Write Thinking

Humiliation as Entertainment

Last Wednesday evening, I watched American Idol while doing all my last minute packing. (Left the house at 5 AM the next morning, so no time to waste.) But I've continued to think about the Jermaine Jones situation that I blogged about last week, and I finally have to speak up, late though I may be.

I hated the scene where the two AI honchos (Nigel and another guy whose name I don't recall) called Jermaine into the office and blindsided him with the information that they now knew he had withheld information about his warrants. Now, don't get me wrong. I think it is good that they have a rule that people with warrants cannot be contestants on Idol. I think it was right that Jermaine, who had/has four outstanding warrants, was released from the competition. But did I need to see him getting the boot? Did anyone need to see it?

I have no idea who Jermaine is, really. He has talent, but I never thought he would go all the way in the competition. However, I can empathize with someone who has made mistakes and then had those mistakes captured on film for all to see. He responded with a lot of composure, but he couldn't hide the surprise, the shock, the dismay, the hurt. And all the while knowing that camera was rolling, recording the moment for posterity.

American Idol, there was probably no good reason for you to film his disqualification. There was certainly no good reason for you to show it to your audience. It was mean-spirited and cruel, IMHO. I'm not stupid; I know why you did it. For ratings. You teased at the top of the show that someone was let go and mentioned the help of law enforcement ... all to increase ratings.

I sometimes fear that reality TV and YouTube, et al, have made us a culture of voyeurs. We sit around on our sofas and watch lives implode for our entertainment—and maybe even thank God that our lives aren't that messed up by comparison. I don't think it should be that way, and I feel a little bit icky that I was watching when AI showed that clip.

I expect more from American Idol than other reality shows for some reason. Maybe I'm right to. Maybe I'm wrong. But there you have it. And the show let me down in a big way. (Nigel, are you listening? Bad form. Very bad form.)

I find myself wondering if I even want to watch the show anymore.

~robin

Idol 11: from 13 to 12

Results night … and it wasn't a two hour show. Thank goodness.

Lauren Alaina stopped in to sing Georgia Peaches. Not crazy about the song, but she performed the life out of it and sure looked pretty. Mary J. Blige also performed tonight. Wow!

Bottom three girls were: Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt, and Shannon Magrane

Bottom three guys were: Jermaine Jones, Joshua Ledet, and Jeremy Rosado

Erika being in bottom three surprised me, and it looks to me like it is bad news if you are a guy whose first name begins with a "J".

My guess last night was that either Shannon or Jeremy would go home. Turns out I was half right. The bottom girl was Elise instead of Shannon, but Jeremy was the bottom guy and the judges picked him to go home. I think that was the right call.

Best wishes to you, Jeremy.

~robin

Idol 11: The 13 Perform

Tonight was Idol's 400th episode. Wow!

Something a little different for the results show tomorrow: The lowest scoring boy and the lowest scoring girl will be announced and then the three judges will decide which of them goes home.

Also interesting: It is guys versus girls tonight. The guys will sing Stevie Wonder songs, while the girls will sing Whitney Houston songs.

Joshua Ledet, I Wish: I really liked this performance. It was fun and in key and he used the stage and made it fun to watch. Not a total blow out, but pretty close. Maybe a 4.5 out of 5.

Elise Testone, I'm Your Baby Tonight: Hmm. It's not terrible, but she doesn't seem to feel the song. I do like the husky element to her voice. It isn't like she is trying to "do" Whitney. Judges all said it wasn't her best. She might be on shaky ground, but there is plenty yet to come. 3.5

Jermaine Jones, Knocks Me Off My Feet: I love this guy's baritone, and yet there is something that just keeps me from connecting with him. Not sure what it is. J-Lo said he needs to sing to someone. Maybe that's it. Maybe he's performing too much and not feeling the song or singing it to someone. 4.0

Erika Van Pelt, I Believe in You and Me: Gorgeous. Beautiful. I loved this performance. She made it hers, definitely. 4.85

Colton Dixon, Lately: Okay. Not terrible. He had the smolder down pat. I don't think he is in danger, but this wasn't something I would write home about. 4.0

Shannon Magrane, I Have Nothing: Tough song. She's not Whitney and the comparison is unavoidable. I suppose because she didn't make enough hers. She does not have the range required either. She got really soft on some power notes. Not a disaster, but not great. I'd give her a 3.0 out of 5.

DeAndre Brackensick, Master Blaster: Loved. It. Not so much falsetto as he so often does, and I felt like he really showed off his voice tonight. Loved how he moved. J-Lo's right. He's got rhythm. I've giving him a 4.5.

Skylar Laine, Where Do Broken Hearts Go: I missed some of this because I got a phone call. But my hubby tells me it was very solid, if not perfect. So based on him and the judges, I'll give it a 4.7.

Heejun Han, All in Love Is Fair: People with dry senses of humor just slay me (and usually trip me up because I think they are serious). This guy makes me laugh. But his joking around may have been the better part of his segment. The performance was okay but it had its shaky moments. I'll give him a 4.0 out of 5.

Hollie Cavanagh, All The Man That I Need: Well, I think that was the performance of the night. The look. The song. The glory note. Only thing I didn't like was the way her fingers release and clasp of the mic. (Carrie Underwood does it too, and I find it so distracting.) Anyway, she's getting 4.9.

Jeremy Rosado, Ribbon in the Sky: Ouch! He blew it toward the end, and now that's all I can think about. But most of the performance was solid, though not the least bit exciting or even memorable. Maybe a 3.2.

Jessica Sanchez, I Will Always Love You: The Whitney Houston version of this song (I always liked Dolly Parton's version too) was a huge hit on the radio when I was dating my DH back in the 80's. It played in my head a lot when I was thinking of him (long distance courtship). So I really didn't want Jessica to mess it up. Believe me, she did not mess it up. It was impeccable. It was PERFECT. Oh, my. And she is only 16. This gets a 5.0!

Phillip Phillips, Superstition: Well, I guess the crowd liked it, but I thought it was mostly noise. So the best I can give him is a 4.2.

As far as I'm concerned, this night belonged totally to the girls. The closest guys weren't all that close, but I'll throw in my top two.

Jessica | Hollie

Erika | Skyler

DeAndre | Joshua

Whose most at risk of going home? I would say Shannon and Jeremy. See you tomorrow.

~robin

Idol 11: The 13 Finalists

Two hours! Are you kidding me? American Idol does love to milk a results show for all it's worth (and plenty it isn't worth).

Okay, I confess. I fell asleep on the sofa and missed a good portion of the first 75 minutes. Woke up in time to see Jermaine take the last slot in the top 10 (chosen by the viewer votes). Forty-five minutes remained for six contestants to sing for their lives and the remaining thee wild card slots. Lots of time for me to go back and catch up for this post.

Here are the 13 finalists' photos, alphabetical by last name:

DeAndre Brackensick | Hollie Cavanagh | Colton Dixon

Heejun Han | Jermaine Jones | Skylar Laine

Joshua Ledet | Shannon Magrane | Phillip Phillips

Jeremy Rosado | Jessica Sanchez

Elise Testone | Erika Van Pelt

Good luck, kids.

~robin

Idol 11: Semifinalist Round, the Girls

So, will this be another night of irrelevant comments from the judges? We'll see.

Chelsea Sorrell, Cowboy Casanova: I thought she did a fair job, but she's no Carrie.

Erika Van Pelt, What About Love: This young woman has a very rich voice. I think this beat all of the guys' performances last night. I could close my eyes and hear this coming over the radio. Nice job. Smooth performance. Should get her to the final 13.

Jen Hirsh, One and Only: Competent but didn't blow me away.

Brielle Von Hugel, Dock of the Bay: Ooh, not good. She should go home tomorrow night. What are the judges smoking? They didn't hear what I heard.

Hallie Day, Feeling Good: Hallie went for the torch performance. Another competent performance but nothing that got me excited. And what's with the singers (girls and guys) all doing the hand slaps with the audience, like they were already huge stars? It just feels presumptuous to me.

Skylar Laine, Stay With Me: Not exactly my personal cup of tea, but my goodness, she did rock the house. And how she managed those moves in those sky-high heels. She should be a shoe-in for the finals. (However, the dress was a bit trampy-looking, despite its flash and sparkle.)

Baylie Brown, Amazed: Maybe anyone would seem to falter after Skylar's performance, but this just felt weak all the way through. She looked beautiful and classy in that reddish pink dress, but her singing didn't live up to the gown.

Hollie Cavanagh, Reflection: Another disappointment. Too bad. Bet the judges will tell her how pretty she looks because they can't say much good about the performance. But I was wrong. They found things to praise. Hmm.

Hayley Johnson, Sweet Dreams: Ugh! Ick! Pitchy is too mild a term for this. If the judges praise it they will prove they are just there to fill seats. Nightmare, indeed!

Shannon Magrane, Light Your World: A powerful song. She doesn't match up with Kathy Troccoli's version, but she does a respectable job.

Jessica Sanchez, Love You I Do: Great job, Jessica. This young gal was sick this week, so what could she do with real rehearsal time. Sixteen years old?

Elise Testone, One and Only: The second singer of the night to perform this song, but a world of difference between the two. This should earn Elise a place in the final 13.

There were some solid performances tonight and a few train wrecks. It'll be interesting how the votes turn out.

~robin

Idol 11: Semifinalist Round, the Boys

Well, boys and girls. It has arrived at last. The real beginning of the American Idol competition, and another few months of my posts about the contestants. Tonight we, the viewers, begin to vote.

Confession: I watched two hours of the blind auditions on The Voice last night, and I have to say, I enjoyed the differences between that show and the 11 year old Idol. So this might be my last year of posting about American Idol. Time will tell. Depends on whether I become a fan of one or more of these kids.

Side Note: Did you hear that Scotty McCreery's The Trouble With Girls has gone gold, his second gold single? Yea for the kid I rooted for last season, even when he held his microphone funny and plenty of people were giving him a hard time. Scotty was here in the Boise area with Brad Paisley but I couldn't make the show. So sad about that.

Voters will choose the top five boys tonight and the top five girls tomorrow night, and then each judge will get a wild card pick which will give us 13 finalists starting next week.

Thirteen boys will be performing tonight, but we won't know who that extra boy is until later in the show. And away we go.

