I read a couple of the message boards and the most overused word is dreamy.

I dont think you can compare anyone from last year to ACE.

All those teenage girls have cell phones and they know how to text message.

Trust me....ACE will be final 2.

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Mon, Feb 27, 2006, 15:59

reminds me of constantine

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, Mar 01, 2006, 22:34

I am going to take a crack at predicting this weeks outcome.

Women getting voted off this week:
1) Katherine- Worst female performance for the week.
2) Brenna- I thought she sang okay, but the judges killed her and her attitude is crappy

On the bubble:
Kinnik and Heather didn't get good remarks by the judges, but I thought they both did okay. Neither will make it to the finals.
Paris won't be getting voted off this week, but I thought her performance was the second worst behind Katherine.

Men getting voted off this week:
1) David- I would bet cash on this. Horrible song and performance.
2) Personally, I thought Ace sucked, but if teenage girls unite and vote he will stick around. That leaves Chicken Little, Kevin. If "11 year-old" girls unite, maybe he sticks around too. The judges said nice things about his performance, but I thought it was subpar.

On the bubble: Ace and Kevin might be fan favorites and get to stick around, so I am going to ramble about a few others. Lots of hype for Taylor and his performance was pretty good, but that dude is weird. Sway didn't get any love from the judges, but I thought he sounded good. Some of you who have been watching the show longer than me probably know better how much the judges comments sway the viewing audience. Same with Will. The judges didn't give him high marks, but I thought he showed range and enjoyed his song. Bucky sounded good as Garth, but if he admiited to being from Mayberry, I would not be surprised. I don't know how much the sidebar interview factors into fan voting, but he bombed.

Final note. If Chris was selling an album right now, I would go to the store and buy it. If he sings every week like he did tonight, he is going to win this competition.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 12421
Thu, Mar 02, 2006, 02:04

Couldn't disagree with you more regarding Katherine. Hers was definitely NOT the worst performance of the week.

But I do agree with you in regards to Chris. He is now the Idol to beat IMHO.

Bottom two women this week: Brenna and Heather
Bottom two men this week: David and Shay

These four pretenders will not be missed!

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Thu, Mar 02, 2006, 23:11

WTG Bond, you nailed all 4.
Brenna and David, the two lowest scorers were pretty obvious for everyone. Heather wasn't a huge surprise, but I didn't think she was one of the bottom three performers this week. I did think she was one of the worst last week. This is my first season really watching the show, so I am not sure how much past performances equate in the fan voting. I am guessing that if you develop a strong fan base early, you can survive a mediocre week.
When Shay and Kevin were standing there, I thought Kevin might be gone. Right up until Simon said it was going to be Sway. Sway probably wasn't going to make it past next week, but I wouldn't have been sad to see Kevin go away sooner rather than later.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 15220222
Thu, Mar 02, 2006, 23:47

Thanks TB! Brenna just had too much attitude with such a mediocre voice to continue any further. David was just, well, goofy. Heather is beautiful but it takes a whole lot more than that to win this thing. Shay? Well, I thought he had a chance to advance further but why not get rid of him while you can.

Certainly, Kevin shouldn't advance past next week and neither should Kinnik but America has kept past "idols" way, way too long before so we'll see.

Meanwhile, I certainly didn't like the performance of Paula tonight. I don't know what drugs she is on but she was totally unprofessional and should apologize next week.
But....I won't hold my breath.

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 00:30

I wasn't sure if that was normal behaviour for her or not. I haven't been impressed with her opinion as a judge and her antics seemed par for the course.

katietx
ID: 5615158
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 02:17

Both Simon and Paula seemed awfully glib tonight. Unacceptable behavior given that 4 people were going home and they're "hopes" were being dashed.

RecycledSpinalFluid
Dude
ID: 204401122
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 13:02

Where can you get clips of the contestants singing? I missed this weeks episodes and wouldn't mind seeing one or two of them.

GoatLocker
Sustainer
ID: 060151121
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 13:48

RSF,
Not sure where you can find them, but would try Fox's Idol site.

You for sure want to watch Chris and Mandisa from this week.

Cliff

ukula
ID: 8255312
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 13:55

I think Paula is addicted to pain medication - not sure if I read that somewhere or just assumed it.

My choice to win the whole thing is Katharine. I think the winner needs to have a good voice, good looks, and likeability. She has all three. Kellie, Ayla, and Lisa also qualify under those requirements. I find Paris rather annoying (not a big fan of the "tude", Mandisa not American Idol material, Melissa and Kinnik rather blah.

I think the next winner will be a female just because I think females are much better singers than guys overall.

As far as the guys go I can see Ace and Chris going far just based on sex appeal and likeabilty. I have a hard time picturing Kevin as the next American Idol. Gedeon reminds me of a character from the Little Rascals, Bucky reminds me of one of those kids that would skip class and smoke doobies outside school, the others, Taylor, Will, and Elliott just don't stand out enough.

In prior seasons I picked Kelly and Carrie very early on. This year it's Katharine - she's smokin'!!

ukula
ID: 8255312
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 14:13

This is interesting -

Pinnacle Sports (largest offshore sportsbook) is offering wagering on American Idol.

These are the current odds:

Chris 7-2
Ace 9-2
Katharine 6-1
Lisa 6-1
Taylor 8-1
Paris 9-1
Elliot 9-1
Kellie 10-1
Mandisa 10-1
Ayla 21-1
Melissa 21-1
Bucky 56-1
Kinnick 75-1
Will 100-1
Kevin 150-1
Gedeon 150-1

I'd take Katharine and Lisa at 6-1, Ayla is a big time overlay at 21-1. She has a good underdog story, tomboy turned American Idol.

GoatLocker
Sustainer
ID: 060151121
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 14:20

I'm surprised they are still offering lines.
They have been burned bad by leaks a couple of times and either killed or limited bets.

Cliff

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 14:54

Can't really leak anything with this since it is all live...not like other reality shows that take place months before they are aired.

GoatLocker
Sustainer
ID: 060151121
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 15:00

The leaks are supposed to be on the network side and who is being pushed.

Inside info on who the network wants to win.

Number of votes each week so you can work patterns, etcs.

Inside info that can help you put big money on the right two or three and still make money.

Cliff

ukula
ID: 33250313
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 15:12

Goatlocker makes a good point. I'm sure the network has favorites that it "promotes" more than others. I'm sure the judges are told who the most attractive (ratings-wise) contestants are. They probably adjust their critiques +/- based on that. I'm sure they realize that Gedeon has no viewer-draw so they'll be more critical of his performance. On the other hand, I'm sure they'll be more forgiving of Ace for example.

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 16:02

You are correct the raw vote totals would be most helpful did not think about that...but still less risk than most other reality shows where the outcome has already occurred.

GoatLocker
Sustainer
ID: 060151121
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 16:19

Agreed, but this was a big deal if I remember right, back in like season 2.

Cliff

Premium Lumber
Donor
ID: 38113138
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 16:49

Vote for Pickler!

weykool
ID: 81151511
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 17:05

I thought it was:
Pick Pickler........Miss Calamari.

weykool
ID: 81151511
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 17:20

The voting and judging sounds like the chicken and egg thing.
A. I dont think 75% of the people are swayed one way or anther by what the judges say.
B.75% of the people have a favorite and they vote for them no matter how well they do.
C.If the judges are "informed" of the prior votes it would make sense that they would "alter" their reviews slightly just so they could be "percieved" as having influence on the vote.
D.The real defining factor that comes into play are not so much the 25% who can be swayed but the voters who lose thier favorite and then have to switch their votes to their 2nd favorite idol.
E.The voting dynamics also change as the eliminations progress. Last year when there were 2 rockers they tended to "steal' votes from each other. When one or the gets eliminated, the one left tends to gain most of the freed up votes.
This year you have several similar idols.
You have:
2 tall, pretty girls that will take votes from each other.
2 young black girls who will share votes.
2 older black singers.
2 Rockers.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 15220222
Fri, Mar 03, 2006, 23:42

I don't think too much has been said at all regarding the supposed "42 million" or so votes that Idol claims it gets each week. But perhaps something needs to be said. 42 million? Please!

I don't doubt that there are some massive quantities of votes out there but 42 million? I think not. Even if there was that many votes, how can we be sure that the votes are tabulated correctly? Are we just to accept Seacrest's word for it? Should he (or Fox) not disclose the exact totals for each contestant?

I am of the persuasion that Idol is indeed rigged to a point (gasp!). We have no way of knowing the truth behind the vote totals regardless of whatever "independent" company they have in charge of it. They, like many others, are in the illusion business: trying to make everything look fair and equitable.

Of course, it's in Idol's best interests to keep us hanging on by the sheer possibility that our favorite might actually be on the chopping block this week. Their storytelling is great; their manipulation of the voting public is impeccable and they are really professional in how they conduct their business (Paula and Simon's antics on Thursday notwithstanding).

But there is no way, NO WAY!, that I am going to believe that the top 3 or so have not already been predetermined by Simon and company. They can say that America chooses its Idol but really, does anybody think that they will let Kevin be that guy? Or Kinnick that girl? I think not!

Idol knows what sells, what gets ratings and knows how America likes it. Carrie Underwood was all but selected Idol waaayyyyyyyyyy before they got to final twelve; same for Fantasia.

Yes, our votes count...sorta. As long as "the one" isn't bumped off, I'm certain Idol couldn't care less what order they fall. In fact, a little controversy is actually good for business. So, watch out for one of the supposed favorites (Paris, Ace, Katherine) getting bumped off well before you and I think they should. Idol will go on and be better for it. It's all good for business. That way they can go ahead and claim that America voted correctly for the next Idol, the predetermined one.....

CHRIS!

Thoughts?

katietx
ID: 5615158
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 01:23

I have a hard time believing that (according to Seacrest) Idol came out on top in the ratings game the same night as olympic finals in ladies figure skating and survivor. No way.

I would hate to think that everyone involved in the show pre-determined that Reuben would win. Of course I have no clue how popular he is now since I don't listen to hip-hop, but with the drug problems reported I fail to understand his popularity with the general voting public.

Carrie will go on to have a great career in country music. She was a good pick as a winner.

weykool
ID: 3125944
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 06:01

Why do you find it hard to believe there are 42 million votes?
The # is toll free.
You can vote multiple times.
The speed dial works wonders.
They accept text messages.
Many young viewers have unlimited text plans.
Most people who vote are going to vote multiple times.

If the winner was pre-determined then Ruben would have never made it to the final 6.
Do you think Clay had the look of an "idol"?

I just dont see what AI has to gain by "manipulating" the votes.
Seems to me keeping the biggest vote recipients equates to bigger audiences.
If everyone is voting for Constatine and they eliminate him.....then many of the people who voted for him would stop watching.
Your skepticism makes no sense.

Tree
ID: 225046
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 07:57

Of course I have no clue how popular he is now since I don't listen to hip-hop, but with the drug problems reported I fail to understand his popularity with the general voting public.

Katie - Ruben is more of a soul singer than straight out hip-hop. additionally, what drug problems? i never heard a thing about this.

They can say that America chooses its Idol but really, does anybody think that they will let Kevin be that guy? Or Kinnick that girl? I think not!

