# American Idol 4/29/2008 and 4/30/2008



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Carly Smithson was last week, who will it be this week?


----------



## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

If I have my way, Brooke will be sent home this week.

Twice, this season, she's done the false start, which kills me. Plus, i just don't think she's all that good.

With the early hockey game tonight, I may actually get to watch Idol this week before Thursday.


----------



## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

1. DC

Then the rest.

And boy that was embarrassing with Paula.


----------



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

ok... wow... what a mess...

-wasn't really at all impressed with any performances tonight...

-they need to put a stop to the hand waving in the 'mosh pit'...

-the mic levels are way too low...

-the 'pan away from monitor at the end of performance' technique was old the 2nd time they used it... they are now on time 37...

and i find it *very *strange that paula already had notes for jason's second song... almost like what she was supposed to say was scripted... her evaluation was something like his usual charm was missing and it left her feeling empty inside... but then she tries to play it off like she was talking about david cook... and tells him he was fantastic... doesn't make any sense at all...


----------



## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

AirRocker said:


> and i find it *very *strange that paula already had notes for jason's second song... almost like what she was supposed to say was scripted... her evaluation was something like his usual charm was missing and it left her feeling empty inside... but then she tries to play it off like she was talking about david cook... and tells him he was fantastic... doesn't make any sense at all...


yep, seemed like she either saw the dress rehearsal and was really commenting on both songs or someone gave her notes ... weird ... agree, the mic's always seem low ...


----------



## DBS Commando (Apr 7, 2006)

AirRocker said:


> and i find it *very *strange that paula already had notes for jason's second song... almost like what she was supposed to say was scripted... her evaluation was something like his usual charm was missing and it left her feeling empty inside... but then she tries to play it off like she was talking about david cook... and tells him he was fantastic... doesn't make any sense at all...


Or it could have been that she took the green pill instead of the blue pill. . .


----------



## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

Just went back and watched the Paula sequence again. She definitely was commenting on both of Jason's songs after he had only sung one during the show. Also, if you watch her as Randy is speaking, she's scrambling with notes. May have taken notes during the dress rehearsal.

Certainly different


----------



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Sixto said:


> Just went back and watched the Paula sequence again. She definitely was commenting on both of Jason's songs after he had only sung one during the show. Also, if you watch her as Randy is speaking, she's scrambling with notes. May have taken notes during the dress rehearsal.
> 
> Certainly different


it was pretty weird... i also thought it was strange that no one stopped her... usually simon would speak up pretty quick in a situation like that... and then randy says "just the first song"... like they _had_ already seen both songs...


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

AirRocker said:


> it was pretty weird... i also thought it was strange that no one stopped her... usually simon would speak up pretty quick in a situation like that... and then randy says "just the first song"... like they _had_ already seen both songs...


Ryan, on stage, was also looking a bit nervous, glancing off stage for direction.


----------



## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

Jason has got to go


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

For tonight, I rank the performances best to worst as follows:

David Cook
Syesha
David Archuleta
Brook 
Jason

Jason Castro really needs to go. I really don't care who goes next, but if there's justice, the final will be between Syesha and David Cook.

Did anyone notice that once again the microphones or mixing during the live performances seemed off? The performers always sound so much clearer and better during the taped segments, but during live segments, they're almost always drowned out.


----------



## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

machavez00 said:


> Jason has got to go


Jason, then Brooke, then Syesha, then David A. and crown the champ David C ...


----------



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

another thing i just thought of... i thought it was in very poor taste that ryan pointed out brooke's "cheat" on her hand... i'm not a fan of brooke... but i feel like that kinda stuff may unfairly influence voters (like scripting the judge's remarks :grin... seems kinda like they're trying extra hard to make the results fit their agenda...


----------



## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

AirRocker said:


> another thing i just thought of... i thought it was in very poor taste that ryan pointed out brooke's "cheat" on her hand... i'm not a fan of brooke... but i feel like that kinda stuff may unfairly influence voters (like scripting the judge's remarks :grin... seems kinda like they're trying extra hard to make the results fit their agenda...


yep, especially when it's kinda hard to read your hand while playing the piano! (notes were probably to study prior).


----------



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

Drew2k said:


> For tonight, I rank the performances best to worst as follows:
> 
> David Cook
> Syesha
> ...


What a relief, I don't have to post anything tonight because I couldn't agree more, with everything. Syesha is certainly the most improved over the length of the season. She is really getting good.


----------



## ebaltz (Nov 23, 2004)

Sharkie_Fan said:


> If I have my way, Brooke will be sent home this week.
> 
> Twice, this season, she's done the false start, which kills me. Plus, i just don't think she's all that good.
> 
> With the early hockey game tonight, I may actually get to watch Idol this week before Thursday.


