Dancing With The Stars - March 31

It's that time again, folks - time to watch those Stars Dance!

Up first tonight are Marlee and Fabian, dancing the Jive. She looks oh, so cute tonight!

As an aside: Here's a good example of why I don't like the house band. I rarely like hearing a song from anyone other than the original artist, unless I'm sitting in a bar.

I think the dance was good but not as good as in the past. The judges were a little bit more critical than they've been before, too.

Score: 21

Up next Steve and Anna, doing the Tango. Steve was hilarious rehearsing with Anna's husband in the taped piece!

I love Steve Guttenberg, but unfortunately, I don't think he's very long for this competition. I thought he was still walking through it, and what was his chin doing all jutted out like that? The judges thought he was much improved. YAY!

Score: 21! What a pleasant surprise!

Film and TV Star Christian (with Cheryl) is doing the Jive tonight. Usually I don't really care how he dances because he's just so dang HOTT, but tonight I'm really enjoying the dance, too! GREAT!

Score: 25!

Mario and Karina danced the Tango. Holy moley, is the band performing Roxanne to a tango beat? UGH. I didn't really pay attention to the dance; I was distracted by Karina's boots and the weird song.

Len didn't like it, Carrie Ann agrees, and Bruno doesn't think it was that bad.

Score: 21

Film and Television Star Shannon (and Derek) are performing the Jive this week. Big Daddy's unable to do anything more than stare at her legs. I on the other hand, love her dress, eyes, lipstick and headband thingie. Not all that crazy about the dance, though. Sorry. I'm glad the judges disagreed with me, though, cause I really like Shannon.

Score: 24

Next are Adam and Julianne and WOW, get a load of her wig and makeup! She looks great, doesn't she? Kind of like a young Priscilla Presley! Hey, his jaw is all wamper-jawed like Steve's was! I guess it's a Tango thing. Overall, I think he did a good job. And my lands, Carrie Ann thought he looked sexy!

Must! Stop! With! The Exclamation Points!

Score: 21

Marisa and Tony are doing the Jive tonight, and I think Tony ROCKS! I thought the dance was good, but like Len said, it was careful. You can tell that Marisa's disappointed at the judges' feedback. Do you think they might be holding her to a higher standard because of her Broadway background?

Or maybe I'm just biased in her favor cause she's a chunky girl.

Score: OOH, it's a 19. I think that's a bit harsh.

Priscilla and Louie are performing a steamy Tango next. I'll tell ya this; other than the steam, I don't think it's any better than Marisa's Jive. But the judges, they LOVE the older women on this show (remember Jane and Marie!), and they loved this one too. I'm not saying it wasn't good, but it wasn't THAT much better than Marisa.

Score: A ridiculous 26. I don't agree; do you?

Jason and Edyta attack the Jive this week. Man, this guy has a natural move to him that works with almost any dance he does. I don't know whether he's got the steps right or the technical aspects, but I know he's fun to watch.

Score: 23

Last this week are Kristi and Mark dancing the Tango. Got a little bit of makeup on there, Kristi? I don't think the performance is as good as past performances, but it was nice.

Score: 27 (I think that's overblown)

So, who's going home this week? I don't really think anyone sucked tonight. Low score was Marisa, and I definitely don't think she was the worst. Since someone's got to go, I guess I'm thinking Adam.

What do you think?

American Idol Results 3/26

Results time, y'all.

But first, let's do a 5-minute taped plug for iTunes.

I never can remember what to capitalize in those i names. iPhone, IPod, I don't know.

Oh, the results? Chikezie's in the bottom 3. Probably to be expected. Oh no, and Syesha? I disagree.

Oh, I do not like this viewer question segment, but Big Daddy won't let me fast forward through it.

UGH.

Hey, Kimberly Locke. I really like her, and she seems to be one of the most consistently successful former contestants, at least of those who didn't place in the Top 2.

Idol Gives Back, etcetera, etcetera.

Finally, back to the results. And Ramiele is safe - I'm VERY surprised. So it's down to Jason or Kristy Lee Cook. And Jason goes down to the Bottom Three.

ACK. Right now I wouldn't want to see any of these three go. My opinion is that Ramiele should have gone home tonight.

Jason's safe, so that means it's Chikezie or Syesha, and did I already say I don't want either of them to go? But since one of them has to, I guess I'd like it to be Chikezie.

And it is. Bye, dude.

And bye, y'all. Did ya agree?

The Mask

Here's an interesting article about Priscilla Presley's face.

What I don't get is - your plastic surgery is botched, right? And you have plenty of money, right? If that's me, I'm going straight to Dr. 90210 and getting that mess fixed!