Bond - why not? they let Clay make it into the final 2, and the guy looks like he might touch your children inappropriately.

-----------------

one thing you guys seem to not take into consideration is the Vote for the Worst crowd.

Last year, VFTW got solidly behind Scott Savol, and he went far, primarly because of them.

they haven't had much luck yet this season, but i think they'll pick up steam as the season progresses.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 15220222
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 09:26

LOL Tree. I had never even heard of that website but certainly it makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of people that undoubtedly would love to see the John Stevens of the world bring Idol down to its knees. Yet, when I looked at the site, they were actually promoting others to vote for Kellie Pickler. Now, I'm no expert at this but it seems to me that she is definitely one of America's favorites not one of the worst Idol has to offer. What gives?

Weycool...I'm not totally skeptical of the whole Idol voting process. It is a clever concept that encourages millions of others to join in and be a major part of. My family enjoys Idol. I enjoy Idol. I think it is a really, really good production of a television show. But do I think they are totally forthcoming in all of their voting assessments and analysis?---Not for one minute.

But it doesn't mean I won't continue to participate. It is essentially, after all, a popularity contest intertwined with a modicum of talent. Personality, charm, good looks and a nice singing voice can and will carry you far in this competition. But you have to wonder...why WON'T they disclose the voting totals each week?

Say what you will about Reuben...yes I believe he was predetermined to win even at the expense of the more popular Clay. I believe it was thought for a time that Reuben would be the next Luther Vandross. But he prefers to use his talents in the Christian field and I certainly have no qualms about that. Meanwhile, Clay has been seen everywhere (parades, Christmas programs, new album, etc.) and is really a good role model for all who aspire to be what Idol is looking for.

As far as they "letting" Clay make it to the Final 2: C'mon Tree. You know and I know how popular this guy was. He changed his looks, his style and his performances week after week and yes, even though he may look a tad creepy there's no denying that America loved him. But as far as letting him win? Ha! Ain't no way brother. Like I said earlier, outside of the #1 position it doesn't matter to Idol who ends up where. That role was predetermined for Reuben and no matter how popular Clay was (and I have to believe he was WAY more popular than Reuben) he was not going to win Idol.

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 12:00

Kelly Clarkson may never be topped on that show.

weykool
ID: 3125944
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 13:32

"It is essentially, after all, a popularity contest intertwined with a modicum of talent. Personality, charm, good looks and a nice singing voice can and will carry you far in this competition".

Isnt that the very definition of what an "idol" should be?
I'm not sure what your argument is.
Isnt it in AI's interest to have the most popular contestant win?

Mattinglyinthehall
ID: 251116277
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 13:37

I've never watched that show but is the teenager from Long Island still in it? He's from my home town.

Tree
ID: 4725411
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 13:43

I've never watched that show but is the teenager from Long Island still in it? He's from my home town.

Levittown (sp?)? i believe that is Kevin, the uber-nerd who has some great pipes, but doesnt look like an idol at all...

Mattinglyinthehall
ID: 251116277
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 13:47

Yeah Levittown. He doesn't go to my high school, though.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 15220222
Sat, Mar 04, 2006, 23:43

39...Guess I don't understand what you have a problem with. The issue at hand, as I see it, is the non-disclosure of the weekly voting results. Of course Idol is a popularity contest but I think it's limited to the point.

No, it's NOT in Idol's interest to see the most popular person win. It should go to the one that will sell the most albums and be a major recording force for years to come. Idol is only a popularity contest to the extent that it's needed to draw big ratings whereby creating a sense of America selecting the winner when in true essence, the anointed one has already been selected.

Hope that clears that up.

wazaaap_guy
ID: 251182617
Sun, Mar 05, 2006, 02:40

just curious, what exactly were simon and paula's antics on thursday?

weykool
ID: 3125944
Sun, Mar 05, 2006, 11:24

Paula was making jokes and acting silly when they announced who had just been eliminated.
I looked like simon was trying to ignore her but made light of the situation once himself.

Bond: I would think that the most popular person would also be the one to sell the most records.
Who are you saying the promoters will push this season?

sarge33rd
ID: 2511422414
Sun, Mar 05, 2006, 12:37

My pick to win it all?

Pickler. Not from talent alone, but from talent + marketability + backstory.

disclaimer: Early pick and I'll acknowledge in a heartbeat, she isnt the "best" performer on the show.

Nuclear Gophers
ID: 821456
Sun, Mar 05, 2006, 13:54

Sarge, It doesnt surprise me that u bring the Sarge Factor to American Idol. Someone should tell her shes dead in the water now. :)

Bond, James Bond
ID: 15220222
Sun, Mar 05, 2006, 17:59

weycool....Thankfully, not always is the most popular person the most talented. It seems to me that this year is probably the least talented I've seen yet but it's still early enough for opinions to change on some performers.

In a perfect world, the most popular person and the most talented person would be the same guy/girl. But we know we don't live in a perfect world so we'll go with what's best. In my view, that's talent over personality.

So, let's consider our options:
This year I think Chris has got it. Yes, Pickler is extremely popular but some already are calling her a poor person's Carrie Underwood---that can't be good. She'll definitely last 'til the final four or five for sure but I just can't see her winning the whole thing.

I like Katharine a lot but her overbearing mother makes her pretty much a non-factor to win it all. Ace has the charm, the "look" and a decent set of pipes but is he this year's strongest? Nah, don't think so.

And what about lil Miss Paris? She's a contenda and may be in the finals but I just don't care for her that much. Seems a little false to me for some reason.

Lisa, Taylor, Mandisa anybody? All good to a certain extent but all with a major, major flaw. Lisa? Way too young (not her fault but it is what it is); Taylor (too eccentric and strange); Mandisa (sweet as all get-out but not as refined on the songs as one would like)

So that leaves Chris. The boy, right now, is the one to beat. He's sincere, he's got the look and he's got the sound. I think he'll win it all this year.

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Wed, Mar 08, 2006, 11:30

Goodbye Melissa and Kinnik....hopefully

Bond, James Bond
ID: 46211723
Wed, Mar 08, 2006, 19:54

Yes, I hope so. Good riddance to both of ya.

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, Mar 08, 2006, 21:14

My son erased the women's performance from our DVR, so I didn't get to watch them this week. The men just finished and I am thinking goodbye to Kevin and Will, with Bucky on the bubble.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 46211723
Wed, Mar 08, 2006, 23:23

I certainly hope you're right TB! Kevin is in way over his head right now and definitely needs to go. Will or Bucky---doesn't much matter to me which one goes as long as one of them does.

Taylor was quite impressive tonight; Chris was his usual solid self; I was glad to see Gedeon perform well. As far as Ace and Elliot, they better thank their lucky stars that other guys need to go before them because I was not impressed at all with either of their performances.

weykool
ID: 3125944
Thu, Mar 09, 2006, 08:21

Lets face it....the guys stunk last night.
To be fair they should vote off 4 guys and be 8 and 4 for the final 12.
My prediction to go tonight.
Kennik
Melissa
Kevin
Bucky (could be Will)

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Thu, Mar 09, 2006, 08:50

Will and Ace will be gone.

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Thu, Mar 09, 2006, 10:08

Yes, Pickler is extremely popular but some already are calling her a poor person's Carrie Underwood---that can't be good. She'll definitely last 'til the final four or five for sure but I just can't see her winning the whole thing.

she's also a complete and total fraud, which is why i think i'm pulling for her...

weykool
ID: 9259619
Thu, Mar 09, 2006, 10:22

Ace will not be gone.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 46211723
Thu, Mar 09, 2006, 17:59

53....I agree with that list completely.

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Thu, Mar 09, 2006, 21:01

just finished watching it, and I agree with the list in #53 also, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a "surprise" exit, either...

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Thu, Mar 09, 2006, 22:56

Was glad to see Gedeon go...he was far from the worst singer...a touch of humility might have served his well. Guess I would have rather seen Kevin or Bucky out but they will be gone soon enough. Do not think Ayla deserved to be out but she was not much longer for the comp anyway.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 46211723
Thu, Mar 09, 2006, 23:24

Very surprised that Gedeon was axed but not too disappointed with the decision. Would have rather that they got rid of Kevin instead but in a couple of weeks it shouldn't make that much difference.

Ayla, I understand because of her already planning on playing b-ball at B.C.

I just think both groups ought to be glad Carrie and Bo aren't in this year's Idol. Bo did very, very good tonight as Carrie did likewise last week.

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Fri, Mar 10, 2006, 00:48

I thought Bo was horrible. As a matter of fact, I thought he was tied with Ayla for the worst singers on the show tonight. Ayla just got booted and was crying so at least she had an excuse.

Tree
ID: 6253104
Fri, Mar 10, 2006, 06:56

Kevin will outlast Ace.

weykool
ID: 5524923
Fri, Mar 10, 2006, 08:46

Of course Will and Kennik were no surprise.
I can see Ayla.
Melissa did well and deserved to stay.
But gedion?
He is twice as good as Chicken Little and Bucky Tooth.
I think there needs to be an investigation.

TB
ID: 1286814
Fri, Mar 10, 2006, 17:17

No investigation required. 46 Millions votes by (I am guessing) maybe 5 million people. I am also guessing that some teens are voting 100+ times. Charge 25 cents to vote and both of them would have been gone. This is more like a popularity contest and not a singing contest.

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 01:17

Some great performances tonight. Overall, I thought the women did much better than the men. I believe this is partly due to some of the men actually trying to sound like Stevie Wonder and that just wasn't happening. I was worried how Chris was going to sound, especially after the 5 or 6 performances before him all did really well. He rocked. I can't wait to buy his first album.

I don't know how many people get voted off each week from here on out. Is it just one or do two a week still go?

My choices for worst performances tonight:
1) Kelly- sounded horrible, but she looked great. I hope she doesn't get voted off, because it cracks me up how silly she talks. It does seem very phony. She said, "I'm sorry" after one of the judges told her it wasn't very good. LOL. She is a cutie, though.
2) Ace- I can't imagine him winning this thing. Sure, he's got the looks that are driving teenage girls wild, but he is a horrible singer. I don't think you could hide his voice in a 10-member boy band.
3) Bucky- Simon said it was his best performance so far and I have to disagree. His voice sounded fine and I enjoyed the song, but I absolutely hated watching him perform.
4) Kevin- Nice kid. I hope he never reads this because I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, but he doesn't belong in this group. I can't stand how he plays to the image that idol has given him.
5) Mandissa- I really love to hear this woman sing and hope she gets to stick around, but I thought she was off tonight. I was a little wierded-out with the whole shoe thing and found myself looking at her feet everytime they showed a full body shot. I believe she is going to be a successful singer after idol is over, but I have to wonder how much further she would go (not predicting her to win) if she could drop some weight.

I thought Melissa sounded pretty good tonight, but she did screw up one of the lyrics. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Taylor perform, but I thought the band drowned him out a couple times when he was trying to hit the high notes. I wish he wasn't always such a spaz during the "vote for me" process. The "soul-patrol" bit is getting tiring. Paris annoyed me during the post-song interview as well. They should add a feature called, Vote Me Off and allow people to call a number to subtract a vote from contestants. I would call one in on Paris every week. She has a great voice, but I don't care for her personality much. I thought Elliott and Lisa were both okay performances, middle of the pack.

