Watching Sitcoms

I’m ready for eliminations on American Idol. But are they?

I’m glad they addressed the weird hand to head thing Simon has been doing, even if they didn’t explain it. They must be reading my blog.

Well, I always hate the big group sing, but this one almost started out strong. Then they all started singing and it just fell apart. My question is why didn’t Jason Castro get a solo? Don’t they know he’s the only reason I’m still watching this season??

I could have lived without the recaps of the last two nights as well, but one assumes they have to fill up the hour somehow.

I almost cried when Ryan told Jason Castro he had bad news. Ryan, you can’t do that to me. I’m old and my heart can’t take it. I was neither surprised nor saddened that it was the end for Jason Yaeger. Well, maybe a little saddened when I thought about his son and how sad he would be. It made me think about a time years ago when my husband was in a food eating contest. He won and he took over the title “Dude of Food” from a friend of ours, Marc. They had made up a belt and everything and it was pretty funny. Except for Marc’s son, who sat in the corner and cried. He took it so seriously that his dad had lost and we all felt bad about it. So, I felt a little like that. But I’m already over it.

I was a little sad that it was Alexandrea and not Amanda, but I had already figured that out. I check dialidol.com. Plus, VFTW is voting for Amanda.

I also thought that the second girl was going to be either Kady or Alaina, and since I can’t really tell them apart yet and I don’t like either one of them, I didn’t really care that much. I’m sorry the little chick cried and stuff, but she’ll have to learn to deal with stuff a little bit better if she wants to become a singing superstar. OK, fine, when she was singing about her heart being broken and her eyes crying, I may have cried a little. You know, just a stray tear or two. And except for one or two off notes, Alaina almost sounded better tonight than last night. I think it was cause she was feeling an actual emotion.

It does suck that this crowd, that I think is one of the worst ever, gets to sing Beatles songs. It’s just wrong on so many levels.

Another Idol Gives Back on April 9. Thanks for the heads up. It gives me a chance to make other plans. Also, why does American Idol give back to places that aren’t in America? Just a question.

So now it’s between Luke or Robbie. I would have called Luke, except Luke is much hotter and better to look at, so I’m glad it was Robbie. Although, I’m not sure I want to sit through another song sung by Luke. Maybe he can just sit there and look cute.

What have they done to the 70’s? I remember it as a time of peace, love and harmony. Well, there was neither peace nor harmony on American Idol last night, and I wasn’t loving it.

Ryan still looks good, so that was our positive as we started things off. One other positive was the fact that we only had to sit through one disco tune.

I do have a question as we kick things off with the Top 10 girls, though. The judges thought the guys last night were good? Laura just asked me, “What show were they watching?”

Carly - Crazy on You, Heart. I love this song. I didn’t love her version. It was better than last week and she was technically OK, but she was just missing something. Like she needed more vibrato to make the song resonate the way it should. I really want to like her, but I just can’t. Not yet. Apparently the judges love her and they want her to stay around. Personally, I could lose her.

Syesha - Me and Mr. Jones, Billy Paul. I hate when people change a song like this. Pick a song that’s not meant for a guy. Anyway, she also did OK, but George Huff did this so much better that it can’t even be compared. I thought her version was just too draggy and (here’s that word again from yesterday’s show) dull. My husband’s comment, “weak.”

Also, don’t the Idol people realize that by having these people tell us all about their lives as singers and actresses and whatever, normal people can’t relate to them. I miss the stories of normal people rising to stardom. *sigh*

Brooke - You’re So Vain, Carly Simon. Didn’t she say she wasn’t going to sing any more Carly Simon? Whatever. It is a great song, though, and she does it justice. She was very good, and it comes across as easy, happy and comfortable. All in tune, too. I liked it. She was the best so far. I have to wonder how she would do on something like Bon Jovi night, but still, she’s good. Simon, you’re right, the song was about you!

