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Emphatically Apathetic: AI9 Top 3 Performance Show

2010 May 18
tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
by TopIdol

Jeez DeWheeze. Can’t Lee DeWyze just smile? It is, as Seacrest says, a very exciting night. Perhaps Seacrest is correct, this might be the most exciting night of season 9 of American Idol. Or it will be just like every other episode we’ve seen before. Is it over yet? Oh crap. We haven’t even started, yet we’re already here. Can someone tell me where Alex Lambert and Lilly Scott went? And what was that one girl…Katelyn something? Katelyn Epperly! Where did they go? Are they at the craft services table? Quick! Someone tell them the show is about to begin.

CONTESTANT’S CHOICE

Casey James
It’s ok (It’s alright with me)


Naturally, Casey James is going first because nary a producer or judge wants him to break up the pre-ordained Crystal-Lee finale. Casey chose this song because he loves it, and its similar to the kind of music he writes. Perhaps turning in several quality performances during his hometown visit has helped relaxed Casey. He’s happy. He’s comfortable. He sings it well. It’s lazy-day music. It doesn’t go anywhere, but it doesn’t seem to do anything but lounge in a porch swing. And sometimes, that’s okay. Not every song has to be about falsetto fellatio and climactic hoohahs. Sometimes simple works best. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sure, maybe he should have taken it up a notch, but perhaps he knows the deck is stacked against him and just wants to go out on his own terms. I’m not quite sure what else he could do at this point, since it’s already apparent how this is going to play out…

Randy says it was just alright — you know, like the song title — and he needed to be groundbreaking and original since this is such a big night. Everyone else agrees, of course. This was written beforehand. They have teleprompters. Now its just a matter of saying it emphatically.

It’s hard to pick a song nobody knows.

I really hate this condescending twat. Shit-For-Brains should just shut up. Casey just can’t ever get credit for doing something slightly different, can he? Whether its a slight rearrangement or a slightly unknown song, he is chastised for being unoriginal. No matter what the guy does, the bus is still gunning for him.

Crystal Bowersox
Come To My Window

One of her favorite singers, Melissa Etheridge is an excellent choice for Bowersox. She’s even got her bong mic stand out tonight. Starting off with a harmonica, the first lyric is a bit off and sadly, time restraints do nothing for the arrangement, as she is forced into the bridge almost right away. She sounds lovely in parts, but I kept waiting for it to go somewhere. Crystal has moments of vocal brilliance, but then some parts just fall flat. While the harmonica at the beginning was kind of a nice touch, it may have effected her performance. She always seemed as if she was racing towards the end, when she hopped on the harmonica once again. Except she got lost somewhere in between.

The judges praise her vocal, but say the performance did nothing for her. Shit-For-Brains DioGuardi, sadly, explains it best. (I HATE YOU WOMAN.) Simon says more than I’ve heard him say in weeks. The lukewarm reaction to Crystal’s performance is understandable — it was one of her weakest, most lifeless performances, which often happens when you’re finally able to take on a singer or song you’ve always admired and a lot is riding on it. It’s difficult to shake the feeling, however, that the judges are just saving up their praise for DeWheezy.

Lee DeWyze
Simple Man

The chosen one (sorry, dear Bowersox. They’re putting all their eggs in Lee’s basket now. Had you actually sat through one of these shit shows before, you would have learned how fickle those asshats can be.) is doing Lynard Skynard. Like Casey, the hometown visit seems to have done wonders for DeWheezy. Its a solid rendition, still doesn’t leave the bar at around midnight on a Saturday night and the last note sends his guttural goodness into the sewer.

But hey, its better to be playing to a packed bar at midnight on a Saturday than to an empty room with only a few remaining drunkards slurring their words at 2:30 am on a Wednesday night. So Lee DeWheezy, I give you props. Nicely played. Now go get me another rum & coke.

And cue the I could see you making an album like that. Oh. And the he’s in it to win it. At least with Ellen DeGeneres, you don’t know what animal or vegetable or mineral she will compare you to. Uber-twat Kara fawns over Lee, telling him he showed them everything he’s got. She says this with such a husky, emphatic urgency that makes me want to slap her. The bitch just tries too hard to make herself look relevant. It isn’t really fair, however, since her glowing assessment of Lee’s performance — you chose a song that had meaning for you, blah blah emphatic blah — is a bit of a slap in the face to Crystal and Casey, who both chose songs that meant something to them. By artists that meant something to them. And if you’re even just a solid, garden-variety bar singer, you likely know how to do Skynard pretty damn well at this point.

Commercial break…I have never seen a Shrek movie, but I am so going to McDonald’s to buy the glass on the far right. For obvious reasons. Obviously.

A picture says 1000 words… (or does the saying go a picture says 100x more than Randy Jackson’s vocabulary?)


JUDGE’S CHOICE

Casey James
Daughters

Randy and Kara spout some crap about how they think Casey should be like John Mayer. Yeah. This is a shitty ass song. Indulgent doesn’t even begin to describe this crap. It also makes the swaybots sway. Why don’t you just chop his head off? Killing someone is easier when you just do it quickly.

The song is loathsome, but Casey gives it his all, a little goat vibrato there, a little goat vibrato here. I like his voice. Shoot me. But know what I really like? I like it when Casey James plays guitar. This performance would be a lot better, if it wasn’t such a loathsome fucking song that frankly, gives me the creeps. It’s John Mayer, for chrissake.

The judges praise him this time around, well, not so much him as themselves, because it was they who chose the song. And Randy and Kara love talking about themselves and their sage wisdom. Simon takes them to task for their selection, just as he did last season when they gave Kris Allen that Ryan Tedder garbage. He complains there wasn’t enough of a climax and Kara starts emphatically talking about how it doesn’t need a climax because its all about emotion. Hey, I dig emotion. But I hate John Mayer. And Kara DioGuardi, the only thing I would hate more than being stuck in a room with you is being stuck in a room with you and Julia Roberts. Your rampant narcissism and commitment to being so damned emphatic about every damn thing you say makes me want to shank someone. Hell, you make me want to shank my couch.

Crystal Bowersox
Maybe I’m Amazed

Ellen selected Paul McCartney’s classic for Ms. Bowersox and its a much better choice than what those dingbats surrounding her chose for Casey James. Notice how the judges’ choice works? Randy & Kara get to choose for the person they want to go home immediately. Nice judge (aka Paula/Ellen) gets to choose for the contestant they want to be in the finals, but not win. And Simon gets to choose for the ordained winner.

Crystal sounds lovely, and Rickey Minor & Debra Byrd did not make her change the gender orientation of the song (maybe I’m a man / maybe you’re the only woman who could ever help me). Speaking of men, Crystal goes balls out on the vocals. Balls out. I picture a choir behind her, but Crystal doesn’t need a choir to make her sound better. She also did beautifully without her guitar. Gee, Randy. She must be in it to win it, right? Ellen, nice job on song selection. Kara, shut up about song rearrangement. You can’t even arrange your meds properly in that pillbox marked with the days of the week. Four words, bitch — OPEN TOES. (Funny, rearranging songs was never a make-it-or-break-it factor until David Cook, was it?)

Lee DeWyze
Hallelujah


Another song in desperate need of a mercy killing on American Idol, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Naturally, Simon has chosen this for the erstwhile paint salesman from the Chicago burbs. Simon owns the rights to this song. You hear that sound? That’s another zero or two being added to one of Simon’s bank accounts. But Simon says he chose the song for Lee because he LIKES Lee AS A PERSON and how its never been done like how Lee is gonna do it on the Idol stage. (Yeah…slam Jason Castro why dontcha. He’s kind of the one who made it an Idol standard. And didn’t little Timmy Urban just sing this already this season?) He also says he’s basically handing Lee his moment on a silver platter.

A fraking backup singer choir? Are you kidding me? Oh. Did you hear how he ruined that first refrain with his last hallelujah? Why didn’t you put the backup singers in robes for chrissake? At least we know they were there to drown out DeWheezy’s patented off-key wheeziness, but hey, stick him in all white and call it a moment. The judges cream all over themselves. They also use this time to drive the point home how Lee is what this show is all about. How Lee was just a guy selling paint searching for his big break. How Lee laid down the gauntlet. How Lee has improved so much in this competition. Kara DioGuardi is out of control emphatically demanding HER moment — she really does become more insufferable every time she opens her mouth. Simon basically handed him the title. Randy and Ellen reiterated everything the somewhat more pertinent judges said. It’s manipulative. It’s predicable. It’s pathetic.

You know what? I’m gonna listen to it again. Perhaps I missed something while furiously typing away on my laptop. Perhaps it was sheer brilliance. Perhaps Lee DeWyze is one of the brightest undiscovered talents the world has ever known. (And hey, Lee does, at times, lead one to believe he may possess certain qualities most desirable American Idol winner — i.e., someone who might finally tell his batshit crazy fans to shut the frak up and leave him alone and…a guitar? Hmmm…it wasn’t bad. It was relatively in tune, but…I did not cream myself. So um…

Every moment of tonight’s show reiterated the fact that American Idol sucks. Sure, it’s always sucked donkey balls, but now it sucks rotten corpse maggot-infested donkey balls. What was the point in even allowing Casey James to sing tonight, or for that matter, even Crystal Bowersox? While part of me relishes the pimping of Lee DeWyze as Idol finally accepting a girl can never win this damn thing because women of a certain age are the only ones who vote hard and vote often, the other part of me feels bad for our beloved goat and Saint Bowersox. Because I’m the type who roots for the girls with guitars and all the undergoats in all the world.

But I’m still bored.

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from → American Idol

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  • MarkC

    Such a disappointment for a Top 3 show. None of it was very good, though none of it was really bad. Even in the much-maligned season six, Melinda Doolittle’s “Nutbush City Limits” was pretty freakin’ phenomenal, though it did nothing to save her. And yet Casey, who I was hoping might have a moment, just folded. Crystal was fine, if slightly not up to par.

    But I will say this; it actually made me mad. Insofar as it had that performance of “Hallelujah”.

    Now, I’m becoming so jaded that the “choir of heavenly pimpage” with the “divine lighting of heavenly pimpage”, and my reaction to a contestant now actually being framed (literally!) as the second coming of Jesus. But, despite the way that Hallelujah has been pretty much bastardized, this felt like kicking it in the groin while it was down, stepping on it twenty times, and then pissing all over it.

    Any appreciable reading of the song would realize that the song is a really dark, complicated, often sarcastic song. It’s not a song where Jesus comes to the narrator and he says “Hallelujah!”. So what the hell with the uplifting, loving, praise-be-the-Lord insanity that I was forced to witness? I’m not usually overprotective of songs, and I tend to be pretty casual in the interpretations I accept, but this was just an insane misreading.

    It really needs to be a rule in the competition; anyone who manages to be out-interpreted by Tim Urban is immediately disqualified from the competition. Period. Even though in this case, that’s probably more Simon Cowell than Lee.

    And to think that man’s actually making money off of that song in that way… bleh…

    • MarkC

      Truncated a sentence there, strangely (is it possible to have an edit button at any point in the future?). Should be “my reaction to a contestant being framed (literally) as the second coming of Jesus is strangely amused.” And by prior bastardizations, I was referring to on the show.

      • Mithra

        Also, Tim and Jestro did not get the song at all. I think Lee does, otherwise he wouldn’t have clearly mocked what they set up for him.

    • CayKat

      Mark C- I found your point about the interpretation of the song really insightful. I was so blinded by my disgust of the overt pimpage that this didn’t even occur to me.

      Another reason why I love this site – comments and contributions like yours!

    • Mithra

      To be fair to Lee, he reportedly cracked during the rehearsals that he should have a harness stapped to him so he could float up into the air. This is the guy who brought on a bagpiper, remember. I think that’s all Simon’s doing.

      Even in the much-maligned season six, Melinda Doolittle’s “Nutbush City Limits” was pretty freakin’ phenomenal,

      Yeah, that was amazing, and it made me a Melindatard.

      • MaryS-NJ

        “Nutbush City Limits” was awesome. Ah good memories. Melinda’s biggest problem was that she often chose dull or old fashioned songs for herself but I loved it when she sand outside her comfort zone. I loved her Bon Jovi week performance too.

        • Mithra

          Yeah, that’s what bugged me about her at first. It was like the year of too many divas who always got around having to work the themes. Worst example was British Invasion Week, when they did songs from movie like a Bond film and Oliver. And actually, I think she and LaKisha both did Donna Summers songs for the Songs on Gwen Stefani iPod Week.

          She finally started to get interesting Bon Jovi night. I was going to bring that up but I don’t know the name of the song since I’m not a fan of them, but she was great and I saw her as a real artist. Before, she was dated, and not in a good way, because I prefer older music. She was just boring.

      • MarkC

        True, about Lee. I did place the blame at Simon Cowell’s feet, too.

        I will say, though, while Tim’s version didn’t understand the song, it also didn’t get it as flagrantly wrong. In other words, by basically sticking to the melody and singing in a detached manner that didn’t convey anything, at least he didn’t misrepresent it, so it’s the difference between battery and manslaughter, I guess. I actually don’t remember that much about Castro’s version, other than I don’t remember it being as problematic to me at the time.