Reed Grimm, Moves Like Jagger: Smooth and jazzy. A little bit on the drums. Lost the mic control box that fastens to his trousers but he grabbed it and kept moving. Good job, although not truly my cup of tea.

Adam Brock, Think: He's been told there's a large black woman trapped inside of him. Hmm. Not sure he lived up to that. It was good but was it memorable? Not sure.

DeAndre Brackensick, Reasons: Weak start. Not sure he could hear the band. His falsetto failed to win me over. Judges loved it, but I thought it was a forgettable performance.

Colton Dixon, Decode: Maybe I'm not in the right mood. Audience and judges seemed to love this "rock" performance, but it did nothing for me. So far, the night has not impressed me.

Jeremy Rosado, Gravity: I thought he did a pretty good job with this, but again, nothing that blew me away. I'm still waiting to be wowed tonight.

Aaron Marcellus, Never Can Say Goodbye: I thought this was one of the better performances of the night.

Chase Likens, Storm Warning: Well, leave it to the country singer to catch my attention. Great stage presence. I thought this cowboy did a great job, although it wasn't perfect. Can it get him to the next round?

Creighton Fraker, True Colors: Controlled and smooth at the start, a little overblown in the middle, pretty nice ending. I think it was one of the better performances so far. But … nobody's wowed me yet.

Phillip Phillips, In the Air Tonight: I don't care for mumbled songs. I didn't care for anything about this song. Certainly wouldn't buy the album. Sorry. Man, this feels like a long two hours. Judges however loved Phillip's performance.

Eben Franckewitz, Set Fire to the Rain: Possibly the worst performance of the night. Flat. Revealed the immaturity of his voice. What did the judges hear? Not what I did.

Side note: The judges have been so over-the-top effusive about every performance, they have rendered themselves totally irrelevant. I'm willing to concede that TV may not always come through quite the same as live, but come on. There haven't been any train wrecks, but so far, there haven't been ten of the best performances to ever come down the pike either.

Heejun Han, Angels: Good vocals but very boring performance. He never moved a muscle. Will it show him off enough to put him through? Not sure.

Joshua Ledet, You Pulled Me Through: Probably the best performance of the night. Had the judges on their feet. I'm pretty sure he's got a safe spot for next week.

And the 13th boy who got a second chance is …

Jermaine Jones, Dance With My Father: This was a good choice, and the "gentle giant" did well with this comeback performance. My guess he will earn a spot in the final five guys.

Who will make it through to the finals? It's anybody's guess, IMHO.

~robin

Idol 11: Top 24 … er … Top 25

Confession: Even when watching these early shows, I haven't paid super close attention. Not sure why. Idol burn-out? Mind on other things? TV not in good position to watch while on treadmill? Getting old? (Nope. Can't be that last option. <g>)

I was not sorry to see the cowboy with the deep voice, Richie Law, go. Unlike Scotty McCreery who was such a sweetheart and so likable from the first time I saw him (I looked back at last year's posts, and he was a favorite in the top 24), this kid had such a huge ego and was so rude to others that I couldn't root for him to make it even though I liked his voice.

Only … maybe he isn't out after all. The judges are going to add one more guy, making it the Top 25 this year. But they aren't telling us who that will be until Tuesday when the guys perform. But it will be one of these four: Richie Law, Jermaine Jones, Johnny Keyser, or David Leathers Jr. I guess if they want to torture Heejun Han, they'll bring back Richie. I think I'm pulling for David.

See you next week.

~robin

Idol 11: Vegas (Round 1)

Monday night, and I finally got around to watching the two-hour Vegas show from last Thursday. I enjoyed the show enough that it seemed worthy of my first post for the 11th season. Of course, some cuts were met with bravery and good manners and class, and some were met with diva pride and bad manners and classlessness. I'm never sorry to see the latter go.

The show ended with 42 contestants left standing. Next week (Vegas Round 2) the cuts take us down to 24. I've got my eye on some potential favorites, but I've got no intention of getting too invested at this point. I'll wait until I have an opportunity to vote.

Are you excited for the voting to begin? Have you a favorite or two of your own from this year's crop of talented youth? Are you glad I'll be back to blogging Idol for another year? And if American Idol isn't your cup of tea, what floats your boat on TV this year?

~robin

A Tuesday Rant: 72 Days of Wedded Bliss?

So I was sick for an entire week. Too under the weather to read magazines or blogs. Too miserable to watch the news. Thus I missed the announcement that Kim Kardashian is filing for divorce from Kris Humphries after 72 days of marriage. 72 days?

Okay, so I'm not surprised. There have been shorter marriages coming out of Hollywood. Britney Spears was married for just two days, for one. However, the Kardashian-Humphries nuptials cost a reported $20 MILLION. Yes, you read that right. Twenty million dollars for a wedding and the huge production surrounding it! According to Popwatch, that breaks down to about $277,777.77 per day of their wedded bliss.

I don't get it. I don't care how much money somebody has. No one needs to spend that much money on a wedding. Hey, I'm a capitalist. I believe those who work and earn their money should be able to spend it the way they want. Still, this boggles my mind. Just because you can afford to throw money around like that doesn't mean you should. Cut out two of those three Vera Wang creations Kim wore on her wedding day, and think of the hungry children in America who could have been fed. And maybe Mr. Humphries is a really horrible person. Maybe he hit her or was verbally abusive. (All speculation on my part, and I am not accusing him of it.) But all I've heard so far is that Kim discovered Kris was lazy. Lazy? Really? Now if that is true, it sure isn't much of a reason for divorce. Perhaps they could have spent another million on marriage counseling first.

Just had to get that off my chest. Now back to writing a love story wherein the hero and heroine will reach the place of a lifetime commitment to one another—and once they wed, they will actually stay married until death they do part.

~robin

Television: Culture. Entertainment. Research?

Confession: I probably watch too much TV in my never ending search for another favorite, like LOST or The Closer.

I believe it's important for novelists (even those who write books set in the past) to be aware of the culture we live in. Television, love it or hate it, is one sure way to keep up with the culture. And while there is a lot of junk masquerading as entertainment, there are some good shows too. It's not all bad.

So here we are at the start of another television season, and I've got my eyes on a few new shows, hoping they will deliver.

Prime Suspect: Yes, I like cop shows, so I couldn't resist checking this one out. It isn't the same as the British version that starred Helen Mirren some years back, but I think it has potential for being entertaining. NBC on Thursdays.

Person of Interest: Okay, how could I not check out this show. It is "sort of" a cop show but not really. It stars Michael Emerson (LOST) and Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ) and it has JJ Abrams' (LOST) fingerprints all over the concept. I think this series could really catch fire. CBS on Thursdays.

A Gifted Man: For all intents and purposes, this is a ghost story, and those don't usually appeal to me. But it co-stars Jennifer Ehle (Elizabeth in the BBC Pride and Prejudice) so I had to check it out. I think I could come to really like this show. CBS on Fridays.

I'm sticking with Survivor, Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance for my reality show fixes. I checked out X Factor this week and quickly decided I wasn't ready for another singing show. I was particularly disgusted that they gave the fellow who dropped his pants and exposed himself even 15 seconds on air. Trouble was, they gave him more than 15 seconds. They let him continue to parade around the stage, singing a ridiculous song he'd written. Why didn't they stop him? Why didn't they use one of those old hooks and drag him off the stage? Whoever on Simon's team allowed it to happen should be fired and Simon Cowell should apologize to the American public. There were kids in the audience. Viewers at home were at least protected by the X covering his privates.

I'm also hanging in there with a few older favorites like Castle and Hawaii 5-0.

What about you? New favorites? Possibilities? Anything you absolutely hate already?

~robin

The Closer: Great TV

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of The Closer. I love the characters, especially Brenda Leigh Johnson, played by Kyra Sedgwick. I love that we got to meet a heroine who married a real hero-type of man and who has a solid, loving marriage. I love the humor. The summer season will end this coming Monday, and I'm hoping there will be some closer to the current story line (the lawsuit) so that waiting until the end of November won't be so hard.

Here's a bit of related news for other fans:

The hugely popular TNT series, The Closer, will return with a new episode on November 28.

The Kyra Sedgwick procedural, in the middle of its seventh and final season, will push out five more episodes in its fall/winter run, and wrap up with six episodes in summer 2012.

The information on six episodes next summer came as a delightful surprise to me. Knowing this was the final season, I thought it would officially end in December. So now I don't have to mourn the end of this show until next July or August. Yea!

A spin off starring Mary McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydor has been picked up by TNT. The title is Major Crimes. I wasn't very keen on the idea when I first heard it. But this summer season has slowly changed my mind. I'm liking her more and more. She isn't the baddie she was made out to be. Now I'm eager to know what they are going to do with her. What job is she going to have by the end of The Closer? I'm sure it won't be Brenda Leigh's position (no one can close a case the way Brenda can), although the title of the show does imply that it could be. Hmm.

Are you a fan of The Closer? What do you hope will happen in the final twelve episodes?

~robin

One of the Most Beautiful Dances I've Ever Seen

While eating my lunch today, I caught up on last night's show of So You Think You Can Dance which I had to record. As I watched the contemporary dance choreographed by Travis Wall and danced by Melanie and Marko, I found myself holding my breath at the sheer beauty of it all. They made me believe they truly were statues come to life. The way Melanie mimicked the position of Greek or Roman statues was artistry personified. And the way these two young people dance, their lines ... Oh. My. Goodness. Stunning. Perfection.

The couple got a standing ovation, and Nigel said this could very well be the first Emmy nominated dance of the season. I completely agree.

If you love to watch dance, take two minutes to see dance at its best.

Idol 10: and the winner is ...

I got drenched leaving the graduation tonight. The arena was packed, of course, and I was parked in the south 40 of the BSU stadium parking lot. Naturally when I left, the skies had opened up. I really should read the weather report because I had an umbrella in the car.

Anyway ... I couldn't wait to know the results of Season 10 until I could go through the two hours on my DVR. So I hopped on-line to see who won. Like I said yesterday, I would have been content no matter who won, but I can confess now that I cast about 100 Internet votes for Scotty. <g> And now I'm going to go buy his single.

