AI Season 9- Top 5 Elimination

Yikes, I think Bizarro Ryan is back- he positively chirps the open, bathed in Mothership lighting.

Randy looks like he's losing weight again. He's wearing a DOC-Orange tee and his usual beads. Ellen is wearing a trim black v-neck cardigan over a white shirt. Kara is in a tight and skimpy white tank, and an overly-busy neck adornment. Simon is in a gray/gray cardigan with the sleeves pushed up above his elbows. Ryan is giggling.

Time for the Sinatra Medley. The guys, all in black suits, musically declare that Crystal is a tramp.Crystal, also in a tux and tails, appears to enjoy the lady/tramp combo. They all sound better than they did last night, though that wouldn't be difficult.

Next week, it's Songs From The Movies, and Jamie Foxx is mentoring. I don't remember him doing a very good job of it last time, and I have low expectations for V.02.

I don't recognize the song in the Fordmercial, but it's pretty. So is Crystal, dressed in yellow floral and high hopes.

Next we get a behind-the-scenes look at Tuesdays, American Idol Style. I particularly enjoy seeing the Faux Judges during dress rehearsal.

Ryan begins the Elimination Process by dimming the the lights. He has Lee stand alone at center stage, and then he has Lee talk, which is never a good idea. Then Lee is safe, and perhaps about to throw up.

GAH! Nostril eyeballs!! What the hell are you thinking, Dreamworks?

So, the Lane Bryant lingerie commercial with the gloriously racktastic Big Girl, was formerly thought to be too sexy for FOX, but Lady Gaga, wrapped in mesh and veiling and not much else, surrounded by writhing men wearing orthopedic underwear, is okay? Right. This Alejandro ditty sounds a whole lot like that one Madonna Isla Bonita song. Also like most of Gloria Estefan's music. There is more writhing, and floor rolling (speaking of Madonna), and lots of black branches, and men waltzing with each other, and fog, and drama, though I will admit that Lady Gaga's voice is not unpleasant (as opposed to, say, Miley Cyrus's).

We see more clips of Harry Connick Jr, interacting with the kids occasionally, but mostly he's playing to the camera. I don't know if he's fun, or if he's a total jerk. Probably, he's a little of both.  But he certainly can sing the kind of stuff that he tried to get the kids to do last night. On the other hand, they could have sounded fine if they had sung Sinatra singing The Beatles, too.

Oh for crying out loud Audience- stop waving your arms. This instant! Or I'll ground you.

What's this? Another medley? This time it's HCjr songs, with Himself accompanying them on the piano. This is fairly enjoyable as well. In fact, all of the music tonight is better than anything we heard last night.

The kids are still dressed all in black. I know that I bitch all the time about stupid hats, and Crystal is wearing one, but it doesn't bother me. I don't know if that's because girls look better in hats, or that the hat itself is not quite as stupid as it could be. Or if it's because I cut Crystal a whole lot of slack. Whatever the case, she looks just fine.

Ryan tells Crystal to stand on the stage and start her own group. Oh no, we're doing The Huff on Top 5 Elimination night (rather than the traditional Top 7).

Mike starts his own group. Aaron joins Mike, and I don't like this at all, because that leaves Casey (last night's worst performer) for Crystal.

Ryan asks Lee if he would be willing to indicate in which group he, as the only sure safe one, belongs. Lee declines. Scripted? You decide. Ryan accepts the decision without argument (which makes me come down on the side of scripting), and says that Crystal and Casey are safe.

Side Note: whew

So, it's down to Mike and Aaron, and Aaron gets the boot. He's come a long way, and he seems like a very nice young man, but it's certainly his time to go. He does have a fair amount of talent (at least as much as Justin Beiber, or any of the Jonaii)- I hope we hear something from him in a couple of years, after he takes a few lessons, and gets a little more life experience.