What do you think?

American Idol - March 25

Okay people, it's 11:40 pm and we're just now starting to watch the show. So. Please keep that in mind when you're reading my review. When I'm tired, sweetness is sometimes the first to go.

Oh, and thanks, American Idol, for making me feel 93 years old by having most of these kids sing songs that were released after I graduated high school.

Ramiele Malubay - What in the Sam Hill is she wearing? And also, even though her voice is big enough for this song, she seemed to be off key the entire time. Surprisingly, Simon liked it!

Jason Castro - I really like Jason, but I'm not feeling this song. At all. I can hear the backup singers almost more than him. Plus, have you ever noticed the weird things he does with his mouth when he's singing?

Syesha Mercado - It's pretty. I like it. I'm so glad that she finally, as Paula said, "flipped it."

Speaking of Paula, what's up with the leather gloves and faux diamonds? I like that 80s thing, but don't think it goes with that delicate top.

Hey, everyone else is doin' it; I may as well start doing fashion commentary, too. Except mine isn't "I Think I'm Cool Fashion Commentary." It's "Get A Load Of My Whack Fashion Views That Couldn't Be Further From Current Trends."

It'll be fun.

Okay, let's get back to the singing.

Chikezie - I liked his performance. Just like with Jason, seemed like the backup singers were too loud in places. Other than that, it was good for me. Randy didn't love it for him, because it was old school.

What's wrong with old school, DAWG?

Brooke White - Wow, her parents look young! She had a false little start there, but now it's sounding better. Gosh, I just love Brooke's voice. I would probably buy anything she recorded, as long as it wasn't thrash metal or something weird like that.

As if I know what thrash metal is.

Okay, overall I guess it was a boring performance but have I mentioned that I love her voice?

Michael Johns is, I think, the oldest contestant on the show. He's doing We Will Rock You, which is more yelling than singing. Now that he's going into We Are The Champions, I'm enjoying it...except for the backup singers. What's up with them tonight? Or is the sound guy who's the problem? Ugh...now the end is not as good as the beginning.

The judges think Michael got it right.

Carly Smithson - Also love her voice. Liked everything but that last run. WOW, Randy thought it was just OK.

I think he's on crack. He said he didn't like "the whole rock thing." I agree with him about the last run, but the rest was great.

I'm so surprised that Simon didn't like it much, either.

David Archuleta - His performance seemed very inconsistent to me. I heard some great sounds, and then some sections were very off or just bland.

Kristy Lee Cook is up. I read today that in 2000, she was signed with Britney Spears' label or management group or whatever and Britney was supposed to be her mentor.

Yeah, how'd that work out for ya?

Singing God Bless The USA? Let's see how this goes...I bet the judges hate it. For me it was good in places, pitchy in others. Hey, Randy agrees with me, and so does Simon! Wow, y'all, I am really surprised, because I thought the song would be too corny for these jaded judges!

Coming out last tonight is David Cook. Hair check...yep, I still hate it. A lot. I like the song arrangement, though. And the judges thought it was amazing.

So what's gonna happen this week, y'all? I don't think I can pick a favorite, but I'll tell ya - I think either Ramiele or Jason's gonna be doing the walk of shame tomorrow.

See ya next time!

Dancing With The Stars Results Show

Dear ABC:

Scheduling a Recap Show, to give me "one more chance to see the Stars' first two dances," does not get me to tune in to ABC for an extra hour. It does, however, screw up my DVR so that I only see the last 20 minutes of the results show. And the Recap? I deleted it after the first 48 seconds.

Now on to the results that I DID see.

Oh. So Penn and Monica are gone, and I agree completely. They both tried hard and were enthusiastic, but were definitely the worst.

See ya next week, folks!

Dancing With The Stars - March 24

Hey, Guys! Here we are with the beginning of another great week of reality programming. Let's start it off with Dancing With The Stars and cruise on into American Idol tomorrow night.

And off we go...

Steve Guttenberg - I'll start by saying that I really like Steve. A lot. But bless his heart, as much as he wants to do this and do it good, the judges don't like his performance. Me? I thought he danced well, but the choreography seemed VERY easy.

Score: I don't know, I was multi-tasking.

Christian de la Something - Ha cha cha cha cha. He's still a hot tamale, but his performance wasn't that great.

Score: Still multi-tasking.

Monica Selles - I have some mixed feelings about this performance. Part of the time there's so much more personality, and others she still seems to be walking through it. Wow, Bruno sort of says the same thing; on again, off again.