I can't believe I thought Katherine was going to get voted off two weeks ago. Her voice wowed me tonight. At this point, I really think the final two will be Chris and Katherine.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 44244150
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 01:45

Chris stole the show once again tonight. He brings it every single week and tonight was no different. I sorta see a Chris-Mandisa finale but I have to admit Katharine is definitely back in the picture with her performance tonight.

I, too, think that Paris is a fine singer but there's just something about her that grates me. She looks as if she's trying too hard to be just like Fantasia and that really annoys me.

Kevin has got to go! The sooner the better. But I wouldn't mind losing Melissa or Bucky either so as long as it's one of those three, I suppose that's ok.

Kellie was just plain off tonight but I am one of those people that think the totality of one's performances over the past should be the benchmark of who to vote or not vote for and not just their most recent singing. Therefore, she stays....for quite a while.

Ace? Blah. I liked him at first but now he's just a pretender. Elliott? I still don't understand why the judges seem to like him so much. He's okay but I can't see him winning this thing.

Tree
ID: 36226156
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 07:27

Kevin was a STUD last night...that kid rules. Ellitt has pipes and can sing.

Kellie and Ace are the worst.

ukula
ID: 13253157
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 08:53

My take:

Kellie - Cute girl who looked pretty good last night in that black dress. Although I think the stupid country girl act is just that (an act) it'll guarantee her place in the top 6.

Paris - I'm not a big fan of the ghetto "attitude". She's become rather annoying lately and needs to go, I don't care who her grandmother is. The annoying ones seem to hang around longer than I'd like so I'm expecting her to be around for awhile.

Melissa - Seems out of her league, just a matter of time before she gets the axe. She seems more nervous than others do, forgetting lyrics, etc...

Mandisa - She may be an ok singer but I just can't picture her winning this thing. I don't think America is clamoring for a 300 lb gospel singer.

Katherine - Damn, She's smokin'!! I predicted a few weeks ago that she'd win this thing and I stand by my prediction. A very good singer, very pretty, very likeable. That's the magic combination (see Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson).

Lisa - She's very good - I can't believe she's only 16. I can easily picture her winning this thing. It's refreshing to watch a black girl without the "attitude" (see Brenna, Paris, etc...)

Chris - Guys can relate to him, good singer, good story. He'll be in the top 3.

Eliott - Good singer, but I can't get past the look. He'll be gone sooner than later.

Kevin - He'll be around awhile, he has big following from the people who try to vote for the worst (remember John Stevens and Scott Savol)? Don't be surprised to see him in the top 6.

Ace - Good looking guy but isn't a great singer. I don't know why but this guy reminds me of Justin Guarini from season 1. He needs to go.

Bucky - When he sings it always seems like he's playing the air guitar. He won't be around long - he just doesn't stand out enough.

Taylor - This guy is fun to watch and very entertaining. I think he'll be around for awhile.

My prediction for the final 6:

Katharine
Kellie
Lisa
Kevin
Taylor
Chris

ukula
ID: 13253157
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 08:57

Current odds from Pinnacle Sports:

Chris (5-2)
Katherine (4-1)
Taylor (6-1)
Mandisa (7-1)
Paris (9-1)
Ace (10-1)
Lisa (13-1)
Eliott (15-1)
Kellie (17-1)
Bucky (100-1)
Kevin (100-1)
Melissa (100-1)

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 09:16

my top 6, in no order:
Chris
Taylor
Mandisa
Kevin
Katherine
Elliot

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 09:34

I think Pinnacle has it about right...personally I like Lisa in the #4 position but I don't think she stands out enough to get the votes to make it that far.

The bottom 3 (bucky, kevin, melissa) are very obvious...even at there absolute best they do not belong with the rest of the group.

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 10:15

Bucky - When he sings it always seems like he's playing the air guitar. He won't be around long -

That is hilarious. He is surely lacking the dance moves and I think you pegged it.

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 11:17

Personally I didn't think the Chris performance was as exceptional/original as the judges and everyone else seemed to think it was...I thought it was almost karoake of the Chili Pepper version.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 412501517
Wed, Mar 15, 2006, 23:26

Melissa is now history. Can't say I'm too disappointed. The big surprise, to me anyway, was that Ace and Lisa were also in the bottom three. Anybody else surprised by that?

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Thu, Mar 16, 2006, 01:34

I was holding on to slim hope, when Ace was one of the bottom three scorers, that he would be gone. It was surprising to see Lisa in the bottom three. I don't think Melissa was one of the bottom three for the week, let alone the worst. She obviously doesn't have the fan base that the others have. I am sorry to see her go before Ace, Bucky, Kevin, and Paris.

JL
ID: 472122212
Wed, Mar 22, 2006, 13:15

Great performance by Chris last night...too bad they didn't give credit to the band Live for making that arrangement on a previous album. I suspect the producers told him and the judges not to mention that information. I wonder if Live will have anything to say about this.

TB
ID: 1286814
Wed, Mar 22, 2006, 13:44

I enjoyed his performance as well. I do think that it's amusing that regardless of what they make him sing (Stevie Wonder, 50's, etc.), he turns it into a rock song. I enjoyed several performances, but he is the only person I can see making albums and selling lots of them when it's all said and done.

Mandissa- I enjoy watching her sing and think she will have a music career after this show. Gospel/soul or maybe touring with Barry...lol
Her performance last night was just okay for me.

Katharine- She has a great voice, but I can't picture her making an album that I would want to buy. Her performance was just okay for me, also. Both Mandissa and Katharine tried to belt out notes at the end of their songs that made me wince a little.

Taylor- I have to agree with Simon. He is fun to watch and has a great "whiskey tenor" voice (stole that from Barry), but is he really anything special? I have seen tons of acts in bars or at weddings that provide equal entertainment. Besides, I already have a Huey Lewis and the News greatest hits CD somewhere if I want to rock to something similar, but much better, than his style.

Paris- Probably the first performance from her that I liked. I think she is a good singer for her age, but this isn't graded on an age curve.

Ace- I have no clue what kind of album he would make, but I know I would never buy it. I thought he was below average and wouldn't be surprised if he was bottom three again, even though the judges said he wouldn't be.

Lisa- Her performance was just okay. I like her, but I think she still needs to develop before she becomes an album seller. She will be bottom three again.

Eliott- I thought this guy was going to make the finals the first time I heard him. He seems to be singing the same song every week. There is probably an audience somewhere for his music, but it's not at my house. Below average performance.

Kellie- I am not a Pickler fan, but I thought she did a great job with her song. Her "dumb" act didn't get a laugh from me tonight.

Bucky- Worst singing and performance of the night. If he doesn't get the boot, I will be surprised. Because of ukula, all I could think about when he sang was that he was playing the air guitar. He looks rediculous passing the mic from hand to hand and can you really imagine having to watch him for an hour-long concert? I didn't think so.

Kevin- I don't want to dog on Kevin this week. His lisp-singing should have gotten him voted of weeks ago, but as long as we are playing a version of Survivor, he will stick around for a few more weeks.

ukula
ID: 172402213
Wed, Mar 22, 2006, 14:40

Odds Trend from Pinnacle (5/3, 5/15, 5/22):

Chris - 7-2, 5-2, 2-1 --- Still the odds-on favorite.

Katherine - 6-1, 4-1, 7-2 --- I still say she is going to win. A full-figured girl that looks like Jaclyn Smith and can sing is a "can't miss" in my book.

Taylor - 8-1, 6-1, 5-1 --- I like this guy but he was horrible last night. His dance moves look the same week to week. No longer a serious contender.

Mandisa - 10-1, 7-1, 6-1 --- Sure she can sing, but does she have the "it" factor? I don't think so, unless "it" means an extremely large *ss.

Kellie - 10-1, 17-1, 10-1 --- The odds jumping around a bit. I thought she was pretty good tonight. She'll be around for awhile.

Paris - 9-1, 9-1, 14-1 --- The odds trend seems to show that Paris is in flames.

Ace - 9-2, 10-1, 14-1 --- Bad odds trend. A pretty face can only get you so far - he sucks. Buh-Bye!

Lisa - 6-1, 13-1, 18-1 --- Horrible odds trend. What happened?

Elliot - 9-1, 15-1, 25-1 --- Yikes! From 9-1 to 25-1? Maybe it's the teeth.

Kevin - 150-1, 100-1, 80-1 --- Nice odds trend. It's kind of like a horse in the Kentucky Derby that passes 7 tired horses and still only finishes 13th. Watching him is painful.

Bucky - 56-1, 100-1, 100-1 --- Time to pack up the air guitar and head back to NC!

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Wed, Mar 22, 2006, 14:47

Mandissa- absolute goddess last night. kicked it up a notch, and right now is the one to beat.

Katharine- solid, but not great.

Taylor- will sitll be top 5, but last night was mediocre at best.

Paris- she reminds me of a little girl dressing up for a beauty pagaent. last night was good, but not great.

Ace- awful. bottom 3.

Lisa- blah. she doesn't get it. bottom 3.

Eliott- one of the best singers, and did well last night, but not spectacular.

Kellie- she stinks. only reason she's not getting voted off tonight is because there were some awful performances last night.

Bucky- kid has a future as a southern rock singer, but last night was not great. probably bottom three, probably eliminated.

Kevin- kid can sing, and he's got appeal. no worse than a top 5, probably top 4, and possibly top 3.

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Wed, Mar 22, 2006, 15:27

My top 3 at this point are: Chris, Katherine, Taylor...in that order. At this point I only see one of these three winning.

Next two: Mandisa, Paris...

Next tier is: Lisa, Elliott, Kellie, Ace.

Bringing up the rear...Bucky and Kevin.

I can't see anyones fascination with Kevin...he is horrible IMO...only thing he has going for him is the vote for the worst crowd. To me it is like watching some 6th grader in front of a school assembly belting out some goofy song. Hardly an idol.

Bucky...far from even good IMO...like Simon says I could see him in any honky tonk bar in america doing cover songs. Nothing special. There has got to be better southern rock singers than this kid...Bo would blow him out of the water.

Ace...I think he could have a career in the industry in some boy band or pop-y type group...does not interest me but I do think he is a better version of Constatine from last season.

Kellie...the stupid act has to wear on you at some point.

Elliott...decent voice but all of his stuff is sounding the same lately...puts me to sleep...no personality.

Lisa...I could see her having a solid career in theatre...would love to see how she turns out in 4 or 5 years...very cute now but too young. Has potential but I do not think it is advanced enough yet for this competition.

Paris...booming voice...maturity or look is really not there. She has a chance but I do not think she is as good as someone like Fantasia.

Mandisa...great voice but the weight is a problem. Another that could probably be very successful in theatre or in the right group scenario. I do not think she is a commercially viable solo artist...but you never know...a lot to work with.

Taylor...probably right that you can see many similar acts in Blues bars around the country. His advantage is he is unique to the competition and does seem genuine and passionate about it...people connect with that. I thought he sucked this week. I think he does have a chance to win it.

