American Idol Finals - Live Thread!!

Fox ^ | May 21, 2003 | all of us

[JustPiper]

Thursday May 22, 03:31 PM


Dixie Chicks Booed, Snubbed at Country Music Show

Former country music darlings the Dixie Chicks are still paying a price for criticizing the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
The trio was snubbed at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Wednesday while audience members booed the very mention of the absent group's name.

The Texas musicians have been on the defensive since March, when singer Natalie Maines. Several radio stations pulled the chart-topping group's songs, and sales of their acclaimed new album slipped.

Instead of showing up at the glitzy Las Vegas ceremony, the three-time nominees performed a song live via satellite from Austin, Texas. They received a "pretty big negative response," the show's host, Reba McEntire (news), told reporters backstage afterward.

Later during the ceremony, presenter Vince Gill (news) jokingly mumbled their names when listing the contenders for entertainer of the year.

Gill, who has said people should forgive the group, said backstage that the atmosphere "wasn't near as volatile" as it was during the Flameworthy Music Awards in Nashville last month.

CROSSOVER QUEENS BESTED

The Dixie Chicks were not the only high-profile act to go home empty-handed. Country-pop crossover queens Shania Twain (news) and Faith Hill (news) were bested for top female vocalist by two-time winner Martina McBride (news).

Toby Keith (news), who went into the ceremony with a leading eight nominations, won just a single prize -- albeit the top one, entertainer of the year. But he left the event, held for the first time in Las Vegas, before his name was called out.

Keith flaunted his brash patriotism in the chart-topping anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."

Alan Jackson (news), Kenny Chesney (news) and the trio Rascal Flatts won two prizes each.

Jackson, a six-time nominee, was honored for album of the year ("Drive") and country video ("Drive "). His career tally now stands at 11 prizes.

Chesney, long overlooked at awards shows, won the prizes for single record of the year ("The Good Stuff") and top male vocalist. Chesney, who admitted that he had initially been reluctant to record "The Good Stuff," a No. 1 country hit, went into the event with five nominations.

Rascal Flatts made a clean sweep, winning for top vocal group and song of the year ("I'm Movin' On"), an award that also went to its writers, Phillip White and D. Vincent Williams.

Veteran country stars Brooks & Dunn won their 17th award, for top vocal duo. The legendary Willie Nelson (news) won just his fifth award, top vocal event for "Mendocino County Line," his collaboration with Lee Ann Womack (news).

The top new male vocalist award went to Arkansas native Joe Nichols (news), a former cable system installer who nabbed three Grammy nominations earlier this year for his debut album, "Man With a Memory," which he released six months ago.

Kellie Coffey (news), a former back-up singer for Barbra Streisand (news), was named top new female vocalist. Canadian sextet Emerson Drive won the prize for top new vocal duo or group.

"Key word here being"Former DixieChickeds"

[JustPiper]

You HAD to feel sorry for Kimberly Caldwell when Carmen Rasmusen beat her out. That was ridiculous.

Now your talking, I couldn't stand that little swarmy crawling all over Clay!

[JustPiper]

It hurt my eyes to look at Trenice and Carmen just fuggadaboutit!

[Fledermaus]

I hated Caldwell and prayed she'd get booted. She should have gotten booted way before she did.

She was a 100% total phony.

[fightinJAG]

I can say that since I are one!

[HennepinPrisoner]

Do you suppose they mapped out what areas were likely to vote for Ruben and let those phone lines run wild and areas likely to vote for Clay people couldn't get through.

Yes...I know. I was not able to register a single vote for Clay Tuesday night. Admittedly, I only tried for about 5 minutes, but I was not going to sit there and waste my time.

I think Fox has just ruined the chances of beating the rating of this Season.

I just do not have confidence in the voting results last night.

[Hatteras]

"Simon did not call Frenchie too fat. It was another girl."

Simon did call the other girl with the dyed hair fat but he also told Frenchy that she did not "fit the image they were looking for". She stayed on because Randy and Paula voted for her but eventually left after the porn thing.

[Celantro]

>I think Celantro is catchy and tastes great ;)

I love Cilantro, especially as the Mexicans use it, but the pproper spelling had been taken when I got here so I used this spelling.

[OldFriend]

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't get to see all the episodes.