        • Mithra

          Castro and Tim are fundies. Tim just seems blank because he’s a homeschooled zombiebot. Very happy smiley cult like. You can see them coming at you with that pretty kool aid…

          There’s video from some church group or something where Jason talks about the song and is clearly clueless, as if that’s shocking – JasonDuh being clueless. I just checked out youtube and there are A LOT of videos out there of him performing it.

          • nerdgirl

            Just because you don’t like Tim, you don’t have offend ALL homeschoolers. As a homeschooler myself I have to deal with misconceptions and unsolicited advice from strangers about how raise my child all the time. Please, not on my favorite blog, pretty please…

          • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

            There are a lot of homeschoolers who are the exact opposite of the Lisa Welschel Christian homeschooler. There are a ton of families in Cambridge, MA who homeschool their kids and have banded together for activities, lessons, what not. I met one of these children before and she was one of the most intelligent. cultured and mature 12-year-olds I had ever met.

          • Mithra

            I bit my lip and wasn’t going to respond to that post. I know what you’re talking about, but people here, including you have made fun of Timmeh’s blank look behind his eyes and fundie homeschooling. I know there are different sorts of people using non traditional education, and respect THAT, but that is clearly not what’s being discussed – plus it was a freakin JOKE. OBVIOUSLY… Maybe people say things to her and others for a reason…

          • nerdgirl

            Feel like I have to clarify things before they get too serious…

            Yes, homeschooling was not the point, blank look in Timmeh’s eyes caused by homeschooling (the main cause for blank looks, of course) was the point.

            I apologize for being overly sensitive in this case. Usually, I don’t pay attention when people make snide remarks about my homeschooling, my nationality, my appearance, or my accent.

            Please, forgive me. Peace…

          • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

            I think the homeschooling jokes were more like, the typical homeschool…yikes…how do I explain what I mean?

            With a name like Nerdgirl, I imagine you’ve a very good homeschooler :) (I mean this with the utmost sincerity!)

          • Mithra

            Also, the “pretty please” is SO passive aggressive and controlling it bugged the shit out of me. I just had to get that out. You can’t snark on a TV show and the numbnuts on it without random people thinking you are attacking their being? Oy veh.

          • Lauren

            I was going to ignore this but how is “pretty please” passive aggressive? I consider it polite. In fact, it makes her very simple request even more reasonable because she is asking you nicely.

          • Mithra

            Who says I don’t like Timmeh? I was one of his main supporters here. He’s FUNNY. Joke, you know…um…this is ironic. Yeah…

    • RarelyC

      Markc: “Any appreciable reading of the song would realize that the song is a really dark, complicated, often sarcastic song. It’s not a song where Jesus comes to the narrator and he says “Hallelujah!”. So what the hell with the uplifting, loving, praise-be-the-Lord insanity that I was forced to witness? I’m not usually overprotective of songs, and I tend to be pretty casual in the interpretations I accept, but this was just an insane misreading.

      It really needs to be a rule in the competition; anyone who manages to be out-interpreted by Tim Urban is immediately disqualified from the competition. Period. ”

      Thank you, markc. Exactly! Hallelujah is not a shout-out of joyful praise to God. It is an intimate, heartbreaking song about a relationship. Although idiots in the past have used a gospel choir in covering this song, that doesn’t mean they are not idiots. That is what pisses me off about Simon (and the other judges) praising Lee’s version. It was a pandering, bulls**t version of a great song. Lee should be disqualified, not for his raging pitch problems, but for not having the musical heart or soul to recognize what that song is about. In contrast, Kris Allen had the “subtle craftsmanship,” as one writer put it, to recognize what “Heartless” or even “She Works Hard for the Money” were all about, as songs — and to rearrange them in a way that still was true to their intent.

      And eclipse25, I hope you are being sarcastic in your comment about viability. Crystal is far more “viable” than Lee as a commercial artist. Daughtry and David Cook can do the Lee Dewyze raspy voice thing far better than Lee does it.

      • Mithra

        • deez

          Comments from Wheezytards:

          >blockquote>@hunanuna101 you are completely false with the person who wrote it knows how someone is suppose to sing it… songs are meant to be sang differently and Lee’s version is the BEST yet.

          33 minutes ago @Qdog145 I respect your opinion and I completely understand the soul coming from one person and some simple chords but Lee Dewyze did NOT put too much production into this song. Lee’s version was heartfelt, powerful, and to be honest with you better than this original. Lee OWNED this song.

          54 minutes ago The best version of this song so far is Lee Dewyze HANDS DOWN!!!!!!!!!!

          Nope.

          • deez

            >blockquote> FAIL

  • eclipse25

    G-d Effin’ Damnit, people! While it’s fun to whine and complain about Lee’s overpimping, Simon’s manipulation, 19′s pawn molding etc… deep down (in places you don’t like to talk about at parties), you all know what’s going down here. Simon’s goal, as he’s said verbatim, is to find a worldwide superstar. And you all know that Lee is the only viable candidate out of the three. Please step outside of your personal bubbles and try to imagine who can sell the most records to the most people. Not just the cultured snobby few… everyone! That’s the point isn’t it? I mean in the grown-up music world outside the Idol bubble, the pitch problems, the lack of “artistry” don’t mean sh-t.

    After watching Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, and to some extent Kris Allen get confetti showers, do you blame Simon in the least for unabashedly “taking this sinking boat and pointing it home.”? Do you?

    It’s convenient and self-aggrandizing to get on your high white horse over this… but Ken Warwick has to get ratings, Simon Cowell needs a money-making artist, and WE have to dance with them that brung us. There are three people left that America has chosen (Mike Lynche’s debacle, notwithstanding)… Lee Dewyze IS the best choice among the three. And if any of you were in Ken or Simon’s shoes you would think the exact same thing… and twice on Sundays. And with Idol in its 9th and arguably worse season, you would be doing everything in your power to get the result you need.

    Please forgive my vitriol and length. I do enjoy this blog. But at some point you all HAVE to concede this. I mean most of you are smart (or appear to be).

    • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

      But do you really think Lee DeWyze could be a “worldwide superstar?”

      Hey, I don’t think ANY of the contestants this year could be, so…like I said, part of me relishes the fact they’ve just accepted the fate of the show.

      • Nich

        I can’t see Lee suddenly breaking out and being a worldwide superstar when he’s just another in a line of Kris Allen/David Cook/Chris Daughtry. The only one of them really blowing it up bigtime (in comparison to the other two WGWG) is Chris Daughtry, who got superlucky, imo.

      • eclipse25

        Out of the three left, he’s the best shot. In fact I think he’ll sell fewer CDs than either Kris or Adam (and maybe even Allison), but he’s the most commercially viable candidate left. And I wasn’t really directing that post at you, but the commenters in general.

        Oh, and from someone who’s been to a few “south county” weddings, I literally peed in my pants a little when you were talking about that.

      • CayKat

        EXACTLY! none of them are going to sell records. Not on the level of a “Superstar”. I agree that the producers, creators etc. need to be thinking about the bottom line but if Smug Dweyzee is considered a “viable candidate”, then I am the bloody queen of England.

        • eclipse25

          Nice to see you, Your Majesty :)

      • Federer’s Nose

        This is kinda rhetorical, but since when has finding a worldwide superstar a goal for AI anyway? I thought the name, American Idol, meant it was enough to find a viable talent to please America (a la Carrie). Why would they try to conquer the world anyway when they haven’t really mastered conquering America yet?

    • Dickory Dock

      Hahahahahahaha!

      What? Oh, you were serious.

      Lee is going to be a worldwide superstar? Really? Alrighty, then!

    • wino

      Lee IS the best candidate? I missed that memo. Sorry, I still think Crystal has a good chance of breaking the cookie cutter mold and delivering a good post AI album. She doesnt look or sound like a typical Idol contestant, and thats a plus. Lee is just a poor man’s David Cook. If Cook is not a world wide superstar by now, how can Lee make it? Having said that, she still sounded like crap yesterday and made an awful boring song selection. So her ass better be on fire next Tuesday, or else this entire convo is moot.

      And if Simon C is looking for a commercial viable contestant, why the F was he pushing for Gookey so hard last year? Even after the iTunes sales leak where it had him coming in third to kris and adam??

      sorry, i just think simon wants to take this sinking boat and sink it further to make room for the XFactor in the fall.

    • tinawina

      Lee is not likely to be a worldwide superstar IMO.

      But he might do better than Kris. He think he could have a bigger Idol fanbase. If he gets good songs, he might do well on the radio too.

      The thing is, this is not Radio Idol. Its supposed to be a gameshow for live vocalists who want recording contracts. The singers/performers who jump through the hoops the best are supposed to win, or at least make the finals. Lee can’t sing live! Hes be the only winner Idol ever had that could not hold a note in front of a microphone.

      I think he has commercial potential, but I don’t think he deserves to win this contest. He’s going to get a deal anyway. I’ll be sure to check out his album when he does. But to win AI, you should at least be able to sing IMO.

      • eclipse25

        All fair points, tina… and ITA. In fact, if you look at who was the best “perfomer/contestant” over the last 8 seasons, I can’t really fault America for ANY Idol winner. We’ve really gotten in right when looking at that definition.

        If American Idol ended at the finale, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. But there are hundreds of thousands of dollars in recording contracts bestowed on the winner.
        This is S9. We know how this works now. It IS essentially Radio Idol to TPTB. Idoldome success doesn’t always (maybe ‘more often doesn’t') translate to commercial success. All I’m saying is that if you were Simon or Ken, you’d be doing the exact same thing if so much money was tied into what happens AFTER the show.

        Of course I don’t believe Lee will be a worldwide superstar. But he has the largest appeal to the largest number of people.

        • tinawina

          Alright, fair enough. I don’t actually care about the making money after the show part, that’s 19′s problem. LOL. I just think as far as the contest goes, Lee doesn’t deserve to win for me. I felt the same way about Brooke Season 7, and I LOOOVVEEE me some Brooke. I have purchased everything she’s put out since. But Idol was not her ideal platform, she didn’t play it well, and she didn’t deserve to win it all.

          But I could definitely see TPTB thinking Lee is the most likely to make them the most money. I would think Casey could too, but maybe they chose Lee. Who knows?

      • vtu

        This, right here, is the fundamental problem that AI has now. The producers want it to be about finding an international superstar, and much of the audience wants it to be about finding the artist most deserving of a recording contract (regardless of whether the artist’s genre will ever be compatible with superstardom). Once AI turns the reigns over the voters, the producers no longer get to control what the show is looking for. The closest they can come to having control is pimping the contestant they want, and since that’s the only tool left in their toolbelt, they just keep returning to it time and again.

        • eclipse25

          ITA, vtu. That unresolved dichotomy is probably what ultimately drove SiCo to X Factor. And that chicken is coming home to roost.

          Not to get all kumbaya on y’all. But it’s nice to have a show that still grabs 2o million viewers a week. It’s nice to have a topic that so many people can have an opinion on (besides politics and religion). As entertainment viewership gets more and more fractionalized with every cable channel and internet site, it’s good to have something that still brings much of America together over the watercooler (or interwebz, or whatever).

          So I hope Ken & Co. get their shit worked out this summer, fill Simon’s chair and keep this show rolling. For all that’s wrong with it, there’s a lot right with it.

    • Acrobat

      I do not, in fact, *know* that Lee is the most viable candidate out of the three. Thanks for trying to set me straight, though.

      I’m pretty sure the most viable candidate is Casey. By FAR. Attractive, authentically country guy who can cross over to HAC and shred the shit out of a guitar? AI’s never had a male country winner before, and that’s got “gold mine” written all over it. Case in point: Keith Urban. The judges were too busy in the beginning trying to pimp out the girls and making a joke out of Casey as cougar-bait to notice it.

      Crystal’s the only one of the top 3 who can hold up vocally to previous seasons, but she’s also the toughest one to market to a wide audience. Lee *could* do well, but he’ll get saddled with watered down HAC pop/rock songs without a voice like Cook’s or Daughtry’s to sell them.

      • eclipse25

        Maybe Casey could be molded into a bigger commercial success than Lee. (Although some of Lee’s studio recordings are pretty damn good, if not great. Did Lee really get 41,000 people to his hometown concert?) But at this point Casey doesn’t seem interested in it. And I agree that Kara’s comments about Casey’s fans being just women (and some men) probably didn’t help.

        Whatever happened in Illinois with Lee this week really impacted him. Maybe he did go write “I can win this whole damn thing.” a 100 times. Maybe Simon Fuller got him drunk and slapped him around. Whatever it was… made Lee appear to WANT to win. I could make a slightly weaker argument for Crystal. But I can’t make one at all for Casey.

        If I were 19E, why would I be pushing hard for an artist that seems apathetic at best? I think Jason Castro is the best example of attitude affecting outcome… He had the talent (and the look) to go big. But he lost interest. My argument remains… having to hitch your horse to Crystal, Casey or Lee… 19E is making the correct business decision.