Score: 15

Penn Gillette - I thought he did much better than last week. Seems like sometimes his steps look awkward just because he's trying to stay in sync with her and he's so tall. My main gripe with Penn is that when the judges are giving their feedback, he's talking back the whole time. I hate that.

Score: 17 Shut up, Penn.

Priscilla Presley - I'm not going to say anything about her plastic surgery this week. I might, however, mention that I wish she wouldn't wear such dark eye makeup. I read somewhere that's the way Elvis liked it, but I think it's time she moved on to something more flattering. And speaking of flattering, the dress is not.

I wasn't all that impressed with the performance, either. The judges liked it, though. Shades of Jane Seymour and Marie Osmond?

Score: 21

Shannon Elizabeth - She looks so pretty tonight, and even though I wasn't crazy about the silver dress to begin with, once she started moving it was gorgeous! I'm kind of like Paula on American Idol tonight, "First of all, you look gorgeous!"

I loved the performance, and Len said it's the best dance so far tonight!

Score: 24

Jason Taylor - You know, he's almost as big as Penn, isn't he, but he doesn't have a problem looking good. Did I say good? I mean GREAT! The judges think so, too.

Score: 27

Marissa Jaret Winokur - I loved Tony in the taped piece - so encouraging when she was feeling discouraged. And I loved their performance! The judges all thought they were much improved over last week.

Score: 21

Adam Carrolla looks great in his taped piece - I hope he does that good live! Hmm...not so much. He seems a lot stiffer than he did in rehearsal. Maybe they should let him perform in sweats.

Hey, did y'all know the Jonas Brothers are performing on tomorrow night's results show? Who could miss the 147 mentions of said performance? Enough already.

Score: 19

Marlee Matlin - I'm speechless. She can't hear the music, y'all. And she was only looking at her partner some of the time. Yet she was on beat almost the entire time. And beautiful, by the way.
Score: 24!

Kristi Yamaguchi - Well. Didn't like the dress, DID like the dance. Was it a mambo, though? Judges loved it!

Score: 27

Mario - I thought it was good, but it sure did seem short to me.

Score: 26

My favorites tonight? Well, I need to tell you that I usually root for the underdogs, so my favorites were the obvious, Kristi and Marlee, and then I'm also rooting for Marissa and Steve.

Who should go home? Probably Monica and Penn, or maybe Carrolla.

What do you think?

American Idol Top 10 Results

Tonight we find out who's in the Top 10, which means they make the American Idol National Tour.

Do y'all watch the group numbers at the beginning of the show? I usually fast forward through, but the parts that I caught tonight were just painful! At one spot, Brooke and Ramiele were supposedly singing, except that I could only hear Brooke. I mean it, they didn't even have Ramiele's mike on, and Amanda was so obviously fake singing that it was ridiculous.

Anyway.

I can not believe that Carly Smithson is in the Bottom 3 tonight. They just cut to a shot of her and I can tell that she can't believe it, either. She's got to know that she belongs in the Top 3, not the bottom.

I can, however, believe that Kristy Lee Cook is in the Bottom 3. Sorry, Kristy, but it's true.

Now they're doing this silly Fan Question segment, which I hear is taped in advance. It's also stupid, in my opinion.

Again, I am sick of The Ryan Cuts On Simon Show. It drives me crazy. Randy and Paula do it too, but Ryan's ridiculous.

Kellie Pickler's performing tonight and I really like this girl! Cute song.

Wow, this show is long tonight!

Amanda completes the Bottom 3, and you know that I hope she's the one going home. Things don't always (or even often) go the way I think they will, so we'll see.

Please be advised that Big Daddy says if Carly goes home, he won't be watching any more.

Thank goodness Carly's safe, and WOW, even Kristy Lee's staying another week. Amanda's going home this week, guys. Sorry if you're a fan, but I'm not. I think she may have had talent, but it was almost obscured by that hair, that makeup and those ridiculous clothes, not to mention the yelling.

What did you think tonight? Did the right person go home?

Dancing With The Stars - Ladies' Night

It's time for the ladies tonight, y'all, and I can't wait to see what they bring!

Let me say before we start, though, that I think that my commentary, reviews, whatever you wanna call 'em, will probably be changing a little bit. Listen, I'm not a dance professional or voice critic. I'm just a Texan Mom who knows what she likes. I think I may have been trying too hard on both my American Idol and DWTS posts to sound like I know what I'm talking about - and I don't.

I'm glad we got that out of the way.

Now, on with the show.

First up is Shannon Elizabeth. I knew I'd seen her on a couple of celebrity poker shows, but I didn't know she played competitively! As far as dancing, I don't see much energy in it. It's like she's walking through the thing. Doesn't help me much that I've never heard this song and it doesn't seem like Cha Cha music to me.