Doubtful I will watch any more AI shows. But you can be sure I will be buying the Clay CDs. Already have Kelly's single and her latest CD.

[Celantro]

>Being a newbie and possible infiltartor I have no words for you.

For a person who has no words for me, you certainly went out of your way to take my comment out of context. The context clearly was that it was fine for Simon Cowell to tell Josh, Venessa, and Kimberly that they were too fat to be American idols but the guy who was so obese that he needed two chairs to sit down on stage was fine with Simon (because he fit the image of the hugely obese black young guy.)

[SuzanneWeeks]

Buy 2 cds. One to keep and one to give.

That is not a bad Idea. I like it!

Suz

[Celantro]

>Now that's funny!

Surge in calls tagged to 'American Idol'
By LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer
Last Updated 7:49 p.m. PDT Wednesday, May 21, 2003

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ruben and Clay sang, then America talked. And talked.

Telephone calling surged on major carriers Verizon and SBC Communications after Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken competed for the title of "American Idol" on the Fox TV talent show Tuesday.

Chatter among viewers as well as calls to phone numbers registering audience votes for the two contestants led to the increase in volume, according to the phone companies.

Verizon, which typically processes more than 1.5 billion phone calls on an average weekday, saw an increase of 116 million calls, or 7 percent, Tuesday night.

"That's a significant jump, which can be attributed in large part to the massive amount of calls placed to the 'American Idol' hot lines," the company said in a statement.

But the series generated other types of phone traffic, according to Suzy Henderson, SBC executive director of network services.

"People call friends, family to discuss the program," Henderson said. "We've seen an increase in traffic across the network in general because this is an enormously popular show."

SBC said it processed more than 260 million calls during the three-hour "American Idol" voting window last night, a hefty 100 million calls more and an 80 percent increase over a typical weeknight.

Cell phone owners also were able to cast votes by text messaging.

"American Idol" producers had said they expected as many as 30 million votes; an official tally wasn't available Wednesday afternoon. The winner was to be announced Wednesday night.

The huge number of calls also represents efforts by some frustrated fans to get past busy signals on the voting lines. The bottleneck occurred even before the crucial final round.

"I must have called five times and never got through," Jolene Bristow, 72, a special education teacher in Ontario, said after trying to vote for Studdard last week.

"It bothered me. ... I at least want my voice to be heard," she said.

[Luis Gonzalez]

It's different saying that someone will be the next star, over "he's just like that other guy".

Quite different actually.

[Twinkie]

Both boys are good singers. However, Reuben keeps straining
his voice and it gets gravelly sometimes, which may add to
the personality of it in the long run. He has already won
as this is the day after, however, Clay probably should
have. Both will do well career wise.

[Guenevere]

#1046...I'm with ya.
No more American Idol..for me.

It was a fun escapism.......until I figured out it's rigged.....has to be.

I just heard the entertainer reporter on FOX say (paraphrase) Simon said he would buy Rueben's CD rather than Clay's...(seriously, it was something to that effect)

Also, they're already making excuses for Rueben....he's so tired.....

..'we're trying to get him to appear on FOX later, but he's so tired'

...also, it appears Clay had to do all the talking for Rueben last night.

I just need to let this go.....but it seems unfair.

Oh well...

[Fawnn]

Clay has a HUGE following, across a wide demographic (no pun on middle-aged ladies intended).

It's great to wake up and learn that rather than fear that I may be becoming irrelevant, I am instead a proud member of the wide demographic! ;)

[SuzanneWeeks]

The context clearly was that it was fine for Simon Cowell to tell Josh, Venessa, and Kimberly that they were too fat to be American idols but the guy who was so obese that he needed two chairs to sit down on stage was fine with Simon

No, I think it is because if Simon said something about Ruben's weight he would therefore be casting dispersions about RANDY'S weight. Think about that for a second. I still think it was wrong of Simon at all to comment on peoples weight. It's just rude.

Suz (Proud member of WW)

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

My kids tried to vote but the line was busy the whole time. Because both lines were busy the whole time, this was decided by who had the fastest phone line!

[JustPiper]

For Clay fans, he will be on CBS morning show at 8am CST!

[renosathug]

Of course the call volume went up dramatically. That does not mean that lines for Clay were "shut off."