        • Acrobat

          I might have lost interest, too, if I’d been treated the way the judges treated Casey. Granted, I was hoping he’d pull a Kris Allen and have his own “Heartless” last night, but thinking back, their Idol runs aren’t even comparable. Kris generally got very good reviews until Simon on Top 5 night (when every other judge loved him), so it’s not like he’d been demoralized and completely undermined every step of the way with Kara lusting after him. He got undermined in other ways, but they were never outright rude to him.

          Purely based on typecasting? Casey’s the easiest sell of the Top 3. Why go for another pop/rock guy when you already have two far superior ones in your stable in Cook and Kris?

    • et

      I can’t imagine Lee becoming a worldwide superstar, I really can’t. He may outsell Kris, but he’s not going to put out an album to get him any kind of superstardom.

      But this:

      Attractive, authentically country guy who can cross over to HAC and shred the shit out of a guitar? AI’s never had a male country winner before, and that’s got “gold mine” written all over it.

      I agree. They are missing out with Casey, I think. He could definitely do the country crossover thing.

    • DDRLaine

      I have to laugh about your reference to that little nebish Lee, becoming a worldwide superstar. That is REALLY funny! Aside from a few rabid fans (who must be from another planet), who in the heck is going to buy this creep’s CD’s? If he wins, he’s going down in annals of complete and utter forgettable would-be artists.

      Crystal could make a go of it and so could Casey, but off-key Lee? Not!

      • eclipse25

        Again, I never said or even thought that Lee WOULD become a worldwide superstar… but that is Simon’s goal. In other words, he’s looking for the broadest appeal, not necessarily the best.

        • Acrobat

          Ugh, Simon’s “worldwide superstar” meme. He hasn’t even mentioned that this season and he never mentioned it prior to Season 8, either. And it was a stupid thing to bring up, considering the only Idol who’d ever made a dent in the international market is Kelly. That’s Simon pulling criteria out of his ass to suit his favored contestant, namely Adam. (That’s not an insult to Adam, either, just an observation regarding his appeal. But it was funny how suddenly the goal of AI was to create a worldwide superstar once his chosen pony was a type that would excel in Europe and Japan moreso than America, no?)

          Similarly, you will not hear the judges bust out the tried-and-true “But this is a singing competition!” when praising Lee, even though it certainly came in handy when they pushed for Jordin to win over Blake.

    • AH

      Honestly if the producers and judges wanted the most “commercially viable” contestant of the bunch, they should have pimped Didi Benami a little harder. Sure she had a complete meltdown in terms of song choice and didn’t live up to her potential but her voice is the most “radio friendly” of the entire Top 10. And she attractive which goes a long way in the music business. She could potentially do very well with a major record contract and a stellar marketing team.

      • AH

        *she’s, not she..gah I hate typos! :)

    • cc

      Sorry, I can’t help but laugh at your “worldwide supahstah” rant. I guess your right that maybe Lee is the most viable artist out of the three left but, let’s be real here, the jury is still out. You don’t know six months from now if he is going to rise above the AI mold or will be back in the obscurity, noh? We have to wait and see.

      All the whine and complain about the OTT pimping of Lee you’re complaining is another matter. As a viewer, I can judge on my own if I will like or not the performance. I can agree or disagree to the judges if I want to. I don’t care if Ken Warwick needs his ratings or Simon wants his money making artist, I want to watch a fair competition and I don’t want someone (even if he is THE GREATEST SINGER) to be shoved down my throat. Idol is still a brand and its viewers are the consumers that can make or break them. It’s their responsibilty to bring us a great show not the other way around that we have to dance with what they want.

      • cc

        *you’RE right

    • laila

      If Simon was smart he’d be mentoring Casey to be the next big country star, which he could easily be.

      Simon has really odd and antiquated ideas of what makes a superstar and he’s often wrong.

      • deez

        I agree. Casey has it all over Lee. He’s different from Cook/Allen, both musically and physically. (3 short to medium brunette plaid wearing guitar players in a row?) Casey’s tall, slender, blond, blue eyed, the all-American boy with a country-rock vibe and cross-over appeal. He’s got a good voice with a little edge (when he uses it). He only needs good songs. I’m thinking possibly in the classic rock Tom Petty vein…I know that’s not “current”, but does “good” go out of style? Maybe I’m thinking this b/c I listened to my Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ Greatest Hits CD today, and TP didn’t have the best voice, but that never mattered.

        Lee? Why? He’s a pale version of David Cook or Kris. I don’t get that he has the musical knowledge/taste of either of those guys.(or that he sings as well) The “hot” thing is lost on me as well. He looks like a grocery bagger. IDOL FAIL.

        • mozart4898

          And see…just in this discussion here, we’ve had one person saying (passionately, I might add) that Lee would be the most marketable, commercial, whatever. Others are saying Casey would be. I say Crystal would be. Why? Because she’s different from other female artists out there really. Who are the big name female artists in the music world right now, if you had to pick them? Lady Gaga, Kesha, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, maybe Alicia Keys, and others in the same kinda vein. There are guys that are similar to Crystal out there, but there’s few women like her now. There have been some in the past (and a few are still around making music now) – Jewel, Etheridge, Chapman, and the like. I can totally see Crystal as being on the beginning of the rebirth of the female singer/songwriter. And honestly, many male artists seem to have a short shelf life – it’s like when their female fans are ready for something new, they drop them like a hot potato. It just seems that female artists seem to have longer careers quite often. (Bands are a different story, there are bands that have been around for many many years and still going strong.) Now maybe I’m way out in left field on that but it just seems that way to me. I just get the sense that, of what I’ve seen from AI in the time I’ve watched (and I haven’t been an avid watcher until this year, but I’ve gathered some things from what’s happened in other seasons), Crystal is something almost unique. The closest parallels to her seem to be Melinda Dolittle, who is often referred to as one of the best vocalists in the show’s history (and who apparently faded away near the end of her run, plus people voted for their other favorites to get them to the finale…and she lost out because of it), and Carrie Underwood – and we all know how unsuccessful she’s been, heh. Is it any coincidence that Kelly and Carrie are probably the best selling winners of the show all time…and they’re both female? Crystal has almost (arguably) their level of vocal ability, plus is an incredible songwriter, and has what seems to me to be a heart of gold. I think if they give her an inch in terms of flexibility in style, she’ll go many miles.

          • mozart4898

            Oh wow…and my HTML totally shit the bed. Sorry. Won’t try that any more, lol.

          • jukejoint

            I don’t know what I think — okay, honestly, I think Casey could be the most marketable if he stepped a teensy bit over into country — but I’m trying to stop the runaway italics. We’ll see if it works.

          • jukejoint

            Nope.

            Why not?

          • old bat

            This run of italics is totally strange.

  • Sherena

    Idol is really bowling us over with the mediocre.

  • Dickory Dock

    TI, I love that screen grab of Ryan and Casey. It is gold.

    I just saw Casey’s FB update and, once again, god damnit.

    Casey James: Thank you everyone who has voted for me this season. Thank you for understanding me. I’m just a musician that took a chance to make a better life for himself. You have helped me accomplish that. I will always be grateful for it with all my heart.

    Why so nice, Casey James? I am cynical! I am jaded! I will not tard you. Ever.

    And then I saw a picture of him with a puppy.

    • Nich

      He’s making me want to check out the touur (depending on what songs he’s performing). He has a picture with a puppy?

      • et

        He’s making me want to check out the tour, too. Quit it, Goat Boy (however beloved).

        • Nich

          I didn’t even go to the tour last year and my fave won! I’ve gone twice. The year Taylor won, which was a fun but cheesy show. And S7 which was pretty good too.

          • Kathy

            I’ve only went to the tour twice too. Season 5,(yes cheesy) because I really liked Bucky & Chris(even if he is starting to sound the same all the time lol) and season 8 to see Kris. Not planning on it this season. Alex probably would have been the only one who could have sold me a ticket this year.

      • magnacarta

        Since I just got linked to it:

        • Nich

          Is it ok to tard over a puppy? Because awwwww look at the little doggie!

          • Pandora

            I want that puppy! I don’t think the orange kitties would mind. Much.

        • On The Edge

          Can they let the puppy be the new Idol? He’s cuter than the remaining finalists, plus being a blue tick hound he can melisma and wail just like Simon likes! “aaaOOOOwaaaOOOOwaaaOOOooo”

          • et

            Is that a bluetick? Looks like a lil’ dapple Dachshund. Orange kitty wouldn’t mind a lil’ Dachshund…

            Sorry, that was like dogtarding or something. I can’t help it, I do doggy rescue, I love me some dogs (and kitties! I save kitties too! have an orange one on my rescue transport this week!)

        • Dickory Dock

          Do you see? Do you see what I mean? How can you dislike a dude who loves his mama and loves puppies? Impossible.

        • wino

          he looks like a young, surfer version of Jeff Bridges in this photo.

          • deez

            LOL. Nice call, I had to go back and look.

    • auntieaimee

      Aw, he sounds resigned to his fate. Self aware. Hopefully he can parlay the exposure into a music career of some kind.

      • Dickory Dock

        I cannot believe I may legit like someone from this show. Watching those videos from his homecoming converted me. Not just the straight up blues, but his cover of Ian Moore’s Blue Sky and Satisfied. I hope he does get to record a CD because I’d be really interested to see what he does.

        Aaaaaand, I hate myself a little more now.

    • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

      I still think interns write that shit. Maybe they give them a few ideas, but…

      You know who Lee DeWyze sounds like when he speaks? Danny Gokey. You know who Casey James sounds like when he speaks? Tim Riggins.

      • Kathy

        Tim Riggins….good taste, good taste.

      • Dickory Dock

        “Here’s to good friends livin’ large in Texas. Texas forever.”

        Heh.

      • Pandora

        Tim Riggins doesn’t need to talk to get anyone’s attention. In fact, sometimes it’s better that he doesn’t. ;)

      • auntieaimee

        Damn, I got to start watching that show.

  • peg

    This sums up how I feel about the whole damn thing.

    • auntieaimee

      LMAO

    • tinawina

      LOL! I just posted that at mjs! That song is the best damn song ever written. :D

      • peg

        Sorry tinawina, saw that at MJs and loved it! Great find!!! My new favorite video of all time.

        • tinawina

          Don’t apologize, I’m not mad! I didn’t know you got that from me. Spread the funny!

    • Trish

      Oh, man, I wish Casey would cover that tonight on his sing-out! I’m laughing so hard I can’t breathe!

    • Sherena

      I see

      One more moment

      …

      Error #2048

      That’s probably not what you’re going for, but it still seems vaguely appropriate!

    • vtu

      LOL. I’d sing along to it. ;)

  • MissMyEm

    When it all boils down…I think I’m the only one who really doesn’t care who wins tonight. Idol has been doing shit for years. I just don’t know why this season should be such a surprise.

    • Legend

      Nope. You are not the only one. I haven’t cared for most of this season. Its a shame because I have loved this show for a long time and always get through my post holiday blues with, “Well at least I have AI to look forward to!” Now after this season I no longer feel that way. Probably won’t even watch tonight because it just doesn’t matter. I might watch next week to see that guy who won last year. Can’t remember his name. I think it starts with a C.

    • Kate123

      The Finale is tonight?????

      • Kate123

        Never mind. Shit, I’m retarded…I wish there was a delete button.

    • Sherena

      You and everyone else on this site :P

      Honestly, I’m surprised that over at MJ’s some people are still mustering the energy to tard over someone. Some people are even doing all caps! Standards, they are low.

      • ross

        SHUT UP!! LEE IS HOT!!!

  • Kathy

    I read they are cutting the result shows to 30 minutes next season. Took them long enough to get that hint.

    Casey is toast tonight it seems. I am in the minority I think, but I didn’t hate Lee last night. He was not the second coming the judges proclaimed him to be however. Crystal was off. She didn’t impress me with either song. I was surprised.

    • MissMyEm

      I’m with you. I thought I was the only one.

    • jukejoint

      I just watched the vids. Not the whole show, definitely not the stupid judges’ comments. Just the singing.

      I thought they were all fine, meh, nothing exciting, nothing dreadful. I expected Lee and Crystal to be a lot worse, considering all the comments. Nope. Just okay. C, C- across the board.

      • et

        jukejoint, that’s what I thought, too. Nobody did bad, nobody did great, it was just – as is typical of this season – boring.

    • auntieaimee

      It was a very good night for Lee. It was probably the best he’d ever sounded on the show. I just don’t like his voice. I haven’t since I heard it during the spoilers months ago. He’s just not my thing.

    • tinawina

      No, I actually agree that Lee was the best last night. That’s as good as he has ever sounded, and Crystal was off her game. I just didn’t agree with the OTT judge’s reaction.

      • Nich

        Me too. Frankly it was the judges that pissed me off the most.

      • et

        I agree, too, that Lee was the best he’s been and was the best of the night. But the judges were ridiculous in their pimping/their reaction, he wasn’t *that* good. And that turned me off, and fast.

        • Burgundy LaRue

          Lee was the best last night, but it wasn’t as great as the judges would have us believe. Not that they care what we think at this point.