The judges disagree with me, and the score is 21.

Oh my goodness, y'all. We're watching this show live and it's killing me to have to sit through the commercials. We almost never watch anything live; it's all DVR, all the time over here these days.

Okay, now we're on to Monica Seles. Bless her heart, she seems so very awkward in the taped intro. But her pink dress is very pretty, and she seems a bit smoother in the live performance. Okay, so there are a couple awkward spots, but still...this is so contrary to anything she's ever done, and I'm impressed with her courage.

Score? 15. Wow, that's worse than I thought it would be.

You know what? I know it's after 8:00, but it ticks me off that I've got my kids in here watching a dance show, and on one commercial break I have to hear someone say "Can I touch your boob?" and see a promo for a news show on prostitution. Nice.

Marissa Jaret Winokur is dancing with Tony Dovolani. Wowza! I really like this girl - she's got so energy and confidence for a short, not so thin girl. Love her. Aw, look at her move those little stubby legs! And excuse me, but Dovolani? Holey Moley, can this guy move. I've got to tell the truth - I'm having trouble keeping my eyes on Marissa. I did love the performance, though.

Can't understand a word that Bruno says, but I think Len likes her. Their score is 18.

Y'all, I am not trying to be tacky when I say...however old or raggedy that Priscilla Presley thought she looked before she had plastic surgery, it couldn't be as bad as she looks now. Her face is just so artificial and weird looking to me, and she doesn't show much emotion at all. I wonder if she's even able to smile? Oh, there was a laugh! What a relief. I'm very interested to see how she dances.

Here we go. Their dance is okay, but you really can't see her legs most of the time, so who knows? The death spin, or whatever it's called, was good.

Hey Lisa Marie, in the audience! Now there's beautiful. Bruno thinks Priscilla has star quality. Their score? 24. Wow. They shut me up.

Let's move on.

I think Kristi Yamaguchi might have an advantage, at least when it comes to choreography and learning steps. We'll see. First of all, she's gorgeous and I love the color of her dress and the gloves. It's a beautiful dance, is all I know. They are in such unison. I Love It.

The judges agree with me and the score is 27!

Here comes Marlee Matlin, and I am so excited for her! No, she did not just grab his butt inn the taped piece! She's cracking me up already, and I really like Fabian Sanchez so far.

And I absolutely loved their performance! And the judges give them a 22.

Technically I'm liking Kristi and emotionally I like Marissa and Marlee. I guess no one's going home this week, so we'll see you again next week for the first elimination.

Who did you like tonight? Leave me a comment and let me know!

American idol - McCartney and Lennon, Part 2

Did we really need another night of Lennon and McCartney? Well, as Simon would say, "Off you go." Let's get right to it.

Amanda Overmyer - Still not a fan. Still don't get it. What else can I say? But oh, my goodness, she actually talks! And I like what she has to say, even if I don't like her performance.

Kristy Lee Cook is singing some song I never heard, and I'm bored. Oh, wait, I have heard it, but I'm still bored.

David Archuleta sings The Long and Winding Road tonight. You know what, I read somewhere that he has a whacked out stage dad who was banned from the studio when David did Star Search. Poor kid; what a lot of pressure! His performance is fine; nothing special to me. Randy thinks that he's hot, though, Paula...who knows? And Simon thinks that he's amazing. For the record, Big Daddy agrees with the judges.

Michael Johns is up next, folks. I think I'm getting old, y'all, cause I don't really care for this guy either. He's singing Day in the Life tonight, which is a song I like, but he sounds off to me. I'm not feeling it. In fact, I think it was awful. Randy sort of agreed with me, Paula babbled, and Simon thought it was a mess.

Here comes Brooke White - I Love this girl's voice, y'all! Tonight she's singing Here Comes The Sun. Unfortunately, she is a little awkward standing in front of the mike stand, though. For a minute there she looked like Elaine Benes dancing. Randy didn't like it, and Paula smiles and likes the yellow. Simon thought it was terrible...wah. Oh, and then Brooke wants to talk it over with the judges...just hush, girl, and bring it back next week.

Moving on.

We've got David Cook next, singing Day Tripper. Have I told y'all that I played this song in marching band in high school? Yeah. We rocked out.

Let me tell you - I'm a very shallow and judgmental person sometimes, and I can not stand this guy's hair. It totally ruins him for me.

Having said that, I do like this performance. A lot. Wait...did he just do a Frampton thing on that other mike? Hmm.