But she is hot!


----------



## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

I call it as Drew sees it....

Jason had 2 songs that he could really explode with, yet he kept it simple and boring. For that, he must go.

Brooke, easy on the eyes. 1st song was horrible. Second song was done well enough to be better than Jason.

David A is getting really boring. Haven't been moved by anything he's done since "Imagine". If the teen vote has a say, he'll be in the top two and may still win.

Sayesha has been a favorite of mine throughout. I think she does Whitney songs really well. Her version of "Hello" was very good, second song was not really her style, but I feel she is more talented than Archuletta.

David Cook should win this season. First performance was "forgettable", second was good, not great, but better than anything else that was put on the table tonight.


----------



## kenn157 (Jan 22, 2007)

machavez00 said:


> Jason has got to go


Ditto!


----------



## davemayo (Nov 17, 2005)

kenn157 said:


> Ditto!


+1


----------



## Snoofie (May 29, 2003)

I thought it was funny when Ryan was talking with Jason you could see David Cook walking on stage in the dark and when the crowd realized it they started cheering real loud causing Ryan and Jason to look over. Jason looked like he almost rolled his eyes and then started smiling. 

Brooke or Jason will probably be going Her first song was terrible. She should plant herself behind a piano and sing because her second song was great, but she has shown in the past few weeks that she isn't quite ready yet. Jason also has no business being this far into the competition because I can't tell you what he sang from one week to the next because they all sound the same. His second song last night was pretty good, but the first was bad.


----------



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Snoofie said:


> I thought it was funny when Ryan was talking with Jason you could see David Cook walking on stage in the dark and when the crowd realized it they started cheering real loud causing Ryan and Jason to look over. Jason looked like he almost rolled his eyes and then started smiling.


the show seemed very "disorganized" last night... i saw stage hands and other people running on and off the stage all night in the background... i guess they were too worried about being able to pan away from the monitors at the end of the performances to get the camera angles right the rest of the time... :sure:


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

I noticed that Cook's mic Audio seemed to finally match very nicely with the background music, so something came off right ...

But what the heck? The show was very disorganized. If they did it like this all of the time, they'd certainly lose viewers.

Brooke saved herself with the "I am, I said" .. "I'm a Believer?" I couldn't believe it. That was bad. I thought Jason did well on the first song, but the second was a mess .. Going first *AND* not up to snuff should make him the one to be gone, but we'll see.

I put Archuleta under Brooke simply because I really didn't like it. The Judges using scripted notes didn't help since they were gushing, but I was like .. I'd rather hear that from a bar band than David. I may just be the song, but :nono2: I didn't like it at all.

My order top to bottom ..

Cook
Mercado
White
Archuleta
Castro

In fact, if I didn't think her performance was kinda (just kinda) campy I would have put Mercado up at the top with Cook.


----------



## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

Is there an "anti-Baby David" vote that is currently spread a little thin among the others that as people get eliminated, the teeny-bopper/grandma vote may be overcome? I'm actually thinking a pro-someone else vote rather than an anti-DA vote, where as the someone-elses get eliminated, the votes still don't go to DA and shore up someone else who is more "relevant". God, I just don't see any justice in David A winning this thing. Seems to me (or maybe I'm just wishing) that at some point the "popularity contest" is diluted enough for the talent to win.

Liked David Cooke well enough. LOVED Syesha this week - she very much is improving more than the others.

I like Brooke, and liked her second performance. She needs to keep the "Here Comes the Sun"s and "I'm a Believer"s OUT of her reptoire.

David Archuletta seems to me like someone who may be OK technically, but the performance is pretty milque-toast. Like a young piano prodigy that hits all the notes right, but you just don't feel anything. Although DA doesn't always hit the notes right. I don't know about anybody having any "deserve" factor, but I just won't feel right if David C or Syesha wind up going home before him (and maybe add Brooke to that, too).

That leaves Jason. Good grief, watching him last night you could have substituted Kermit the Frog and the performance would have hit me the same way. GET HIM OUT OF HERE!

And while I'm shouting, PAY THE EXTRAS THEIR NIGHTLY STIPEND AND KEEP THEM THE HECK OUT OF THE MOSH-PIT!!!!!! Dang, when Syesha started her first song, all you could see was those Chuck E Cheese automitron arms waving! Whoever thought that would be good for the show needs to wake up and pound their hand with a hammer.

On the heels of Carly going home last week, if Jason doesn't go home tonight I am going to be severly disappointed. And I truly hope that Simon's statement about Syesha being in trouble has it's desired effect - to get people voting for her so she isn't even close to the bottom two. She certainly doesn't belong there.