        • tinawina

          What really got to me was the OMG FANTASTIC reaction for basically staying on key and not looking scared. I get that is the first time Lee has been able to pull that off, but it’s Top 3 night! Shouldn’t that have been happening all along? Why are we jumping up and down over a contestant finally reaching a level of 7/10 after 5 damn months? And creaming all over him like he just won the title? For being better than okay… finally? This is the same guy that sucked donkey balls last week, people. LOL

  • Lucky

    I broke down and watched a few of the performaces on YT. Poor Casey, there wasn’t much he could have done with that douchebag song they gave him. I will admit that Lee did a better job than I expected, but nowhere near a winner or runner up moment. I don’t care if Crystal does a Cindy Brady and stares at the camera mutely next week, I will vote for her all night!

  • deez

    Oh well…when Casey bows out tonight, I hope for his final performance he gives a big Eff You to the judges. I want him to grab his guitar, forget the singing, and just blow everybody away with an awesome solo. (self-indulgent, of course :) )

    • Nich

      Yes please. He didn’t have a prayer last night but I really wanted him to go big.

      • Blue Eyes

        I would shocked be if Casey did not go home, but I also think they threw Crystal under the bus as well.

        Baby I’m Amazed was an awful song choice for a woman to sing and I thought that was funny coming from Ellen. When she kept singing “baby I’m a man”, I knew it was over for her. Lee is the chosen one.

        • Nich

          I actually liked it that she said “baby I’m a man”. I hate it when a guy is singing a girl song (or vice versa) and changes the lyrics so that they suit them. Like Paige singing Honky Tonk Woman and kept saying she was a Honky Tonk Woman looking for a Honky Tonk Man. Just sing the lyrics as they are.

          • Blue Eyes

            A Sarah McLachlan, Jewel or a Bonnie Rait song would have been a much better fit for Crystal than Baby, I’m Amazed. Baby, I’m Amazed is a song for a man to sing!

          • ross

            ITA. Nich.

        • jukejoint

          I’ve been thinking about what Crystal could’ve done with the Vanessa Carlton song “The One.” Because Crystal’s voice has more grit and is less pretty, she might’ve made it into something very special. I admit I like that song, anyway. It has a good story (and I think telling a story through song is Crystal’s strength) and I would like to hear what Crystal could do with it. I like Maybe I’m Amazed, but it’s not the right kind of song if you’re trying to blast somebody into the finals.

          Something like Jackson Browne’s “My Opening Farewell” or “Fountain of Sorrow” might’ve been cool for the same reason. Or John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery.”

          But maybe those are too artsy-fartsy for Middle America. And by Middle America, I do not mean the Midwest. I mean the people who are into the most superficial and shallow of pop artists, like Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus and the other ho-bags like them.

          • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

            And by Middle America, I do not mean the Midwest.

            Love you, Juke. I was born & bred in the midwest, but that doesn’t make me (or many people I know) Middle America.

          • jukejoint

            Thanks, TI. Love you, too!

            Remember, the Midwest gave us the glory that is Jon Hamm.

    • songkat7

      Deez – that would rock on so many levels. I really hope Casey brings it tonight.

    • Dickory Dock

      I just said this down below somewhere! Now that would be a Moment.

    • jukejoint

      How about all seven minutes of Layla? That would make me laugh.

      • Pandora

        oh hell yeah.

        • Burgundy LaRue

          I want him to play “Foxy Lady” while walking toward Kara-only to call her an ugly, hard-up broad directly in her microphone for the whole audience hear.

          Besides, Casey pretty told the judges UP YOURS with his song choice last night. The lyrics are fitting for someone who’s been ran down as much as him–

          Ok it’s alright with me
          Some things are just meant to be
          It never comes easily
          And when it does i’m already gone

      • Dickory Dock

        I’m on board. Do it Casey. Dooooooooo Itttttttt!

  • maturin

    Really can’t say with this stupid season, but I wonder if the Dewyze thing isn’t a bit like Seasons 3, 5, and 6 –Degarmo, McPhee, and Blake Lewis–where TPTB feel like they need to pump up a relatively weak 2nd placer to create some suspense for their big finale. If What Not to Sing is right, as many people can’t stand Lee and think he sucks as like him, so the judges may be *trying* to muddy the waters.

    They must really, really want to stop the ratings slide in finale week because its their priciest ad slot and this year’s ratings determine what they can sell next year’s for –the advertisers essentially buy a pig in a poke each year, having to buy the ad time months in advance of the actual season. In any event, it’s unlikely to work –this is almost certainly going to be their lowest rated finale week in years.

    The stuff about Lee being popular with middle aged ladies and having a “commercial voice” is no different than fanwanking that’s been offered for a ton of Idol smallfry. The basics remain: he’s an incredibly weak live performer who delivers about 2 in 10 times; looks like a schlub; he has no buzz; none of his performances became watercooler moments or were noticed outside the show. You have your serial fantards who have to have *someone* but IMHO he’s at a level of popularity that usually befalls someone in the mid pack — a Constantine or a Michael Johns. Enough for a fansite, to put out a record, and join the circuit of former show contestants playing clubs and festivals.

    Crystal may not be the most obvious candidate for pop stardom ever but she’s a good performer with an excellent voice, and the only one to emerge from the season with some public level or recognition. Women winners from the show have a history of making a lot out of the right pop song, too, so I think she’ll have her shot at radio if she wins. It’s possible, if she comes second to DeWyze and doesn’t get a real push, that both will leave the public radar, though.

    Wonder who’ll get what home town edit this year, though. Last year’s crap hometown footage for Gokey demonstrated that they’d given up on him after the prior week’s Screeem. And Kris’ famous Don’t Cry Mama most definitely helped him in the final night votes. It remains to be seen if some adorable moment with the Babysox and the gritty home town appears to help Crystal.

    • maturin

      Damn

      TL; DNR

    • Nich

      Speaking of the hometown visits, I can’t remember did they show the bulk of the stuff on the performance night or did they wait until the results show?

      • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

        Obviously they won’t show the visits until the results show. For more drama, yes, but also because they know Casey James’ HOT DOCTOR would sway the vote.

        • Nich

          Hot Doctor Love would have gotten all the votes. Is it to late to crown him the winner?

        • Dickory Dock

          I would vote for Hot Doctor. He looked like he was from Mad Men central casting.

    • tinawina

      LOL maturin… its not too long. I read it!

      I hope you are correct. Crystal needs to win this thing. We’ll see if the hype dies down by next week. If not, I think we are looking a our first Constipated Idol.

      • Burgundy LaRue

        Really can’t say with this stupid season, but I wonder if the Dewyze thing isn’t a bit like Seasons 3, 5, and 6 –Degarmo, McPhee, and Blake Lewis–where TPTB feel like they need to pump up a relatively weak 2nd placer to create some suspense for their big finale. If What Not to Sing is right, as many people can’t stand Lee and think he sucks as like him, so the judges may be *trying* to muddy the waters.

        I thought about that angle but thinking back to those seasons, I didn’t doubt for one second that those who won would win. Jordin Sparks won by a healthy amount, I imagine. Taylor Hicks destroyed Katharine McPhee based on DialIdol. Fantasia didn’t win by a huge amount, but not once did I doubt she’d win. No one was ever high on Diana DeGarmo.

        Just guessing, but Lee is probably polling really high with votes and selling strong on iTunes. I may be way off with my gut feeling, but I really think Lee wins.

        • Nich

          Lee is ten times better on his recordings than he is live. I only bought Beast of Burden but the difference btwn that and the live version was amazing.

          • Pandora

            Not gonna help when he’s making the rounds of talk shows, singing live and off-key day after day.

    • mozart4898

      Crystal’s hometown edit could go either way, easily. On one hand you had her performance in downtown Toledo where several city blocks were packed full to watch/listen and 4 levels of a parking garage a block and a half away had people almost hanging out of it to try to get a glimpse of what was going on. On the other hand, they could show clips around the AT&T store (like they did last night) where it looks like the crowd was maybe 10 deep in front of the store, or they could show the fairgrounds where she sang later in the day and where there honestly was a huge crowd, but because the place has so much room you could definitey still see “open space” out beyond the crowd. I seriously doubt any other contestant has come from a town as small as Crystal’s – the population is literally 75. The nearest town with an actual “city government” is about 5 miles from there, and has a population of maybe 4,000. Toledo isn’t exactly her hometown – it’s just the default hometown for anyone from around here when a “bigger” event is called for. And compared to Dallas/Ft. Worth and Chicago, it’s a lot smaller than them. So basically, if they’re really pushing for Lee, they can easily edit Crystal’s homecoming to make it look like there wasn’t hardly anyone there. Even though 10,000-15,000 at a fairgrounds in a county with a population of 40,000 is pretty impressive.

  • Trish

    Shirley Halperin clarified in the comments section of her recap that Casey did indeed sing that Hutchinson song on Monday. She also has a brief interview with him where he’s fairly transparent about the whole experience. Can’t wait until Slezak interviews him!

    All that and more at Idol Tracker:
    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/

    • Dickory Dock

      Then what was the whole rush on stage, with the stage hand barely making it off and then not being able to hear the band? I still think it stinks but whatevia.

      Seems like Casey is ready to be shot of the show anyway:

      Casey’s response when asked if part of him is relieved that the experience will soon be over? A resounding affirmative: “I’m ready to start playing music,” he said. “Like full songs with guitar solos and no judges … not having to cut a song in a minute and a half. … So, yes!”

      • mozart4898

        It’s a shame to hear someone say that they’re relieved to have it be almost over – that just gives you an idea of how they’ve actually been treated for the majority of the time. I’m sure to one degree or another they pretty much all are relieved when it’s over but when they begin their response with “I’m ready to start playing music,” you know they’re just sick of all the BS and want to do what they love.

  • Pingback: Casey James Thread - Carrie Underwood Fans

  • CayKat

    I watched this shit and hated every minute of it. It was just awful.
    I felt so bad for Casey who did not seem happy to me at all. He looked like he was holding back some bad feelings from the get go and was just putting on that pained smile.

    Smug Dweyzee should be bleeding from the head as they securely stitched the fraking “idol crown” unto his scalp. He was shouty, screaming and exceedingly sucky.

    I am through with Simon Cowell. He needs to just take his self important ass over to X-Factor – so sick of him. His behaviour last night was just bad. In fact, the only judge I want them to keep is Ellen. Get rid of the other two and bring on some fresh blood. Some Neil Patrick Harris and George Michael would be nice.

    Crystal was just not good last night but, that chick will be just fine, she won’t win but, she’ll be fine. The girl is just a huge talent.

    Thanks to “On the Edge” for a reminder of what else is on tonight. Think I’ll try to catch a later repeat of The Tudors as I will be out and far away from a tv.

    I’ll watch the finale- you know, when the awesome guy who won last year will be on. You know, the former shoe salesman/student? the one with the guitar, and great voice and nice personality? Just like the one they are all butt fraking this year but, with infintely more talent, humility, good looks, personality and musicality? Yeah! That one!

    • jukejoint

      I vote for NPH, Ellen and Sheila E. Sheila E was good on that weird show that the Sons of Sylvia won and she’s a good musician. I could also lose Ellen, who has been awful this season, and go with Shania Twain instead. She was good at auditions.

      I haven’t seen the show in weeks and I’m not about to go back now. I mean, I watched Dancing with the Stars, WHICH I HATE, just to stick it to AI last night.

      • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

        What? No HARRY CONNICK, JR? THE GREATEST IDOL MENTOR OF ALL TIME.

        • jukejoint

          Sorry. Harry Connic Jr clearly surpasses NPH.

          MY BAD!!

          • jukejoint

            And I spelled his name wrong. D’oh!

            Sorry, Harry Connick, Jr.! Take over this show, please!!

          • auntieaimee

            HC Jr. *and* NPH please! And Shania, what the hell. She’s sweet and purty.

          • Sandy

            Yes! get rid of all the judges and start fresh. Harry C Jr, Neil Patrick H and Shania T would be a great judging panel. Bring them on!!

        • et

          Harry Connick, Jr. on Idol reminded me why I always had a crush on the guy. Love.

          • Pandora

            HCJr., NPH, and Shania would be OK. She was warm and encouraging to the contestants without being overly medicated like Paula.

      • Burgundy LaRue

        Actually, Idol could just bring in the judges from Next Great American Band–John Rzeznik, Sheila E, and Ian Dickson (Dicko). I thought they were a decent panel for an otherwise lackluster show.

        • Pandora

          John Rzeznik is pretty. :)

        • Mithra

          Yeah, they were far better than the Idol judges I thought. I believe Dicko was a judge on Austrailian Idol. He’s the “Simon”, but one who has constructive criticism and knows what he’s talking about. With the ratings still in decline though, they are going to try to get someone high profile.

      • Mary

        Ben Folds judged some reality singing show on NBC almost a year ago, I can’t remember what it was called but he was awesome and very straight to the point.

  • Nich

    The more that I think about it, the more annoyed I am over the Lee pimping last night. Yes, he was the best of the night but only, imo, because Crystal had a really off night. She sings her heart out each week and I feel like Lee has been sitting back and waiting for this moment to actually bring his A game. Good planning, yes, but I still can’t stand him.