Carly Smithson is next, and she's doing Blackbird. Not sure if I know this song...yeah, I guess I do. I love Carly's voice too, and tonight she looks so pretty! Big Daddy doesn't like her shirt, but what does he know; he wears Big Daddy T-Shirts and tennis shoes 50% of the time. Randy and Paula liked her performance and Simon thought it was indulgent, whatever that means.

Let's hear Jason Castro, our Texas boy. He's cute, but I bet if you took those dreads off he'd be a geek. Maybe not, though, cause he sure is cute. Anyway, he's singing Michelle tonight, and although I enjoy hearing him sing, I don't think it's all that spectacular.

Syesha Mercado is singing Yesterday. She had a couple of stand-out parts, but other than that it's pretty forgettable for me. I'm glad the judges disagree with me, because I think that overall Syesha's a great singer.

Chikezie's up next, and he's doing I've Just Seen A face. I'm just gonna have to say that I have no idea whether I like this performance or not. No, that's not true. I like it, but I don't know whether the judges will or not. Randy's 50/50; Paula thinks he's showing who is and the depth of his vocals; Simon thought the harmonica was atrocious.

The final performance is Ramiele Malubay. Tonight she's singing I Should Have Known Better, trying to make the judges smile. I'm sorry to say that it's just a'ight for me and pitchy in places. Wah. I also agree with Simon that the arrangement sounded amateurish. Not much depth there.

So my favorite? I don't think I have one; nobody really knocked my socks off tonight. Who's going home? Hopefully Amanda or maybe Kristy Lee or Jason.

What do you think?

Dancing With The Stars - The New Season!

It's time for another season of Dancing With The Stars, y'all, and this time I'm gonna try to stick it out through the entire season. Last time I sort of lost interest but hopefully that won't be the case this time.

Penn Gillette's up first with Kim somebody and the first thing I've gotta say is that he's better looking than I realized. I'm not saying he's hot, but I guess I always saw him as a big ol' geek, and in his rehearsal clothes he looks like a real fun guy.

On to the dancing. Y'all, I don't know if it's possible for a guy that big to be good technically, but he just looks so fun out there! I am lovin' it. I would love to see him in some more flattering clothes, though. The judges think he's entertaining but needs to work on his footwork.

Also Penn? Please stop with the wisecracks or I'll take back all the nice things I said about ya. Thanks.

Score? Oh my goodness, just a 16.

Jason Taylor and Edita doing the Fox Trot. Aw, he's good! His feet may not be light enough, but y'all, I really love to watch the men on this show, since ballroom dance is probably the last thing they ever thought they'd be doing!

Len think he did a great job, but maybe needs to put more acting into it. Carrie Ann thinks his hands were great, and Bruno thinks he was graceful but needs more heat.

The judges' scores: 22!

Christian de la Fuente is a big old Hot Tamale. He's dancing with Cheryl Burke, who's won DWTS championships, and they're doing the Cha Cha Cha.

DISCLAIMER: I believe my judgement may be clouded, which is the reason why I have no idea what the judges said. Look! At his pretty smile!

But the score? Oh, it's a 21!

Now we're on to Adam Corolla and Julianne Hough doing the Fox Trot. Wow, Adam has aged a bit, hasn't he? Oh my, and Julianne is only 19? How old was she the first time she won, for goodness sakes? Oh, I love this dance. Adam's good, people!

The judges think he's got good footwork, but lots of work to do.

The score? 15. Now friends, that's just sad, because I think he was definitely better than Penn!

R & B Star Mario and Karina Smirnoff. Let me just say I never heard of this kid but hopefully he can dance. I love this pale aqua color they're wearing! He's moving his hips good, I think, and his feet look good too, to this unsophisticated Texas girl.

The judges mostly agreed with me, and the score? WOW...a 24!

I like Steve Guttenberg, y'all, and I hope he's a good dancer. Hmmm...not so much. I even saw him counting one time. He's cute, though.

Let's find out what the judges have to say. Bruno wants to see more drive, Carrie Ann thinks he's adorable, and Len thinks he looks like he's enjoying himself, but needs to work on technique. Yay, I'm glad they didn't tear him up!

Steve and Anna's Score: 18.

That's it for tonight, folks; the girls are tomorrow night and I think they're gonna be the ones to beat!

Top guy for me tonight was Christian, and not just because he made me drool. I think Penn may be on the bottom of my list, although I really liked ALL the guys. Who's your favorite and who do you think will leave?

American Idol Top 12 - Results Show

My goodness, is this show really gonna be 2 hours tonight? Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be using the fast forward liberally tonight.

First contestant in the Bottom 3 is Syesha. I think that's reasonable; her performance last night wasn't anything special. Ryan asks Randy and Paula if Syesha should go home and they say No. He changes the question for Simon and asks if Syesha should be in the bottom 3, so Simon has to be the bad guy and say Yes.