Katherine...great voice...great look...seems a little over her head at times. I can't envision great commercial success...seems a bit too mature but I think she has a chance...

Chris...It will be interesting when Chris is presented with a song that is more difficult to turn into a rock performance...he has been lucky with his last two choices that rock versions already existed for the songs. I think he is a far better rocker than Bo last year. His competition to lose at this point...makes sense a rocker would walk away with the title at some point. Seems very current to me.

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Wed, Mar 22, 2006, 19:08

"My top 3 at this point are: Chris, Katherine, Taylor...in that order. At this point I only see one of these three winning."

Gald to hear that since they do only pick one...;-)

I do agree with all your sentiments exactly.

I have no idea how Kevin made it to the top 24 since it was the judges call at that point. I truly believe the "Vote for the worst" crowd got him from there to here and at least a couple more weeks.

And I think Chris will take it all, or at least he is the most marketable..

Bond, James Bond
ID: 8202123
Wed, Mar 22, 2006, 23:35

There is a God.....Kevin voted out....FINALLY!!!!!

Undoubtedly, Bucky and Lisa will be sent home the next two weeks. After that, who knows?

I still think it's a Chris-Mandisa finale but I wouldn't be surprised to see Katharine in there instead of one of those two.

I think Taylor ends up #4; Paris #5; Kellie #6 and Elliott #7.

Overall, I think the final 7 here are the strongest group we've had yet. It's hard to pinpoint who should go where but I do think that Chris, Mandisa and Katharine will all go on to huge musical careers, IMHO and probably Paris as well.

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Thu, Mar 23, 2006, 00:08

I just finished watching it a little bit ago. Man, when Ryan told Lisa to take a seat I almost clapped. Either Kevin or Bucky was leaving...woohoo. Both have an equal annoyance factor for me, so it didn't really matter. I am hoping Bucky goes bye-bye next week. Then Ace, followed by Paris and Lisa. That would leave my top 6, ranked in order of departure:
Elliot
Kellie
Taylor
Mandissa
Katharine
and eventual winner, Chris.

weykool
ID: 362402022
Fri, Mar 24, 2006, 03:20

I doubt that Chris makes it to the top 3 much less the eventual winner.
I really liked what he did with the Johnny Cash song.
However, lost in the who performance was the fact that almost every note was off-key.
When it gets down to them having to do more than one song per night, it will start to become painfully obvious that he isnt a good enough singer.

Mandisa and Katherine in the finals

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Fri, Mar 24, 2006, 04:41

This is my first season watching so I really don't know much about what happens later on in the show, but I do know Chris is the only guy in this group who I picture being a star. Simon said Chris is going to make the final three. I think he will be getting a record deal regardless of the outcome on this show.

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Wed, Mar 29, 2006, 11:20

Last night's show pretty much sucked.

I personally liked Chris's and Katharine's performances, but everybody else was way off tonight...

weykool
ID: 9259619
Wed, Mar 29, 2006, 12:34

Chris a star?
Chris did well?
He screamed the same note for 2 minutes.
If you are going to scream the same note...you should at least have the decency to sing in tune.
You have one note to sing and you sing off-key?
Hardly star material.

Note:(Chris was one of my favorites but has been very disappointing to say the least)

Mandiva vs. McFeva in the finals.
Sounds like the undercard at a womens pro wrestling match.

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Wed, Mar 29, 2006, 12:48

last night was awful. freakin' awful. no one impressed me, so anyone could be voted out.

katietx
ID: 31238219
Wed, Mar 29, 2006, 20:48

I think Simon got it right when he told Chris he needed to expand his selections. Same thing for 3 weeks in a row now - its getting old.

TB
ID: 726298
Wed, Mar 29, 2006, 20:59

I don't understand how one week they praise a singer for staying true to form and then the next week act like they want him to sing top 40 tunes. The judges are inconsistant. If Chris is going to be a star, it is going to be as a lead singer in a rock band. Why would he sing something else? I agree with Tree. Nobody impressed me last night. Katharine was the best of the bunch. I enjoyed Chris even though it wasn't his best. I would have enjoyed it more if we got the full version of each song. Ace did an okay job with his song, but I don't like the dude. Taylor, Elliot, and Kellie were just okay. Mandissa, Lisa, and Bucky were horrible. Lisa is probably gone.

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Wed, Mar 29, 2006, 21:44

weykool said "Chris did well?"

I didn't mean it to sound like I thought he did well. Like TB, I also enjoyed his performance, but it wasn't one of his better performances.

TB, once they get rid of a couple more people, they will do the whole song, right now they are just trying to fit everybody in a 1 hour slot. I believe after 6 are left, they even go to 2 songs each.

TB
ID: 726298
Wed, Mar 29, 2006, 23:33

That's good, because the previous two weeks we got the whole song and I think it is much easier to judge a full song. No shocker that Lisa is gone, but I was surprised to see Katharine in the bottom three.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 302332422
Wed, Mar 29, 2006, 23:59

Sorry to see Lisa go before Bucky but hopefully next week it'll be his turn. Then again...next week is Country Week so I suppose Ace is the one on the hot seat.

As far as Katharine being in the bottom three....ain't no way that was real. Ryan never said she was among the three with the lowest votes did he? Just that she was in the "bottom three"--an obscure a term if there ever was one.

It is still my view that the powers-that-be intentionally create havoc with the audiences' emotions and therefore (using Katharine as a perfect example) make sure that in succeeding weeks there will not be a lag in vote totals. They throw in somebody who is "safe" and America gasps! Puh-leeze!

Katharine was in no danger of being voted off IMHO; we were only to believe that she was. It's a ruse---a clever ruse---yet, a ruse it is.

Having said that, when they get to the bottom six, all bets our off because I can't remember a season where any of the top six actually have a decent chance of winning. Still think it's a Chris-Mandisa finale but anything can...and probably...will happen.

ukula
ID: 11240307
Thu, Mar 30, 2006, 08:40

I agree - I thought the "Katherine in the bottom three" thing was a scam. Did Bucky all of a sudden get a huge groundswell of support? He was in the bottom two before. I think they did that for ratings - it's all about the money. With 40+ million votes each week I'd bet that the percentages are fairly consistent from week to week. Everyone has their favorites and vote for them regardless of how they do. I bet the minority of viewers vote based on weekly performances. I work with a few ladies that vote for the same person no matter what. It's not like they say "Wow, Bucky was awesome last night - I think I'll vote for him 200 times." It was a scam.

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Thu, Mar 30, 2006, 08:46

The bottom three ARE the three with the least votes...it is a true order. Typically getting in a bottom three the previous week causes a swell of votes the next week...people probably get a bit complacent when their favorite has not been in the bottom three in the past...not thinking they really need the vote.

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Sat, Apr 01, 2006, 11:07

TRS, that's exactly right. My wife loves this show so I've been watching it with her--well many times anyhow. Anyway, that's exactly how Fantasia won if you ask me. The best singer in my mind that year finished 4th. Fantasia was n the bottom 3 then all of a sudden she started getting a ton of votes. People tend to vote for the person they don't want to get voted out (unless there is a "hunk" or a "babe" I guess) or they vote for who is the very best in their mind. So the person who maybe the 3rd best or middle of the pack sometimes don't receive the votes and consequently fall. If they can survive it after hitting bottom 3, they tend to get a lot of votes the next week provided they don't bomb.

I haven't watched it much this year so I don't know all of their names, but the one voted out this week deserved to go--no question.

Bond, James Bond
ID: 8332521
Thu, Apr 06, 2006, 01:13

Mandisa is history! Well, there goes one of my final two. Can't figure out why people quit voting for her. Yes, some got complacent but please....she came in ninth???? Ninth??? Give me a break!

Tree
ID: 4331464
Thu, Apr 06, 2006, 06:16

yea, this is like Tamara Grey being gone too early in year one...the simple fact Ace, Bucky, and Kellie Fakeler outlasted her is enough to stop watching...

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Thu, Apr 06, 2006, 09:20

Wow...missed the show last night...Mandisa? that is a surprise.

100

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Apr 06, 2006, 10:23

I think the show would produce much better results if you got to vote against people, rather than for them - at least until they get down to the final 4.

If everyone considered Mandisa to be in the top 3 (but not necessarily the best), then she's vulnerable to disappearing, in spite of being much better than some of the others (who might appeal to a smaller subset of the audience).

Last night's bottom three were Mandisa, Elliot, and Paris. I wouldn't have ranked any of them in the bottom three - although I'd understand if Eliott has trouble standing out in this crowd.

101

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Thu, Apr 06, 2006, 11:16

I didn't see either show this week, but I 100% agree with Guru.

102

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Thu, Apr 13, 2006, 23:28

Not much Idol chatter, lately. If I was a betting man, I would have lost money yesterday. I thought Ace was a goner. Just when I was starting to not dislike Bucky so much, he gets booted. The irony of it all...
I didn't think Elliot was a bottom three candidate. I've enjoyed listening to him the last two weeks and thought he did a great job with Somebody to Love so much so that I found myself humming it the next day. As soon as we got to see where everyone was seated, I knew the bottom three were in the bottom row, but I had Paris in that group instead of Elliot. Unless Ace comes out strong next week, I have to believe he is next to go.

103

Bond, James Bond
ID: 3131915
Fri, Apr 14, 2006, 00:02

Yeah, the show really bogged down when the Idols pretty much bombed two weeks in a row. Then for them to throw out Mandisa....unconscionable!

Glad to see Bucky tossed but I too believed that Ace was gone. Certainly he's gone next week...I hope.

Looks like it's Chris v. Katharine v. Taylor in the final three. Don't see anyway that those three get knocked off before then.

104

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Fri, Apr 14, 2006, 00:28

I don't see Paris or Ace making the final three, but I believe all of the rest are capable of being there. Elliot doesn't seem to have the fan base, but that might change. I find myself pulling for the guy the more I learn about him and I think that could be true for a lot of people. Kellie seems to have a large fan base and I have to admit that I like her too. She can be annoying (snot rag...lol), but she is entertaining. Taylor is also entertaining, but he doesn't have the range that most of the other singers have. Terribly funny when he couldn't kick over the microphone stand, but he did rock the song. I still believe Katharine and Chris will be in the top 3.

105

Bond, James Bond
ID: 3131915
Fri, Apr 14, 2006, 00:35

For whatever reason, Elliott doesn't resonate with me. He tries hard, he's a nice singer but I guess I just haven't caught on to his personality and whatnot.

I do like the diverseness (is that a word? LOL) of the final seven. All come from different backgrounds yet their closeness seems genuine. Of course spending so much time with each other is bound to bring people closer but then I think...What if "the twins" were still in this group? OH MY GAWD! That'd be a riot! Maybe literally....LOL

106

Khahan
ID: 333108
Fri, Apr 14, 2006, 00:40

Talent-wise, this is definitely the best top 12 they've had. I'm not sure how many of the past winners would have even made top 12 in this season.

I would have preferred to see Ace go. I just think, 'Duh,' when I look at him.

Kelly was very endearing early when. She seemed very sweet. Now the sweetness is gone and she is actually getting annoying. But she's not going anywhere anytime soon.