Big huge congratulations, Scotty. I hope you enjoy great success and a long career. I pray that you will stay strong in your faith and live your whole life with integrity. God bless!

~robin

Idol 10: the 2 finalists perform

Here we are. The finale. It won't be a choice between country or pop. It won't be a choice between country or heavy metal. It won't be a choice between country or jazz. It's an all-country finale. The girl next door versus the boy next door. The youngest finale ever as well.

Reports of a blown vocal cord for Lauren. Did they make a big deal to get her a sympathy vote? Hmm. They say she is fine.

Scotty won the toss but gave the choice to Lauren (what a gentleman) for the order they will sing. She chose to go second.

Scotty (Favorite of season: Gone): Great choice. Even better than when he performed it before. The night is off to a great start. No comments from the judges.

Lauren (Favorite of season: Flat on the Floor): Good choice from her as well. I didn't notice any difference in her voice, but this isn't a song with a lot of nuance either. She had the joint a stompin'.

Scotty (Celebrity George Strait pick: Check Yes or No): Gosh, a George Strait song I didn't know. But I liked it and thought Scotty sold it. Still no comments from the judges.

Lauren (Celebrity Carrie Underwood pick: Maybe It Was Memphis): I picked up on a bit of hoarseness with this song, and I can't say I liked her tutu dress with cowboy boots. However, she did a really fine job. At this point, I'd say the two kids are tied.

Finally, we get some judges' remarks. Randy gave round 1 to Scotty and round 2 to Lauren, slight edge for both of them. J-Lo concurs. Steven gives both rounds to Lauren ... because she's prettier. Ha!

Scotty (Record release tomorrow if wins: I Love You This Big): What a great song! This should be a huge hit on the radio. Loved it. Loved it. Randy called it a brilliant vocal. J-Lo says he's a great storyteller and did an amazing job. Steven says he's proved his range.

Lauren (Record release tomorrow if wins: Like My Mother Does): Emotionally, this was huge! Lauren has her big moment during this performance. What a tribute to her mom and to all moms. Really, really terrific. Another radio hit. The judges all felt this round went to Lauren. In fact, they pretty much tried to crown her with their words.

Wow! Great night. America has quite a choice to make. I can't remember a season where I would have been happy no matter which one won, but that's how I'm feeling right now. Yes, I have my favorite and will cast my votes accordingly. But both of these kids are winners, and Nashville is going to be a winner, too, getting both the new American Idol and the runner-up.

Okay, off to vote.

~robin

PS I won't be seeing the final live. I'll be at a high school graduation. Thank goodness for DVRs.

Idol 10: What will Lauren & Scotty sing for the finale?

According to the USA Today American Idol blog, Lauren and Scotty will each sing three songs on Tuesday night.

One of those songs will be chosen for them by their personal music idols. For Lauren, that's Carrie Underwood. For Scotty, that's George Strait. To say I think this is terrific is an understatement. I am a HUGE fan of both Carrie and George. I own multiple albums by both of them. I can hardly wait to hear what they picked for Lauren and Scotty to sing. I could list quite a few favorites.

Okay, I'll confess. George Strait (in his 30's) was the inspiration for my hero, Matthew, in the book I just finished writing, Heart of Gold. At left is the photo that inspired me during the many months of writing. Sigh....

Sorry. Forgot myself for a moment. Back to American Idol.

The kids will also sing (2) their favorite song from the season and (3) their debut singles, chosen for them by the Idol producers. It will be interesting to see what those songs turn out to be.

We'll find out in another 24 hours, more or less, depending upon where you live.

See you Tuesday night!

~robin

Scotty's duets with Josh Turner

This video is SO fun. I think Scotty nearly fainted when Josh Turner walked out onto the stage. Those two deep voices together. Oh my. Love it!

~robin

Idol 10: the 3 perform

Another Wednesday evening. Another night of American Idol. Next week we find out who the winner will be. The odds on favorite, I've read, is Scotty, but long time fans of the show know that the odds can mean nothing. I'm hoping all three will blow us away tonight and make it really, really hard for voters.

We're back to a two hour show tonight. I think we'll get to see them go home, which is always kind of fun. And they will sing three songs each (one of their own choice, one chosen by Jimmy Iovine, and the third picked by the judges). Still, there must be a lot of filler if we are back to two hours with only three contestants. Hope Idol makes it a good 120 minutes. Beyonce will be helping with their personal picks.

CONTESTANT CHOICE

Scotty (Amazed): Way to go, Scotty. Great ballad that showed his range. I'm amazed that he is only 17. Randy said there were some pitchy spots but I sure didn't hear them. He gets a 4.9.

Lauren (Wild One): Great song choice. Didn't measure up to Faith Hill, but really really good. Fun performance. I'll give her a 4.5.

Haley (What Is and What Should Never Be): A trip on the stairs didn't trip up our rocking Haley. Accompanied by her dad on the guitar, she performed the stuffing out of her song choice. Now, I must be honest. I didn't love the song, but I did love her performance of it. I believe the round goes to Scotty but not by much. Haley gets a 4.85.

JIMMY IOVINE PICKS

Scotty (Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not): Perfect, perfect song for Scotty. Country strong! Great job! 4.85.

Lauren (If I Die Young): This starts off with a wardrobe malfunction. This wasn't a perfect performance. She flubbed and knew she flubbed. With the other two contestants giving very solid performances (so far), this could really cost her. 4.4

Haley (Rhiannon): Perfect song for our Miss Haley, and it comes complete with a wind machine blowing her hair and dress. Loved it. Gentle and romantic and just enough growl at the end. This round goes to Haley by a smidgeon. 4.95

[LOL! Judges gave the first round to Haley and I gave it to Scotty. Judges gave second round to Scotty and I gave it to Haley.]

JUDGES PICKS

Scotty (She Believes in Me): Goose bumps moment! Scotty does a fabulous job with this old Kenny Rogers song. Yes, yes, yes!!! Whoop! Whoop! 5.0

Lauren (I Hope You Dance): Beautiful performance by Lauren, the strongest of her three tonight by far. And she looked beautiful too. J-Lo got goose bumps; I didn't. But it was lovely. She gets a 4.95.

Haley (You Oughta Know): The judges didn't do Haley any favorites with this song. It didn't show off her voice in the best light. She owned the stage, but she didn't own the song, IMHO. I'll give her a 4.5.

---

I think the night goes to Scotty as he was consistently good in all three performances. And if the voting goes according to who deserves to be there with Scotty next week, I think it's gotta be Haley, despite her third song not being as spectacular as her first two.

So what did you think of the night? Who was your favorite?

~robin

Idol 10: Which One of Final 4 was Never in Bottom 3?

A friend on Facebook said Scotty was in the bottom three one time and that James never was. So, being the curious sort (I love research) I had to go back through my blogs and then do a little research on the Internet to track down the information required. So here for the rest of you curious folks is what I found:

Top 13 (March 10) Bottom Three: Ashthon, Haley, Karen

Top 12 (March 17) Bottom Three: Haley, Karen, Naima

Top 11 (March 24) Bottom Three: Casey, Stefano, Thia

Top 11, part 2, (March 31) Bottom Three: Naima, Paul, Thia

Top 9 (April 7) Bottom Three: Haley, Jacob, James

Top 8 (April 14) Bottom Three: Haley, Paul, Stefano

Top 7 (April 21) Bottom Three: Haley, Jacob, Stefano

Top 6 (April 28) ― NO Bottom Three announced: Only the contestant who was leaving was announced. All others were told they were safe in random order. Scotty and Casey were the final two on the stage, but Ryan made a point of telling the audience that they were not the bottom two.

From USA Today, 4/28/11: "On a night when American Idol didn't offer viewers a Bottom Three and Ryan Seacrest sent individual contestants back to safety 'in random order,' the growling jazz singer from Idyllwild, Calif., got the news that he was going home. For real this time."

Top 5 (May 5) Bottom Two (not Three): Jacob and Lauren

Top 4 (May 12) ― TOP Three announced: Once again, only the contestant going home was announced, and that was James

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Have I mentioned I was a bookkeeper in my former (pre-writing) life? So I had to look at the numbers. Here's how it stacked up for our final four.

Haley: 5 times in the bottom three
James: 1 time in the bottom three
Lauren: 1 time in the bottom two
Scotty: 0 times in the bottom two/three

Looks to me like Haley is our miracle girl! But does that also show us who the winner will be?

~robin

Idol 10: from 4 to 3

Results night. Who will be in the final three? Could be any one of these four, IMHO. All are talented and have something to offer. I got so wrapped up in computer stuff last night that I totally forgot to vote after I posted my blog. So if I don't like who goes home, hope it wasn't my fault. Last night Ryan reminded us that Daughtry went home at this point in the competition. Must have worried a lot of voters because he reported they got almost 72 million votes last night. (Guess my ten or fifteen votes weren't missed too much.)

Back to duets tonight. This time Scotty and James are paired. They did a decent job, but nothing to write home about. Fun seeing both with guitars though.

Next up were the girls. Much better song choice and it played to both of their strengths. Super duet. Smoked the boys, I'm afraid.

Filler...

Lauren is the first into the top three. After her scare in the bottom two last week, that's got to feel super good. I guess of the four, Scotty is now the only one who has never been in the bottom three. What a shock it would be if he were voted off at this point.

Lady Gaga and Enrique Iglesias were up next. Lady Gaga is ... rather disgusting. Not the song. Her ... uh ... costume. Or rather lack thereof. Nobody should have to look at that. Gross. I mean, she's performing in pointed bra, leather panties, and boots over fishnet stockings. At least Enrique had clothes on.

More filler (Ford ad, Jordin Sparks sings and then we get the Steven Tyler video). Man, could they drag this show out any more? Just checked the clock on my laptop. It is 49 minutes into the show and we only know that Lauren is safe. The Tyler video is still going on and on and on. Groan.

Finally back to the results. Next one safe is Haley. Holy cow! Two girls made it to the final three after they were dropping like flies at the start of the season; a girl is guaranteed to be in the finals now. But this means one of the two guys—both of whom I was convinced would be in the finals—is going home tonight. No matter whose name is announced before the end of the show, I'm not going to like it. I just did not see this coming tonight.

