American Idol 2006--Live Thread I

FOX ^ | 1-16-06

[silent_jonny]

for Tammy

[DameAutour]

"I can't rememeber her name but there was a big black lady in the late 80's who sounded like a mouse but had a surround sound voice that was AMAZING. One hit wonder, but was awesome. weird 1-word name, iirc."

Michel'le?

[Howlin]

They were all talking about how "mean" AI was this year.

I was left thinking that they hadn't watched it before.

[Wolfstar]

They were all talking about how "mean" AI was this year. I was left thinking that they hadn't watched it before.

All the elites -- especially those from the other networks -- have been turning their snobby noses up at the show from the beginning. At this stage of the season, they whine about how mean it is. By the time the winner is chosen, the elites will sniff that the winner has no credibility because he or she just won a reality show.

[freedumb2003]

I was watching tonight (in Denver but I get the West Coast feed).

Immediately before Simon left, my dang phone rung with a problem at work that needed my full attention. When I got off the call, Simon was gone.

I was soooooo p*ssed. Particularly because they had been running the tease since yesterday.

Can someone recap what happened?

Thanks a bazillion!

[bootless]

Well, I'm without a TV but with internet... could be worse!

Those bellies hanging out ... girls now call them "muffin-tops." Now, *that's* clever - and accurate.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Exactly! Didn't she have an incredible voice?

[Lil'freeper]

Those bellies hanging out ... girls now call them "muffin-tops." Now, *that's* clever - and accurate.

Yes, I'm aware of that - along with "whale tales" which are the tops of thong undies rising up above the pants. I don't marvel that they wear it (I taught high school for years, so little surprises me in that regard) but they don't understand what "image" is all about. This is why so many beauty pagent girls do so well in the competition. They show up, stand up straight, flash a winning smile, communicate with confidence and clarity, and portray an image that is a step or two above the typical mall-rat. Ultimately, AI is more about image than talent. I wonder if any time is devoted to that on Randy and Paula's DVD.

[EmilyGeiger]

Nice posts. :) Rhonetta looked ruff in her jailbird pics. ::)

[kevkrom]

Boy, I really thought this episode was going to be a non-stop GIC parade after the first few contestants (though, as an aside, I would have given the Hawaiian opera chick a shot). On the whole, though, it looks like they tapped out the SF talent base in the previous two seasons, as there wasn't much I was seeing to overly impress.

Based on the brief clips we heard, I only saw one person who really stood out: Katherine McPhee. She's cute, has a trained, controlled voice, she just needs to make sure not to over-sing. I'm not sure how deep she'll go, but she has serious potential if she remembers to perform rather than just worry about the technical aspects.

Tier two (people to keep an eye on during Hollywood week):

• Lauren Weekerly (sp?) -- We only got to see a very short clip from her, but I like what I heard.
• Jayne Santayana -- She's cute, she's stylish, and most importantly, she has a "pop" voice

And the others:

• Jose Penala -- He's got a different look, does a decent R&B, but the voice is, to me, above average at best. I don't see "star" here.
• John Williams -- Not sure I would have let him through to Hollywood; the voice is OK at best with a noticeable lack of support in the upper register
• Shawna White -- The girl has possibilities (a session or two with the stylist and more vocal coaching could give her a shot) but probably needs more seasoning. Hollywood week should be a good experience for her, but I don't think she'll make top-24 this year.

Next week, we'll see who's leaving Las Vegas...

[kevkrom]

In the first report, it says she weighed 119 lbs.? That must've been a looooong time ago.

Several of the charges were for providing false information to an officer...

[kevkrom]

Great... more GICs:

[kevkrom]

This kid is way off key.....EWW

The last guy... Manuel... he may be the only person I've ever heard who sings so closed/nasal that he sounds out of tune with himself. Plus, the whole head shaking thing looks more like an epilectic seizure than entertainment.

[kevkrom]

The psychic from last year comes back!!!

Unless she's managed how to figure out a way to channel Mama Cass on demand, she's not going anywhere near Hollywood.

[kevkrom]

Jessica Sierra, one of the finalists from last year, is being stalked by a real creep.

Only, and I repeat, only because I think stalkers are complete scum will I resist putting in a "barfly" joke about Jessica here.

[Fawn]

Thank you. I didn't think it was possible for the main 3 to audition thousands of people......

[kevkrom]

BTW... Mrs. kevkrom suggests that GIC stand for "gender-identity crisis" rather than "gender-identity-challenged". Either one works for me.

[csvset]

LOL re Rhonetta.

I told my wife that Rhonetta was confused, she thought she was auditioning for America's Most Wanted, not American Idol.

[silent_jonny]

I'm sad the Hawaiian opera girl didn't get in

That is perplexing. Last year they let "Opera Girl" (I forget her real name) go to Hollywood. She had a powerful voice, not really Idol material, but she could definitely sing. Happy Heidi should've been given the same chance, IMO.

[silent_jonny]

The Japanese girl will surely make the final cut. Ditto for the brunette whose Mom is a voice coach.

I don't know about the Japanese girl--she seemed too "showy" to me, not much substance. Once she feels the pressure of the Hollywood round, I think she might fall apart.

Now the brunette is the total package: voice, looks, confidence and presentation. I can see her in the finals.

[silent_jonny]

you still around on the thread?

You just missed me :)

Jessica Sierra, one of the finalists from last year, is being stalked by a real creep.

From the link:

Daniel Robert Young, 59, was being held without bond Thursday after his arrest Tuesday at the home of Jessica Sierra's grandmother, police said.

Police said Young had placed at least 38 voice mail messages since mid-September telling Sierra, 20, that he loves her and willing to go to jail for her, police said. He sent her a necklace, a bracelet and dozens of long-stemmed roses after seeing her singing on the Fox talent show, police said.

"It was like the more I stopped answering my phone and stopped talking to him, he got even more mad," Sierra said. "He was like, 'Answer your damn phone when I call you.'"

...

When he arrived in Tampa on Tuesday from California, Young called Sierra's cellphone twice and asked her to pick him up, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

"I told him, 'I'm not coming to pick you up,'" Sierra said.

A 59 year old stalking a 20 year old? He's a loser with capital "L".

But how did he get Sierra's cellphone number? And why did she talk to him? "He was like, 'Answer your damn phone when I call you.'" There's something odd about that quote ...