ladies & gentlemen: blake lewis, first place loser

according to people.com, blake lewis is "glad he didn't win". now while i'm all for being a gracious loser and good manners and all that crap, to go as far as to say that he's glad he "didn't win" is a giant load of crap.

"I never looked at it as winning and losing. I just tried going out and performing really well each day," the 25-year-old says. "In a sense, I’m kind of glad I didn't win just for like contractual reasons. I think if you're first you might have to come back for like three years or something."

so he's glad he didn't win so he didn't have to contractually obligated to idol? he's a nobody from washington state who spits and beatboxes. i mean, granted he was unique to the competition, but to already be outgrowing the show that made you. seriously? it's been less than a week. why don't you wait until AFTER the idol tour (so you can collect that big fat paycheck) and complain then. until that, shut your mouth and make whatever album they throw your way.

my open letter to the producers of american idol following last night's 2-hour finale.

dear AI producers,

let me just say that i'm glad you guys picked america voted jordin sparks as the winner. i love blake lewis, but let's face it, they're both winners at this point, so it doesn't matter anyway. clive davis probably already has both of their mega-produced albums all planned out already.

i was happy to see melinda dolittle perform with the winans (not to be confused with the wayans). and the boy and girl medleys were cute. and thank goodness that you got permission to sing beatles songs. now if you could only get michael jackson to approve his catalogue, you'll be all set.

i will say this though, WTF!?!?!?! my DVR cut off before you got anywhere close to announcing the winner. i was still watching the end of some blake and jordin performance or some crap. and while it was fun to bring back the bush baby and his friend, were that many golden statues really necessary? you're not the oscars. you're not the emmys (in fact, you turned down to produce the emmys this year to focus on idol). remember the whole point of this two hour finale? so we can reveal the winner??!?! thanks to your show running long, my dvr cut off and i had to watch some news program recap it in 30 seconds (which to be honest, is all i should've watched anyway).

watching past idols was fun. but this year's show was a snoozefest compared to last year (clay aiken and his superfan, crying hasselhoff, mother f**king PRINCE!). although you did bring back the crying girl (and sanjaya) and a sentimental jerry springer, it just wasn't the same. and as for the non-past idol winner performers, it just showed me how much smokey robinson, gladys knight, and tony bennett have aged. and way to try and up the "cool factor" by bringing in green day. *sidenote: really green day? american idol? i expect better from you. and sanjaya and joe perry? music might as well be dead.

i'm glad jordin took the crown, but you let me down. actually, i'm glad you're not producing the emmys. just focus on what you do best: going city to city in search of the next superstar (i.e. just slightly better than karaoke singer).

xoxo

p.s. i TOTES picked jordin as the winner.

p.p.s. i'm glad i watched lost over your finale. at least my dvr didn't cut THAT off. that show was effin' AWESOME.

preview: tonight's american idol- the final two, night two

so last night, jordin and blake took the stage at the famed kodak theater and performed their "greatest hits"...or songs they have already performed this season, with the exception of the last song titled "this is my now". the song was the winner of a submission contest and i will say that although still cheesy, still way better than last year's "do i make you proud?". and with that said, simon and randy did remind the viewers that above all, american idol is a singing competition. so with that said, i pick jordin as the winner. although, never underestimate the power of the 12 year old girls (aka, blake's fanbase). highlights from last night's episode:
-random c-list celebs (aka, kathy griffin).
-ryan seacrest calling paula/her dog "a bitch" (we all know he was talking about paula).
-seeing jordin choke up toward the end of singing her last song. that girl knows she's gonna win.
-paula (and her hair) looking like a complete mess
-paula having complete disregard for the fact that it's a live show and saying "hi" to chris daughtry while ryan introduces him

preview: tonight's american idol- the final two

so after the tens of thousands of freakshows, karaoke singers, and talented kids, the american idol finale is finally upon us.

ahhh, it seems like yesterday i was laughing with (and at) ian benardo.

so tonight, it's jordin vs. blake. and like i mentioned last week, i'm not sure who i want to win. on one hand, i think blake is amazing and different and jordin is only 17 and she has plenty of time to become a superstar. on the other hand, jordin clearly has a talent and has a beautiful voice and could become the next kelly clarkson.