    And as much as I hated Simon’s song choice for him, he did the best with it. Yeah he had the lame special lighting and a freaking choir but it actually fit him. Unlike the other judges choices which I think never really worked for Crystal and especially Casey.

    But telling him he’s the heart of the show? Continuing with the bullshit “he’s just a simple paint salesman, who just happened to have two pre-Idol cds and as much experience as the other two people but we won’t mention any of that” storyline really bugs me.

    All I want is for some extreme blacklash to happen to Lee because of the judges. Yeah, I doubt Casey will make it to the final 2 with Crystal. He could have kicked some ass last night but he didn’t. BUT I really hope that next week Crystal stomps all over Lee and goes for the win.

    • Blue Eyes

      People who don’t know any better, fall for the hero/underdog American Idol bullshit story. “He was a poor paint salesman, now he’s a contender for the American Idol crown”. Money, fame, a recording contract, a tour, fans, blah, blah, blah, but the fact remains they STILL have not proven themselves.

      People love the rags to riches story. These people can’t see they are being manipulated.

    • Burgundy LaRue

      BUT I really hope that next week Crystal stomps all over Lee and goes for the win.

      I don’t see it happening. Crystal’s fate has been sealed for weeks, since the first rumblings of her ‘nearly quitting’ and Seacrest having to talk her out of it. We know that the story isn’t true, but it served its puprosed. TPTB have stuck Crystal with the ‘hard to work with’ tag, coupled with the ‘consistently good but not growing’ arc.

      Lee, OTOH, has been give the improvement story and the ‘in it to win it’ angle. And he’s picking up steam just as Crystal is running out of gas. Unless there’s a 180-degree turn next week, Lee wins Idol 2010.

      • vtu

        The part I haven’t figured out yet is why TPTB suddenly want a guy to win again. What happened to it being a girl’s year?

        • Blue Eyes

          Crystal is not commercial. The folk/blues/rock genre is not selling as well as pop-rock and teen-pop.

          Maybe she’s better off. If she wins, tptb will try to Bo Bice her and try to turn her into something she’s not and that would suck.

        • tinawina

          I get wanting a commercial winner but Lee would represent the 3rd rock leaning guitar playing white guy in a row. How is that possibly good for the franchise? I just don’t understand.

          • deez

            And not as good as the last two, besides.

          • Nich

            I have to agree with this. Three White Guys With Guitars in a row? It will make the show look bad, imo.

          • Burgundy LaRue

            Three consecutive WGWG champions is bad for the franchise. But if given the option, they want the alt-rock guy they can somewhat mold as opposed to the firm-in-her-beliefs coffeehouse chick. TPTB are simply narrow-minded in that way.

            With Lee, you can give him a couple of Chad Kroeger-penned songs, a Daughtry leftover, something from Theory of a Deadman (they’re in good with Kara since she was in one of their videos), and let Lee co-write about five songs–presto, instant album just in time for Christmas. I doubt they have anything in their aresnal that fits Crystal right now. Unless they let her write nearly all of her own material, Crystal is in serious danger on being Biced on her album.

            But Lee or Casey’s winning is bad overall because that confirms the opinion that no one other than that one type of contestant can win. Even if David Cook and Kris Allen deserved to win, they fall into this demographic and will be seen as part of the problem for some.

            Idol is really needs to relaunch itself for the 10th season. Clear the judges’ table and get some young, more articulate opinion-makers and take a gamble on a teen contestant, preferably someone non-Caucasian. Someone that can be legit pushed as a pop star.

  • Pingback: Was Casey James Forced to Change His Song Choice For the Top 3? | AMERICAN IDOL BLAST

  • dresden

    mj is reporting that not only will adam lambert not be performing on the finale, she’s hearing he won’t be on the red carpet, nor in the audience like most runners ups are… is he pouting that someone is showing him loud and clear it’s not all about him, or is the spin going to be he’s ‘previously engaged’ that night… ‘munches popcorn’

    • deez

      Could it be that he’s taking the high road? I’m sure he’s been made aware (by the million tweets of Glamberts) that he needs to show up to lend the show some “credibility” and make everything sparkly and better!!!1111!!!! Perhaps he’s decided that if he shows up, the camera would be all over him instead of where it should be. (on this season’s top 2) If that’s the reason, then I give him credit. Just a thought. IDK.

      • Mithra

        I doubt it. Sounds like from what I read, that he had a hissy fit. It was just ASSUMED The Great High Poohbah would perform. The guy is still buying his own hype. I think the writing is on the wall and it’s depimping time with Idol. His management may be watching closely and doesn’t want to backlash to gain any more steam, although they may have been pushing for it?

        • Acrobat

          One disappointed comment on Twitter (followed by, “but hey, I’m on Ellen and Leno!”) does not a hissyfit make. Unless you read something else that we’re not privy to, a hissyfit is an awfully big assumption to make from a single tweet.

          I can be as critical of Adam as anybody, but damn.

      • et

        Heh, been reading all morning how they must not want him there because he’ll upstage everyone.

        • deez

          Well…unless something drastic happens between now and next week, I’m not sure who they could get to perform who WOULD’NT upstage our sleepy, uninspired top 2!

          • deez

            Apostrophe FAIL….why do I always see these things at the same instant I click “submit comment?”

      • Lauren

        OR MAYBE HE IS FAKING US OUT AND THEN WHEN HE ACTUALLY DOES COME THERE WILL BE MORE OF A SPOTLIGHT ON HIM BECAUSE OF THE SURPRISE!!!!!!!!

  • Blue Eyes

    Lee DeWeezy is still trending in Twitter! Why?? Over one good performance of Hallelujah?? So that makes him the winner??

    The facts are that Lee has been inconsistent in his performances. What about last week when he was off-key and mumbled the lyrics – that performance was pure crap. On the other hand Crystal has been spot-on and the most consistent. She deserves to be the winner because I truly believe she is the best singer.

    • vtu

      Maybe TPTB have hired some interns to “manage” the twitter situation via sockpuppet accounts. Gotta make sure there’s some buzz for their fav going into the finale next week.

      • Blue Eyes

        Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to Idol. They can all go to hell!

        • vtu

          Oh, I don’t really think they would go that far, but I enjoy crazy conspiracy theories about TPTB. I’m sure Lee is just trending because singing in tune (mostly) last night was itself a watercooler moment. ;)

    • MissMyEm

      Yes but so was Casey.

      • Blue Eyes

        If Casey was trending, I never saw it.

    • Nich

      TPTB desperately desperately need a moment for this season and damn it, Lee Device and his Choir (that somehow didn’t get knocked by Ellen even though she knocked Mike for doing the same thing) is going to. Be. That. MOMENT!

      I swear Lee is the perfect representation for this season.

    • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

      Its okay that Lee DeWyze is still trending on Twitter today. Maybe you might recognize the TOP TWEET. :)

      • Nich

        Nicely done!

      • Mithra

        I saw that! I couldn’t believe he was still trending this morning and clicked on it, and there was your tweet being RTed over and over. Did your follower count jump up?

  • Pingback: American Idol – American Idol News » American Idol 9 Top 3 – Recap Roundup

  • ross

    From John Young EW article:

    “From my seat in the Idoldome, one thing was clear: Women adore Lee DeWyze. Whenever Lee sang or walked by, the middle-aged women in my row melted — Amelie style — into a puddle of schoolgirlish infatuation.”

    Can someone tell me why?

    • Blue Eyes

      Lee looks like Taylor Hicks and Danny Gokey’s love child!

    • vtu

      Because they have to think someone is hot each season? Maybe it’s the vocal tone that actually determines hotness for them. Any singer who can growl becomes “the hot one” regardless of actual physical attributes. How else can we explain the devotion to Constantine during his season?

      • Blue Eyes

        Cougars love the growl! LOL!

        • Pandora

          Isn’t growling how you speak to a cougar?

    • auntieaimee

      I’m 37, so I guess I’m frau aged (shut it), but, uh, no, I don’t get the Lee attraction. He’s ok looking. A little on the dumpy side and doesn’t seem too bright. A guy would have to be stunning for me to overlook dimwittedness. I can see why people would like Casey, although he’s not really my type, either. He’s got pretty hair and a tall, lanky frame that makes clothes look nice, and he’s got a sense of humor about himself which is appealing.

      • Lucky

        I’m frau aged too, but damn, he is not attractive at all. I get the frau “cougar” attraction to Cook and hell, even Adam, but this guy??? Maybe he has nice blue eyes but really nothing special. Kinda shlubby actually.

        • Mithra

          37 frau aged? Yikes, but I see it more of a state of being. I’ll call many 20 somethings frauen.

          I don’t get the attraction to Cook at all. Seems like a nice guy but beaten hard by the fugly stick. Happens time and again on Idol. Blake Lewis/Chris Richardson anyone? Michael Johns? CONSTANTINE? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Constantcrap is Brad Pitt next to Cook. Lee is a total shlubo, but he’s got enough cute guy features to focus on. Casey is classically handsome at least.

          • et

            Heh, well, different strokes for different folks of course. I happen to think Cook is a really good looking guy, even in person since I met him briefly, but my sister thinks he’s phugly… and then she thinks some guys (like her ex-husband, for instance) are hot who I think are dreadful looking so we just agree to disagree.

            And I think Constantine looks like something that would jump out of a dumpster and try to steal my change, but I’m sure some people think he’s hot ;)

            I’ve never been offended that other people don’t think Cook is cute. Thinking someone is cute is incredibly subjective!

          • Burgundy LaRue

            Cook is a human Zwinky avatar. No, that isn’t a compliment. He’s got nice eyes and clear skin. Nothing else is attractive about him. He and Lee are almost in the same boat looks-wise, though Cook is taller and Lee doesn’t have a receding hairline that highlights his massive waterhead. They’re both sub-average.

          • Sandy

            I think Cook is cute when he does his hair right. He has nice facial features and good skin. I don’t think he’s classically handsome or the cutest guy alive or anything like that. But Constantine just gives me the creeps. Brad Pitt? No way! But looks are so subjective. Lee is just OK looking to me, although he does have nice eyes.

          • Mithra

            To be clear, I’m saying Blake, Constantcrap, Timberfake, and Aussie Douchebag, are NOT HOT. How could I forget Quatto Host? And Gokey?

            Constantcrap does look look like he’d jump out of a dumpster to steal your change. Before he got the Rock of Ages gig, I think that’s what he was doing, and got away with it because people just thought he was a giant oily rat and didn’t call the cops.

          • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

            Ok. Let’s bring it back to THIS season, mmm-kay?

          • Burgundy LaRue

            No Idol has been as ugly as ConstanCrap. At least all the others shower regularly and don’t appear to have head lice or scabies. What a walking grease trap.

      • et

        LOL, I’m almost 37 and I guess I’m in the frau range as well and Lee… just does not do it for me. He has this big head with his features like right in the middle (and yes, I like Cook, so clearly big heads are not the main issue here) and he’s all slouchy and schlumpy with no ass. I can see why the ladies like Casey, even though pretty blondes are not my thing, but he’s all tall and golden-haired and stuff. But Lee… nah. I guess different strokes for different folks and all but this frau-aged chica says nope.

        • Nich

          Part of me can see why some people find Lee attactive but to me he is just sooo schlumpy and it’s not working for me at all.

        • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

          Casey is more conventionally good-looking, I believe. There have only been a few of those who would be seen as “hot” or “good looking” off the Idol stage. Lee is just another example of a fug dude then put on a pedestal for being the hottest man alive. When in the real world, they would be average.

          • Blue Eyes

            Lee has pretty blue eyes, but that’s the only feature that stands out, IMO.

            Casey is more “male model” good looking. Reminds me of that good-looking guy on Sex and the City. I don’t remember his name.

          • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

            Casey is Jerry Jerrod, aka Smith Jerrod before Samantha made him Smith Jerrod.

          • DDRLaine

            Totally!!! Casey and Jerry “Smith” Jerrod are two angelic-looking dudes.

      • cb

        Not getting the Lee attraction either. Casey is attractive but I don’t like guys who have prettier hair than I do ;)

    • margie

      I do not find him attractive at all.

    • Michelle

      Well, these are people who are still excited enough about this season to want to schlep over to the studio for the taping. That says a lot about them right there.

    • jukejoint

      Middle-aged. Not melting. Not melting.

  • Trish

    I don’t know if Melinda is going to start a Casey Memorial Thread in anticipation of our Dear Goat Boy’s demise this evening, but in case she does, I think this should be the musical accompaniment.

    Talk About Suffering (Bybee and Casey James)

    I wonder if they’ll take away his guitar and make him sing “Blue Skies” for his singout? Oh, who am I kidding? They probably won’t even give him one as they kick him to the curb.

    • Dickory Dock

      No. They’re going to give him the Tim Urban Memorial Exit Package and be done with him. I would be more surprised if the gave him a sing out than if they didn’t. But if they do, I hope he carries his guitar and amp out on stage and shreds instead of singing.

    • et

      I wish he’d just get up there and jam for his singout too (if he gets one). The Casey I saw on the homecoming vids was pretty awesome. Though it wasn’t too smart for me to decide I liked him when I knew damn well they were going to bus the guy (and admittedly, he didn’t have a fabulous night on top of it all).