My order for who's left:

Taylor
Katherine
Chris
Kelly
Paris
Elliot
Ace

Taylor and Katherine are close. Katherine is the better singer, but Taylor is good enough at singing and is more entertaining.

Oh, and Katherine is hot. They need to stop hiding her body in baggy clothes and bad camera angles.

107

Bond, James Bond
ID: 3131915
Fri, Apr 14, 2006, 01:01

Oh yes....Katharine would make a very nice "Bond girl", if I do say so myself. And I just did! ;)

108

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Fri, Apr 14, 2006, 21:50

Elliot can flat out sing. Based on talent, he should be in the top 4 for sure.

109

Khahan
ID: 333108
Sat, Apr 15, 2006, 07:52

Unfortunately, I will not be watching next week. I have absolutely NO tolerance for Rod Stewart or his music.

110

katietx
ID: 13311015
Tue, Apr 18, 2006, 20:53

buh bye kellie - please!

Sounded like cats fighting in the backyard.

Enough - please!!!

111

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Tue, Apr 18, 2006, 21:30

Kellie was the worst singer this week, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Ace or Elliot (who are my other two choices for the bottom three) be the one to go. Chris, Kat, and Taylor are safe. Paris is probably safe too.

112

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Tue, Apr 18, 2006, 22:04

Definitely some good performances this week.

113

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Tue, Apr 18, 2006, 22:31

That depends on the genre of music you like. I thought last week was full of great performances. My son finally made me delete it because he was tired of watching over again with me. This week, I enjoyed watching Chris sing something different and I enjoyed watching Kat sing, but didn't care for either song. IMO, no performance was worth rewatching.

114

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Tue, Apr 18, 2006, 22:42

Kind of weird, you guys talking about a show that doesn't even air for 20 more minutes out her on the west coast...

115

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Tue, Apr 18, 2006, 22:47

Wow, I didn't know that. Wonder how the voting works, then. According to my clock, only 13 minutes left to vote.

116

ukula
ID: 593161821
Tue, Apr 18, 2006, 23:26

Classic line by Kellie - "You definitely took a load off my chest!" (To Rod Stewart). He was a little flustered.

117

katietx
ID: 13311015
Wed, Apr 19, 2006, 08:57

Hoping that Vote the Worst doesn't skew this week's results. I will have to quit watching if Kellie stays around.

Kat was great, but IMO Chris really stole the show.

118

ukula
ID: 29314196
Wed, Apr 19, 2006, 09:24

Chris has to lose that stupid chain he wears all the time. I don't think anyone is going to try to steal his wallet while he's on stage.

I picked Katherine way back in post #22. Scanning the Idol messageboards you'll find quite a few threads about "girl-crushes". If any of you guys is into that stuff (c'mon, what guy isn't) I suggest you read some of them - it's intriguing. For some reason she has a strong appeal/attraction with both sexes. For some reason? I already know the reason - She's HOT!

119

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Wed, Apr 19, 2006, 17:44

Just finished watching it, started great and ended great, everything in between was "ok". I have to admit though I did like Paris's performance this week, just wish I didn't find her so annoying.

I agree on Kelly, she absolutely sucked. Every week she is more and more obnoxiously dumb. I know it's an act, but part of me thinks she might be just that stupid. Tonight's episode showed she has no range at all, it's either country or nothing, and even her country isn't very good.

I also thought Ace looked stupid as hell with his hair. I think it will and should be Kelly but it could be Ace.

120

JeffG
Leader
ID: 01584348
Thu, Apr 20, 2006, 14:33

Last night's Cingular vote tally

By my eyeballing the chart, it looks like

Kelly 8.8M
Taylor 6.9M
Katherine 5.2M
Elliot 3.6M
Chris 3.1M
Paris 2.6M
Ace 2.4M

I tried to find other historic resutls, no luck.

Based on how comparatively poorly Kelly performed and still garnered close to 9M votes out of 32M cast, you'd think it is her contest to lose with Taylor strong at number 2. Since Paris did so well this week and still just barely survived and probably will not be picking up any Ace supporters, next week may be it for her.

I'm still hoping the finalists are Katheryn and Chris.

121

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Thu, Apr 20, 2006, 22:22

unbelievable, seems like the "vote for the worst" has a bigger following than I thought...

I can't believe Chris is below Elliot..

122

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 00:11

Kelli has to be gone this week, she absolutely sucks...

Chris was great and even though the judges said differently, I love Katharine's performance.....

123

Bond, James Bond
ID: 563292021
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 00:27

I hear ya on all three counts Skidazl. Kellie is so not good anymore. She seems to have lost the confidence and sparkle she used to have.

Chris and Katharine---who should meet in the Finals---were both quite good I thought. Yes, Katharine sang Whitney's song but, unlike the judges, I thought it was decent. It wasn't supposed to sound like Whitney so why did they even compare Katharine to her?

Elliott surprised me with a very stirring and soulful rendition of his song. Now, that's how a song is supposed to be sung, Kellie Pickler! Give a song some oomph and some sincerity and you too can pull it off.

Taylor and Paris were pretty blah to me. Paris tries so hard but she just doesn't connect with me for whatever reason.

124

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 02:17

Kelli has to be gone this week, she absolutely sucks...

Chris was great and even though the judges said differently, I love Katharine's performance...

I just want to co-sign this post. My exact thoughts for the week.

I loved Katharine this week and have begun to suspect the judges making comments like that so fans stress and vote more. Everyone keeps saying how great Paris is every week and I am just not hearing it. I fast forwarded through the last part of her song. Taylor was below average this week too. As long as Chris, Kat, and Elliot stick around tomorrow night, I will be happy if any of the other three go.

125

weykool
ID: 1436610
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 11:50

Have to agree....I thought Katherine gave Whitney a run for her money.
The judges need to keep one thing in mind.....
when you listen to Whitney sing you are hearing a recording with 100's of takes.
Katherine was live and only had 1 take.
Go to any concert and you will find the perfomance is nowhere close to the song you hear on the radio or the CD.

As for who will be going......my guess is Paris.
Kellie needs to find someone to play pottery with soon...or she will be next.

126

Uptown Bombers
ID: 35616416
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 12:58

I agree with you all. I thought Kattharine rocked. And the judges' comments towards her were stupid. Of course she is not Whitney Houston. Who on that stage is?

Pickler needs to go. She was awful.

127

JeffG
Leader
ID: 01584348
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 13:16

I also was surprised by the judges response to Katherine. I thought she was the best last night, and I vote!

Paris did well again, but has made too many bottom 3 trips so does not seem to be getting to the fans. I am afraid this could be her night to go.

Chris was in bottom 3 last week, and Elliot's performance this week may have increased his lead over Chris. So I say Elliot is sitting strong and Chris is B3 as well, but safe.

That leaves the third B3 slot for Taylor Hicks or Pickler, who are the only 2 not to appear in the bottom 3 yet this season. It seems like a no-brainer that Kellie should be there after her last 2 weeks, and if she's not even in the B3 like last week, it starts to put the whole selection process in question. I'm saying her fan base bails her out again.

128

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 13:51

I clicked on your link in 120 just now and it shows Paris with the lowest votes for this week. As a bonus, they have lots of pics of Kat.

129

JeffG
Leader
ID: 01584348
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 14:00

Cool. Love the pics! Releasing the data early takes the fun out of the results show if the data is legit. The 3 guys in the middle of the pack are closely bunched.

130

Uptown Bombers
ID: 35616416
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 14:56

re. 128:
I only read that website for the charts. :-)

131

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 15:08

LOL. There are some very nice charts available for viewing.

132

ukula
ID: 563592614
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 17:05

Lot of curves in those charts.

133

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 21:27

Went to the Angels game today, and every game they have a "Text to Vote" poll on the big screen, this one involved AI. It asked who should go, Pickle, Elliot or all of them.

All - 46%
Pickler - 23%
Elliot - 11%

Just got a kick out of it.

Also liked(loved) the "wardrobe malfunction" with Katharine's dress last night. I had almost forgot about it until I checked out the pics on TB's site...

134

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, Apr 26, 2006, 23:47

That is JeffG's link. I notice that the numbers are a lot different now than they were before the show tonight. Pickler had like 6 million votes before the show and now is the lowest scorer. Hard to imagine she went from 9 million last week to 3 million this week. AND, that site's totals up to less than 32 million votes. I think they announced that they had 47-48 million.

Still, nice charts.

135

Bond, James Bond
ID: 563292021
Thu, Apr 27, 2006, 00:02

Glad to see Pickler finally go. See was a definite breath of fresh air for Idol for quite a while but then even that air became stagnated...especially when she sang.

Looks like Chris and Kat are headed for a nice showdown in a few weeks. Hope so anyway. They've been the most consistent and each deserve a long and successful musical career.

For what it's worth, yellow is now my new favorite color! ;)

136

ChicagoTRS
ID: 50333110
Thu, Apr 27, 2006, 08:24

Glad to see Pickler go...I was going to quit watching the show in the future if she somehow won the whole thing...

137

Toral
ID: 541029611
Tue, May 02, 2006, 21:01

The only thing I feel strong about is that Elliot was the worst of the bunch. No voice, poor styling, and no personality.

I have Taylor and Paris as best, but not much ahead of the other 2.

Like Simon said, clever of Taylor to thing "Something" in a segment where you're choosing from 'Today's Top 30'.

Toral

138

katietx
ID: 1433216
Tue, May 02, 2006, 21:15

I thought the first song by Katherine was horrid. Loved the 2nd one tho. Chris' 1st was great, 2nd ummm not so good.

agree that Elliot will probably go. Nothing outstanding from him this week.

139

Toral
ID: 541029611
Tue, May 02, 2006, 21:19

My assessments seem to be different from the judges, maybe everyone else. I had Chris and Katherine just the opposite, also opposite from Jackson (whom I take as the voice of sanity on the judges).

I had Chris 7, 8 1/2 -- much better second.
I had Katherine 8+, 7 -- much better first.

Luckily I don't decide these things.

Paris's first song and performance was, well, slutty. But she has the voice, and personality.

Simon seemed cowed by the crowd a bit.

Toral

140

Tree
ID: 39427218
Tue, May 02, 2006, 21:28

Katherine and Paris were both fairly awful.

Chris (especially his first song) and Taylor were both outstanding.

141

Skidazl
Leader
ID: 379312323
Tue, May 02, 2006, 21:38

You guys have me really looking forward to the show tonight, which hasn't even aired yet here in Sunny California. Sometimes I wish I lived on the east coast, not often, but sometimes. I love it when they get down to the point that everybody sings 2 songs a night.

"Paris's first song and performance was, well, slutty."

Great, a sluttty 15 yr old, not looking forward to that. Should I censor it before my 15 yr old son watches it? :-)

142

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Tue, May 02, 2006, 22:32

I enjoyed both of Katherine's songs, even though the first one started out pretty rough. The second one was great, but I wasn't into the no shoes thing. I loved both songs by Chris.

Elliot- Didn't care for the first song, but I did notice he was trying to add a few different body moves instead of his typical side to side stuff. I really liked his second song.