Ramiele - Don’t Leave Me This Way, Thelma Houston. Our one and only disco diva song. But I like this song. Also, I like Ramiele. She’s just adorable. But did anyone else think she was kinda distracted? She didn’t seem to kick it in the way she should have. She’ll be around next week, though, so hopefully she can fix this.

Kristy Lee - You’re No Good, Linda Ronstadt. Why does it feel like none of these girls really has enough of a voice to tackle these songs? It was OK, but just didn’t thrill me at all. Laura’s comment, “It was no different than the original, except not as good.”

The show tonight seems to be moving a little faster than last night. But maybe that’s because we’re watching it on DVR and can fast-forward through the boring stuff.

Amanda - Carry On My Wayward Son, Kansas. Not a good song choice for her. It sounded like it was all in the wrong key, the chorus was OK, but she didn’t seem to have enough breath to carry off the verses. The weird matching hair and pants thing was pretty distracting, too. Of all the songs in the entire decade, she couldn’t have found something better? I’d say we could lose her and still go on with our lives.

Alaina - Hopelessly Devoted to You, Olivia Newton John. This is not really an appropriate song for this show. What’s pop about this? It’s from a musical, for goodness sake. Is she trying out for Broadway? Beyond which, she was a little flat. I used to kinda like this song. I doubt I’ll ever be able to listen to it again in the same way. Also, it was dull.

I love the fashion arguments. Thank you Simon, Ryan and Randy for telling us how a woman should dress.

Alexandrea (I refuse to put that little accent on her name) - If You Leave Me Now, Chicago. What is the deal with her outfit? Is she going on a hike after the show? OK, I’m bored by this performance. She has a good voice, but the arrangement almost put me to sleep. The ending was nice. She was much better last week.

Kady - Magic Man, Heart. Sorry, dear, but you sing opera better than you sing Heart. It just sounded all out of tune to me. Plus, she always has a miserable look on her face, like, “how can you talk to me like that??”

Asia’h - All By Myself, Eric Carmen. She missed out on the first big note, which was so sad. She did hit some good notes in there, but overall, it wasn’t as good as it could have been. Laura, “Remember when Laytoya London did this better?” In response to Simon, I don’t consider this a diva song, because I’ve never actually heard the Celine Dion version, and since this is 70’s night anyway, it’s really the Eric Carmen version we should be considering, right?

Who’s going home? I just don’t know. Some of them are so interchangeable, it’s still hard to remember which one is which. If it was my call, I’d lose Amanda and Kady. Or maybe two of the other ones.

I lived through the 70’s. It was the psychedelic age, right? I’m pretty sure there was some good music somewhere in that entire decade. Well the guys didn’t find it. Didn’t American Idol used to be more exciting?

One positive note, Ryan looks really nice tonight. That may actually be the only positive.

Oh, my goodness, color me surprised, but both Michael Johns and David Archuleta are in the pimps spots, first place and last place, just like last week. Interesting.

So let’s see what these guys have for us on 70’s night.

Michael - Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac. The song sounded like it wasn’t in the right key for him at all. Maybe he should have stuck with another Doors song. There was a barely a note in tune. Yuck. I was giving him this week to win me over and really, he just repelled me. Randy “kinda liked” that? Why? It was definitely his weakest performance. Thank you, Simon. He is just so pimped and I don’t know why. He is neither that good nor that cute. At least David Archuleta is both cute and good, even if the pimping is annoying.

Jason C. - I Want To Be Your Everything - Andy Gibb. He’s so endearing. This wasn’t as good as last week, but he’s still adorable. It was a little dull, like been here, heard that, but I think he sounded better than Michael. At least he was in tune. The judges, however, really slapped him around and I don’t get that. I guess only the pimped get a pass. I do agree that he should lose the guitar next week. I did like his silly video. He’s definitely a real person.

Luke - Killer Queen - Queen. He was super boring last week. This was better, but not blowing me away. I mean, if you are gonna take on Freddie, you’d better be amazing. He’s still hot, though. Maybe that will win him another week. My husband thought he was the best so far, so maybe I’m not hearing something.