      • Dickory Dock

        Yeah. I always kind of liked him because he seemed pretty laid back and I dug his vibe and the sort of music he said he likes. Then I saw those videos and damn, boy can play.

    • DDRLaine

      Wow, I clicked on that link and the song with Casey and his momma was beautiful. I don’t dig the religious stuff, but the harmony was gorgeous and it shows what a good voice Casey has.

      Casey had to know that the deck was stacked against him. All I can say is that what goes out, comes back around, so there creepy judges!

  • Pandora

    Crystal’s take on Maybe I’m Amazed was probably the best vocal of the entire season IMO.

    • mozart4898

      Wow…I’m a big Crystal fan and I don’t know that I’d nearly go that far – I don’t think it was even one of her best (Me and Bobby McGee, Saved, People Get Ready…thought all of those vocals were better at least). That said, I *did* think it was about the best vocal of the night (with all the Lee pimping it was hard to really try to filter my own anger over that and be objective). And I saw some people basically saying “oh, so Crystal can scream but Siobhan couldn’t?” The thing was, Crystal didn’t just “scream” like Siobhan did, she, as people liked to try to say for Siobhan, actually “belted.” To be honest, I really don’t think that’s Crystal’s preferred style of singing at all (if you listen to her originals you’d know what I mean), but she’s at the point she does it on the show because it’s the only thing that keeps her in the game. But Crystal to me last night finally seemed to have a true off night – as I’m one of the small minority that seems to think that top 6 and top 5 weren’t off weeks for her.

  • Pandora

    I turned it off during Ellen’s comments after Hallelujah. I couldn’t stand to watch Simon’s smug face and listen to the tonguebath. And I won’t watch tonight either, if we thought the shark was jumped earlier in the season this was a rerun of that.

  • sj

    The pimping disgusts me. But I have to say, I’d rather hear Lee sing than speak. He’s worse than Gokey when he talks.

  • cb

    Cowell owns the rights to the song he picked for the pimped winner? Hmmm…. perhaps he is an evil genius.

  • et

    That episode was a combination of the blah that has permeated the show all season long and puke-inducing over the top pimping that was predictable that we were saying it before they even opened their mouths. Crystal looked *exhausted* to me, and Casey just looked like he was getting himself ready to be flattened by a bus. And WHY did I watch those home visit videos and start liking Casey anyway? It wasn’t going to end well.

    I started laughing when Lee came out for the last song with the choir.

    And I feel bad for Ellen, I think those three clowns made this really tough on her. I know in past recaps from the Idoldome there were comments that she was left out of their little crew a lot.

    And now tomorrow is Perez, fetus, and Beloved Goat Boy goes home? I don’t know if I have the stomach for it.

  • Trish

    Okay, I don’t know what to make of this. It sounds like it was the song Casey rehearsed, but that the band didn’t have their shit together? WTF?

    [blockquote]5:03 In one of several awkward transitions, Ryan shoos Crystal and Lee offstage and talks to Casey about his personal song choice, Eric Hutchinson’s “OK, It’s Alright With Me.” It’s a song that’s “like the stuff I write,” Casey explains, then makes his way to center stage where he’s handed a guitar (the stagehand ducks out of frame just in the nick of time!)

    5:04 It’s a shaky start and I’m reminded that Rickey Minor and the band were still learning this song on Monday afternoon and kept having to refer back to the CD numerous times. No wonder.[/blockquote]

    Even Shirley seems to be faulting Casey. I dunno, but I think I’m done with this shit show.

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2010/05/idol-performance-show-minutebyminute-recap-for-lee-it-is-a-victory-march.html

  • maturin

    I like how the torture of this episode infused your writing with fervor

    Sure, it’s always sucked donkey balls, but now it sucks rotten corpse maggot-infested donkey balls.

  • auntieaimee

    I got the impression that Casey and Crystal sandbagged, for which I would not blame them. Crystal wants to do a roots/folk record, and Casey needs to do blues. That’s not what Idol wants. It’s not what they specialize in. They want someone they can mold. They want second rate Shinedown, so, Lee it is. My favorite moment last night, besides the gospel choir, was the kettle drums at the very end of Lee’s Halleluiah. *BOM BOM BOM BOM BOMMMM!!* That was subtle.

  • MissMyEm

    And Simon gets to choose for the ordained winner.
    Last year picking Apologize for Kris didn’t eliminate him as they might have hoped.

    But…honestly…I think Casey was horrible tonight. Alright With Me by Eric Hutchinson..was terrible. I hate to agree with the judges but it was. He did much better with Daughters, but still way too much vibrato for my taste. I’m sorry ladies, I just don’t think he has a fabulous voice. He does play a mean guitar and the idiot judges who said that he should make John Mayer type music are smoking too many things that come from bongs.

    CRYSTAL:

    Liked both songs but Come Through My Window…she just didn’t do anything new to it. I think Crystal sings great, but for some reason this song didn’t wow me. Maybe I’m Amazed she did great, but I don’t know…I would have changed the gender. It kind of loses meaning because she didn’t. I happen to love the song, so maybe I’m biased.

    LEE:

    I didn’t think Simple Man was all that great, but I do have a theory about why the judges are tongue bathing him. I thought he did an admirable job with Hallelujah, but Simon hates Jason about as much as he hates Taylor and almost as much as he doesn’t like Kris, so naturally he’ll spout off that Lee would do the best version.

    I do think it’s possible for Lee to win over Crystal and here’s why I think they are pimping Lee so much. I think they realize that Crystal will not bend to their will and have a better chance manipulating Lee the way they want to. I think that this is the reason they originally wanted Danny Gokey. Idol does not like singers who have minds of their own. They always choose those who they feel will bend to their will and if someone who cannot be manipulated wins…then they get rid of them as best they can. So in this sense it makes perfect sense to me that they are pimping Lee. And what will it matter? If Casey won…they’d send him to HicksLand and never speak of him again.

  • mozart4898

    Holy hell…breaking news on DialIdol, the website that never takes a stance. Lee is predicted safe, as he has been all night…and Crystal is now as well. Casey hasn’t gone red, but with Lee ranked #1 and Crystal #2, they can’t wiggle out of it, if it holds until the lines close in the West (like 7 minutes from now), they’ll have to stick their ass out there and call Casey as being eliminated.

    • deez

      Wasn’t Kris last on DI during Top3 week? (I know…I’m grasping at straws. Casey, I really need you to supplant Device) If they send Casey back to the stools first, I will do the Kris Allen Season 8 Happy Dance (ala Jambajim) when we first realized Gokey was a goner. If they send back Lee or Crystal, there will be no point in watching.

      • vtu

        Yeah. I think the general consensus is that Dial Idol isn’t a great predictor anymore, because the biggest voting blocks are the texters, and they tend to vote differently from the phoners.

        I still think Casey is going home, though. I don’t think he did enough tonight to convince casual voters to fight the overpimping of Lee. Or there could be a shocker Crystal elimination tomorrow.

      • mozart4898

        Danny Gokey was last in top 3. And none of them were predicted as safe or voted off. Plus, Casey is far behind in the raw votes too. Sucks because I really would rather have seen Casey in the final 2 than Lee, but at least Crystal will be there.

        • mozart4898

          Also weird (not that anyone really cares about DialIdol results), when you go to the geographical predictions – not a single one of them won their own state. Casey took Ohio, Crystal took Illinois, and Lee took Texas. Can’t imagine there’s truth to any of those – raw votes wise Crystal did win Ohio and Lee did win Illinois, but Lee still took the raw vote in Texas too so maybe he really did win there. Ehh…I’m a nerd. I’m one of the ones that looks at congressional districts for presidential elections, and not just states, lol. Geographical trends and such are interesting to me.

      • Michelle

        LOL, Kris was dead last on DI for several weeks in a row, and I don’t think DI has been all that great this season either. Still, it’s an easy call to say Casey’s going home this week :( Unless he has a secret stash of text voters somewhere.

        • mozart4898

          He was, BUT he wasn’t actually ever predicted to be eliminated. No one has been predicted as eliminated all season, and in fact, I haven’t gone back and looked at all of the shows but I don’t think anyone was predicted to be eliminated last season either – it’s always been that yellow “too close to call.” My real point was that Dial Idol actually stuck its ass out there and made a call, rather than having a three-way tie for first…and last.

  • kimberly

    This just in:

    Unfortunately not performing on Idol Finale. Guess they have plenty of artists booked. Catch me on Ellen tommorow and Leno on Friday. — from Adam Lambert’s twitter a few minutes ago.

    • wino

      “GUESS they have plenty of artists booked? ” ohhh, that comment is just too presh

    • ross

      “Guess they have plenty of artists booked” sounds like he was hoping to be there. Why not just say, “Unfortunately not performing on Idol Finale. Catch me on Ellen tomorrow and Leno in Friday.”?

      • wino

        that part is laced with bitterness. not sure whats the point of sounding disappointed, they basically dedicated two shows to him earlier this season.

    • laila

      It sounds like he’s a bit miffed about it. Maybe they led him to believe he would be performing but didn’t follow through?

      • vtu

        That would make sense, since yet another of his entourage was talking tonight about how he was going to perform on the finale. Maybe with Lee performing well tonight TBTP don’t think they want/need Adam in the finale any more?

    • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

      Maybe he should start going on Kimmel. Leno just isn’t cool.

      AND KILL THE TALK OF ADAM LAMBERT NOW. THIS IS A POST ABOUT TONIGHT’S SHOW.

      • TankieGirlie

        Hokay… it’s been real… when the pissy is out of your cornflakes…lemme know.

        Peace

    • TankieGirlie

      What a FUCKING QUEEN (As in DRAMA)

      His fans have gotten to his effin glittered head… ugh

    • jeydawg

      Well considering that BOTH of his bandmates said they were going to be performing and then took it back, I’m thinking he WAS scheduled and for some reason he isn’t anymore. Poor guy, guess two whole episodes wouldn’t be enough for anyone, right?

    • summersnow

      LOL. Glad that I dun have to trouble myself to switch channel now that he will not be performing on the finale. He did mention about wanting to come back for the finale. Tsk tsk…two episodes of Idol devoted to pimping him are not enough for him huh?

  • wino

    nice of simon to shove lee and his fabricated “everyman man” backstory down our throats. who gives a Fk if lee is a good person? i dont care if he breastfeeds african babies on the weekends, it wont change the fact that he is luckluster on stage and has awful “pitch” problems. at this point, if lee wins, i might kick a bytch.

    • blacklisted

      We all know Lee is going to be the 1st auto-tune Idol. I can’t wait to hear his first attempt at SSB though.

      • cc

        LOL. Now, I’m looking forward to hear him sing the coronation song. Please, someone tell me if Kara is a part of the song-writing of this year winner’s song. Lee “I’m-not-always-on-pitch-but-Simon-said-I’m-a-good-person” DeWyze plus Kara “I-wrote-about-hurricanes-and-Open-Toes” Diogardi is a match made in heaven. ::shudders::

        And if Crystal wins…

        • mozart4898

          If nothing else you know Lee had heard “Hallelujah” before the show tonight so he had an idea in his head how it went, and I’m with everyone in doubting that he came up with all of that fuckery surrounding him on stage for that “performance.” That said…someone hands him a song that’s brand new tomorrow night after the show (or Thursday, whenever they get it) and that he’s never heard before, AND that he’s going to be compared to someone else on? Maybe at that point people will finally realize how bad he is?

          Ugh who am I kidding. Probably at least half of the people voting for Lee, if asked, would describe him first of all by saying “OMG he’s so HOT!!!” Like it really even matters what comes out of his mouth.

      • Michelle

        THISSSSS omg, it will be horrible and hilarious. Or he will lipsync, this year’s lot is good at that.

        • Michelle

          Whoops, I meant that in reply to Lee having to sing the SSB on national tv at some point if he wins.

    • kimberly

      No different than when he requested people to vote for Adam, to not assume he was going to be safe. I think he thought he was on the X-Factor. He did the same thing for Leona Lewis, but he was her mentor throughout the show. I think the AI judges shouldn’t show bias. To performances, yes, to performers, no. It’s America’s decision.

      • wino

        oh lawrd, i forgot about last year’s pathetic plea to save their golden child. top 3 was bad enough with simon going crazy over Adam’s awkward arrangement of One, but the finale put the cherry on top with fuller tailoring the producer’s song choice to fit Adam’s “backstory”. cant wait to see what they pull out for Lee next week.

        • cc

          Don’t forget Katy Perry’s Adam Lambert cape on result show. Hmm, maybe The Bieb going to put something on his Bieber hair that says “LEE4IDOL”…or Perez will put a paper bag over his head that has a “I<3LEE”…or Simon will wear a brand ~new white shirt that says “VOTE4LEENEXTWEEK”….

    • MaryS-NJ

      Evidently Lee is the only “good person” in this competition deserving of a (manufactured) Moment? Who knew? And here I thought the polite Texan and the hardworking Mama were also good people.

