American Idol was very enjoyable tonight. The judges acted like human beings. Imagine that! Remember season 1, when almost no contestants were allowed to approach the mighty judges? Also, there were many good contestants shown, and no uncomfortable tirades.
So, what I want to take a moment to discuss, is the "truth 'bout Shady." Shady has a very good memory, especially for meaningless pop culture, and television shows. Think of Shady as Rain Woman, without the ability to count hundreds of matchsticks in a few seconds.
Shady is often asked if she really remembers such things, or just looks them up. The sad truth is that she does actually remember such things.
So was the case for Shady while watching American Idol tonight. All she had to hear was "David Archuleta" and she immediately recognized his name and remembered that he had been on Star Search in the Junior Division - the 2003 version with Arsenio Hall. She then recalled so many random facts about Star Search (a show she didn't even remember caring about) - like that Mark Mejia sang MacArthur Park - that it scared her a little bit.
So, Shady will sign off for tonight and reexamine her sad life, and ponder how powerful she could really be in the world if she replaced meaningless facts with consequential information. Can someone tell me why Shady's brain still finds it important for her to know facts like that Jodie Sweetin was in an Oscar Meyer commercial before landing the role of Stephanie in Full House (yes, Shady had these ridiculous powers, even as a child, and still remembers exactly what Jodie was wearing in the commercial!).
So, I found the old commercial! Not really a classic American Idol performance, but join me in my madness, won't you? :)Shady out!
Showing posts with label American Idol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label American Idol. Show all posts
22 January 2008
18 January 2008
Ep 2: Know Your AI History!
Episode 2 of American Idol took place in Dallas, Texas, where the first and IMO, most creamy American Idol ever was found. Yes, nuts, we are talking about Ms. Kelly Clarkson. Seeing the show back in Dallas made me reflect upon the history of the show. I can hardly believe that this is its 7th season already.
American Idol is a wildly successful television show. Even weevils of the show have to admit that it rocks the ratings. Although the media is always searching for cracks signaling the demise of the show, this year the sharks are especially swirling. This was apparent with the articles written after the first episode where alarmists were pointing out that the ratings are down from last year’s premiere, and that this is the beginning of the end for AI. While it is true that the ratings are down 10% from last year’s premiere, last year they had the biggest ratings of any show since the Friends season finale in 2004. This year, they still beat the most watched show of the year (Grey’s Anatomy season premiere) by 55%, and had more viewers that night than all of the other channels combined. Idol has a way to go before being irrevalent.
Speaking of irrevalence, American Idol would not be as relevant without Kelly Clarkson. Simon Cowell has suggested that Kelly is not grateful enough to American Idol. However, I believe that she has more than paid her dues to them, and it is American Idol that should be grateful to her. Imagine if the winners had gone – Justin Guarini, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Jordin Sparks. Would Carrie have been taken as seriously? Would the show still be successful today?
Although other Idol contestants have been successful in different ways – recording artists, Broadway, television, movies – AI nuts want to see the WINNER, the one they choose, succeeed in the mainstream. Why? Maybe it helps us justify why we watch to those who think that the show is crunchy. Also, AI seems to only truly get credit for the success of the winners, even though they have generally done a good job selecting contestants.
I truly believe that this year’s winner will be successful. I think it’s time. Let’s examine the pattern:
KELLY ruben fantasia CARRIE taylor jordin ???????
Kelly carried the torch through the nex two “winners”, with Clay giving a boost after season 2, and Fantasia from season 3, generally falling flat in terms of being popular in the mainstream (although she won a Grammy!). Then Carrie reignited AI by winning season 4, with Daughtry giving them a boost after season 5, and Jordin somewhat falling flat, although her demise may be too early to predict. Thus, using my very unscientific pattern, I think we are due for another superstar.
In honor of Kelly Clarkson, enjoy this classic clip from her time on American Idol. She looks so young! Shady out!
American Idol is a wildly successful television show. Even weevils of the show have to admit that it rocks the ratings. Although the media is always searching for cracks signaling the demise of the show, this year the sharks are especially swirling. This was apparent with the articles written after the first episode where alarmists were pointing out that the ratings are down from last year’s premiere, and that this is the beginning of the end for AI. While it is true that the ratings are down 10% from last year’s premiere, last year they had the biggest ratings of any show since the Friends season finale in 2004. This year, they still beat the most watched show of the year (Grey’s Anatomy season premiere) by 55%, and had more viewers that night than all of the other channels combined. Idol has a way to go before being irrevalent.