The next contestant in the bottom 3 is Kristy Lee Cook. She took the wind out of Ryan's sails when she said "Just give me the mike," before he could do his dramatic schtick.

Sorry I'm a Ryan Hater tonight y'all, but I am really tired of the Ryan vs. Simon Show. He keeps saying that Simon told Kristy to sing country, but dadgummit, Simon didn't arrange that song, and the arrangement was way too hillbilly! Drop it, Seacrest!

Last person in the Bottom 3 is...duh duh DUHM...David Hernandez. Wah. I don't disagree with the decision, cause his performance wasn't very good last night. I DO hope he stays, though. He's got a GREAT voice when he chooses the right song.

Oh, and David goes home. Wah again. Just shows you what a HUGE difference song selection makes. He's peformed so much better in past weeks, but this week...meh.

Do you think the stripper business had anything to do with his departure? I hope not; didn't make a difference to me.

Oh, and my DVR must have been wrong, because Thank Goodness the show really wasn't 2 hours. I've got about 4 more shows to watch tonight, so peace out, y'all.

American Idol Top 12

We're finally down to American idol's Top 12, y'all. It's time to get serious. They're singing Lennon/McCartney songs, which seems sort of difficult to me, so we'll see how the night goes.

Simon seems cranky tonight; I hope he shapes up quick.

Syesha is first tonight, singing Got To Get You Into My Life. She does a fine job, but it's Theme Park/Cruise Ship to me. Ironically, Randy and Paula think it's all right and Simon thinks it's "better than all right." I guess it'll depend on how the rest do...

Chikezie's doing She's a Woman. Do I know this song? Oh my...he's using a blue grass arrangement? Oh, but then it sort of goes southern rock. His performance is good, but I'm not sure what the judges will say. Randy said Chikezie smashed it! Paula and Simon agree, too.

Ramiele Malubay is trying In My Life. She's got such a pretty voice but I don't think she's doing enough with this song. Randy thought it was boring...I was afraid of that. Paula thinks she looks lovely tonight and that it was a safe performance. Simon was bored to tears.

Here comes Jason Castro performing If I Fell. I love that he and Brooke White are breaking out of the mold this season and singing more acoustic, folksy, ORIGINAL arrangements. Randy liked it, didn't love it but Paula disagreed with him. Unfortunately, I didn't understand why she disagreed with him. Simon - boring - I'm not surprised.

Carly Smithson sings Come Together every Saturday night at her bar job. Let's see how she does on American Idol. Holy smokes, I think she owned it. The audience agrees with me. Judges? "Stellar Performance."

Let's listen to David Cook from Oklahoma sing Eleanor Rigby. I'm not being mean when I say that I wish a stylist would get hold of this guy's hair. Hold on, I think they may have chopped a centimeter or two off; maybe they can just do a tiny bit each week. Okay, so the song...I didn't really like it starting out, but it sort of grew on me.

Big Daddy thinks it's too predictable for David. The audience loved it, though. Randy thought it started out rough but then rocked. Paula thinks he's a thoroughbred. Simon thinks it's brilliant, and that David could win the entire show if it's judged by talent alone.

Next up is Brooke White, who is my favorite so far this season. Whatcha got, Brooke? She's singing Let It Be, and I just absolutely love this girls' voice. Love. Her. She seems a little uncomfortable singing to the camera while she's playing the piano, but I don't think it's a big deal. The judges were sort of ambivalent about it...except for Simon, who thought it was one of the best of the night, and a brilliant choice of song. Go Simon! Go Brooke!

David Hernandez is also one of my favorites. Tonight he's singing I Saw Her Standing There...ooh, I hope it's not too cliche. Not off to a good start, in my opinion...well maybe...no, not so much. Wah. Judges didn't like it either. I hope he gets through to try again next week.

Amanda Overmyer is such a pretty girl under that hair and costume. I just realized she reminds me of my cousin...if my cousin dressed up as a rocker for Halloween. She's singing You Can't Do That (Not my cousin - Amanda!). I'm still not a fan, but Randy and Paula liked it. Simon said he couldn't understand most of the words, and Paula actually said, "That's why we like her." WHAT?! We like her because we can't understand her? I don't know if I'm un-hip or what, but holey moley, I still don't get it.

So let's move on. To Michael Johns, who's doing Across The Universe tonight. It's okay. Randy thought it was a little sleepy (?) and Paula disagreed with him. Simon agreed with Randy, and he's frustrated because he thinks Michael is capable of more.