Paris- I will admit that I haven't cared for her singing this entire season so this is biased, but I thought she was horrible tonight. Her voice sounds the same regardless of the song she sings. I just backspaced an entire paragraph. I hope she goes home.

Soul Patrol- Yes, I still get annoyed watching his Arsenio Hall fist-pumping, please-vote-for-me, post-song interview. His first song was terrible. It was hard on the eyes to watch and worse on the ears. He wasn't in tune and was all over the place. His second song was just okay. Limited range. I wouldn't be sad to see him go.

143

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Tue, May 02, 2006, 23:16

Yeah I agree, how did he pull off the Beatles song? Is it being remade and on the charts somewhere?

The first round of songs mostly stunk except for Chris'. His first song was the best of the night. Kat's 2nd song was prob second best. Like Elliott's 2nd song too. Taylor was fine, but not as good as those 3 IMM. I think Paris has a future, I really do, but she's not as good as the other four in totality. Her 2nd song was pretty good. Her first one was fine.

144

weykool
ID: 3331279
Wed, May 03, 2006, 11:40

I think last night was unspectacular.
Would any of us spend the money to buy any of those songs let alone listen to it more than once during a daily commute?
I know I wouldnt.
Granted, they only have 80 seconds to get the song in, but still I didnt see anything that had "star" or lasting potential.
One of the final 4 will have a golden opportunity to seperate themselves from the crowd if they can put together a couple of strong performances next week.

145

KnicksFan
Donor
ID: 030815418
Wed, May 03, 2006, 11:44

I don't think Paris' performance was slutty at all. If anyone's could be considered even slightly "slutty" it would be Katherine's second performance. What were you watching Toral?

146

ukula
ID: 52456311
Wed, May 03, 2006, 14:08

What's slutty about a hot-looking chick on her knees, no shoes on, in a silk top, bouncing up and down while singing about riding a horse? That's not slutty - that's art!!

I said it before but I think it's pretty unique how Katherine appeals to females as well as 90% of red-blooded heterosexual males. I work with quite a few females and the comments are usually ones you hear from guys - "She's pretty", " She's Hot!", "She's got a nice body". A quick look at the Idol messageboards and you'll see the same response there. I've never seen that before. Anyone else heard similar comments?

147

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Wed, May 03, 2006, 14:28

Well too bad I didn't record when she had that wardrobe malfunction last week. I didn't even notice it to be honest. Did notice that the camera kept seeming to show Paris' black bra the whole time this week though. Not like they had many choices since it was so obvious, but I thought they might pan out a little at times.

148

katietx
ID: 16437314
Thu, May 04, 2006, 02:13

Adios Paris. Katharine really dodged a bullet this week, as did Elliot.

149

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Thu, May 04, 2006, 12:44

everyone has hated Elliot from the beginning, and many pegged him for early elimination.

i'm proud to say that 3 of my 4 picks for the final four made it: Chris, Taylor, and Elliot.

150

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Thu, May 04, 2006, 16:10

Somehow I'm 4 for 4 even when Elliot was supposed to leave long ago.

151

ChicagoTRS
ID: 15426514
Fri, May 05, 2006, 16:32

I am 3 of 4...though I still have my top 3 (post #80)...I would have had Mandisa as #4 but really was not surprised to see her eliminated.

152

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Fri, May 05, 2006, 19:31

I have 3 of 4. I expected Mandissa to be here and Elliot to be gone by now. Elliot might continue to surprise, but unless one of the other three bomb next week or he kicks butt, I think his time to go has come. That's too bad, because he is probably the best overall singer in the competition.

153

KnicksFan
Donor
ID: 030815418
Fri, May 05, 2006, 21:05

I read that Mandisa is part of some anti-gay group. I don't know how anyone who is anti-gay can have a nickname with the word "diva" in it.

Also, this article said that Bucky Covington was arrested for impersonating his twin (or vice versa).

I'm still waiting for the news that Katherine McPhee is really Ray Finkle.

154

Tree
ID: 5411517
Fri, May 05, 2006, 22:35

Mandisa's religious beliefs are essentially anti-gay. in her personal statement for the show, she said something akin to "no matter what your race, religion, or sexual orientation, god will forgive you."

i've got nothing but disdain for her.

155

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Sat, May 06, 2006, 10:59

RE 152: I agree with TB in his last two sentences.

156

katietx
ID: 10415920
Tue, May 09, 2006, 21:15

Katherine...so so

Elliot...hmm, ok

Chris...he rocked as usual

Taylor...good night for him

157

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Tue, May 09, 2006, 23:23

Elliott was by far the best. I think he saved himself for a week. Kat is in trouble--though she may have the best overall voice of the four.

158

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Tue, May 09, 2006, 23:55

Some songs her voice shines and other songs she is pitchy or can be flat. Neither song from her was good for me tonight. Both songs started out great, but on the first song she faded out and forgot lyrics. Too much bouncing around as well. On the second song, she oversang it. She does have a lot of range. Any of them could go this week, but if I had to gamble cash I would say Kat.

159

ukula
ID: 45457921
Wed, May 10, 2006, 00:15

She was definitely at a severe disadvantage with the Elvis songs. That's like asking the other three to sing Madonna. It's ridiculous.

I thought Chris was really good, with Eliott and Taylor just ok. I just can't see those two winning it.

I still say that the 'powers that be' would like a Katherine/Chris final for ratings. Eliott just doesn't have the charisma to create a 'must-see' final. A Taylor/Chris final would be a little strange. I still say Katherine get's through to the next round. At the end of the day, it's all about the money.

160

Bond, James Bond
ID: 274397
Wed, May 10, 2006, 00:19

Kat's in huge trouble IMHO. She just didn't have "it" tonight. Granted, being the only female left and having to sing Elvis' songs as well....them da breaks kid. But she just didn't do well. She looked tired, her hair was a mess, she forgot lyrics (you can't forget lyrics of the King's songs!) and it looked as if she was just going through the motions.

Chris and Taylor are assured to advance to the next round so that leaves Kat v. Elliott. However, since I prefer to grade based upon the whole enchilada of performances and not just the most recent one(s), I still think Elliott should get the boot. But if I'm Katharine, I'd be very worried right now.

161

Tree
ID: 13459104
Wed, May 10, 2006, 06:01

Kat was terrible, and had been mediocre the whole show. again, last night, she missed a zillion notes.

there's no disadvantage for her to sing Elvis songs. a good singer makes a song their own.

i've said from the get-go who the top three would be, and i'm sticking with it. Chris, Taylor, Elliot.

162

katietx
ID: 10415920
Wed, May 10, 2006, 09:58

"Simon Says" -

Chris/Taylor final.

163

weykool
ID: 394849
Wed, May 10, 2006, 11:24

McPhee did not do all that well and will drop her one slot from #1 to #2.
If missing notes was cause for voting someone off the show Chris would have been gone long ago.
Maybe if you miss all the notes they allow you to stay.
Say goodbye to Mr Elliot.

164

BZ
Donor
ID: 59171020
Wed, May 10, 2006, 13:47

I really can't see Katherine getting booted tonight.

165

Species
Leader
ID: 07724916
Wed, May 10, 2006, 14:22

Much to his credit, Elliot rocked it last night but I think it's too little, too late. As one friend told me, people have made their minds up long ago, and one bad night for Katharine won't doom her. I'd be shocked if Elliot was not the one to go.....but as Simon said he went down fighting and put on a solid show last night.

166

ChicagoTRS
ID: 15426514
Wed, May 10, 2006, 17:16

my predicts...
kat gone tonight
chris/taylor final
chris winner...

167

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Wed, May 10, 2006, 17:32

My original prediction had Elliot going tonight, but the way he sang, he deserves to stay.

168

ChicagoTRS
Leader
ID: 566152116
Wed, May 10, 2006, 22:18

definitely a bit of a surprise tonight...my new pick is taylor to win...

169

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Wed, May 10, 2006, 23:04

bye bye Chris!

I think we're all shocked! I just can't see Taylor being the idol. Elliot either. I'd say Kat has the best voice but she hasn't been consistent. She got a HUGE break, but so did the remaining guys. Kat needs a huge night to get to the finals. Heck they all do.

170

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, May 10, 2006, 23:22

Not as shocked as Chris was. It's a bummer that he won't be on the show for the next two weeks, but it's been fun watching him. I am pulling for Elliot now. It will be interesting to bump this thread up in a year and see how albums sales are going for the final four.

I found a couple of performances by Chris on Youtube. I am looking forward to his first album.

171

Bond, James Bond
ID: 274397
Wed, May 10, 2006, 23:24

OH.....MY.....GAWD!!!!!!!!!! Chris voted out???? What the....?

172

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, May 10, 2006, 23:36

Chris singing Fuel- Hemorrhage

Some American Idol satire.....lol

173

JeffG
Leader
ID: 01584348
Thu, May 11, 2006, 13:39

I was real sorry to see Chris go. Kat has to win it now, or at least make it to the finals. If the web site I linked to in post 120 is accurate, it was extremely even in the voting. Trying to eyeball the votes from the chart, it looks like it ended up ...

Taylor 12,490,000 - 25.19%
Elliot 12,405,000 - 25.02%
Katherine 12,345,000 - 24.90%
Chris 12,340,000 - 24.89%

174

JeffG
Leader
ID: 01584348
Thu, May 11, 2006, 13:42

According to this LA Times article the numbers from that web site (post 120 link) are not related to the actual votes.

175

Khahan
ID: 3442127
Thu, May 11, 2006, 17:43

I bet you Taylor picks up the majority of Chris' votes. Stylistically, they are nothing alike. But Taylor is closer to Chris and more likely to do songs that appeal to Chris' group than Elliot or Katherine.

176

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Thu, May 11, 2006, 21:03

That was a good read, Jeff.

Khahan, I like different things about each singer remaining, but not enough to vote for any of them. Truthfully, I don't care who wins and that was true when Chris was still in it. I am looking forward to his first album, though.

This is more like a reality TV show than a competition. If they wanted this to be a real competition, they would find a way to set it up so that each phone number could only vote once and get rid of text voting. Check out the American Idol message boards. You have individuals voting from 100 times to 2000. That is fanatical. Nobody is getting through on the phone 2000 times, that is from text messaging.

177

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Thu, May 11, 2006, 21:33

I didn't know Chris and his band Absent Element had a CD on their site. You can listen to some of the songs straight from the site too.

I found a better site that shows all of his Idol Performances. mrdaughtry.com
I just watched I Walk The Line again.

178

Bond, James Bond
ID: 274397
Fri, May 12, 2006, 00:42

Thanks TB for the sites! Can believe how divided America is in their votes but it definitely was a "water cooler" moment this morning for sure.

Sadly, I no longer really care who wins...as long as it's not Elliott. ;)

Ok, ok......is it possible to have ANOTHER woman Idol winner??? Isn't 3 out of 4 enough already?

Just for that reason, I hope that Taylor wins it over Kat. Ugh...can't believe I just wrote that.