hmmm...and on the other hand, i'm waaaaaay too invested in this already. just watch their performances tonight. vote at that 877 number. watch tomorrow's stretched out (but sure to be awesome) 2-hour finale to see who wins.

recap: american idol - and then there were two...

well, let me take a moment to swallow my pride (and claire voyant skills) and say i was COMPLETELY WRONG on who i thought was going home. but i also said that if i had my way, it would be blake and jordin in the finals. so let's just take a moment to say YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!! but now, more than ever, i'm kinda torn. i love blake, but i love jordin.

ahhhh, so last night we saw more of the contestant's home town visits. everyone got an honorary day in their home town. blake had cute, sentimental moments with his dad (he called him "daddy", awwww).

there was also a performance from last year's melinda doolittle (i.e. last year's 3rd place), elliott yamin. the funny thing is as i was watching it (for about five seconds before i decided to fast forward through it), i thought to myself "this sounds like music my mom would like". an hour later i talk to my mom on the phone and she says "who was that guy that performed? i like him. i might have to look for his cd." NO JOKE. at least elliott yamin has a fan base of 50-something moms (i love you mom).

so next week, the AI finale. and if last year's finale is any indication, it's going to be RI-DUNK-ULOUS!

recap: american idol brings it

last night we got not one or two, but THREE songs from the three remaining contestants. jordin, blake, and melinda each got to sing a judge's choice, producer's choice, and their choice.here's what they went with:
jordin
judge's choice- simon picks "wishing on a star"
producer's choice- "she works hard for the money"
contestant's choice- "i who have nothing"

blake
judge's choice- crazy paula picks "roxanne"
producer's choice- "this love"
contestant's choice- "when i get you alone"

melinda
judge's choice- randy picks a tough song "i belive in you and me"
producer's choice- "nutbush city limits"
contestant's choice- "i'm a woman"

overall, i have to say i agreed with the judges as to the contestants finally bringing it. although, they are the top three, so if they can't cut it by now, they are in deep shit.

so here's my assessment of last night and who i think is going home. the judges ADORE melinda beyond words. simon even went as far as saying he "loved her little striptease" (she only took off her jacket, but for a conservative girl like melinda, that is a striptease). i think by far, she is the one they want to take home the crown. i think blake ABSOLUTELY has a strong fan base. so who does that leave? jordin. but, if i had to make an educated guess, i'm gonna have to say that melinda will be in the bottom two with jordin because her fan base isn't as big as blake's. but, i'm sticking to my gut and saying jordin's journey ends tonight. blake and melinda will be in the finals next week (if i had my way it would be blake and jordin all the way!).

but don't cry for jordin. that girl can sing! and maybe she can do guest roles on ugly betty as her long lost sister!

recap: idol bids adieu to lakisha

adios, kiki! well, just as i suspected, lakisha was voted off of american idol last night. but before we get into that, other highlights from last night's show:

- ryan seacrest doing man on the street interviews.
- pink's pre-taped performance finally makes it to air.
- a "let's meet the contestants" type of segment. cuteness.
- another cheesy ford commercial featuring the idols running away from a crowd of fans (kids) to the music of "you really got me".
- the four sing as a group. perform a barry gibb medley. adorable.
- barry gibb performs. makes me long for this wonderful SNL sketch.
- the contestants panic as the results are read.
- lakisha cries (sad) and sings her last song.

contrary to the judges opinions, i actually enjoyed barry gibb week. i loved the songs. i loved the performances.

both blake and lakisha found themselves in the bottom two. moments before the results were revealed, simon predicted that lakisha would be going home. and low and behold, he was right.
blake's gonna have to step it up. although at this point, i love the three that are left.

next week: blake, jordin, and melinda will sing three (!) songs each. they sing a song of their choice, a song picked for them by the judges, and another selection from clive davis.

preview: tonight's american idol

phew! so thanks to usa today, it looks like the american idol contestants aren't necessarily singing disco songs which couldn't make me happier. especially since the contestants are singing TWO songs each. barry gibb will be mentoring the kids tonight.