Speaking of irrevalence, American Idol would not be as relevant without Kelly Clarkson. Simon Cowell has suggested that Kelly is not grateful enough to American Idol. However, I believe that she has more than paid her dues to them, and it is American Idol that should be grateful to her. Imagine if the winners had gone – Justin Guarini, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Jordin Sparks. Would Carrie have been taken as seriously? Would the show still be successful today?
Although other Idol contestants have been successful in different ways – recording artists, Broadway, television, movies – AI nuts want to see the WINNER, the one they choose, succeeed in the mainstream. Why? Maybe it helps us justify why we watch to those who think that the show is crunchy. Also, AI seems to only truly get credit for the success of the winners, even though they have generally done a good job selecting contestants.
I truly believe that this year’s winner will be successful. I think it’s time. Let’s examine the pattern:
KELLY ruben fantasia CARRIE taylor jordin ???????
Kelly carried the torch through the nex two “winners”, with Clay giving a boost after season 2, and Fantasia from season 3, generally falling flat in terms of being popular in the mainstream (although she won a Grammy!). Then Carrie reignited AI by winning season 4, with Daughtry giving them a boost after season 5, and Jordin somewhat falling flat, although her demise may be too early to predict. Thus, using my very unscientific pattern, I think we are due for another superstar.
In honor of Kelly Clarkson, enjoy this classic clip from her time on American Idol. She looks so young! Shady out!
15 January 2008
Ep 1: American Idol Superlatives
Favorite Auditions
MALE: Joey Catalano from Mays Landing, NJ, who sang Sunday Morning by Maroon 5. I liked the tone of his voice, but his moves were irritating – it was like he was an animatronic whose arms and torso movements were on a repeat loop. He doesn’t seem comfortable yet in his own skin, probably still adjusting to his 204 lb. (Not 205, Simon! LOL) weight loss – so impressive!
FEMALE: Temptresse Brown, from Philadelphia, PA, who was the football playing animal lover who was only 16 y.o., and had the sick mother. She was very sweet, and the judges handled it perfectly. Kudos to all.
Best [Unintentional] Impersonations
FEMALE - The nanny who has never seen a rated R movie. I wouldn’t believe most people who told me that, but somehow I did believe her. She had a good voice and the Kellie Pickler/Carrie Underwood naivete sans the dumb “act(?)” of Pickler. The AI Producers love to exploit that! I predict that she gets a lot of air time during Hollywood Week.
MALE - Alaa Youakeem from Jersey City, NJ: This guy gets the award for being Egypt’s version of Borat, with comments such as, "I have sexy face" and "I want to love a girl from the hair to the nipple."
Funniest Audition
James Lewis, from Philadelphia, PA, who sang, Go Down Moses. When leaving he said that he was, "...going to come back next year and not sing older Christian songs." Yeah, dude, that was your problem.
Least Deserved Golden Ticket
Melanie Nyema, Los Angeles, CA: She was the cute woman who was a back-up singer for Taylor Hicks, and sang (if you could call it that) Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. She probably has a good voice, but the portion of the audition we were shown did not showcase it at all.
Creepiest Audition
FEMALE: Alexis Cohen, from Allentown, PA. I thought it was funny when Ryan said, "You smell like incense." That’s not incense, Ryan! He knew that, right? He’s sort of dense sometimes so it’s hard to tell. I thought that the judges were pretty fair to her, but her post-audition rhetoric was really disturbing as she seemed to just decompensate. I hadn’t been that creeped out since the talking belly button commercial.
MALE: Paul Marturano, from New Hope, PA. Paul The guy who sang to Paula about stalking her, caulking her, chalking her...was uncomfortably funny, but then creepy, creepy, creepy...
Random Observations
1) The judges proved that even when they’re nice, rejected contestants will freak out, call them names, and find someone other than themselves to blame. Best examples – Star Wars Girl and Alexis Cohen. I would personally like to see them provoke and argue with the contestants who give them a hard time.
2) Did anyone notice how the beautiful blonde girls really cleaned up in terms of making it through and getting air time? I am SO glad that this repressed group is finally getting the attention they deserve.
3) I disagreed with the editors’ decision to have the jaded Jedi Girl’s sour grapes voiceover during the closing montage of people who made it through. It was a very unfulfilling way to end the episode. They usually pick an inspirational, energizing, song. I missed the emotional manipulation.
In honor of the easily forgotten contestant who sang a terrible version of Alone by Heart, here is a classic AI clip of Carrie Underwood’s powerful rendition.
.
P.S. Did anyone else see the "It's 10PM, do you know where your children are?" PSA by Sanjaya?! He was all wide-eyed and creepier than usual.