Ok, ok....I just changed my mind. Give it to Kat. She'll have a greater opportunity to shine in her career. Radio/TV/Playboy?;)/did I say radio? LOL

179

katietx
ID: 10415920
Fri, May 12, 2006, 09:28

While she does have the better voice, I see her as another Britney Spears. Not as bad as Pickler - but close. ;-)

180

ukula
ID: 394151214
Fri, May 12, 2006, 17:02

According to D.I. Taylor Hicks has been the top vote-getter every single week. I guess that makes sense since he's never been in the bottom three. Looks like Taylor in a landslide. On the Idol website Taylor has 579,000 posts, Eliott has 188,000, and Katherine 118,000. I didn't realize Taylor was so popular.....

181

Uptown Bombers
ID: 35616416
Fri, May 12, 2006, 17:57

Rumors of Chris Daughtry being the new front man for Fuel heating up. His "Hemorrhage" cover was pretty good.

182

Farn
Sustainer
ID: 451044109
Fri, May 12, 2006, 18:04

I think the rumors are based on the fact they offered him the job on national TV last night. :)

183

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Fri, May 12, 2006, 19:28

Farn is correct. Here is an article on it:
Chris Daughtry Gets Job Offer From Fuel

184

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Fri, May 12, 2006, 19:41

From Fuel's website:

http://www.fuelweb.com/

All right. Check it out. Here's the deal.
Normally, obviously, we would never even think about anyone from Am Idol as a singer for Fuel. However, ever since Chris sang Hemorrhage on the show, we began paying attention. Sorry, the show's not my thing, but at least most of the finalist can sing and aren't Britney Spearing it up there. However, Chris in my opinion has carried himself well on the show and has stayed true to his rock side, which is a serious credit to him considering the format. We have found some great guys through the audition process and in fact, were already headed in other directions when Chris unexpectedly got voted off the show. The phones started ringing. So now what? I think anyone would say that we would at least have to entertain the idea of Chris and Fuel. The websites have been flooded with support for the idea ever since he sang Hemorrhage from most of you. So that is what we are doing. We are entertaining the idea and the offer to Chris was that we would be willing to entertain him as an option. However, there is a lot to discuss and be decided. Is it right for us? Would it be the right thing for Chris? Would he even be able to get out of the contractual obligations to Am Idol? Would we be able to get things squared with Sony? So nothing is cut and dry, even if both camps thought it was right thing to do, it still might be impossible to work out all the details. Chris and I have discussed the possibility before and we are still entertaining the idea. Either way, never fear, we are coming with a great lead singer very soon who we are very excited about and rolling out a record this year.

185

Mattinglyinthehall
Leader
ID: 01629107
Tue, May 16, 2006, 15:18

I'm not an Idol fan but I loved this NY Post column.

186

Stuck in the 60s
Dude
ID: 274132811
Tue, May 16, 2006, 18:17

Thanks, MITH -- great read

Don

187

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Tue, May 16, 2006, 18:26

That was a good read. I do think getting a boatload of fanatics who send 2000 text messages helps too...lol

The big fan base that would enjoy the type of music Chris sings, isn't watching American Idol. Check this link out Radio interview
It's a radio interview Chris had yesterday with Scott and Todd on WPLJ 95.5 in New York. The coolest part is when he chats with Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20.

188

katietx
ID: 10415920
Tue, May 16, 2006, 21:02

Taylor kicked major butt tonight.

IMO a real toss-up whether Katherine or Elliot go.

189

JeffG
Leader
ID: 01584348
Wed, May 17, 2006, 11:57

For those (like me) whose kids are begging to see the 2006 Idol's Summer Tour, and want to get a jump on the masses who will be buying tickets in the public sale of tickets this Saturday:

pre sale information courtesy of Pop Tarts

190

KnicksFan
ID: 6428719
Wed, May 17, 2006, 18:44

Sure Jeff, it's your kids that wanna go...sure.

191

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Thu, May 18, 2006, 00:18

Good read MITH.

I think Elliott was better than Kat except for one of her songs. Taylor was very good. I actually like two of Kat's songs but liked all three of Taylors and Elliotts. If I would have voted, I'd have voted for Elliott. I knew Elliott was gone tonight as I saw the zabasearch results, but I think Simon hurt him even more by saying he was gone and that Kat would go through based on HIS song choice for her to sing. She nailed it but there is almost no way she's going to beat Taylor unless he has a breakdown.

192

Khahan
ID: 3442127
Thu, May 18, 2006, 12:39

Ref,
I don't know how you can say there is almost no way she'll win. Did you see the voting results they aired?

All 3 of them had 33% of the votes. It came down to tenths of a percent. And, I think Katherine will pick up more of Elliott's voters than Taylor will.

I'd put this at even money. If you want a definitive answer, I'd say Taylor, but not by much.

193

weykool
ID: 44211612
Thu, May 18, 2006, 16:30

I would think that those who voted for Elliot would be more likely to vote for Kat.
If you look at the results in post 173 there was an even split when there were 4 left and Chris' vote were evenly split this last week.
One thing I hear most Elliot supporters saying is how they like his voice.
If it is voice you want then Kat wins that hands down over Taylor.
Taylor is a "fun" entertainer to watch.....I just dont think of "fun" when I think of Elliot.
My guess is Kat wins 50.25% to 49.75% in one of the closest finals yet.

194

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Thu, May 18, 2006, 17:26

Kat winning, would make her far and away the worst winner in the show's history.

Kat coming in second place, would make her neck and neck with Justin Guarini, as the worst second place performer in the show's history.

she is not a good singer, as she misses notes all the freakin' time. she plays a great vamp, has some fantastic stripper moves, and will probably end up in The Surreal World in a few years.

that's it.

195

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Thu, May 18, 2006, 19:26

Kat winning, would make her far and away the worst winner in the show's history.

Regardless of who wins, I think they will be the worst winner so far. Simon has said this a dozen times after Taylor performs and I agree, Taylor is more suited to play in a bar or karaoke. I know that I am tired of his begging for votes routine with the whole "Soul Patrol" bit. I am tired of the camera switching to Kat's Dad everytime she sings too.

Chris goes on to sell more albums in the next two years than all the rest of them combined, ever.

196

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Thu, May 18, 2006, 20:10

Far and away the worst? I dunno about that at all. I like Kat's voice sometimes. I can't stand Fantasia. In fact, she is the only Idol I didn't predict to win way before it happened until this year. I picked the 4th place girl that year LaToya London just like I picked Chris (another 4th place finisher) this year. I guess it's either 1st or 4th for me!

197

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Thu, May 18, 2006, 20:28

That figures, Ref is to blame for Chris getting voted off. Thanks a lot, man.

198

Skidazl
ID: 564201822
Thu, May 18, 2006, 23:28

I agree, I can't stand Fantasia. I wasn't watching yet back then but I will never understand how she won...

Kat would definitely not be the worst ever "winner". But I do feel with Chris gone, the best is not going to win this time regardless.

As far as Elliot goes, yes he does have a good voice, but physically, he is not near as marketable as the other 2 left. And I feel that when it gets down to this point, the show producers make sure they get somebody that is going to be marketable.

199

Tree
ID: 1445195
Fri, May 19, 2006, 06:52

I can't stand Fantasia. In fact, she is the only Idol I didn't predict to win way before it happened until this year.

Fantasia is an amazing singer who's voice never faltered. in fact, she set the bar for the greatest performance in Idol history, and her rendition of "Summertime" will be *very* difficult to top.

last season, and this, have really been disappointing in the AI franchise. Sarah Underwood is no great shakes, but talentwise, she's miles ahead of Kat Screech...

200

Farn
ID: 334151712
Fri, May 19, 2006, 08:49

Sarah Underwood is no great shakes, but talentwise, she's miles ahead of Kat Screech...

Yeah, but Carrie Underwood's pretty good as far as country music is concerned.

201

katietx
ID: 10415920
Fri, May 19, 2006, 10:41

Kat over sings, over acts and I think is more ditzy than Pickler. She whined when Randy told her Clive's pick wasn't the best song for her. "I didn't pick it!" Puuuulease! You screwed up the words, off key in the middle and didn't bring your game. So, of course, blame someone else.

Taylor isn't near as marketable as Kat, but by far has the better voice. His dancing (if that can be called dancing) gets on my nerves.

Chris will indeed outsell the winner. As I believe Clay has outsold Reuben (not totally sure on this one).

202

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Fri, May 19, 2006, 10:59

Sarah Underwood is no great shakes, but talentwise, she's miles ahead of Kat Screech...

Yeah, but Carrie Underwood's pretty good as far as country music is concerned.

shows you how memorable she is...can't even get her name right...

Taylor isn't near as marketable as Kat, but by far has the better voice. His dancing (if that can be called dancing) gets on my nerves.

i disagree, i think Taylor is extremely marketable. very much in the billy joel vein.

As I believe Clay has outsold Reuben (not totally sure on this one).

that is correct. just going album vs. album, Clay has outsold Ruben by about a million copies. damned shame too, since Ruben is far and away the better singer of the two.

203

weykool
ID: 44211612
Fri, May 19, 2006, 12:08

Clay has outsold Rueben beacase Rueben has chosen to sing gospel.
If you choose a smaller market...you wont sell as many copies.
Underwood has chosen country....again not the same size market as pop.
Many of her songs will be crossover songs so she will do OK.

If the judges make the point that she missed some words or she was off-key then fine.
I think Kat was 100% justified with her great comeback to...."I dont think it was the right song for you".
Kudos to Kat for the quick retort.
I gave a couple extra votes to her that week just because of that.
The same thing happened to Taylor the week before when Simon said he was a cheap Elvis impersonation.
What do you expect???....."I want you to sing an Elvis song....but dont you dare try to sound like Elvis".
Kat's biggest hurdle will be to get votes from the women who are threatened by her beauty and talent.

As for the worst singer.....Fatasia by a mile....Madisa is twice the singer Fantasia is.
Fantasia would have been lucky to make the final 12 in this years competition.

204

Perm Dude
Dude
ID: 030792616
Fri, May 19, 2006, 12:13

"I dont think it was the right song for you".

What was the comeback?

205

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Fri, May 19, 2006, 12:28

Clay has outsold Rueben beacase Ruben has chosen to sing gospel.

both of their first albums were pop-oriented. Clay outsold Ruben by just under a million copies. i wasn't looking at singles, or anything other than the first album.

Underwood has chosen country....again not the same size market as pop.

first off, let's be accurate with our comments here.

Underwood's CD has scanned 2.8 million copies, despite being out only about 6 months.

that makes her the second best selling American Idol graduate ever, behind only Kelly Clarkson. yep, Underwood has even out sold good ol' Clay, despite having her CD enter the market TWO YEARS LATER.

Clarkson, is far and away the champ. her first record scanned 2.5 million copies. good enough for 4th place. but her second record has scanned 5.2 million - quintuple platinum, and halfway to Diamond status - which is quite rarified air.

interesting to note that Clarkson's 5 million selling CD was the first where she "broke away" from the AI franchise. she wrote some songs herself, and had more input.

But Underwood may very well compete with her over the long haul. she's got a shot - her second record will probably dictate her fate.

also, being overlooked is Josh Gracin. he didn't win, and i don't even think he was top 5, but he has sold nearly 700,000 copies of his DVD on a very tiny label. he's had some strong singles, and if ends up on a major label with some serious money behind him, he could become a big star in the country world, but again, time will tell.