I just checked with my mom, who called me. She said that she doesn’t know any of these songs (I think she’s just blocked out the 70’s), but Jason was the best so far because at least something about him touches you.

Robbie - Hotblooded - Foreigner. This is one my favorite groups. He didn’t do this song justice. Aside from being flat and a bit off sounding, he didn’t really give it anything original at all. My advice to Robbie is stop trying to prove you’re a rocker and just sing. The judges seem to agree with me, which makes me happy. Well, except for Paula, and she just wants to make everybody happy.

Danny - Superstar - The Carpenters. I was waiting for him to kick it in on the chorus, which he didn’t. But overall, he had one of the best vocals of the night. He was all in tune and everything. Just a little dull. Which is sorta the theme for this week so far so I guess that’s OK.

Can I just thank God that we’re already half way through this torture?

David H. - Papa Was Rolling Stone - The Temptations. Definitely the best of the night so far. He actually sang the song, it was a good song, and it had something going on. Good for David. He needed this and might actually make the Top 12.

My mom just called me again. She said, now that’s what I’m talking about.

Jason Y. - Long Train Running - Doobie Brothers. He had OK vocals, but he’s just so white bread. I want to like him, cause he’s adorable. But, um, dull. He did almost look like he was gonna cry when he was talking to Ryan. Poor thing. I doubt he’s getting another chance.

Chikezie - I Believe- Donny Hathaway. Do I know this song? I can’t get over the weird short teeth and gum thing he’s got going on. Oh right, he’s singing. I think he’s doing pretty well. Much better than last week. It was a little weak on the last note, but up against these guys tonight, he sounded amazing. The judges definitely liked him. He keeps messing with Simon, too, which is a real problem for me. I think he can’t help himself.

David C. - Alright Now - Free. He’s not half bad. I thought this was a good version of the song, and he did great on the guitar. I know Laura hates him, but she’s not here tonight, so I can speak freely. It was a good song choice for his voice. The judges may be pimping him a little with their effusive praise, but he was still good for all that. Just, please don’t talk back to Simon.

David A. - Imagine - John Lennon. As for your thing no one knows about you, I’m sorry, David, but everybody knows you sang for Kelly Clarkson. Haven’t you been checking the Internet at all? I’m having a hard time getting past his sucky breaths and the total pimping by the judges. But again, I have to admit that he did a great job. It was a good arrangement, and his vocals were spot on. He’s the winner already, isn’t he? At least Randy didn’t remind us that he was 17 again. Well, he did say young, but at least he didn’t say 17. For a minute, I thought Paula was gonna want to dangle him from someplace else, but she was way too lucid tonight for that, unfortunately. Could they praise this kid more? I think I’d like him better if they didn’t like him so much.

My mom called yet again. In case you’re wondering (although you’re probably not) she lives in the same house with us and is just calling from downstairs. She was too lazy to come upstairs and watch with us. Her final comment, “They can cancel all the rest of the shows, David just won.”

If I’m getting rid of two people, I can lose Luke and Jason Y. Were they the worst? Hard to say since no one blew us away.

And what was with that strange thumb to his head move that Simon kept doing all night, with his fingers up in the air. Was he calling them all losers?? Was he about to say “na, na, na, na, na?”

I’m assuming that the girls will be spinning the disco divas. Maybe they will be awesome. *sigh*

Back To You is back tonight. It starts off a couple of new eps at 9:30 pm ET on Fox, immediately following American Idol. The same exact scenario repeats tomorrow night. I’m happy about this, because even though it wasn’t my fav new sitcom of last season, at least its new.

Another sitcom coming back tonight with a new ep is Carpoolers. It’s on ABC and will air opposite the new ep of Back To You, which poses a slight problem anyone who wants to watch both. Thankfully, the world has DVRs. There’s another new ep of Carpoolers next Tuesday as well.