----------



## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

Syesha is the only worthy contestant IMO. And she's done it the old fashioned way - she has improved weekly, consistently hits those very high notes, has an entertaining stage presense, and surprises you each week with her versatility. 

David Cook is her closest competition - but in my eyes, a bit of a one-trick pony (rock).

Archuleta is getting (a) predictable and (b) boring.

Brooke should exit right after Jason.

Jason needs to say goodbye.


----------



## RehabMan (Mar 11, 2007)

HDG said:


> Syesha is the only worthy contestant IMO. And she's done it the old fashioned way - she has improved weekly, consistently hits those very high notes, has an entertaining stage presense, and surprises you each week with her versatility.
> 
> David Cook is her closest competition - but in my eyes, a bit of a one-trick pony (rock).
> 
> ...


Interestingly, Syesha has moved to the top this week as far as www.dialidol.com shows. Also note that Archie (David A.) has fallen to #3 this week. See http://www.dialidol.com/asp/predictions/Predictions.asp

I agree that Jason needs to go, but I think the girls like his eyes.

Brooke, I don't know. I liked her earlier in the show and it seems that lately she's been overcome by nervousness....

My pick to win is still David C. assuming he can pull off his edgy rock thing at the end...


----------



## Slip Jigs (Oct 20, 2006)

Bye Brooke. 

I couldn't even watch until the end through the song. Ugh.


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

So what were all the rumors about Paula that Ryan so vehemently denied, saying "She's part of the family and we love her"? Were there rumors that Paula was going to be fired or something?


----------



## Sixto (Nov 18, 2005)

no matter what anyone says, I'm convinced her notes were from the dress rehearsal. no way she was reading the notes for Cook.

Glad to see Brooke go. Next Jason. then David A. then Syesha. 

Fans will probably ride David A. until the end.


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

I was actually a little upset that Natasha Bettingfield made such a fuss over Archuletta - it's not like he doesn't already have fans, now a celeb fawns all over him? 

Let's get a celeb to fawn over the talent, not the "cutey-patootie awe-shucks" kid ...


----------



## kevinwmsn (Aug 19, 2006)

I agree with Jason needs to go, after that David A should follow. I want to see David C. win it, if David C. doesn't win it he'll likely have a better career than Jason or David A.


----------



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

:nono: WHO is voting for Jason??? He can't sing. He has NO range at all. No vocal strength. What's the deal with him?


----------



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Drew2k said:


> So what were all the rumors about Paula that Ryan so vehemently denied, saying "She's part of the family and we love her"? Were there rumors that Paula was going to be fired or something?


my guess was the she was on drugs or something?


----------



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

Sixto said:


> no matter what anyone says, I'm convinced her notes were from the dress rehearsal. no way she was reading the notes for Cook.


agreed



Richard King said:


> :nono: WHO is voting for Jason??? He can't sing. He has NO range at all. No vocal strength.


agreed


----------



## JLucPicard (Apr 27, 2004)

The thing that escapes me so wildly about the votes for Jason is that the show airs at night and voting is only open for a couple of hours. With him sticking around this long the only explanation that would make ANY sense to me is if the voting took place in the afternoon, oh, say around 4:20? I just really don't get it at all.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Richard King said:


> :nono: WHO is voting for Jason??? He can't sing. He has NO range at all. No vocal strength. What's the deal with him?


Well actually that has been my comment about Jason, brook and David A. My wife made a comment tonight.. She thinks it is the weakest top 5 she has seen. I actually agree. I was very impressed at the start with the top 12 but know that we are on the top 5 I have to say that it is not as strong as I thought it would be.... I am rather disappointed at how things have played out. I was hoping for a lot of across the board WOW performances and contestents duking it out with brillant songs and it just has not panned out the way I thought it was be...

Personally I am hoping for a Sasha vs David C. final.. But my guess that will not happen. Jason making it past this week is another nail in the "Trying to find the best singing talent" coffen.. Definitely not about that.. about getting the maximum number of people to dial in..


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

This season is getting ripped by all of the TV critics... and there's speculation that the producers are looking to replace Ryan Seacrest as host. Like THAT's the problem ...


----------



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

> Personally I am hoping for a Sasha vs David C. final..


At this stage of the "game" that is what SHOULD happen, but it won't. I predict, even before they sing, that Syesha will be the next to go. The others obviously have too much of a fan base. When you have a fan base talent doesn't matter. Jason is the perfect proof of this.

Why do they keep extending the show a couple of minutes beyond the scheduled finish time? I got cut off last night on my recording.