From the look on his face and the tears in his eyes, James didn't see it coming either. James Durbin is going home. I feel bad. Even though I'm not a metal rock fan, even though I'm a country music girl, James has been so consistently good. More so, possibly, than any other contestant this season. Even when I haven't liked his song choice or his scream, he still could win me over. He's got such a great voice, such a great stage presence. I really am stunned. I have to believe that his fans thought he had it in the bag and so slacked off last night. Because I'm sure he has a boatload of fans. (And oh his wife and little boy and the way he loves them; got to admire this young man.)

James, you have overcome so much. You shine at so much more than just music. You are an inspiration and will remain one to fans of American Idol Season 10. I am wishing you all the very best in your career.

~robin

Idol 10: the 4 perform

Well, boys and girls. I came late to the party. Or I guess I should say I was listening with only half an ear and one eye during the first 20 minutes (pet stuff and computer stuff going on). So the first couple of reviews are tentative.

The first round is songs that inspire these kids.

James (Don't Stop Believin'): I heard enough of this one to say I liked it a lot. Even his scream. Score could go up or down if I relisten later, but I'm thinking it's a 4.6 out of 5.

Haley (Earth Song): I really didn't hear enough to feel like a good judge. Too shouty. However, the judges didn't seem to be happy about it for the most part. Knowing I might be influenced by their comments, I'll give her a 4.4.

Scotty (Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning): Loved it. Meaningful song, as much today as when ever the song first debuted after 9/11. And for those who like to slam Scotty because he always does country, I don't get that. I mean, don't most singers sing the type of songs they love which is what puts them in a genre in the first place? So he's getting a 4.8 from me.

Lauren (Anyway): This is one of my favorite Martina McBride songs. When I heard her debut it at the country music awards a few years back, I couldn't wait to order it. I didn't think she quite measured up to Martina's version, but it was pretty durn good. I'll give her a 4.7.

BTW, Randy, all four of these kids are in it to win it. I mean, really. Get a new catch phrase, dawg, because I've heard that one enough.

Next round is songs of Leiber & Stoller with Lady Gaga as mentor. Hmm.

Haley (I, Who Have Nothing): The drama was definitely there. I thought she could have toned down a bit of the growl. But overall, I got to say it was a dynamite performance. This one gets a 4.8.

Scotty (Young Blood): While our conservative Scotty caught Gaga a bit by surprise, I thought he pulled off the emotions and kookiness of the song just fine. No, it wasn't a favorite performance. He gets a 4.6.

Lauren (Trouble): Good but not a Wow for me. She looked great and played the stage and her vocals were good if not stellar. I'll give her a 4.4.

James (Love Potion No. 9): Hold it. Flash back! The original words were "since 1966" and he updated to "since 1996." It fits better in the 60's. It had too much screaming for my taste (and I happened to like the old hit). So I'll give him a 4.5.

So, what did I think about the night? It was a night of solid performances. None that blew me away. No goose bumps this week. No way can I predict who is in danger, although I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be one of the girls who goes home. Based on nothing but just a hunch.

Favorite(s)? Sorry, all four of these kids have grown on me, so I'll just say they're all my favorites.

~robin

Idol 10: from 5 to 4

The question we all want answered: Will the right singer go home? Internet buzz thought Jacob should go home last week and he didn't. It says he should go home this week. Will he? We'll see.

First though, the group sings the Turtles' Happy Together. Oh my. That was the absolute WORST. The audience must applaud for just anything. Really. Painful. Really.

Ryan did the lead in for the Ford commercial, and James mouthed the same words from the teleprompter. Funny. I'm not sure if Ryan didn't know what he was doing or simply ignored him.

Hell's Kitchen cross promo. So the kids made omelets and the chef trashed all but Lauren's. More cooking later.

Lady Antebellum was up next to sing their new single. Pretty.

We begin to get the bottom two or the bottom three. Ryan says the results may surprise us. (Oh, no!) First James is sent to one side of the stage. Then Lauren is sent to the other side. (Jimmy Iovine predicts she will be in the bottom two because of pulling back on the power note in her second song. He says fear is her Achilles' Heel.)

More cooking stuff. Ho-hum. Then Jennifer Lopez does her number. Not ho-hum. But gracious, those dropped-crotch pants were UGLY. No amount of sequins can make them look good. (I'm pretty sure she was lip-syncing since she wasn't winded when singing, but the shout out she did to the audience had a very winded voice and sounded totally different.)

More results: Jacob is sent to stand with Lauren. Haley is sent to stand with James. (So I'm pretty sure it is either Jacob or Lauren going home because there is no way I believe both James and Haley are in the bottom two after last night.) And what about Scotty? Jimmy Iovine says, whether he wins or not, he will have an extraordinary recording career. And he's the first to be announced safe. Then Ryan did the cheesy thing he's done in seasons past, trying to get him to join the group he thinks is also safe. Scotty, like past contestants, refuses to play along. So Ryan shoves him over to James and Haley and announces they are all safe.

Bottom two are Lauren and Jacob, and Lauren is not handling it very well at all. Really fighting the tears. Well, she'll have to keep the major waterworks for another night because Jacob was sent home.

Wish you the best, young man, but it was your turn to depart.

Idol 10: the 5 perform

Another Wednesday. Another night of American Idol. We are just three weeks away from the finale. Who's it going to be? My money is on a showdown between Scotty and James. However, I think Lauren could sneak in there. Possibly Haley could too.

The theme for this show is Now and Then. Each contestant will sing two songs tonight. One a current song. The other from the 60's. That's a lot of music to choose from! Sheryl Crow came in to mentor the kids. And here we go:

James (now—Closer to the Edge): Judges loved it. I was not impressed. Maybe one of my least favorite James performances. But to be honest, it may have more to do with song choice and music style. Best I can give him is a 4.0 out of 5.

Jacob (now—No Air): Hmm. I thought he sounded like he had no air. Little bit of disagreement among the judges. It really didn't work as far as I'm concerned. Guess I'll give him a 3.2.

Lauren (now—Flat on the Floor): Sing it, girl!!! Way to go, Lauren. She knocked that one out of the park. Carrie outta be proud. She's getting a 4.9 from this judge.

Scotty (now—Gone): Another great performance from Scotty. Woohoo!!!!!!!! I am always amazed at this kid's assurance on the stage. He's pretty much cured himself of that odd way of holding the mic, too. I'll give him a 4.9 as well.

Haley (now—You and I): This unrecorded Lady Gaga song was a good match for her voice and style and growl. I can't say it was a song I would hurry off to download from iTunes, but I can recognize a solid performance when I see and hear one. Judges gave her a mixed bag of feedback and didn't seem to think the song did her any favors. So I guess I liked it better than they did. She's getting a 4.4.

James (then—Without You): Okay, he cried. Talk about tugging the heart strings. While not an absolutely perfect performance (little pitchy in spots), it was beautiful. "Emotionally perfect" Randy called it. Who can't love a man who loves that much? 4.8

Jacob (then—Love Hurts): Oh, that sounded awful through my TV. Off-key. Pitchy. Screamy. Smarmy. Judges noted his bauble in the middle but said his passion came through. Sorry. Didn't make it to Boise. Although it was better than his first effort. He gets a 3.5.

Lauren (then—Unchained Melody): Oh, my. Was that a lovely dress or what? I danced to this song at my very first high school dance. I even remember the pink dress I was wearing. That was in the 60's, long before the movie Ghost. I wasn't crazy about the arrangement, but she did a beautiful job with it. I'll give her a 4.6.

Scotty (then—Always on My Mind): I got goose bumps on a few of those low notes. Very subtle and tender performance. (Too bad somebody didn't fix that cord on his ear piece that was sticking out a mile.) He did have a few pitchy notes, I think, but overall terrific. He gets a 4.7.

Haley (then—House of the Rising Sun): Hold it. I'm having a flashback. Talk about a perfect song for a singer. Made to growl. And that last note. WOOOOOOO. A standing O from the judges. There was one little spot that keeps it from getting a perfect score, but not by much. 4.95

TONIGHT'S COMBINED RATINGS:

1. Scott 9.6
2. Lauren 9.5
3. Haley 9.35
4. James 8.8
5. Jacob 6.7

Obviously you can tell who I think should go home tomorrow night. And my favorites this week are:

See you Thursday, Idol fans.

~robin

Idol 10: from 6 to 5

Before we get into the results show, must give a POPPET AND PINKY UPDATE: Late this afternoon, I was working in the living room and suddenly realized I hadn't seen dog or kitty for some time. And after a lot of barking because today was yard work day and Poppet has to let them know they're disturbing her. Anyway, I went looking for the animals. Both of them were lying on the bed in the guest room in the (rare) April sunlight streaming through the window. Lying there like they were friends and Poppet never tries to kill Pinky. I don't want to get too trusting, but I sure hope it means that we may reach a place of peace in the Hatcher household. (Full Disclosure: Poppet acted like she would attack Pinky more than once today, so it wasn't all peace and tranquility on this Thursday.)

Okay, here we go. Ryan told us a lot of fans were going to be disappointed with the results tonight. If that's true (that a lot of fans will be disappointed) and if I'm right that the bottom three most likely will be Jacob, Haley, and Casey, then I predict Casey will go home. Not many would be disappointed if Jacob went home (IMHO). Haley has been in the bottom three a number of times, so I can't help thinking she doesn't have a large enough fan base. So if we're going to be surprised as well as disappointed, then I'm betting it will be Casey.

Group sing. Not particularly good. 'Nuff said.

Ford video to Our House. Good song and cute ad.

Oh, wow. Haley had on a long skirt.

Crystal Bowersox returned to the stage. She was a favorite of mine last year. Enjoyed this performance.

A segment of questions for the finalists and their answers. Then began the results. Haley was first and she was safe. Ryan tortured three more without saying if they were safe or not (Scotty, Lauren, and Casey). The next segment told us that James was safe. Jimmy Iovine didn't like the blue and yellow suit at all. (Hmm. I kind of liked it. I thought it looked like his style. But hey, I spend the winter working in pajama bottoms. What do I know?) No result for Jacob. Then the remaining three were called back to the stage to join him, and seconds later, Lauren was told she was safe.

Bruno Mars performed.

And finally we get the results. No bottom three to be announced tonight. Just a slow reveal. [Update: Just to clarify. Scotty was not in the bottom 2 or 3. AI didn't reveal the bottom 2 or 3. Scotty was just the Idol contestant they left standing next to Casey.]