I see that the premiere of the mid-season sitcom, Unhitched is going to be this Sunday, March 2, at 9:30 pm ET on Fox, as well. So even more newness.

Somehow I missed the fact that Welcome to the Captain, which airs on CBS on Monday nights at 8:30 pm ET has been on the air since February 4. I blame my husband. I mostly I just forgot cause I’ve been forcing myself to watch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. But I’ll catch it online here.

Although it’s not a sitcom, I have been looking forward to the premiere of New Amsterdam, and now I don’t have long to wait. It airs next Tuesday, March 4 at 9 pm ET on Fox also following American Idol, so apparently The Powers That Be at Fox want it to do well as much as I want it to be good. I guess we’ll both see.

At least we’re being saved from all the repeats and reality shows.

The results for the first week of voting on American Idol are in. I sat here all day hoping that only bad people would leave and that only good people would stay. But then something happened. First, I read this review of the girls at ew.com by Chris Sligh, and I saw that Jon Peter Lewis was going to do a review next week. When I mentioned that to a friend of mine, she started reminiscing about the good old days of George Huff and JPL, of Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia, of Constantine and Bo Bice, of Ruben and Clay, years when we had outstanding people from day one, people that we loved right away, and then I cried. I cried because I realized that the only way that only good people could stay is if we got rid of at least two-thirds of the people who are here now, and even that’s a stretch. But maybe they’ll get better with time. Maybe.

And no matter how many times Ryan and the judges say that these are the best ever contestants, it still won’t be true. Or even close to true. Or even relevant. (Ha! I said the R word)

Also, I wish they would stop trying to justify this group of second-chance has-beens by saying all contestants are created equal. At this point I’m not sure I even care anymore that they all had recording deals or whatever before. It’s certainly not making them sound any better.

Can I also say that I’m already tired of all the Daughtry music? Haven’t any other non-winners put out albums? Can’t we hear some of their music?

As for the big group sing, who picked that song for the guys? Needles and Pins used to be one of my favorite songs. Actually, the entire thing was kinda painful. Honestly, the only person whose voice I could pick out that sounded even remotely good was David Hernandez. That probably means that he’ll be gone soon.

On to the eliminations: Right off the top, we get a goodbye to Garrett, as it should be. He needed to leave. But I almost felt sorry for him having to sing right then. Then I realized that singing a song with the word “leaving” in it should have been a dead giveaway.

Kristy Lee is safe - the flu was good to her after all. No surprise that we are saying bye-bye to Amy. She was definitely the worst one. Who will VFTW be voting for now? Can I just say that being voted off didn’t help her singing at all?

Back on the show, we take a break from the eliminations to give some props to Paula and Randy. Funnily enough, I just mentioned this song to my husband when the show was starting and he had never seen it. Apparently, even though we DVRd the Super Bowl, he didn’t watch half time. So I looked it up on You Tube and we had just watched Paula’s performance during the first commercial break. Weird.

Next on the stage - Joanne and Amanda. It’s got to Joanne, right? Right? I would have been amazed if it had been Amanda, after all the hype. But I’ve seen stranger things happen on this show. The Joanne sings, and she still sounds pretty bad, so it was the right choice.

Either Chikezie or Colton? I’m good with either one. No wait, I’m a little sad, actually, cause I just realized that I liked Colton better than Chikezie.

So the two models are gone. And did anyone else realize that both Joanne and Colton were in the last two picks for the Top 24? What does that mean, I wonder. Would Kyle have made it further, I wonder? Or whoever that other chick was that Joanne beat out? Interesting.

Oh, and one final question. This one is for Simon. So, you don’t think Colton has a career in singing? Yet you put him in the Top 24 - supposedly the best of the best in America in this season of the best ever contestants? What’s that about? Maybe its reverse psychology. Don’t worry about it Colton, its possible he just wants you to go out there and prove him wrong. So see, he was being nice.

So I’m gonna try to do the same thing for the Top 12 Girls on American Idol as I did for the guys. Probably the worst thing about the night is that some of the the girls were so bad, they almost made the guys look good. I didn’t think that was possible.