----------



## Button Pusher (Jan 19, 2007)

> -they need to put a stop to the hand waving in the 'mosh pit'...


I agree AirRocker.This drives me crazy.

I voted for David Cook.


----------



## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

Ron Barry said:


> Well actually that has been my comment about Jason, brook and David A. My wife made a comment tonight.. She thinks it is the weakest top 5 she has seen. I actually agree. I was very impressed at the start with the top 12 but know that we are on the top 5 I have to say that it is not as strong as I thought it would be.... I am rather disappointed at how things have played out. I was hoping for a lot of across the board WOW performances and contestents duking it out with brillant songs and it just has not panned out the way I thought it was be...


Ok, Ron ... final warning ... get out of my head!!! 

Agree totally. What started out as a boffo season is quickly peetering out into a so-so popularity contest. I can't help but compare today's final 5 with the likes of season 2's Ruben, Clay, Kimberley, Joshua and Trenyce. There's no comparison in talent. It's as though AI peaked back then and no one bothered to tell us.

I still want Syesha to win. She's the only one still showing an ability to get better. I'm resigned, however, to the populist vote that will more than likely crown David C the winner.


----------



## jodyguercio (Aug 16, 2007)

Richard King said:


> :nono: WHO is voting for Jason??? He can't sing. He has NO range at all. No vocal strength. What's the deal with him?





JLucPicard said:


> The thing that escapes me so wildly about the votes for Jason is that the show airs at night and voting is only open for a couple of hours. With him sticking around this long the only explanation that would make ANY sense to me is if the voting took place in the afternoon, oh, say around 4:20? I just really don't get it at all.


Jason went to Texas A&M University. As the brother of a graduate of the school, let me tell you this, he's getting votes from EVERY alum that EVER went to school there. Aggies stick together and in this case it's starting to bug the crap out of me cause I agree with both of you, He Cant SING


----------



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

jodyguercio said:


> Jason went to Texas A&M University. As the brother of a graduate of the school, let me tell you this, he's getting votes from EVERY alum that EVER went to school there. Aggies stick together and in this case it's starting to bug the crap out of me cause I agree with both of you, He Cant SING


everytime someone mentions A&M... all I can think about is this pic...

:lol: (sorry jody)


----------



## waynebtx (Dec 24, 2006)

Syesha needs to go shes off key more then on.


----------



## waynebtx (Dec 24, 2006)

My pick for final two David Archuleta ,David Cook.


----------



## Snoofie (May 29, 2003)

The whole popularity contest vs. talent debate has been going on since the beginning. I really don't know what the solution is, but it is annoying to see the current top 4 and realize that most of them are there because people like them as opposed to having enought talent to be the winner. Jason Castro can't even answer a question without being all flustered and stumbling over himself. David A. is acting all amazed that he gets through each week, which is stupid because he hasn't been in the bottom at all. Syesha has pretty much said that she wants to act more than sing so she will be on Broadway or something before we see a quality album from her. David Cook has released an album before that is pretty good and he has great stage presence. He should be the winner, but it depends on if talent wins over popularity.


----------



## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

AirRocker said:


> everytime someone mentions A&M... all I can think about is this pic...
> 
> :lol: (sorry jody)


GREAT picture.. :lol:


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Drew2k said:


> This season is getting ripped by all of the TV critics... and there's speculation that the producers are looking to replace Ryan Seacrest as host. Like THAT's the problem ...


 .. exactly.

I've seen bad hosts and that's a great way to drive your show into oblivion. Fact is, it looks like AI has hit its peak. All shows do. They should just continue to ride the cash cow as long as they can and leave it at that. The show has been entertaining enough, but perhaps pick good singers regardless of niche. No reason to have 12 different niche singers .. Just pick the best singers, period regardless of how they'll "fit" on TV.

Also, I don't think anyone would care if both Randy and Paula where shipped off in favor of some new blood. Heck all they say these days are "It was aight" and "You look nice tonight" anyway.


----------



## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

The Paula trainwreck has run its course. At one time it was entertaining, now it is just painful to watch.

I think another problem they have is they are trying to get the talent to be relevant while they schlop out a 70 year olds like Neil Diamond and Dolly Parton, 2 weeks of 40 year old Beatles songs along with a 60's week and a 70's week. 

They need better talent, better judges and better themes. Aside from that, Seacrest is fine. Besides...Drew Carey is under contract!


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

American Idol really has become predictable, from the judges' comments, to Ryans' bantering, to the bad musical selections and bad sound mixing, to the plodding pace of results shows with in-show product placement advertisements and promotion of Fox programs. Top this off with perceptions that talent is being ignored in favor of popularity, and it's no wonder fans and critics are upset.

