Thursday, February 26, 2009

AI- Top 36 Group 2 Elimination


I am unsettled when Ryan looks significantly at Nick Mitchell, and then asks us what have we done. I haven’t done anything. And if Nick is in the Top 12, it’s totally the judges’ fault for putting him in the Top 36 in the first place.

This certainly is American Idol.

Ryan ticks off 25 million votes, quickly re-intros Danny, Alexis, and Michael, in case we forgot them between last week and now, and points out the judges. Paula brings back our old favorite, the seal clap. Ork ork ork.

They play a montage that includes audition footage we’ve never seen, of kids we’ll never see again after tonight.

The Group Sing is Ne-Yo’s Closer. Matt and Adam (I forgot to note which Matt) sing together. Other Matt and Kai are paired. And finally Mitch and Kris duet. None of them sound good, individually, paired, or together. The girls’ voices blend much better. Jeanine is wearing the same, or possibly another, pair of denim short shorts. She’s going for the lumberjack look, I guess, with boots, suspenders and a plaid shirt. Jesse’s sweater has the full compliment of shoulders, though it’s severely lacking in neckline, and Jasmine is wearing a turquoise top with a heavily bejeweled yoke. Megan has long, straight extensions, and I wonder if it is significant that I could not remember her name until well into the commercial. I am sad that they finish without the Pointy Pose.

In between words coming out of the Afrin lady’s nose (no wonder she felt stuffy, there was an entire paragraph up there) and the Ford commercial, we see an Exclusive Idol Moment- a previously unaired bad audition that isn’t bad enough to be horrific, or even memorable. Who is this young lady? And why are we seeing this? We’re never told.

Ryan recaps the highlights (or the lowlights) of last night’s performances, and then singles Matt B, Nick, Jesse and Jeanine out for questioning, totally throwing Jesse for a loop. Then he calls Allison down. Is she wearing a wig? Jesse, wearing essentially a vest with no shirt underneath, is next. They’re joined by Matt B. With as little dallying as this show ever allows, Allison joins the Top 12. She’s wearing a tight black dress with a red and white polka dot bodice that should be awful, but isn’t, and rocks the hell out of Alone again, and I am very glad she made it through.

Next up are Megan, Kris, Jeanine and Matt G, who is wearing a large, strange neck scarf over a black letterman sweater. Ryan says one of those four is going through, so we immediately know that the next Top 12-er has to be a guy, because if it’s a girl, then Mishavonna and Jasmine are also immediately eliminated, and that is not how this show rolls. Matt G and Jeanine get the ax, leaving Kris and Megan. Simon is needlessly rude to Kara. Kris gets the nod, and I notice for the first time, that he is quite pretty, which will make him nice to look at, if not to listen to, over the next few weeks, (until he’s eliminated- I don’t think he has a chance of winning this thing). Man in the Mirror is still a dumb song for him to have chosen.

We see a rerun of the Idol Retrospective Montage that aired on the first show of the season. It’s still a lovely compilation, but why are we wasting time on clips we’ve seen already?

Evidently, we’re going to revisit all of last year’s contestants. This is Brooke White’s week. Brooke is wearing prison stripes and has not combed her hair since America saved her sanity by giving her the boot. Her first single has just been released, which she graciously consents to sing for us. It’s a nice song, if a little bland, though the abrupt ending is a surprise. I suspect her entire CD will be blandly nice (or nicely bland), and I might just buy it.

The remaining five kids are assembled front and center. Mishavonna, Kai, and Jasmine are sent home with little ceremony, leaving Nick and Adam as theoretical contenders for the final slot. I don’t much want either one, though I realize I don’t really mean that when I contemplate the notion of Nick writhing around during Country Music Week.

So I am mildly relieved when Adam joins Danny, Alexis, Michael, Allison and Kris. But I reconsider as soon as he begins howling Satisfaction. (side note: wouldn’t that song make a great Viagra commercial? I have never been convinced that the missing girl reaction had anything to do with the girl).

Who are the likely Wild Card choices so far? I still think Anoop is a shoe-in. And I think Tatiana has a real shot (and I don’t hate that idea, though I will probably change my mind the first time I hear that insane cackle again). As much as I like Kai, I think the judges will think he skews old, which is the kiss of death. Jasmine does have a good voice, so maybe they’ll give her another chance.

Next week, Group 3: Arianna Asfar, Felicia Barton, Jorge Nunez, Ju’Not Joyner, Kendall Beard, Kristen McNamara, Alex Wagner-Trugman, Lil Rounds, Nathaniel Marshall, Scott MacIntyre, Taylor Vaifanua, and Von Smith. I’m hoping Nathaniel and Von cancel each other out.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love reading your blog! Great knitting ideas & inspiration! (Also great recap of AI) Thanks so much!