I do have a couple of questions after watching that I’d like to clear up upfront. Like besides Kristy Lee and Carly, both of whom have been overly pimped, who else was sick? Why didn’t they give anyone else that same pass? Just wondering.

I’m also wondering, why are there so many female country singers this year? I loathe country music. Loathe it. No, I’m not sure you understand. I’d nuke all the country music in the world, if only it would stop idiots from trying to sing with that nasally twang that gets on my nerves and makes me feel murderous. That kind of loathing.

Oh, and also, why does Simon keep harping on the 60’s music? Um, someone picked this to be 60’s week, and maybe he doesn’t realize this, but they kinda don’t have any choice.

So, on to the chicks. As I explained with the guys, I’ll list the chick, her song, and my impressions as she sang:

Kristy Lee Cook - Rescue Me - She took a relatively upbeat and exciting song and made it dull. I don’t know how long that song was, but it felt like it was about two minutes too long. Maybe three minutes. I kept waiting for it get fun, but it never did. Very dull. Will someone rescue me? Please! Plus, I don’t care if she’s sick. I once sang a song for a Christmas musical with a hemorrhage on my vocal cord and it sounded better than that.

Joanne Borgella - Say a Little Prayer - She also sounded a little sick. It started out weak, but it picked up a but towards the end. She was OK, but not great. I wanted her to be better. Plus, she almost seems as delirious as Paula.

Alaina Whitaker - More Today Than Yesterday - So much better than Chikezie’s version yesterday. She did start out a little rough, but she was much better than the first two. I’ll at least give her props for that. As stated, I’m not a fan of country singers, but she was pretty good.

Amanda Overmyer - Baby Please Don’t Go - (You know this song is really from the 1930’s, right? Of course it was covered by lots of people, many of them from the ’60s, so I guess that counts.) As for how she sang, I could barely understand one word, but I thought the band was awesome. Amanda definitely had way more energy than anyone else so far, male or female. Mumbly singing aside, I really liked her. I think she knows who she is, and she’s not afraid of being herself.

Amy Davis - Where the Boys Are - Here’s another one in the Top 24 that I’ve never seen before. Ooh, and lucky us, another country singer. Beside all that, this was a bad, bad, bad song choice. And why was the crowd doing the wave?? Sorry, but she has to go home. Lucky dog or not. She was almost painful to listen to.

Brooke White - So Happy Together - I kinda think David Cook’s version was more fun. But she did a good job and she seemed really comfortable. I like her. I didn’t like the ba-ba-ba’s at the end though. She wasn’t as strong as she should have been for the first week.

Alexandrea Lushington - Spinning Wheel - She’s the chick that David “Annoying” Archuleta beat out in Star Search. Great song. But not what I would have chosen for her voice. I didn’t like the weird up and down stuff she did either. There was just something I didn’t like about her whole performance, but she still made it interesting. My husband thought she was really great, so maybe Simon and I just didn’t hear the same thing as everyone else. Plus, I hate the attitude. Too bad if Ryan said your name a little wrong, Alex And Drea. Don’t correct my Ryan in front of 30 million people.

Kady Maloy - Groovy Kind of Love - Another 80’s Phil Collins version, but apparently that’s acceptable. She started out OK, but she’s boring and missing lots of notes. And, its unfortunate, cause I think those notes were more important than she thought they were. Plus, I’m really sick of all these little country singing chicks.

I just want to take a moment here to thank Ryan for pointing out to the judges that they are the people who presented us with this Top 24. If these people aren’t good enough to be here at this point, it’s not our fault.

Asia’h Epperson - Take Another Piece of My Heart - I’m tired of hearing about her dad. I’m sorry and everything, but I just don’t want to hear about it every week. That being said, it was not a song I would have picked for her voice, but it worked surprisingly well. She was absolutely the best so far. So good on her.