Perhaps AI needs to look to Dancing with the Stars for how contestants are eliminated. First, the opinions of the judges and fans are each 50% of the vote: judges score the contestants (50%), fans vote for their favorites (50%). For fan voting, DWTS limits the votes per caller's phone number to the number of remaining contestants. If there are five contestants left, the caller gets five votes. This forces the caller to really pick carefully who they want to support.

Right now, the Idol contestants only really have to play for the home audience - the judges' comments may influence votes, but they don't rally affect them. If Idol could adopt the same voting/scoring rules as DWTS, I think we'd see the better performers reaching later rounds, and we'd also see a different reaction from the performers themselves, who would know they'd have to please both the judges and the audience, who have a limited number of votes and will want to cast them wisely.


----------



## spunkyvision (Oct 12, 2006)

Why hasn't any one mentioned the fact that Paula called Syesha "Brooke"? Paula had a horrible night. She is just terrible and just rambles on that I don't even listen to her most times.
I was ok with Brooke going home, either her or Jason.
As a previous poster mentioning Ryan pointing out Brooke's "cheat" I thought was in bad taste as well. 
This whole week was very weak imo. Maybe we can bring back Neil Sedaka (from season 1) for the season finale. :nono2:
I am also getting tired of all the commercials within the show.


----------



## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

Every year I end up saying I am done watching the show after "this" season. Every year I end up watching anyways.


----------



## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

The wife and I have decided that from here on out we will watch the show in delayed time. We're really sick of so many long commercial breaks.


----------



## jodyguercio (Aug 16, 2007)

AirRocker said:


> everytime someone mentions A&M... all I can think about is this pic...
> 
> :lol: (sorry jody)


Thats ok......all in good fun :lol:


----------



## Sharkie_Fan (Sep 26, 2006)

Drew2k said:


> American Idol really has become predictable, from the judges' comments, to Ryans' bantering, to the bad musical selections and bad sound mixing, to the plodding pace of results shows with in-show product placement advertisements and promotion of Fox programs. Top this off with perceptions that talent is being ignored in favor of popularity, and it's no wonder fans and critics are upset.
> 
> Perhaps AI needs to look to Dancing with the Stars for how contestants are eliminated. First, the opinions of the judges and fans are each 50% of the vote: judges score the contestants (50%), fans vote for their favorites (50%). For fan voting, DWTS limits the votes per caller's phone number to the number of remaining contestants. If there are five contestants left, the caller gets five votes. This forces the caller to really pick carefully who they want to support.
> 
> Right now, the Idol contestants only really have to play for the home audience - the judges' comments may influence votes, but they don't rally affect them. If Idol could adopt the same voting/scoring rules as DWTS, I think we'd see the better performers reaching later rounds, and we'd also see a different reaction from the performers themselves, who would know they'd have to please both the judges and the audience, who have a limited number of votes and will want to cast them wisely.


Right on, Drew....

They have to do something with the voting. I'm still a big fan of voting someone OFF, but that's just too _not PC _to ever happen.... So, I could go with the DWTS model of voting!


----------



## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

HDG said:


> The wife and I have decided that from here on out we will watch the show in delayed time. We're really sick of so many long commercial breaks.


i haven't watched an episode live all season... the hour long results show is ridiculous!


----------



## spunkyvision (Oct 12, 2006)

> the hour long results show is ridiculous!


no kidding. What is Natasha Bedingfield doing on the "Neil Diamond" Show?
Their pairings are very odd and the groups songs are as cheesy as a Brady Bunch song.


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

spunkyvision said:


> the groups songs are as cheesy as a Brady Bunch song.


Doesn't Jason Cook always look like he wants to explode as he and the rest of the group synchronize their steps and arm movements? Always makes me laugh..


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

AirRocker said:


> i haven't watched an episode live all season... the hour long results show is ridiculous!


I enjoy parts of the results show (skipping commercials of course), but the cool thing about being on the west coast is that by 7pm I already know who's out. 

For the most part I've enjoyed this season despite it's flaws, but the main show this week was horrid. Some of the singing was OK, but the singing was overshadowed by the goofs.

The results show this week brought about a very interesting story during the call in sequence. We were only watching this because we had caught up to live by this point. Usually were not that close but last night we were. Simon's first kiss called in and had a chat with Simon on the air.


----------



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Drew2k said:


> Did anyone notice that once again the microphones or mixing during the live performances seemed off? The performers always sound so much clearer and better during the taped segments, but during live segments, they're almost always drowned out.


Yes, this is frustrating.

I like Jason because he acts it all really isn't very important, which is true.


----------