      Well, I guess I’ll have to be looking forward to post-Idol Casey James. Have to say, I appreciate that he chose a song that was off the beaten path, but it was not the right kind of song to make a Moment at a critical time. I’m still scratching my head over it, especially when Shirley Halperin and People mag’s rehearsal reports described the number as “rocking” and such. I liked what Casey did with Daughters but it’s a song with no Moment built into it. But then we all knew that.

      Next week I’ll be wining and dining at a conference out of town and will miss the T2 and I won’t have to feel guilty about not being home to vote for Casey.

  • kimberly

    You saw it too, didn’t you? The No Ellens Allowed Club. I think it’s been a hard road for Ellen. Those 4 are jackasses. I knew Randy was going to use Casey’s song title in his critique. My daughter and I laughed over my predicition when it happened. But, really didn’t need to be psychic to see that coming. I was disappointed in Crystal tonight. I think she’s exhausted and well over this shit. I think she laid out what was pretty much important to her — health, family, friends, baby’s health. A sentiment Simon Cowell could never understand. Oh, sure maybe when he lost everything and had to run home to mummy & daddy, but now he’s holding on to his wealth and his ambition like nobody’s business and can’t understand those who don’t feel the same way about success and money. I don’t think Simon Cowell is a very secure or happy man.

    I’m waiting to see how Top 2 plays out. I still see it as a Crystal/Lee finale, but you never know. They are trying to build up the drama. Simon continued to pimp Adam last year, even though I think that approach backfired. He’s doing the same thing with Lee. Will it work? David Cook — David Archuletta season had Cook winning TOP 3 and Archie winning TOP 2, and then Cook wining it all. Last year, had no real winners called — gonna be close, I believe was the mantra. Right now, it looks like Casey is dead in the water, Crystal just hanging on and Lee grabbing that brass ring. The only problem is it’s too predictable and I think Simon Cowell wants a good show, suspense more than he cares about these contestants. He named Crystal way back and he also placed his bets on Lee. Either way, he’ll take credit for it. So in essence, he’s picked the best talent, he’s RIGHT no matter the winner. I think his EGO has spoiled a perfectly good form of entertainment for many people. I’m happy he’s going because it became too much about Simon Cowell being the winner at the expense of these performers. It also created a plethora of BSC fans, which can be entertaining, but it also can get downright unhealthy for the contestants. I’m thinking Crystal will win, underdog at this point and Lee’s fans will go ballistic. The same scenario as last year and the year before last. I’m not certain about the other seasons.

    • mozart4898

      I’m thinking this is quite possible too – Lee suddenly getting the backlash next week and Crystal taking it at the end. The problem? For me (for you) Crystal’s first song tonight was actually the first time I’ve heard her sing where I went “meh…that really wasn’t that special.” The first time – regardless of what people said about top 6 and top 5, I thought both of those weeks she was still dead on and very good. Her “Maybe I’m Amazed” was a solid performance – not as good as she’s capabile of, but decent. IF she gets into the finale over Casey (because at this point all systems seem to be go on Lee being in the final 2), she seriously needs to bring back the Crystal that people loved from the semis up until top 7 (and that reappeared again in top 4).

      I wouldn’t be surprised if actually TPTB figure that last year was a perfect blueprint of how things actually work with AI now, and they WANT Crystal to win, but they figure the surest way of doing that is to make people finally revolt against Lee. The tongue bathing sure was in full effect. The only problem was, Lee actually stepped the game up some (from piss poor to mediocre) so for the casual viewers and those just tuning in, he really did seem pretty good. I’m feeling cautiously optimistic about Crystal in the finale (and kinda sorry for Casey because I actually feel he’s a more dedicated artist than Lee), but things sure seem…blah at this point.

      To me, tonight was one of the worst shows of the whole top 12. And that’s not a good thing at all considering it’s top 3. At least the Paige and Didi trainwrecks and the Timmeh slide were entertaining in their own way, and Crystal was knocking it stiff every time she came out on stage. Lee tonight, if he really was the best (and I can’t hardly be bothered to determine if he really was or not) sure didn’t excite me. I voted 2 full hours for Crystal, but only because she’s so far and away better than the other 2 at this point, she deserves it…but this wasn’t her best tonight. Not at all.

      • laila

        This just makes me feel sorry for all the contestants involved. They’re such pawns.

      • MissMyEm

        Mozart…you said just about everything I felt. I think the problem with Crystal is that she has a mind of her own and that won’t do for TPTB. I think they feel they’ll be able to “guide” Lee more. This whole season was just boring. This was probably the most boring Top 3 since season 6. I thought Casey was terrible on his first song and everyone was just “meh” on the rest of the night. I think no matter what both Lee and Crystal will be signed by RCA/Sony/19E. I’m not sure about Casey, but I think that’s a good thing.

        And by the bloggers and the entertainment writers…they will forever be held up to the contestants from Season 8.

        And btw…Lee DeWyze is no Jason Castro. Hallelujah is Castro’s song. Period.

    • MaryS-NJ

      “Will it work?”

      Yes, because last season Kris had a Moment with “Heartless”. Casey’s choice didn’t get it done for him, unfortunately.

  • Nich

    I can’t believe Lee is trending on Twitter right now. I really need for Crystal to win next week.

  • blacklisted

    Thanks for the recap . I managed to miss the idol performances for the 11th week in a row. Don’t know how that could have happened…I still voted my fingers to the bone for Casey even though I’ve never heard him sing a full song. I bet I’m not the only one.

    • MaryS-NJ

      You are not the only one. I haven’t seen the show live for weeks but still vote for Casey.

  • tinawina

    I feel like I’m unwittingly starring n an episode of the Twilight Zone where everyone else has magic DeWyze earpieces and I’m the only one who doesn’t. I just don’t hear what others are hearing. I keep trying to. I listened to Simple Man twice. It was alright… for Lee… but winner good? Huh? Hallelujah wasn’t a giant cheesefest? He stayed in tune but that staging was pure OTT velveeta. I don’t understand anything that just happened.

    • Trish

      I said essentially the same thing on Lee’s thread on TWoP last week, except it was the “special gene” required to “get” Lee that I was born without. Poor, poor me.

      • burnthis

        The gene is the one that makes you incapable of telling if music is in tune. My husband has it, he always asks me after a Lee performance why I was wincing so much.

    • et

      tinawina, it’s not just you. My sister (who is completely *outside* the Idol bubble, no less) and I were watching and we just looked at each other like… does it sound *that* different at the show? Because neither of us are hearing what is so fabulous about Lee, and I found the Hallelujah performance super cheesy and it sucked the soul out of the song.

      • deez

        the Hallelujah Growlelujah performance super cheesy and it sucked the soul out of the song.

        • Dickory Dock

          Growlelujah?

          Haaaaaaaaa! Burn!

      • MissMyEm

        I will vouch for it. It does. Honestly it does. I’m not saying that one was better than the other, but I’ve been to the show several times. I remember during Season 3, I was dumbfounded that the singers sounded as good as they did live because on the TV…OYSH.

    • Lucky

      I agree. Don’t understand how anyone thinks that this guy is a great singer. He’s not even adequate on his best day.

  • On The Edge

    I think I can finally call it…

    Moment of the season? PANTS ON THE GROUND.

    Am I wrong?

    • LittleMissCynic

      Honestly, it was. It was the only moment this season that had people talking. And frankly, The General was far more entertaining to watch than any of the people (sans Tim) who made the Top 12.

      • pattyluponey

        That comment totally made me wish Lee had covered “The General” by Dispatch this season…totally in his wheelhouse…and could have been a moment…

        • On The Edge

          VERY cool song, thanks for sharing it!

        • margie

          Love that song!! Thanks!!

    • Lamberkitten

      I think you are quite correct On The Edge, I havent seen all the shows, and I am not sure if I will watch this when it airs here tonight, but I did see the General. I have to agree with you, Pants on The Ground was ace! Funny if it got released and beat the winner’s song.

  • Trish

    Did you happen to catch the spoilers from yesterday? No fucking way that Eric Hutchinson song was the one Casey rehearsed yesterday.

    This is what Shirley Halperin said on her LA Times blog:

    And last up: one Casey James, who was rocking a blues theme for his final-three run-through, which at one point consisted of him jamming away with a single heavy-duty amp without a care in the world.

    This from PEOPLE magazine:

    CASEY JAMES: In a bright blue shirt and holding his guitar, Casey was accompanied on stage by his amp. His upbeat tune started with vigor, kicking into a solid groove that will have people on their feet and dancing.

    And Randy actually came right out and said “when you leave” as he gave him the critique on the Mayer song! It’s as if he was “claused” before the voting even started.

    • Dickory Dock

      Ha! I just brought your comment over here because it was brilliant. Didn’t want to plagiarize, so I gave you credit.

      This sucks. I feel bad for Casey, too. He was so obviously bussed.

    • laila

      Did Randy really say that? That’s outrageous.

    • Mithra

      That explains a lot. Casey struck me as having a defeated, just fuck it, why bother attitude. I was wondering what was going on. This is nothing new. It happens to many of those with that bus waiting. May be also why Crystal and Lee seemed off too. I think they are close, and it must have been depressing seeing what happens when it gets ugly. They won’t be able to talk much for a long time though…

      • mozart4898

        Wouldn’t it be interesting, since I listened back to part of Casey’s first song (before I decided I really didn’t want to relisten to this whole night and gave up) and heard where Casey did in fact say something about HOW HE WRITES HIS OWN SONGS, if they were going to allow originals this week and all 3 of them were going to do an original song, then they pulled the plug on it last minute? Crystal and Lee both sang songs they’ve probably done countless times before, with the “blah I’ve done this countless times before” vibe, and Casey may have just figured “ah fuck it, I’m done with this crap, get me out of here?” I dunno. I still just think the show would have been much better if they’d all done one of their own. I think they’d connect much much more to it than they do to cover songs, and probably feel let down if they didn’t get to do them in the end.

  • Dickory Dock

    So. Tonight sucked. It really did. Nice Manufactured Moment (TM Simon Cowell) for Lee there. Wait. Wait. I think I rolled my eyes so hard they’re stuck.

    Anyway, I was trolling the comments at MJs to see what people thought about tonight (and very little chance of encountering a Glambert on a S9 performance post, so yay!). This struck me as interesting:

    This is what the spoiler from People said about Casey’s rehearsal yesterday:

    In a bright blue shirt and holding his guitar, Casey was accompanied on stage by his amp. His upbeat tune started with vigor, kicking into a solid groove that will have people on their feet and dancing. On his second song, a piano is wheeled on stage and placed on the left, while an additional guitar player sat on the right. James doesn’t change the arrangement of the song much, though it is paced slower than the original.

    So for his first song, it was supposed to be upbeat and have people dancing, and he obviously had his electric guitar out because he had as Shirley Halperin called it, “a single heavy-duty amp.” The second song is obviously Daughters since that setup is what we saw tonight.

    And from BootStar, who posts here too:

    Go back and read the song spoilers from earlier today. Are you telling me these are describing that Eric Hutchinson song Casey sang???

    And last up: one Casey James, who was rocking a blues theme for his final-three run-through, which at one point consisted of him jamming away with a single heavy-duty amp without a care in the world.

    CASEY JAMES: In a bright blue shirt and holding his guitar, Casey was accompanied on stage by his amp. His upbeat tune started with vigor, kicking into a solid groove that will have people on their feet and dancing.

    And Randy actually came right out and said “when you leave” as he gave him the critique on the Mayer song! WTF! Was he “claused” before the voting even started????

    So my question is: What is this fuckery?

    Fine. Call me a Casey James tard. Whatevia. After seeing him tear it up during his hometown visit I was sure he’d pull off something fantastic tonight.

    My guess? He tried and was totally cockblocked by the Paint Salesman Party Train.

    Or am I just on crack?

    God damn you Casey James, for making me like you in the first damned place.

    • Trish

      Oh, thanks for posting all of that! I just re-posted it.

      Even the DH who pays very little attention to the show and my kids were crying BULLSHIT tonight! WTF didn’t they just plant the crown on Lee’s head tonight? That clueless little shit. And I kinda liked him early on and was hoping he was some kind of stealth indie artist there to fuck the show up. Instead he drinks his own damn Kool-Aid. He’s not fit to spit polish Kris Allen’s or David Cook’s shoes.

      • Dickory Dock

        It does stink to high Heaven, doesn’t it? And tonight was just filled with all manner of assorted bullshit. A veritable bullshit buffet. A smorgasbord of scat, if you will.

        Who knows someone who knows someone? I want the skinny from rehearsals because this is all very, very … odd.

        • Trish

          I’m so hoping Shirley Halperin breaks the story if there is one. She reall likes Casey and she was at the rehearsals. What are the chances that Slezak and Cantiello will actually pretend to care this season? I hope somebody gets the answers for us.

          Melinda, you need to tweet Casey’s brother (I think his name is Billy). He’s more loose-lipped than Andrew Cook or Neil Lambert.

          • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

            Send me his info! Hell, I’ve featured him at least 2x on here!

          • deez

            Ok….now this is some weirdness *Twilight Zone music*. If they really did pull a fast one and made him choose something else right before the show, then that beats all the chicken sandwich eating, textblock voting, T shirt-selling cheaters in Arkansas. C’mon Skerry, write a damn book about that!!!