MALE: Joey Catalano from Mays Landing, NJ, who sang Sunday Morning by Maroon 5. I liked the tone of his voice, but his moves were irritating – it was like he was an animatronic whose arms and torso movements were on a repeat loop. He doesn’t seem comfortable yet in his own skin, probably still adjusting to his 204 lb. (Not 205, Simon! LOL) weight loss – so impressive!
FEMALE: Temptresse Brown, from Philadelphia, PA, who was the football playing animal lover who was only 16 y.o., and had the sick mother. She was very sweet, and the judges handled it perfectly. Kudos to all.
Best [Unintentional] Impersonations
FEMALE - The nanny who has never seen a rated R movie. I wouldn’t believe most people who told me that, but somehow I did believe her. She had a good voice and the Kellie Pickler/Carrie Underwood naivete sans the dumb “act(?)” of Pickler. The AI Producers love to exploit that! I predict that she gets a lot of air time during Hollywood Week.
MALE - Alaa Youakeem from Jersey City, NJ: This guy gets the award for being Egypt’s version of Borat, with comments such as, "I have sexy face" and "I want to love a girl from the hair to the nipple."
Funniest Audition
James Lewis, from Philadelphia, PA, who sang, Go Down Moses. When leaving he said that he was, "...going to come back next year and not sing older Christian songs." Yeah, dude, that was your problem.
Least Deserved Golden Ticket
Melanie Nyema, Los Angeles, CA: She was the cute woman who was a back-up singer for Taylor Hicks, and sang (if you could call it that) Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. She probably has a good voice, but the portion of the audition we were shown did not showcase it at all.
Creepiest Audition
FEMALE: Alexis Cohen, from Allentown, PA. I thought it was funny when Ryan said, "You smell like incense." That’s not incense, Ryan! He knew that, right? He’s sort of dense sometimes so it’s hard to tell. I thought that the judges were pretty fair to her, but her post-audition rhetoric was really disturbing as she seemed to just decompensate. I hadn’t been that creeped out since the talking belly button commercial.
MALE: Paul Marturano, from New Hope, PA. Paul The guy who sang to Paula about stalking her, caulking her, chalking her...was uncomfortably funny, but then creepy, creepy, creepy...
Random Observations
1) The judges proved that even when they’re nice, rejected contestants will freak out, call them names, and find someone other than themselves to blame. Best examples – Star Wars Girl and Alexis Cohen. I would personally like to see them provoke and argue with the contestants who give them a hard time.
2) Did anyone notice how the beautiful blonde girls really cleaned up in terms of making it through and getting air time? I am SO glad that this repressed group is finally getting the attention they deserve.
3) I disagreed with the editors’ decision to have the jaded Jedi Girl’s sour grapes voiceover during the closing montage of people who made it through. It was a very unfulfilling way to end the episode. They usually pick an inspirational, energizing, song. I missed the emotional manipulation.
In honor of the easily forgotten contestant who sang a terrible version of Alone by Heart, here is a classic AI clip of Carrie Underwood’s powerful rendition.
.
P.S. Did anyone else see the "It's 10PM, do you know where your children are?" PSA by Sanjaya?! He was all wide-eyed and creepier than usual.
American Idol!! American Idol!!!
American Idol starts tonight!!! Jelly!!! Jelly!!! Not quite as exciting as opening day at Shea Stadium, but still! OMG, I just realized the baseball wars that will take place on this blog this Spring between Shady and P.B.
Stay tuned for my AI recaps! In the meantime, enjoy one of my favorite AI moments. The setup: Auditioner Michael Sandecki, a huge Clay Aiken fan, wins "Best Impersonation" for his Clay looks (not voice, you hecklers!). Sandecki gets the surprise of his life while singing. I laugh every time I see this clip. It's like a physiological response that releases endorphins and I cannot help but feel happy. Some people would argue that exercise has a similar effect, but my option does not require that I leave my couch.
Enjoy! I'll be posting a classic AI clip with each current season recap! Shady out!
Stay tuned for my AI recaps! In the meantime, enjoy one of my favorite AI moments. The setup: Auditioner Michael Sandecki, a huge Clay Aiken fan, wins "Best Impersonation" for his Clay looks (not voice, you hecklers!). Sandecki gets the surprise of his life while singing. I laugh every time I see this clip. It's like a physiological response that releases endorphins and I cannot help but feel happy. Some people would argue that exercise has a similar effect, but my option does not require that I leave my couch.
Enjoy! I'll be posting a classic AI clip with each current season recap! Shady out!
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