And the Idol going home tonight is ... Casey. (Too bad I'm not a gambling gal, huh?) Well, the Judge's Save took Casey from #11 to #6 so it wasn't wasted. I think he matured as a performer in those five weeks.

Casey, you brought something really unique to American Idol this season. You made the bass very cool. You're going places. I don't doubt it for a minute.

~robin

Idol 10: the 6 perform

One Write Thinking reader wondered if I'd be watching American Idol and preparing my blog posts while using my new treadmill desk. I don't know how often that might happen. But only because the TV in the spare room is small and ancient and not well positioned for watching while using a laptop on the treadmill. So I may have to remain a couch potato for these blog posts.

Tonight's performances will be from the songs of Carole King. Oh, yum. I'm a huge fan of her music. It appears we'll get the performances individually and in duets.

Jacob (Oh No, Not My Baby): Liked his blue and yellow outfit. Judges loved this but it didn't do anything for me at all. It wasn't bad. No major off-key moments that I caught. But it didn't shine. While I recognize the kid can sing, I just don't get pleasure watching or listening to him. It's obviously a matter of taste. I'll give him a 3.2.

Lauren (Where You Lead): A very nice performance from Lauren. It surprises me that she is so insecure because she's got a lot of talent. Judges loved it. It didn't blow me away, but it was sweet and solid. I'll give her a 4.1.

Casey and Haley duet (I Feel the Earth Move): These two make for a great duet. Lots of chemistry between them. Fine, fine performance. They'll get a 4.6 from me.

Scotty (You've Got a Friend): One obvious thing about Scotty is that he is dedicated and a hard-worker and willing to take criticism and make changes to make himself better. (Note: He didn't hold the mic funny this week.) He is only 17, and I can't help but believe he is going to be very successful in country music for many years to come. Anyway, love this song. It's a ring tone on my phone. And I loved the way he sang it. Nice, romantic, soft, with a country-twist. Showed that he has more than just a bass voice, too. He gets a 4.8. (But he didn't get it for "the look." LOL!)

James (Will You Still Love Tomorrow): Jimmy Iovine said, "Carole King and James Durbin were made to come together." He started off a cappella. I got goose pimples on my arms. It got even better with the band. Yes, yes, yes. Almost perfection. I'll take off a tenth just for a little bit of screech that didn't need to be there. 4.9.

Scotty and Lauren duet (Up on the Roof): Third time these two have been paired. This time was good but not my favorite of their duets. Solid. Nice harmony, I thought, on Scotty's part. I'll give them a 4.4.

Casey (Hi-De-Ho): Yes, this song does seem to have been written for Casey, looking good in a black fedora. He was sort of talking, shouting, singing the song. And of course, growling it. Played it up with the band. I don't think it did much to show off his singing ability, though, which could cause him some trouble when it comes to votes. But if it were part of an entire Casey show, I think I would have enjoyed it. I'll give him a 3.9.

Haley (Beautiful): I loved this performance. But I sure wish they wouldn't shoot the camera from below when she is wearing such a short skirt. It really isn't attractive. That complaint aside, this was one of my favorite performances of the night. No goose pimples, but really, really fine. She gets a 4.7.

James and Jacob duet (I'm Into Something Good): Oh, this was not a good way to end the show. Jacob was atrocious. James was over the top. Even Steven said it wasn't award-winning. Understatement. Only gets a 2.9 from me.

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My favorites tonight? That's so easy (unlike last week when I was blah on everybody). Without a doubt, James and Scotty were the best of the night

Who should go home tomorrow? It's time for Jacob to bid goodbye to the Idol stage. We'll see if voters agree with me.

~robin

Idol 10: from 7 to 6

Thursday. Results night.

I love these smaller group sings. It showcases the kids better. The first group is Lauren and Haley with Jacob and Stefano singing Hey, Soul Sister. They did a great job, but I'm betting the bottom three are all in this group.

Ford video.

Next group is Scotty, Casey, and James. All sounded great individually, although the harmonies weren't spot on all of the time. Scotty didn't have a bit of a country vibe to his performance, proving that he doesn't have to limit himself to that genre.

A bit of chatter with the contestants and then we learned that Casey was safe and Jacob was in the bottom three.

Next up was David Cook returning to the Idol stage, debuting The Last Goodbye. Pretty good song from his sophomore album.

There was a bit of filler of the contestants going to a Dodgers game and then going bowling and then going to a spa. Scotty's comment about having the best looking nails (among his friends back home) was funny.

Have you noticed that James' tics seem to be growing worse in recent weeks? He seems to be doing a lot of funny things with his face. Don't think that's related to Asperger's but I guess it could be to the Tourette Syndrome. I hope the strain of the competition isn't worsening things for him.

Stefano joined Jacob in the bottom three followed shortly by Haley. (Yep, all three were in that first group sing; all three have also been in the bottom three, a couple of them several times.) But Haley isn't forced to linger there long. She is safe. Well, I was pretty sure it would be Stefano or Jacob who went home tonight, and there they are, the bottom two. I'm fine with whichever one it is.

Katy Perry and Kanye West performed next. Hmm. Okay.

It turned out that Stefano's performance of Ne-Yo's Closer last night was not enough to carry him over for another week. So we bid him goodbye. He lasted the longest of the judges' wildcard picks. While he was never one of my picks to win the season, I always enjoyed his humor and smile.

Stefano, wishing you all the very best in this new career.

Idol 10: the 7 perform

I'm happy to report that my back is much improved. Amazing how great it is to have pain start going away and be able to move more freely and do more regular stuff. I must start doing my stability ball crunches again. Need that core strength.

Tonight's theme is music from the 21st century (must have recorded in the 21st century, so actually the songs can originate from the 20th). Wonder how many songs I'll know? But they started the night with a group sing from eliminated finalists (Ashthon, Karen, Naima, Pia, Thia, and Paul). Have they done that before on a performance night? If so, I've forgotten. The girls actually sounded pretty great, but this wasn't the song for Paul.

Scotty (Swingin'): Okay, he does hold the microphone funny. No argument there. Vocally, I thought this was very fine. Country to the toes. Showed off that bass I love. But I agree with the judges. It was too safe. I think he needs to do more at this time, which is what J-Lo said. The performance was tame, though technically the singing was good. Still, I'm giving him a 4.2. [Knew the song.]

James (Uprising): I'll bet those drummers right behind the judges made it hard to hear. Performance wise it is the opposite of Scotty. This was full out and showy. But he got screamy, and I don't think the song itself showed his voice in the best light. J-Lo bets it will be the most theatrical performance of the night. Judges seemed to love it as did the audience. Sorry. It didn't do it for me. I was going to give him the same score as Scotty (one had the voice; one had the performance) but then I heard the scream again and knocked off a bit. 4.0. [Didn't know the song.]

Haley (Rolling the Deep): Oh, she wasn't wearing a super short skirt that was in danger of exposing way too much. That was nice. And I liked the singing fine. Not a blow-me-away performance but nice. Hmm. I find myself not very excited. Oh, why not. I'll give her a 4.2. [Didn't know the song.]

Jacob (Dance With My Father): The pre-performance showed him all choked up in rehearsals. There's a flub (I don't think he could hear in his ear piece). But he recovered quickly. Still, he didn't move me emotionally, and I didn't think the song showed off his vocals. Judges seemed pretty moderate even as they said it was good. Well, he gets a 4.0 from me. [Didn't know the song.]

So far, this is not a night that's going to go down as a favorite. Why is it, with all of this talent and kids who are having fun this year and a fun-loving (if not constructively critical enough) judging panel, that I go week after week without a real WOW moment? That's not to say there haven't been performances I've appreciated but I would really like to be blown away.

Casey (Harder to Breathe): Hmm. I'm getting a little tired of the gritted teeth with every song. I mean, sometimes it just feels wrong. I guess he was having a really, really good time, and he did kiss J-Lo's cheek at the end. (I think she was embarrassed.) But I was not impressed, although it wasn't awful. Maybe I'm in a mood. Sigh. 4.1. [Didn't know the song.]

Stefano (Closer): Yes, I really must be in a mood. Didn't like this. He was off-key more than once, and the song did nothing to show off what he can do. So far my least favorite of the night. 3.8. [Knew the song slightly.]

Lauren (Born to Fly): Very good. Perfect kind of song for her. And she does have more voice than she thinks she does. But once again, I thought this was rather safe. Might as well stick with the tried and true. 4.2. [Knew the song.]

Favorites tonight? I really and truly had no favorite tonight. At the end of the night, the judges raved about what a great night it was. Really?

In danger? I'm thinking Stefano or Jacob.

~robin

Farewell, Erica Kane

When I was a stay-at-home wife expecting my first baby, I got caught up in the fictional world of a soap opera. I guess I inherited it from my grandma who used to listen to (I think) As the World Turns on the radio. Anyway, I started my soap viewing with Another World on NBC where the villainess was named Rachel Frame (although I think she married Steven Frame after I started watching; don't remember her original last name).

Having done some amateur acting in my younger days, I can tell you that playing the bad guy or girl is great fun, and I guess it was always the villainess in soaps that made them worth watching. I was always waiting for them to get their comeuppance.

A few years and another baby later, I switched from NBC to ABC and from Another World to All My Children and One Life to Live. Naturally, I got caught up in the travails of bad girl, Erica Kane (AMC). And what viewer didn't find herself rooting for Susan Lucci (who played Erica for 41 years!) to finally win a daytime Oscar after about a gazillion nominations? Forget what year she won but glad she did.

Well, I stopped watching soaps many, many years ago, before I started writing novels. I was a working mom and there weren't DVRs back in those days. Besides, some of the outlandish story lines were too much, even for me. And of course, over the years, sex and nudity invaded daytime TV as it had already invaded nighttime TV and movies before it, and that spoiled a lot of TV for me.

Still, when I heard that All My Children and One Life to Live were the latest soaps to bite the dust, it was like a little bit of my youth bit the dust with them. Oh, well. The youth was gone anyway. LOL!

~robin

Idol 10: from 8 to 7

Last night, I ended my brief post with this:

"Who will go home? I think Jacob, Paul, and Haley could be in danger. Stefano may escape another week in the bottom three."

