First a note about comments. It was pointed out to me that you’re asked to register. I guess that’s ok; it’s fee and then the system remembers who you are, tracks all your comments, etc. But you can just as easily select the Anonymous option and include your name in your post. So don’t let that registering option scare you away from sharing your thoughts.
A couple of people have asked me for my thoughts on American Idol. Silly me, I was contemplating finally finishing up my Rwanda post, or some discussion on the events in Iraq. I keep forgetting about the “Important” issues! My bad.
OK, last night was Disco Night, featuring guest judge Donna Summer. Why do they call them judges if they’re not voting, just commenting? Anyway, props to Donna for actually being mildly critical of a couple performances. There’s nothing better than bringing Gloria Estefan, or some other hack singer on to basically promote their tired, washed up careers for an hour then they say nothing more striking than “I love your dress!” when it’s time for them to provide input. Come on, you had some measure of success in the music industry. You don’t need to rip these kids apart, but at least give them some honest, critical feedback that will help them improve their performances.
Jasmine Trias: Gone. Unless the dam breaking after her second song generates enough sympathy votes to save her. For someone who showed so much promise early, she’s really crumbled recently. It’s been at least four weeks since she performed a song well from start to finish. I even turned away during “It’s Raining Men” I was so disillusioned with her performance. Jennifer Hudson really should be here in her place.
Diana DeGarmo. She continues to be a total enigma to me. She sounds like someone you’d go see at a state fair (commenting on the looks of a 16 year old just isn’t fair, so I’ll leave that one alone). There isn’t an ounce of subtlety in her performances. In the middle of every song she sounds like she’s going to bust into some country tune. Listen, she’s got a decent enough voice, and in ten years when she learns how to control it, she might become a fine singer. But if she’s in the final, something is very wrong. My conspiracy theory on why Simon pimps her so much is that he’s pushing Fantasia and LaToya to stretch themselves in the final weeks.
Fantasia Barrino. “I’m Holding Out for a Hero” is disco? Here’s an idea: how about an all Footloose week? I liked the way she mixed it up a little, but agreed with all the judges who questioned the song choice. Gave her typical performance, full of uniqueness and flair. “Knock on Wood” was well done, but not a show stopper. Safe for another week.
LaToya London. I started loving LaToya when she performed one of my all time favorite R&B songs, Rufus and Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody”. While her first song last night was ok, she just shredded Thelma Houston’s classic “Don’t Leave Me This Way”, probably my favorite disco song ever. An absolutely awesome performance (in my unbiased opinion). Cruising to the final.
After 500 words on American Idol, and my excitement about seeing the Trish thing play out on The Bachelor tonight, I will be taking at least 20 showers today in a feeble effort to cleanse myself.