206

weykool
ID: 44211612
Fri, May 19, 2006, 16:35

PD:
The comeback was "I didnt pick it".
The first songs were chosen by Clive Davis.
Song #2 was chosen by the judges.
Song #3 the Idols picked.
Her comeback was just a defensive reaction the the unwarranted criticism.

I was an Underwood supporter so I'm glad to see her album doing well.
It has some cross over songs so it will get some sells from the pop market.
But it is still being reported as "a country album".
It will be interesting to see if she can make the transition from just a singer to writer/creator.

207

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Fri, May 19, 2006, 22:34

Tree: Fantasia's version of Summertime, was indeed fantastic. In fact, it won her the idol. But, if you recall, she had been doing horrible at times before that and was in the final 2 at least once and the bottom three at least a couple of times before that. Once the best singer came in 4th, I was resigned to the fact that she was going to win it. However, I don't think she was very good overall. Could be that she does well in her niche and didn't do well in all the different styles and that's fine. Could be that I don't like her niche like others, and that's fine too. But that's also why it may be a tougher sell for a rocker to win. But Carrie won with her country singing--but did well other areas too. I think her music will go pop and crossover as well.

What is the poop on Clarkson. I really like her music. I know she left the Idol label, but I heard they still get royalties from her. For how long? How does that work?

208

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Fri, May 19, 2006, 22:57

IIRC, they said on the last Idol that Kelly Clarkson has sold over 11 million copies of her 2 albums and that all idols together had sold over 33 million copies. I alreaded deleted it, so can't go back to verify but I believe that is what I heard. Underwood and Aiken were around 3 million with nobody else over over 3 million

209

Tree
ID: 51429205
Sat, May 20, 2006, 07:18

What is the poop on Clarkson. I really like her music. I know she left the Idol label, but I heard they still get royalties from her. For how long? How does that work?

i don't quite know how the deals are structured, but the AI people are usually *heavily* involved in the first album, and less so in the second album. i believe the winner's contract is for one album, and that's part of the reason. i'm sure it played a role in why Justin Guarini no longer has a record deal, as his first record sold "only" about 150,000 copies.

Once free of the reigns of AI, there's a bit more freedom for the artist - hence, why Ruben did more of a gospel record the second time around, and why Clarkson did more of a rock record - and make no bones about it - while poppy, it's definitely a rock record, and it better suits her voice and talents.

IIRC, they said on the last Idol that Kelly Clarkson has sold over 11 million copies of her 2 albums and that all idols together had sold over 33 million copies. I alreaded deleted it, so can't go back to verify but I believe that is what I heard. Underwood and Aiken were around 3 million with nobody else over over 3 million

they may be talking about overall sales, including singles, holiday records, AI Compilation albums, etc etc.

the numbers i made in post 25 were accurate as of the time i posted them. Clarkson has sold 8.8 million copies of her 2 full lengths, Underwood is at 2.8 for her debut, and Aiken is at 2.7, although his christmas album also sold over a million copies.

i'll have to check on soundscan when i get back to the office, although finding the total of ALL the AI alum won't be easy, because i sure as heck can't remember everyone who competed on the show, and a LOT of them got record deals.

just doing some numbers in my head though, taking out Clarkson, Guarini, Studdard, Aiken, Fantasia, Gracin, Bice, and Underwood - who i believe to have the top 8 in sales, you lose about 20 million in album sales.

our own in-house record label put out Jim Veranos' record last year (he was from season one, the kid who's parents were deaf), and he had a radically different look, and sound, than his AI days. he had come out of the closet, looked to be more out of Christopher Street than the AI franchise, and had a dickens of a time selling record. no one was real interested.

i think that's the problem for a lot of these kids - they get their hopes up, and then it gets shattered. look at season one - a veritable who's who of where are they now? Ryan Starr, Nikki McKibbin, and even Tamara Gray, who still may have been the best singer in the history of the show.

210

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Sat, May 20, 2006, 08:58

I bet you are right and they were talking overall sales. Nice post above. Thanks for sharing the info.

211

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Sat, May 20, 2006, 11:43

Clive Davis kept referring to units instead of copies. My thought is that might include download sales of the album and other things. In fact, I've heard "units" used many times over the past year.

212

Tree
ID: 414262010
Sat, May 20, 2006, 13:05

Soundscan did recently add digital download to their reporting structure. i'll have to check those as well.

it's all somewhat nebulus anyway, as what is reported are not sales, but rather, "scans"...you have to pay to report to soundscan. since not everyone pays, certain stores are weighted differently.

you buy from wal-mart, and one sale=one scan. you buy from independant record store on long island, one sale may equal eight scans.

213

Bond, James Bond
ID: 434262322
Tue, May 23, 2006, 23:38

Surprised nobody has commented on tonight's show yet. Seems to me that Taylor Hicks was far superior to Kat and as such, will be crowned the new American Idol tommorrow night.

Gotta say though that after all the interviews that the judges and producers went through----these two were the best we can get????

Admittedly, Chris, in my mind anyway, was still THE best Idol this year but I digress.

Congrats to Taylor and his Soul Patrol!

214

katietx
ID: 554352217
Wed, May 24, 2006, 00:46

I agree JB...Taylor was definitely the winner tonight.

215

TB
Sherpa
ID: 031811922
Wed, May 24, 2006, 01:23

Wow, I disagree with you both. I enjoyed all of Kat's songs. Taylor's first song was good, but the last two were horrible. I know it is hard to compare two singers with such different styles, but she has so much more range and ability. He will probably win it all and that is almost criminal. The judges were killing Kat. I have no idea why they would give such negative comments on the final show unless they were trying to sway votes. Paula gives Kat evil glares too. That freaks me out a little.

My 3 favorite reasons Idol is done for this season:

#3 I no longer have to hear Randy "Boo" when Simon is announced at the beginning of the show. (Was glad to see him refrain tonight)
#2 I won't have to watch 37 screen shots checking to see if Kat's Dad is crying.
#1 I will never again have to hear Taylor repeat "Soul Patrol" while pumping his fist and begging for votes.

216

Wilmer McLean
ID: 46441192
Wed, May 24, 2006, 02:32

DialIdol.com predictions

217

Tree
ID: 2848245
Wed, May 24, 2006, 06:16

Kat was terrible. i mean, really terrible. this was the first year were neither of the finalists were that good at singing.

that being said, you default to entertainment as your secondary ranking. Taylor is FAR more entertaining, as Kat is like a robot on stage, who seems to be programmed to certain emotions while singing, and she never wavers during that song, be that setting "sultry" or "sweet" or "stripper".

she is just not that good.

218

Bond, James Bond
ID: 434262322
Wed, May 24, 2006, 06:20

Wow!!!! According to DialIdol.com, not only was Taylor never in any danger of the bottom three/two, he actually won the voting totals EVERY WEEK once the top twelve were announced.

Complete and utter domination! Soul Patrol rules!

Now how that will translate into actual buys of his upcoming CD, nobody knows yet but apparently he has hit a strong chord with America and is well deserving of the title "American Idol". Well done Taylor!

219

weykool
ID: 44211612
Wed, May 24, 2006, 12:13

To say that Taylor won this going away is pure and utter nonsense.
Taylor's 3rd song just about set a record for most notes off-key.
As far as final song go I would easily buy Kat's song but not sure I would buy Taylor's.
I would not be surprised if Taylor wins as the votes have been extremly close all season.
I'm sure there are enough AI fans that wait for what Simon says before they make up their mind and vote accordingly.
Taylor will do fine when it comes to going on tour....he would be fun to see.
Kat will easily sell as many records as Taylor if she is the runner up.
If she is the winner ....no question she will out sell Taylor.

220

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Wed, May 24, 2006, 13:04

Kat will easily sell as many records as Taylor if she is the runner up.
If she is the winner ....no question she will out sell Taylor.

i am not convinced Kat will even have a second record on a major label.

221

Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Wed, May 24, 2006, 13:17

Looks like Taylor is the American Idol with over 30 million votes. Kat appears to have like 28 million votes.

222

Bond, James Bond
ID: 434262322
Wed, May 24, 2006, 23:21

As expected, it's Taylor!!! Congrats Champ!

223

KnicksFan
ID: 6428719
Thu, May 25, 2006, 23:27

Agree with Tree. I don't think Kat is talented enough or versatile enough to make it longterm. Tree what company do you work with again?

224

Bond, James Bond
ID: 434262322
Thu, May 25, 2006, 23:51

By the way, anybody out there impressed with the array of talent they had--Prince, Blige, Warwick, Bacharach, Braxton, Meat Loaf and even Carrie and Clay?

I thought Braxton looked great but absolutely sounded horrible; Meat Loaf--blah; Prince---couldn't believe he actually made an appearance--wonderfully entertaining.

Thoughts?

225

Tree
ID: 31434265
Fri, May 26, 2006, 06:40

Prince---couldn't believe he actually made an appearance--wonderfully entertaining.

saw an interview with Ryan Seacrest yesterday where he said 5 minutes before Prince was to go on, he wasn't in the building.

apparently, he showed up, walked into the building, walked on stage 30 seconds early, did his set, walked out of the building, and left.

226

Farn
Sustainer
ID: 451044109
Fri, May 26, 2006, 08:52

that explains why it looked like Seacrest had no clue Prince was in the building and was going on stage. Seacrest looked as stunned as the crowd was.

227

Texas Flood
ID: 4905267
Thu, Jan 18, 2007, 12:30

I've never really watched this show much in the past. I thought I would give it a shot last night because there was nothing much else on TV. My opinion is that this show is a total Crap Fest. It was like watching a train wreck, car accident or a plane crash.

The show featured (and I don't mean to be disrespectfull and AI should be ashamed for exploiting them) the retarded, mentally ill, poor disadvantged and the totally bizarre. It was as if the circus train deposited an entire side show into my living room.

All in very poor taste and some of the worst programing in a sea of total $hit!

228

biliruben
ID: 4911361723
Thu, Jan 18, 2007, 13:07

I was subjected to this for the first time last night. I went to a sports bar, and in the middle of my chicken wings, all 10 widescreens flipped over from hoops to the talentless show, and the volume was cranked. Wow.

Those aren't the mentally ill, those are Seattlites after a few months of rain and snow.

How embarrassing.

229

Tree
ID: 1411442914
Thu, Jan 18, 2007, 13:57

yea, Seattle did look like a bunch of talentless goofs last night.

the show over the past two nights has been incredible. the talent pool so far has been very thin.

TF - keep in mind that a lot of the people on that show go there to be seen. some of them are performance artists playing a role in an effort to pull the wool over the judges eyes and get noticed.

yes, last night in particular had a sideshow/train wreck feel. i've been watching AI since the very first episode of the year the goddess that is Kelly Clarkson won, and i agree with Simon, Randy, and Paula that last night's show (Seattle) was probably single worst edition in regards to having real talent.

Forum: gentPage 133Subject: American Idol S5

OH.....MY.....GAWD!!!!!!!!!! Chris voted out???? What the....?

Forum: gent
Page 133
Subject: American Idol S5