I was mostly right. It was Paul, Haley, and Stefano in the bottom three. And Stefano did escape going home even if he didn't escape being in the bottom three. It was Paul who was sent home.

Paul was one of the more unique contestants (especially in terms of dance moves) to grace the Idol stage. Quirky for sure, but talented too. I thought he sounded a lot like Rod Stewart, as did others.

Good luck, Paul. Wishing you all the best.

~robin

Idol 10: the 8 perform

Friends, I am still laid up with my back. I am just not able to spend more than a few minutes sitting up with the computer. Thus, for a second week in a row, I'm foregoing a detailed recap of American Idol. Sorry.

But I watched the show (music from the movies) and will give my favorites.

Who will go home? I think Jacob, Paul, and Haley could be in danger. Stefano may escape another week in the bottom three.

~robin

This and That

Back: First, thanks for the prayers. My back is still painful but I don't think quite as bad as it was on Wednesday. I'm moving very carefully and trying not to aggravate it. Continued prayers appreciated. I have way too much work that needs done to be laid up with my back. I wish I had a standing desk right about now.

American Idol: Wednesday night was a mostly "B" night with only three deserving of an "A" in my opinion. My two favorites were Pia and Scotty (yes, Jeff). Lauren's outfit was hideous and her hair was a bit of a nightmare. I thought Jacob's comment about why people wouldn't vote for him was one of the most arrogant things ever uttered on the AI stage. Too bad because it was one of his better performances (maybe a 4.0). He should have gone home on Thursday. I couldn't believe it when they said Pia's name. Still can't believe it. I can't help thinking that voters are so sure that a ton of other people are voting for someone that they use their votes on someone else. It can't truly be because Pia wasn't a favorite of enough people.

A Great Quote: I heard this at Bible study and thought it too good not to share:

"Those who don't have want some. Those who have some want more. Those who have more want much."

Wow. Doesn't that describe the human race—and especially our entitled western culture? From those who have much, much is required. That's a good thing to remember when I find myself wanting some or more or much.

Now off to work and to rest.

~robin

Idol 10: from 11 to 9

Another Idol watcher mentioned how long last night's show seemed. I'll say ditto to that. So it has to be good news to know that next week, the performance show drops from two hours to an hour and a half. That should speed things along. Unfortunately, the results shows remain an hour long which means lots of filler and time wasters.

They are promising us another SHOCKER of who's going home. My guess it is not Casey. In past years, the person saved hasn't been sent home the following week. Voting was up 25 million more than last week. I guess Casey almost going home stirred up the voters.

May I just mention, before the night goes any further, that after one of the rainiest and wintery Marches I can remember, Boise is basking in warmth and sunshine today (with cold and nasty returning for the weekend). I have my dining room window open now, and Poppet doesn't want to come inside. Pretty, pretty day.

Rather than a whole group sing, they put the kids into smaller groups, beginning with a duet from Scotty and Lauren. Two teenagers (17 and 16), and gosh, they did a great job with I Told You So. Younger version of the duet from Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis (a favorite song in my iTunes library of music). Very nice, kids. And to make it better, they were both safe.

Next up were Naima and Jacob to sing Solid. Okay, I didn't mind Jacob as much this time and Naima was in key. Jacob stays. Naima is the first in the bottom three (and my money is on her going home this time).

Fantasia returned to the Idol stage to sing something from her latest album. Very old school. I liked it okay.

Haley, Thia, and Pia were next to perform Teenage Dream. Great job, girls. I particularly enjoyed Haley and her growl. Results: Haley and Pia were safe. Thia (whose performance last night wasn't memorable despite her very lovely voice) joined Naima in the bottom three. Since two will go home tonight, at least one of these girls will have to say goodbye. And there will be at least one boy in the bottom three as only boys remain to perform.

Note: I wish they would do these smaller groups every week; it brings the show back to these kids and not just whoever is plugging their latest albums.

Paul, Casey, Stefano, and James formed a band in the mansion, and tonight they debuted with Band on the Run. James and Paul had guitars. Not sure what Casey was playing. Didn't look like a guitar (smaller) but not a ukulele either. Stefano was on the keyboard. Very nice. Loved it. Results: Casey was safe (got LOTS of votes). James and Stefano, too. Paul was in the bottom three.

More filler, this time from Jamie Foxx and will.i.am. Ho hum. Yeah, yeah. They wanna party. They wanna samba. We get it. Sing and get off the stage 'cause all we want is to know who's going home.

And the answer to that question is ... Naima and Thia. I can't quibble with those final results. I think they were properly next in line to go. I don't think either of them ever caught fire with the audience, even in their best performances. And somebody good has to go home every week because there aren't any clunkers in the mix.

  

Best of luck to you, young ladies. You've both got plenty of talent.

See you next week.

~robin

Idol 10: the 11 perform (again)

No more second chances. This after showing all of the emotions of last week's near elimination of Casey. Okay, I confess. I got a little teary-eyed watching that recap. But ... no more second chances. The judges' save is gone. Tomorrow night, two of these young folks go home, even if all eleven are perfect while performing the songs of Elton John (who I've got tickets to see in April!).

Wouldn't it be great if we have another terrific show like last week? Here's hoping for it. And away we go:

Scotty (Country Comfort): I think I heard them say this is the only country song Elton John ever did. Well, thank you, Mr. John, for giving Scotty such a good song to sing. (And wasn't the shout out to Grandma cute?) I think the final, very low note wasn't quite perfection but it was close enough to make me happy. Judges loved it. Me too. I am such a sucker for his voice, and I totally agreed with Randy when he said how comfortable Scotty is on the stage. Starting the night with a 4.7 out of 5 from this country-lovin' woman.

Naima (I'm Still Standing): Naima puts a reggae twist on the song. It worked a little, but then the off-key stuff showed up again, ruining the effect. Too bad. It had potential but fell flat. (Randy called it corny.) The best I can give her is a 3.6.

Paul (Rocket Man): Hmm. It was quiet and likable and nuanced and yet ... Hmm. The judges seemed to say what I couldn't quite express. It was good but is it good enough? I'm not sure. I'll give him a 4.0.

Pia (Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me): Another ballad, and they made sure we were aware of it. She looked stunning. What a dress! I wasn't crazy about the arrangement of the song (the choir effect was good), but her singing transcended what I didn't like about it. I wish she owned the stage a little more. She gets a 4.6.

Stefano (Tiny Dancer): A very fine performance. The judges pointed out how much better he connected with the audience (i.e. kept his eyes open more). I'm not sure it will hold up as a very memorable song at the end of the evening. Time will tell. I'm giving him a 4.0.

Lauren (Candle in the Wind): Beautiful. Gentle, tender, sweet. Loved the little "country breaks" in her voice on a few notes. Judges were over the moon for the performance. She gets a 4.8.

James (Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting): Piano on fire. No kidding. And so was James. This kid impresses me. He is true rock. He's got a great voice for a rocker. He knows how to interact with the crowd, playing to them. I thought a time or two he was a little pitchy, but it was minor stuff. He gets a 4.7.

Thia (Daniel): Another lovely ballad. She has a beautiful voice. Randy said it was "safe" and maybe that's true. Perhaps so safe that it won't be memorable when it comes time to vote. She gets a 4.3 from me.

Casey (Your Song): The heat was on to do well, to prove that the judges did the right thing. Casey rose to the occasion, let us really hear his vocals which were quite fine. Jennifer says he has "character" in his voice, and I think that was a perfect choice of words. I think the song was enough to keep him safe for another week. I'll give him a 4.4.

Jacob (Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word): The coach warned about "over dramatizing." For me, that's my biggest problem with Jacob. He looked in such complete pain as he sang it made me miserable. What was he doing with his mouth? Ugh. He over-sang it and was pitchy in the middle, but he definitely had a glory note at the end. 4.1

Haley (Bennie and the Jets): Perfect end to the show. Perfect song for Haley's growly voice. She performed the starch out of the song. She gets the third 4.7 of the night.

My favorites of the night?

Lauren | Haley

Scotty | James

Who's in danger of going home?

and    

Idol 10: from 11 to 10

They kicked off the show tonight with a segment of Marc Anthony (J-Lo's hubby) giving the contestants help with the sound mix coming through their ear pieces. They implied that was behind a lot of the pitchiness we've heard in past weeks. And maybe they were right since last night was so good.

Group sing of Ain't No Mountain High Enough had more than one sour note, so maybe those lessons weren't completely successful (plus James and Jacob both had to do a screech/scream and neither sounded musical to me). Stevie Wonder joined the kids. Happy Birthday to Steven Tyler, and the song from Stevie and kids left him speechless. (Is this his 63rd or did he turn from 63 to 64?)

I'm convinced that tonight will be all about who has the most early season fans and not about performances last night. Yes, some were better than others, but nobody was awful. I also predict that this could be the night the judges use their save because of what I said in the first sentence. I'm bolding. Let's see if my prediction comes true.

Pia, Lauren, and Scotty were all put through to the final ten early in the hour.

Sugarland performed their song, Stuck Like Glue. Love that song. It's just fun. But wouldn't it make more sense, since last night was Motown night to have some Motown performers? Just sayin'.

Okay, silly little wrestling piece from the mansion. A good reminder that these talented singers are all young and fun and kooky. Paul and James were up next, and Ryan says they are both not safe. What? Then out came Hulk Hogan (who James, in the wrestling piece, had told to look out). Hulk then said they were both safe and would be going on tour with the final ten. After which he knocked Ryan into the audience. Also silly, but kind of amusing.

Jacob and Thia and Stefano up next. Jacob was safe. Thia and Stefano were not safe. Over to the stools they went. Naima, Haley, and Casey were called forward. Naima was safe. Haley could be expected to be in bottom three. She's been there last two weeks. But shocker! It was Casey to the stools and Haley was safe.

Ryan has said a number of times that this night would have shocking results. Was Casey in bottom three enough to be called the SHOCKER (in caps)? Or could the SHOCKER be that he is the very bottom? If Casey is the lowest vote getter from last night, then I know the judges will use the save. If I was a gambler, I'd bet money on it.

Jennifer Hudson performs her new single, Where You At. She looked every inch an Oscar winner. Hey, judges. Please note that she stood and sang in one spot almost the entire song. How come it's okay for her and not Pia? Just sayin'.

