AI Season 9- Top 11 Elimination

I wonder if it just occurred to the kids that one of them is going home every week for the next 10 weeks (or is it 9?). They all look pretty worried. Of course, this particular elimination is more important than any of the next several, because the remaining 10 kids get to go on tour, which not only means experience and exposure, but also money.

The camera pans the audience, and in among the usual semi-celebrities and cheering fans, there is a girl with blood dripping from a forehead wound, and running from her nose to her chest. Odd.

Randy is in a sweater that fades from orange to white to charcoal (it's actually quite pretty- I'd like one for myself). Ellen is has a bulky, black and white checked, neck scarf. Kara is sparkly (and I am fairly certain that she loathes Ellen).

The kids sing Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, which as far as pre-multiple-arrest George Michael goes, is okay. Cheesy, but then again, this is American Idol. Crystal is smiling, Aaron is moving like an Earth Human, Mike is a ham, here's a Pointy Pose in the middle of the song, Casey seems to be wearing matching black armbands, Siobhan still has weird hair, and here's another Pointy Pose. All in all, good fun.

The boring Fordmercial consists of the kids filling a fountain with multi-colored plastic balls. I wonder if there's anything symbolic in leaving Andrew behind.

Ah, the Bleeding Chick is one of Siobhan's groupies (she's a Siobhombie... get it?), one of several decked out in scabs, dripping blood, and stitches.

Katie's dad can't bear to watch the elimination shows, so he's in a bar, having a drink instead. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Ryan has Siobhan stand first. I think all she did was rearrange yesterday's weird hair (combing that mess out is probably a major undertaking). She's wearing a pink polka dot, print tee, and is a lot cannier than she looks (or sounds). She admits to trotting out The Scream in order to garner enough votes to make it to the tour. It worked. Well played, Siobhan.

Lee (in leather) and Casey stand. Ryan strings them along for a minute, and then has Tim and Paige (all black, shredded sleeves, high heel boots) stand as well. And in a surprising reveal, both Tim and Paige are in the Bottom Three (it's not surprising in the least that they're in danger, but it is unusual for both to be named this early in the show). I assume that Lee and Casey are both safe, though Ryan doesn't say so specifically.

Hmmmm. Next week's theme is R&B Soul, which sounds interesting. Featuring Usher, which doesn't.

Well, they carried through on their threat to have Miley Cyrus perform. She's at the piano, and the smoke machine is set on High. Here are my exact notes on the performance: nasal, goaty, stringy hair swinging forcefully, pitchy dawg, satin pillowcase, bitten fingernails, wouldn't make it past the first audition.

I feel marginally guilty for disliking a seventeen year old this much, until she opens her mouth, and I remember that her foghorn speaking voice makes my ears bleed.

Back to the kids: Aaron is safe, and I'm okay with that. He's not great, but he's not as terrible as some of them, and he seems to improve every week.

Didi is up next, and even she knows that means she's safe (it's far too soon to name all 3 Bottom Feeders). Didi wonders what the judges want her to do. Here's a hint, Didi: sing better.

Mike is safe. Like there was even a chance that he wouldn't be. He's at least Top 5, if not Top 3.

Crystal, is in cowboy boots and an odd black dress. Ryan asks her who she listens to when she gets conflicting advice from the judges. She says she listens to herself. God, I love her. FWIW- I tried voting for her last night, and got steady busy signals until 15 minutes before the phones closed down. Girlfriend doesn't need my help to stay in the competition.

Katie and Andrew stand next. Andrew is in red checks, and Katie is looking cute in a floppy white shirt and vest. Ryan asks Katie what kind of artist she wants to be, but she's not programmed for that function.  And in a minor surprise, Katie joins Paige and Tim. For about 30 seconds, until she is sent back to the Tour-ees.

We might as well get all the Teeny Boppers out of the way in one night. Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato are up next. Several of my granddaughters have written gushy letters to Joe Jonas, and he has not responded to any of them, not even with a form postcard (which which they would have been totally thrilled) so I am not disposed to view him favorably. I am also not disposed to listen to him favorably. Or to the warbly Ms. Lovato. However they are both very shiny.

And finally, we get to the business of the evening. Both Paige and Tim deserve to be right where they're standing (along with Didi and Andrew), but Paige does have real talent (as opposed to Tim, who is mostly cute... if you like that sort of thing, which I do not). Tim's cuteness comes to the rescue, and as hard as it sounds, Simon did Paige a favor by telling her in advance that there was no way that they were going to use The Save on her.

Paige's singout reminds us that the voters made the right choice. I don't know what happened to Paige, but she lost her way. I hope she finds it.