Kristy Lee Cook is singing 8 Days a Week with a country arrangement. I like it, but it's not spectacular. Randy said there were some parts about it he liked, but wasn't sure about the vocals. Paula didn't enjoy it, didn't get it. Simon thought it was horrendous, like Dolly Parton on helium. OUCH.

Ryan's blaming Simon for the arrangement, since Simon told Kristy she sounded best doing country. But this arrangement wasn't just country, it was hillbilly, and that's the problem, in my opinion.

We're finishing out the night with David Archuleta, who's singing We Can Work It Out. In his taped piece, he was very nervous. OOPS, did he forget his words? Looks like the Wonder Kid is having an off night. I do think he's very talented in general, but tonight the playing field is a bit more level, I guess.

Didn't work for Randy, Paula is encouraging as usual, and Simon says it's a mess.

So for tonight? My favorites are Carly and Brooke, with maybe a little Jason thrown in. Going home? Seriously, could be any one of about 5. Ramiele, Amanda, Syesha, Kristy Lee, even Hernandez.

Stay tuned...

American Idol Top 8 Girls/Guys Results

What do I think about tonight...well, there are some people I don't like, but it's more a personal preference than a talent thing, I think.

For example, don't like Michael Johns, but I know everyone else does. And he makes it through.

I like Luke Menard, but America doesn't. I know he wasn't the very best, but he was just so likable. Watching the farewell tapes reminds me of HIS very best, and it's sad.

Sometimes I liked Kady Malloy and sometimes I didn't, but ditto on the farewell tape. The girl was good! Not to mention Drop Dead Gorgeous!

I'm not a fan of Amanda; I don't think she's authentic. It's like she's in a movie about a rocker chick. Her singing, her dancing, we've seen and heard it all before. But she's through to the Top Twelve.

And Asia'h, who is unique and talented, is gone.

One decision I agreed with tonight, One Million Percent, is Danny going home. But poor Ramiele and even Paula were inconsolably distraught. The group this season is definitely emotional!

What did you think about tonight's eliminations? Any surprises or regrets? Tell us about it!

American Idol - Top 8 Girls

It's the last 8 girls tonight, y'all, and if it's okay with you I'll get right to it.

Asia'h Epperson sings I Wanna Dance With Somebody. EH...

Big Daddy and Tink liked it. Randy and Paula liked it. I'm ambivalent, but I may just be tired.

Kady Malloy is singing a song I don't know. And I'm unimpressed.

Randy thinks it's all right, and Paula thinks it's her best performance to date. Simon is still having issues with her "massive lack of personality."

Amanda Overmyer looks great wearing a do-rag in her taped piece, much better than when her Lily Munster hair is showing. I guess the song's all right, but the Steven Tyler scarf is killing me. And she did just a little bit of a Mick Jagger rooster walk. I think that's my problem with this chick - everything seems like an act with her.

The judges all thought she was fantastic, so I guess Amanda's around for another week, at least.

I don't know the song that Carly Smithson's singing, either...wait, maybe I do...either way, she's singing it great. I don't think her pants are very flattering but I love her hair and lipstick. The hair rocks.

Randy says it's "another great performance," and Paula says "you are like a dependable dog." Whatever that means. Simon thinks she's a thousand times better than the song she chose, and of course he can't finish talking because everyone's booing him and Ryan's talking over him.

Am I the only one who's getting sick of this schtick? The whole Simon bad, Ryan superior, Paula and Randy good triangle? Sick of it. Change it up a bit, y'all. We're not all Jerry Springer fans out here.

And now I'll get off my soapbox and listen to Kristy Lee Cook. Singing one of my favorite songs ever - Faithfully from Journey. Sounds almost country...bluesy...sort of like Bonnie Raitt. Big Daddy thinks the song's not for her, but I think it's interesting. The end was rough, though.

Randy thought it had a country lilt and "actually liked it." Paula completely agrees. Simon still thinks her problem is that she's forgettable.

Ramiele Malubay - Take A Look At Me Now - In my opinion, this is her worst performance to date, and she's been one of my favorites.

Randy thinks it's a pretty good vocal but wishes she was more confident. Paula rambles. Simon thought it was very old-fashioned and a bit predictable.

Brooke White - Love is a Battlefield is a interesting choice for her; let's see how it goes. I Love Her Voice, and the arrangement is very unique. So far, so good. OOh, I like it. This girl is Number One, without a doubt.

Randy liked it BUT...I don't know what his problem was. The judges seem awfully distracted - even ADHD tonight. Paula thought Brooke should have incorporated the band more, and I think Paula is full of crap. Just a guitar and her voice was MAGIC. Simon? That's right...he agrees with me, and thinks it's a great performance.