Down to business. Who will have to sing for the save? First, Ryan sent Thia back to the couch. (Commercial break to build more tension.) And it was Casey who was at the bottom. SHOCKER!!! Stefano gives him a major pep talk that we can't hear. Casey begins to sing. Randy stops him, says they already know who he is and don't need to hear him sing more, and the judges use the save. Casey looks about to puke or faint or have a heart attack. Maybe all three. He asks, "Why'd you do it? It's so early." (or something like that.) He crumbles to the steps, then goes and hugs his parents. Jennifer tells him to "be the musician" from now on.

Two people will go home next week. However, because they will go from 11 to 9, there won't be a top 10. Thus, the top 11 will go on tour.

And yes, I know that my title is incorrect, but I couldn't change it without giving away THE SHOCKER! And just in case you wondered, I think the judges made the right call in giving Casey another chance. I hope he delivers big time in the coming weeks. And besides, I think the eliminations really need to be in the voters' hands from now on.

Idol 10: the 11 perform

Motown week. Good music. Can they fill the shoes of the greats who sang these songs? Hope so because I grew up with the Motown sound, and I don't want any of these kids blowing it.

And away we go . . .

---

Casey (Heard It Through the Grapevine): Hmm. Casey, you know I love you, but that wasn't the best start to a performance. It got better, thank goodness, because this song should have been a perfect fit for you. Not a great ending either. Sorry. The judges absolutely loved it. Good but not great IMHO. So I'm giving him a 4.2 out of 5.

Thia (Heat Wave): Way to go, Thia! The youngest contestant brought something new to us this week, and her voice was just as beautiful with a bit of boogie goin' on. Moving around more helped show that she has confidence on the stage as well. She gets a 4.4.

Jacob (You're All I Need to Get By): I have a feeling that I will not be with the majority on this one. I didn't like it much. I thought he was sharp at times. Other times I thought it was just messy. Not a disaster and yet ... But the judges LOVED IT! Sorry. My sound must be messed up on my TV. He gets a 4.0 out of me.

Lauren (You Keep Me Hangin' On): She's feeling better, that's obvious. I thought this was a fine performance. Not brilliant. Not a blow-me-away Wow! But fine. She'll get a 4.2 out of 5.

Stefano (Hello?): Well, he's no Lionel Richie, but he does a fine job. Once again, not a Wow. The judges pointed out the closed eyes again. He's not connecting with the audience. An emotionless performance, perhaps is the best description. I feel like I'm stuck on this number but I'll call it another 4.2.

Haley (You Really Got a Hold on Me): Sorry. I barely recognized the song when she was finished with it. I'll be surprised if this keeps her out of the bottom three again. Not that she was off-key or sang it badly. It was just ... wrong somehow. Judges loved it. Maybe so will the rest of America. {{shrug}} I guess I'll give her a 4.0.

Scotty (For Once in My Life): Scotty puts a country twist on the Stevie Wonder version and gets a standing ovation. I loved it. It wasn't my favorite Scotty performance to date, but it was my favorite performance of the night so far. He gets a 4.5.

Pia (All in Love Is Fair): Okay, does someone need to call me Miss Cranky-Pants? I feel like there must be something wrong with me tonight. This was a perfectly lovely performance. Pia looked gorgeous (oh that dress and that beautiful figure). Her vocals were without a flaw. And yet she didn't move me. I am looking for a Wow and I'm not getting it. What's missing here? I'll give her a 4.6.

Paul (The Tracks of My Tears): I loved this performance from Paul. He turned this into a kind of folk-song, and it worked. Loved his smile and his playing of the guitar. No odd dance moves which I sort of appreciated. Very, very nice. A Rod Stewart vibe. Love the unique tone to Paul's voice. He gets a 4.4.

Naima (Dancing in the Street): Flashback with her huge bellbottom pants. LOL! Best performance she has had in weeks. I didn't hear one wrong note. Loved her little African dance addition toward the end. Not quite a Wow but a whole lot closer than anyone's made me feel so far tonight. She's getting a 4.6 for this.

James (Living for the City): James rocked Motown (and I liked his dance steps too!). This kid uses the stage and pulls in the crowd. And even though he can do some screaming (which often costs points from me), these were "screams that were sung" if that makes any sense. Really, I love this kid. He looked like a rocker star. Definitely the performance of the night. I can't claim a Wow (sorry), but still ... A 4.7.

Okay, I'm looking back over the performances, and I realized what a good night this was. Nobody ruined Motown for me. Nobody had a major misstep. The lowest score I gave was a 4.0, and the kids were all clustered close together up from there. That's pretty great. In other words, although I was complaining about not getting a Wow, what I was seeing was a night of consistently solid performances. So solid that saying who might be at risk is beyond me. I mean, Casey and Jacob were the weakest IMHO, and they weren't bad. So I guess I won't even try to predict who will be in the bottom three. This is going to be popularity night, I guess.

My favorite performances tonight?

Idol 10: from 12 to 11

I was busy in my office, writing an email to my editor, and I missed the first few minutes of AI. I don't think it mattered. I was there in time to hear Ryan say they were live and say something about the Red Cross help for Japan and then to hear the finalists sing as a group.

The group sing didn't sound too good to me. Am I wrong?

Okay, I'm going to condense the show. Ryan brought contestants forward, one, two or three at a time. Tried to build some suspense. Talked to the judges about this, that, or the other. Some went through. Three went to the stools (stretched over a long period). Lee DeWyze performed. Black Eyed Peas performed. We saw the Ford ad. Yada yada. (You know what this all looked like if you've been a viewer of American Idol more than a time or two.)

And the bottom three were (in the order they were announced): Haley, Naima, and Karen. In my scoring system (faulty, I'm sure), Haley and Naima had the two lowest scores last night and were joined by Jacob, all of them getting less than a 3.0 from me. Karen got a 3.6, although she was in my bottom four so it appears that I was pretty close to the rest of the country. Who got the lowest votes? Karen. She sings, but I don't think there was any suspense. The judges would not use their save.

Karen Rodriguez is bidding us adieu.

Wishing you all the best, young lady.

Idol 10: the 12 perform

Here we are again, boys and girls. Tonight's theme is hits from the year the contestants were born––which probably means I won't recognize very many of the songs. Thank goodness for the Internet where I get a bit of help on the titles before my post goes up.

First, gotta tell you that the 3/18/11 issue of Entertainment Weekly had a pretty good article on the 13 finalists and their odds of winning. Of course, they didn't start off well. They got last week's ousted contestant wrong. They had Ashthon going out at #10 with Stefano at #11, Haley at #12, and Naima at #13.

Here are EW's odds for the top five: Casey at #1 (3-1 odds); Lauren at #2 (4-1); Scotty at #3 (6-1); Jacob at #4 (8-1); and Pia at #5 (10-1). It'll be interesting to see how close they come over the next two months.

In case you read this before you see the show, sales on iTunes of tonight's performances will send the proceeds to the Red Cross's Japan relief effort. They will also take donations tomorrow night during the results show.

And here we go:

Naima (What's Love Got to Do With It): Hmm. Naima is not Tina Turner. Off-key at least as often as it was on-key. She was as colorful as ever, but I was not impressed at all. Steven was the only judge who liked it. The other two called her on the pitchy-ness. Good for them. I'm gonna be tough. She gets a 2.7 out of 5.

Paul (I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues): Paul's always a bit gravelly and breathy sounding, but he sounded like he had a sore throat. Gracious, he has the most unique, quirky stage moves. Although this performance didn't wow me, it wasn't terrible. (Jennifer made a point of saying every performer has to fight colds and sinus problems.) He's getting a 3.4.

Thia (Colors of the Wind): Hey, three songs in a row that I've known. I'm not as old as I thought. Ha! This girl has such a lovely voice. So much more mature than her real age. The judges seemed to think she was playing it safe and she's sung too many ballads in a row. Raspberry!! I liked it. Okay, maybe it won't stand out, but it was pretty. She's getting a 4.1 from me.

James (I'll Be There for You): Not a great performance from James tonight. Pitchy. A lot. Started that way. Ended that way. The audience seemed to love it. The judges loved it but also called him on the pitchy parts. Best I can give him is a 3.9.

Haley (I'm Your Baby Tonight): Good grief. It just isn't a very stellar night so far. I thought Haley was all over the map with this song, and not much of it was good. I'm not even sure what score to give it. Was it better than Naima? Maybe just a tiny, tiny bit. Guess I'll give her a 2.9.

Stefano (If You Don't Know Me by Now): Best performance of the night so far. Stefano came out fighting this week, outshining a few favorites that performed before him. Not completely perfect but really good. 4.8.

Pia (Where Do Broken Hearts Go): I was not completely fond of the arrangement but Pia really sang it. Totally different from songs she's done before, and I liked it a lot. I do think I liked Stefano just a tad more, so she's getting a 4.7.

Scotty (Can I Trust You With My Heart): Okay, so you all know by now that I love country music. Love me a little boot stompin' and broken hearts and tears in my beer. Love this song for Scotty too, though it wasn't my favorite performance of his. I'll give him a 4.5.

Karen (Love Will Lead You Back): Ick. Who did her hair? Am I watching an old episode of Star Trek? Anyway... The performance itself was another so-so one with some good places and some bad ones. She missed some notes and she hit some others. Best I can give her is a 3.6.

Casey (Smells Like Teen Spirit): Nirvana isn't my thing. Didn't like the song. But I loved Casey's performance of it. I wouldn't have thought I would. He gets a 4.5.

Lauren (I'm the Only One): Lauren's another one with the flu, but she pushes through. Great job, young lady. Even with a cold, you were more in key than quite a few of your competitors who weren't sick. You wind up with a 4.4.

Jacob (Alone): Jacob closes the show. Uh. No. This wasn't working. Screaming rather than singing. Vibrato seemed weird at the start. Sounded off-key a lot. Ack! Not did not work at all. Judges heard something different from what I heard. 2.9.

And BTW, I ended the night knowing ten of the twelve songs performed. I was surprised.

My top picks for the night:

In danger of elimination tomorrow:

See you tomorrow night!