      • mozart4898

        Ohhhh *rubs his hands together with glee* the cries of BULLSHIT from people who aren’t even big Idol watchers over Lee’s tongue bathing make me happy. I’m really hoping against hope that the overpimping backlash strikes hard and fast at Lee after this week. Ain’t nothing to sway people’s opinions like being told what to do – of course it wouldn’t hurt if Crystal is in the final 2 and blows everyone away with her performances too.

  • On The Edge

    I watched, sure, but during commercials I watched YT clips of Cook, Kris, heck even Adam, and remembered better times. I think someone said even Sarver could’ve outsung this group. I gotta admit I liked Lee at the very start of Hallelujah when it was just him and guitar. Then the choir, and the lights, and the horns, and the this and the that…ugh, then the pimping was just heave-inducing and I counted the minutes for Lost to start.

    I think I’m seriously done. Networks are announcing new schedules this week; think I’ll see if any new Tuesday/Wednesday shows appeal to me.

    • Lucky

      I was done with Idol when the Top 12 were picked. I’m just waiting (very impatiently) for Mad Men to start.

  • ryo

    Honestly I just can’t believe that we’re at the top 3 and these are the performances they turned in. Lee was probably the best of the night overall, but it’s not like any of them managed to raise the bar at all. Has ANY of these three had a performance that made anyone really rave about it yet? It’s constantly “that was okay” or “that was pretty good.” I just can’t wait for this season to be over (and for Simon to be gone).

    • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

      Exactly. I’ve been waiting for someone to blow me away all season long. And yet, nothing…

      I’ve been trying to come up with a Top 10 list of Best Season 9 Performances to post. So far, I’ve got Jermaine Sellers’ talking about his feety pajamas, Pants on the Ground, Casey James’ Jealous Guy, Alex Lambert doing something…Katelyn Epperly’s The Scientist, Lilly Scott doing something, Crystal Bowersox doing something…I wish I could remember those doing somethings better.

      • kimberly

        For me, it was Siobhan’s Wicked Games and Crystal doing the Fogarty song. The name escapes me right now. It’s been a tragic music season on IDOL as far as I’m concerned. I hated most of Season 8 song choices, Play That Funky Music White Boy, She Works Hard For The Money, to name a couple. But Season 8 had a way of taking sucky songs and making me actually listen to them and actually liking them. They were able to make magic out of dreck. Not so much this year. Too bad.

      • MaryS-NJ

        My Idol Moments from Season 9:

        Crystal – “As Long as I Can See the Light”; “People Get Ready”
        Casey – “Jealous Guy”
        Siobhan – “Wicked Game”

        That’s about it.

      • et

        LOL, Jermaine and his footy pajamas was just awesome. I loved Casey’s “Jealous Guy” and Crystal’s “As Long As I Can See the Light” – those live in my iPod and are fabulous. But yeah, pretty bland season from start to finish. I think I just kept watching out of habit most weeks.

      • Dickory Dock

        My Top 10 “Moments” of the season, in no particular order:

        1. Jermaine Sellers in feety pajamas.

        2. Crystal Bowersox sitting to chill on her amp during judging

        3. Casey James telling Miley he was a huge fan … of her dad’s

        4. Every time Timmeh was safe and made his :O face

        5. The Timmeh Slide

        6. Usher telling Timmeh, “Imagine I’m a woman …”

        7. Crystal Bowersox saying not everything has to be big just because it’s Idol

        8. Lee *always* looking like he’s going to vom

        9. Casey James doing Jealous Guy (truth: I also loved Lawdy Miss Clawdy – totally underrated)

        10. Casey James telling the judges that “Not every comment was useful.” Burn!

    • Trish

      I loved Casey’s “Jealous Guy,” but I can see that it wasn’t a “moment” for everybody. I’m not sure “moments” are even possible on this shit show anymore. You can’t manufacture a moment, although Simon Cowell apparently knows otherwise.

      • vtu

        Casey’s recording of Jealous Guy is gorgeous. I listen to it all the time. (And it’s the only AI song I bought, or even considered buying) this year.

    • Mary

      The only performances that I genuinely liked this season were Katelyn’s The Scientist and Soibhan’s “House of the Rising Sun”…and thats all I can remember.

      • Mithra

        Siobhan’s House of the Rising Sun and Wicked Games. Amadeo! Vannesa the bridge jumper! I’m drawing a blank. More jump the shark moments. Jonas as judge, Avril as judge, Miley as mentor, ADAM as mentor. That’s the jump and plop right into the mouth. Shark ate the show and we are all just watching a ghost. It’s like the Sixth Sense…

        • Mithra

          I can’t believe I forgot Timmeh just until now. The slide. Under My Thumb as a happy reggae song. Creeping through Ellen’s bedroom…Dissing Kara…

        • Mithra

          Okay, now I know why Lee should win and actually deserves it. Remember the claims of the Glamberts that Adam owns the new stairs? Well, Lee brought Bagpipe Guy in and HE owns those stairs like forever now :P

  • saskin

    I think this season went downhill after Haeley.

    • Lauren

      I totally forgot about her! Wow, um I don’t know what to say, Saskin. ;)

      • saskin

        What can you say? Gone is gone. Haeley will never be teh American Idol. Ever. Sigh.

    • cc

      I don’t know, saskin…. For me, Idol went down in the blazing fire of hell when Joe Munoz went home. Remember him? No. Okay then…..

      Heh.

      • blacklisted

        OMG, I loved Joe Munoz. *tear*

      • Lauren

        John Park? Ok, I’m done. haha

        • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

          JOHN PARK!!!

          I miss him too, Lauren. Imagine what he could have been, dammit. The dude did pick some real sucky songs, though.

          And Joe Munoz could have been something, too. The kid had a good voice.

        • blacklisted

          We had such HOPES for John Park! *drinks more vodka*

          • saskin

            Yeah. John Park. Munoz did not deserve to go first at all. That Tyler brat on the other hand…

          • Mithra

            Joe was cute too. Ethnic fodder. I hear Toddrick thought so as well… ;)

            I think Tyler should have stayed longer. He would have brought on some funny. Tim suprisingly did well for a few weeks in that department.

  • laila

    And great recap TI. Even though I think Lee was at his best tonight, the judges were ridiculous.

    “What was the point in even allowing Casey James to sing tonight, or for that matter, even Crystal Bowersox?” Yes, completely.

  • laila

    I hate to say it, but Lee was the best of the night. Casey seems like a great guy, and he’s a fantastic guitar player, but his heart doesn’t seem to be in it. He seems like the type who would do well on an X-Factor show, where he would have someone coaching him all season.

    Lee vs. Crystal is very anti-climactic. I don’t care which of them wins, and I don’t see either going on to be huge successes, though Crystal may make some good music.

  • nerdgirl

    TI, you are hero. All the rest of us can turn TV off and not watch this crap. You have thankless job of watching it, yes. But! Your recaps are wonderful and right on point. This season is just so joyless. At least for me. I think, a part of the reason is that the last season somehow never came to the conclusion, it feels like it is still not finished.

    I don’t care who wins this year – but my thought is that Casey may have thrown the competition on purpose. Why try- if you are not preordained winner – there is hell to be paid.

  • Mary

    This is the first episode I have watched since the Top 7 and it was still shit.

    Why can’t they just crown the Idol winner tomorrow? Why do we have to go through another week of torture? For the love of God please make it stop!!

    • cc

      Speaking of torture (with a capital T), who is willing to watch…..*drum roll please*……

      Casey’s Elimination (!)
      Justin Bieber (!!!)
      and Perez Hilton (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

      Hmm, I’m pretty sure I’ll stay away from my television tomorrow.

      • http://topidolblog.com TopIdol

        What is Perez Hilton going to do on there anyway? I have a potluck dinner. I am tempted to not leave early and just skip the entire shebang.

      • On The Edge

        Don’t say I never gave you nothin’:

        Wednesday, May 19, 9/8c:
        CBS – Criminal Minds (NEW)
        NBC – Law & Order SVU
        PBS – Ground War NEW
        ABC – Modern Family and Cougar Town (both NEW)

        A few other non-network selections:
        ESPN2 – E:60 (cool sports/human interest/news thing)
        CNN – Larry King Live (NEW, how much more senile is he this week, kids?)
        Food Network – Throwdown with Bobby Flay
        Comedy Central – ooh, Futurama! I liked that one!
        Logo – RuPaul’s Drag Race (for y’all that missed out)
        Discovery – SQUEE (sorry TI)! NEW Mythbusters!!!
        Showtime – The Tudors
        ESPNU – um, the LSU Spring Game, anyone?

        • blacklisted

          I wonder if that’s a two-part season finale of Criminal Minds? I can only hope that Reid winds up a little bruised in the end. He’s so much more beautiful when he’s victimized. *sigh*

          • On The Edge

            Episode description: “The team profiles a killer who uses social networking Web sites to find victims.” Says another new one is next week but it sounds like a different case so I don’t think so.

          • blacklisted

            Ohh, interesting. The episode I imagine reads, “The team profiles a killer who uses craigslist for hookups. Reid is caught unexpectedly while trolling for an early morning blowjob.” Either way it will be way more interesting than the shitfest on Fox.

    • Mary

      Perez Hilton??? what the hell is that fat fuck gonna be on Idol for?

  • songkat7

    Dipping my toe into this awesome blog to agree 100% with this entire review. I pretty much think that in tonight’s performances, it’s kind of even between all three. Videos of Casey’s amazing performances at the blues club last Friday convinced me he’s got solid talent. I don’t think I want him to win simply because its my hope he does his music without pandering to 19E/AI, but the judges made me so angry tonight that I alternated between flipping off the TV, voicing my displeasure on Twitter, and voting like crazy for Casey. Anyway, great blog and great review tonight, AI. You were spot on.

    • saskin

      Hi!

      • songkat7

        Hi back!

  • barado

    I think I’m okay with Lee winning this. He doesn’t deserve it, but somehow Idol deserves him.

    • Verbally Dyslexic

      I like the way you think.

    • Mary

      I couldn’t agree more!!

    • On The Edge

      Huh…never thought of it that way.

      I think part of it is they want this regular guy singer-songwriter to win so everyone will forget about the OTHER regular guy singer-songwriter.

      • oddgirl

        Only problem with this theory is that the OTHER regular guy singer-songwrier is way way way better than this one that the only person who is going to be forgotten is Lee.

        That cover of Hallelujah was a cheesy disaster, and the judges trying to push it as a “moment” just makes me want Lee to go away already. Newsflash TPTB — this guy is a mediocre performer who is NOT going to be a commercial success.

    • Trish

      Yes, Lee and this show are made for each other: Manufactured Moments From Your Auto-Tune Idol, Lee DeWyze.

  • pattyluponey

    I’m am American Idol fan, I’ll admit it…after spending quite a bit of time making community/regional theatre and local bands/my cousin’s Nashville bands my entertainment, this seemed like “the performers making their mark in the world”. Then, my brother took me to see Andrew Bird/St. Vincent/Laura Marling/The Swell Season (Glen Hansard is a legend, BTW), and I revisited NY theatre and saw the like of Stark Sands, John Gallagher, Jr., and Ben Walker perform…my heart is renewed in what art and music and performance is…American Idol is entertainment…

    All of this has made me remember a t-shirt I wore in high school (the choir/theatre dork I was) Theatre is life, film is art, television is furniture….

    • pattyluponey

      yikes…to much wine…I totally sound pretentious…just trying to say that seeing “professionals” who throw their soul on the stage make Idol seem so talent show…

      • Lauren

        You don’t sound pretentious. :) I think we all know Idol performances are very rarely art. At least this season…

        • saskin

          Nope not pretentious at all.

          • Mithra

            Not pretentious, but you just figured this out? How long have you been watching? ;)

    • deez

      I liked it.

      • mozart4898

        Sad thing is, they had two actual artists left in the top 3 (well, all 3, if you include the fact that Lee used to work with paint in at least some way, if you didn’t know). Casey and Crystal both are actually very good musicians – Casey may not be the greatest singer but I’ve seen enough to realize how great an overall musician he is. Crystal has, I think, run herself ragged trying to maintain a shred of the independent musical mind and soul she had coming into this competition, and at this point may be running out of steam and that’s why she seemed just kinda blah for at least one song tonight. However, she writes some great original music and has a tremendous voice – just maybe not the most Idol friendly one unless she uses the Joplin-esque tone she’s capabile of (but doesn’t rely on very often in her own music). It’s really sad. I can only hope that if/when Crystal and Casey get signed by 19 as they probably will (if for no other reason than to keep someone else from signing them) they at least allow them to maintain a shred of their musical dignity. Lee, on the other hand, seems like the musician equivalent of silly putty – mold it however you want, stick it to something and see if it picks up some of the color of what you stick it to…just don’t leave it out too long or it might just dry up and become utterly useless. By itself though it’s pretty bland and lifeless.

  • Nich

    Tonight sucked. Crystal was off. Casey was half dead. Lee was overpimped.

    • vtu

      Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

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