Syesha Mercado brings us Saving All My Love For You, and does a pretty good job of it, I think. I liked Syesha in the first auditions, but haven't really enjoyed any of her performances in this round until now. The judges all say it's good and don't have much else to say, other than that she should make it into the Top 12.

So who should go home tomorrow? I hate to say it, but probably Kady, along with...I don't know...Asia'h? Ramiele? It's getting harder to say as we get further along.

My favorites? Definitely Brooke and probably Kristy Lee Cook or even Syesha for this week.

We'll see what happens tomorrow...

American Idol - And Then There Were 8

Here we go with 8 boys, y’all.

Please advised that I’m writing this post on my lovely new Spring Green laptop.

I’m positively giddy.

In the past I’ve typed my AI posts on a 10-year-old laptop with no internet connection, saved it to a 3.5 floppy, then opened the file on my desktop and copied it to my blog. Kind of labor intensive and not very fun at all.

Now I’m having fun, and the show hasn’t even started yet! Okay, let’s push Play and get this party started, people.

Random comment number one: Paula may be high. I’m just sayin’. Her eyes look suspiciously droopy.

Luke Menard - Oh no, he is NOT singing Wake Me Up Before You Go Go! I fear this is a tragic mistake. Possibly his last. I’m not ashamed to admit that I like this song, but I DO NOT think it’s right for this competition.

WOW, did you know Paula choreographed George Michael’s tour? I’m sincerely impressed.

Simon and Randy didn’t like it…are we surprised?

David Archuleta sings a Phil Collins song. Is this kid for real? He is just oh, so talented! I think the ending was a little rough, though.

Randy wasn't crazy about it...says it was nice. Paula thinks the fact that he missed a couple notes is a good thing. Go figure. Simon thought he wasn't as good as last week and a bit gloomy.

Tink: I'm voting for him, Momma.

Danny Noriega reminds me of a little gay Sanjaya. Votefortheworst.com is promoting him, which means he may be around for a week or two longer, at least. Unfortunately.

Tink: He was really acting like a real weird girl. And Danny always rolls his eyes at Simon.

David Hernandez is singing a song I don't know. Big Daddy says it's a Celine Dion song, which explains why I don't recognize it. I do my best to avoid hearing Celine Dion songs...oh, but I have heard this one. Just wasn't expecting a guy to sing it.

But I like it, except he kinda clashed with the background singers part of the time. Seemed to me like he started out nearly perfect, and then got kinda off in the end. Randy agrees about missing some notes, but thinks it was a good song choice. Paula thinks it was great. Simon thinks it wasn't as good as last week, but that he's guaranteed to go through to next week.

Michael Johns sings Don't You Forget About Me. I'm not crazy about it. Sounds a little bit awkward to me. And I think he's very pitchy.

Big Daddy: I think he's doin' a good job.
Pooh: Me too.
Tink: I don't. I agree with Momma.

I guess Randy liked it. Hmm. Paula thinks he picked the perfect song and likes the hopping thing he does, whatever that means. Simon liked it, didn't love it, but he really, really likes him.

David Cook sings Hello from Lionel Ritchie. I have to tell y'all, this song recalls very weird memories for me. When I was in college I had very bizarre roommates (not sure what that has to do with anything, but they were CRAZEE). For several weeks I had a horrible time sleeping, I had awful nightmares, and this song ran through my mind All The Time. Probably because of the absolutely creepy video. Drove. Me. Crazy.

Oh, but did I like the song? I don't know, I really didn't pay attention, because did I mention the song weirds me out? Paula and Randy loved it, though. And Simon, he also loved it.

For the record, I still can't stand this guy's hair.

Jason Castro is from Rockwall, Texas! I dated a guy from Rockwall once. Didn't end well at all.

When did this become a walk down Memory Lane?

OOH, I don't know this song, either, and I'm not sure about it.

But Tink's excited because he's singing Hallelujah. Randy gives him props, thinks the level of difficulty was high. Paula thinks he showed a beautiful vulnerability and that his phrasing makes him unique. Simon thinks it was absolutely brilliant, and his strongest performance so far. Good, because I like him if not the song.

Chikezie is singing She Fills Me Up. This was originally a chick song, right? Eh, he's a'ight. Simon thinks it wasn't a very smart move.

So, what do y'all think? I'm voting for David Hernandez and maybe Luke Menard this week. I know Luke wasn't very good, but I'd just like to see him get one more chance, you know? And don't you think Luke Menard is a super-cool name? Archuleta was good, but everybody and their grandmother's gonna be votin' for him, so he doesn't need me.

Who did you vote for tonight?