here's what it looks like they'll be singing tonight:

blake lewis- "you should be dancing" and "this is where i came in"

jordin sparks- "woman in love" and "to love somebody"

melinda dolittle- "love you inside out" and "how can you mend a broken heart"

lakisha jones- "run to me" and "stayin' alive"

i'm a 'blaker girl' myself, so that's who i'll be rooting for.

recap: idol's double edged sword

last night it became clear that the women of of american idol were definitely the front runner's of the competition. after last night, the only male left standing was blake lewis (and deservedly so). phil stacey (the bald one) and chris richardson (justin timberfake) were voted off of the show. and if you read yesterday's idol recap, you'll know that i'm one happy camper, as those are the two that i wanted kicked out. in all seriousness, phil and chris weren't horrible. they weren't fantastic either. they gave "safe" performances. they didn't blow anyone out of the water with their voice (like lakisha) or reinvent herself every week (like melinda) or take huge risks (like blake).

so now it's down to four: lakisha, melinda, blake, and jordin. next week is disco night with barry gibb mentoring the kids. disco night is usually my least favorite of the competition (next to country night), but i have a feeling the four that are left will pull it off.

so goodbye bald guy and what's his face. in two years, nobody will even remember you were on american idol and you can go back to singing karaoke in your local bar on friday nights.

american idol recap: week 8

rock week finally arrived on american idol, which obviously means one thing...bon jovi? mock it if you will, but think of all the times that you're at a party or a bar and a bon jovi song comes on. everyone sings it. bon jovi songs get the crowd going. so of course, the american idol producers invited members of bon jovi to mentor the contestants. and the results? well, here's a recap:

first up, phil stacey. he continued his streak of luck when the judges showered him with high praise and compliments for the third week in a row. he's no dummy, and since country week, phil's tried to find songs that have a twang. so phil picked "blaze of glory" from young guns. he was actually pretty good and might actually stay in the competition.

next up was the cute and bubbly jordin sparks. last time jordin sang a rock song, she delivered a pretty solid rendition of pat benatar's "heartbreaker". so although it was a male rock song, bon jovi seemed like it might seem a good fit for her. well, bad news bears because the judges were anything but crazy about her performance. i will say that i was actually so worried she might get kicked off (especially since she could've maybe been kicked off last week), that for the first time in it's six seasons did i actually pick up my phone and vote for someone on american idol.

after jordin, we had lakisha. to be honest, she's kinda lost that charm in my eyes. i think she started off too strong at the beginning of the season with "and i am telling you", because since then, nothing that she's sang since has compared to that performance. but with that said, last night she came pretty close. her soulful rendition of "this ain't a love song" helped simon shed that tough exterior.in fact, she charmed the judges so much that simon actually grew a heart for about 10 seconds and asked her for a kiss. on the lips! despite the fact that lakisha planted one on simon, she's back on the good graces of the judges. i had dismissed her and thought it might be time for her to go home, but after last night, i think she redeemed herself and earned another chance.

then we had blake lewis, with a brand new darker 'do. i will admit that the way he used to fit in beat boxing into all of his songs got on my nerves. but then came tony bennett week or some crap and he realized you can't do it with every song. so i think that's when blake started becomign one of my favorites. but last night, he took a great risk by creating a very orignal arrangement to "you give love a bad name". well, it paid off. blake not only gambled big, but he won big in return getting smiles from all three judges. my favorite performance of the night.

next up chris richardson who performed "wanted dead or alive". he started at a disadvantage right away. he mentioned that chris daughtry performed the song last year, which automatically earned him comparisons. it sounded okay, but compared to all the other performers, it sounded too karaoke. i agree with simon that i'm not sure if it's enough to keep him in the competition for another week. my least favorite performance of the night.

lastly was melinda dolittle, who sang a newer bon jovi song. she went with "have a nice day". i'll admit that at the beginning of the competition, her surprised faces and humbling demeanor started getting a little annoying. but she has steadily gained the confidence she needs while maintining her grounded personality. add that with her awesome performances and you have a possible idol winner. had blake not gone out on such a limb, she would've been my favorite performance of the night.

my thoughts on who goes home tonight:

i WANT phil and chris to go home.

i THINK it will actually be chris and jordin.