~robin

Idol 10: from 13 to 12

Results night. Which to tell you the truth, I often wish I could just speed forward and get to the end. I rarely care about their special guests, though there have been a few exceptions.

Casey is sick and in the hospital. Oh dear. They didn't say why. At least he shouldn't be in the least bit of danger of going home. We'll pray for a swift recovery so he can be back performing next week.

After a lot of filler, including the Ford ad, a performance by Adam Lambert and then one by Diddy Dirty Money, we finally know our bottom three: Ashthon, Haley and Karen.

I cannot believe it could be Haley who will be sent home. I loved her performance last night and gave it one of my top five scores. Ashthon and Karen were only a couple of decimal points apart (4.1 to 3.9, respectively), and to be honest, if I was assigning scores today after thinking about it overnight, I would score Ashthon lower than Karen.

First they let us know that Karen was safe. That removed the suspense completely for me. It had to be Ashthon going home. Drum roll. Yep. Ashthon, one of the wild card picks, was the first to be sent home. No chance the judges would use the save this early in the season. Nor would they have used it for this off-key effort. I think it was worse than last night.

Best of luck, Ashthon.

Idol 10: from 24 to 13

So we get a two hour results show. Groan. I wish they wouldn't drag it out so much.

As they discussed the wild card picks, they didn't actually give a number so I still wasn't sure how many of those there would be. They just said that after they name the top 5 boys and top 5 girls, the judges will decide who of the remaining 14 they want to sing for those wild card slots. So I guess maybe they actually need two hours.

First in the top ten ... Scotty ... and Robbie went back to the stools. Next up were Clint, Jovany, and Jordan. All were low scorers in my opinion. All three went back to the stools, not making it into the top five boys. Now to the girls. Pia and Lauren A. were brought forward. And Lauren is in the top ten ... and so is Pia. (So far I'm three for three.) Next up were Ta-Tynisa and Julie. Both of them scored only threes from me. And both of them went back to the stools.

At this point we were 46 minutes into the show and only have three of the top ten. Talk about dragging it out. They could have definitely done this in one hour.

Kendra, Ashthon, and Karen were called forward at 51 minutes into the night. Ashthon was sent back to the stools as was Kendra. Karen is in the top ten. Next came Jacob, Casey, and Tim. Jacob is in the top ten and so is Casey. Tim went back to the stools. And next came Naima, Thia, and Lauren T. Naima was sent back to the stools and so was Lauren T. Thia is in the top ten. Next up were Brett and Paul. Paul is in the top ten. (So far I've picked seven of the eight top ten.) The last two girls were Haley and Rachel. And it's Haley who made it into the top ten. And finally they brought the last two guys, Stefano and James. And was there any doubt at all that James would be the top ten? No.

At 8:10 MST, we finally had all ten of America's choices (Casey, Haley, Jacob, James, Karen, Lauren A., Paul, Pia, Scotty, and Thia):

Well, my math was wrong. They will choose three wild cards which means we will lose just one each week from here on out. And they won't have all fourteen who didn't make the cut perform. Just three girls and three boys. And the winners from the six are Ashthon, Naima, and Stefano.

The benefit of cutting so many so fast is that we won't be having three shows a week for a month. So I'll see you next Wednesday for the performances of the top 13.

~robin, aka Judge #4

Idol 10: the 12 girls perform

Pondering last night's show, I have to say it was an impressive first night. I think the judges did a good job of picking some very talented young men for this season. So I'm hopeful I will feel the same at the end of tonight's show. Come on, ladies. I'm looking for some female favorites.

Ta-Tynisa Wilson (Only Girl): Poor beginning, I fear. She sounded off-key a lot of the time, and when she tried to go low, it was very weak. Steven liked it and Jennifer thought she "brought it home." Uh, no. I can give her no better than a 3.0 out of 5.

Naima Adedapo (Summertime): I can't say I liked the arrangement much, but I think she did a nice job with it overall. I don't know that it will hold up as a favorite, though. I'll give her a 3.9.

Kendra Chantelle (Impossible): Not much to the song choice, word-wise or even melody-wise. It's impossible. It's impossible. Etc. I feel like a poor judge because I just plain didn't like the song. Best I can give her is a 3.7.

Rachel Zevita (?): Not a fan of this performance either. Neither were the judges. It wasn't a train wreck. I'll keep her in the middle of the pack with a 2.9.

Karen Rodriguez (Hero): There were moments in this performance that I loved it. A few weak points too. The judges liked it a whole lot more than I did. I'll give her a 4.0.

***So far, the girls are not measuring up to the boys at all.***

Lauren Turner (Seven Day Fool): Okay, maybe I should have said that about the boys sooner, because Lauren was the first performance tonight that made me go, Yeah! I wasn't crazy about some of the way she moved on the stage, but she did a great job of singing. She's getting a 4.6 out of 5 from me.

Ashthon Jones (Love Over Me): Great job. I felt she owned the stage. Lots of composure. A 4.4.

Julie Zorrilla (Breakaway): Another one not doing it for me. 'Nough said. A 3.0 at best.

Haley Reinhart (Fallin'): Not crazy about the contortions she does with her face, but I liked her performance. She does have a sexy, smoky voice. I thought the song choice was good for her. I'll give her a 4.0.

Thia Megia (Out Here on My Own): Very understated performance that showcased her beautiful voice. Bravo! And she's only 15. Thia gets my highest score (barely) so far of the night. 4.65 out of 5.

Lauren Alaina (Turn On the Radio): I think I remember Carrie doing a bang-up job of this number, but Lauren does pretty good job with it too. She looks a whole lot older than 16, too. One of the better performances of the night. She gets a 4.5 from me.

Pia Toscano (I'll Stand by You): This young lady looks so classy on the stage, and she gives a very solid performance. She gets a standing O from the judges. First of the season I believe. And Randy just confirms that. I think I'll give her a slight edge over the rest of the pack with a 4.7.

So here are my top five:

Pia | Thia

Lauren T. | Lauren A.

Ashthon

So we'll see how the rest of America feels come tomorrow night.

~robin, aka Judge #4

Idol 10: the 12 boys perform

So I've heard that on results night (Thursday), America's votes will select the top 5 boys and the top 5 girls. Then the judges get some wildcard picks. I haven't been able to track down how many wildcards there will be for certain, nor did they announce it at the top of the show. However, I think I've figured it out.

I saw on Idol's Facebook page that the top 10 who will go on tour will be announced on 3/24. My math tells me, assuming that after this week we lose one boy and one girl each week, that we should have 16 finalists at the end of this Thursday's results show. And that would mean each judge gets to pick one boy and one girl as wildcards. 5 top scoring girls + 5 top scoring boys + 2 picks from Jennifer + 2 picks from Steven + 2 picks from Randy = 16 finalists (8 boys & 8 girls). Don't you love it when I do math?

Anyway ... here we are on the first live show (only it isn't live in the Mountain time zone) of 2011. This is when we really get to know who our contestants are. This is also when we find out what sort of judges Jennifer and Steven will turn out to be. They've done well in the pre-season, but tonight, the rubber meets the road. Most of you know what sort of judge I am from my living room sofa. LOL! How come i don't get paid the big bucks?

The kids get to be on the big stage right out of the chute this year. It feels quite different from the intimacy of the smaller stage in previous years. Oh, one more thing. They are allowing on-line voting this year. Yea!!! I like that.

And here we go...

Clint Jun Gamboa (Superstition): I thought Clint did an all right job with this song. I wasn't as wowed as the judges seemed to be, but I think he carried it off fine. I'll have to wait until the end of the evening before I'll know if this ends up being a performance to remember. I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Jovany Barreto (I'll Be): Hmm. I was not impressed with this performance. I thought it was very shaky. Jennifer loved it and fought for it with Randy who called it karaoke. Just a 3 in my book.

Jordan Dorsey (OMG): Ooh, I thought this was just plain awful. I would think this kid is going home this week. It's only a 2 from me.

Tim Halperin (Streetcorner Symphony): Although Tim looks comfortable on the big stage, I found this a mediocre performance. That's too bad because I think he's done so much better. Judges all seemed to agree with me, that this song wasn't a best choice. He's just getting a 3.0 out of 5.

Brett Loewenstern (Light My Fire): This one got off to a slow start and his red-curls-shaking was a bit too girlish IMHO. But I do think he brought it to a good close. I suspect he'll stick around for a while. Maybe it's a 3.75 out of 5.

James Durbin (You Got Another Thing Comin'): I am not a wild-rock fan, but this was an incredible performance (especially when you know this kid has Asperger Syndrome). Rocking crazy. No fear on the stage, and he sang and didn't scream. Way to go, James. Could be the performance of the night. I don't think it's quite perfect, so I'll give him a 4.7 out of 5.

Robbie Rosen (Angel): Hmm. This is another one of those so-so. It may have sounded better in the theater than it did over my TV since Steven and Jennifer loved it. But it seemed very pitchy to me. I'll give it just a 3.2 out of 5.

Scotty McCreery (Letters From Home): I. Loved. It. This kid is in his groove!!! There wasn't anything about his performance that I didn't love. He's getting a 4.8 from me.

Stefano Langone (Just the Way You Are): Although it didn't wow me, I thought this was a pretty good performance. I'll give him a 4.0.

Paul McDonald (Maggie Mae): Quirky. That's the word to describe this guy. And the song was a perfect choice for his voice. Steven says his voice has character, then Jennifer says his use of the stage has character too. His use of the stage was a bit weird and yet I liked it. The judges adore him, and Randy tells the audience we need to embrace him. (Ahha. A favorite?) I'm a fan, too. I'm giving him a 4.6 out of 5.

Jacob Lusk (A House Is Not a Home): The first few bars of this performance, I thought for sure it was going to be sad. But then it went straight to awesome. While I didn't like to watch him (it was sort of swishy and smarmy), listening to him was a pure pleasure. Not my favorite of the night but in the top five. I'll give him a 4.6 out of 5.

Casey Abrams (I Put a Spell on You): Go on. Growl at me, Casey!! I really, really, really think this guy is one cool dude. He had everybody on their feet cheering. He's getting a 4.8 from me.

A great night, all in all. Here are my top five for now:

Scotty | Casey

James | Paul

Jacob

See you tomorrow night.

~robin (also known as Judge #4, per one of my Facebook friends)