Ramiele Malubay - You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me - She wasn’t exactly boring, but she wasn’t as exciting as I wanted her to be either. I kept waiting for the song to kick in and it never quite did. Also, I hated her outfit. What was that? Anyway, she does have a big voice for such a little girl. I just thought she was much better during Hollywood week, but I think she’ll stick around, so maybe we’ll get to see her do something better soon.

Syesha Mercado - Tobacco Road - No one’s mentioned of her Ford commercial, but maybe that’s not considered too important. I mean she is an actress, after all. One of the best song choices of the night. Lively and fun and even a little exciting. Her vocals sounded incredible, especially after all the other crap we’ve heard. Plus, you gotta respect the glory note. The judges didn’t love it as much as I thought they would, so obviously she’s not one of the chosen for this year.

Carly Smithson - The Shadow of Your Smile - I used to sing this song when I was about 2 years old. It’s got to pre-date the 60’s. But whatever. She did a pretty good job. I expected that, cause she’s a professional recording artist. She should do a great job, actually, not just good. Plus, she got the pimp spot. Again, I say, whatever.

Turns out, I have a couple more questions. What ever happened to this being the show where undiscovered talent is discovered? Why are all of these people already professional singers and actors? *sigh*

As for figuring out who will and/or should go home, that’s a little harder, since only about 6 of them deserve to stay after those dismal performances. I guess I’ll just put them into categories, like They’ll Do, That Was OK, and Why Aren’t They Gone Yet:

Acceptable - Amanda, Asia’h, Syesha, Carly
Not Bad - Joanne, Brooke, Alaina
Just Mediocre - Alexandrea, Ramiele
Go Home - Kristy Lee, Amy (although she has VFTW on her side), Kady

So Ryan says this year’s Top 24 on American Idol is “considered the best yet?” Maybe that’s because none of them is really an amateur. Randy saw more originality in these guys? He also saw more people who already had recording contracts. Simon says they need to sing well. Oh, really? Why? Is this a singing competition? Ryan said Randy, Paula and Simon did a good job of picking contestants this year. How does that work exactly, did they get a call from each of these guy’s agents to set up the audition? Or is there just a way they can just pay someone to get on this show now? Apparently, this is the season of the second chance.

So here I go. I’m gonna list each person, the song they sang and what I was thinking while they sang it.

David Hernandez - Midnight Hour - He definitely makes a song over as his own, but it was just a bit boring. He also seemed to mess up the end a bit. But overall, I liked him. Except for the dirty shirt. What was that all about?

Chikezie (Now missing his last name) - I Love You More Today - He started out too low, but he picked it up in the middle. It was just OK for me. I think he could have done something much better for his first song. And, please, don’t argue with Simon. It’s never a a good idea. It’s been nice knowing you.

And when did they say this was 60’s night? They never did theme nights for the Top 24 before, did they?

David Cook - So Happy Together - I like the song, but he was trying too hard. He did a little Constantine (eyes in the camera), a little Daughtry (carrying the mic stand around), but he’s neither of them. Also, his voice was a bit rough for me. The judges liked it way more than I did. Although, granted, its hard for me to like him at all with my friend Laura sitting next to me smacking me in the arm and yelling about how much he sucks.

Jason Yeager - Moon River - I’ve never seen this guy before in my life. How old is he? How old is his kid?? - Yes, you can achieve your dreams. Yes, you can dye a small section of the front of your hair blond for no apparent reason. Anyway, he’s very Disney. His voice is nice and smooth, and he sounds like he just stepped out of the 40’s more than the 60’s. Not really a pop sounding voice, but very nice. Plus, he’s a little cutie. Not hot or anything, but cute. The more you look at him, the cuter he gets.

Robbie Carrico - One Is the Loneliest Number - Lose the head rag, dude. Also, you dance badly, so stop trying to move around. Your voice is OK, but nothing too exciting for me. Nothing rock about it either, no matter what the judges say.

David Archuleta - Shop Around - Not my favorite song. And technically, he was doing the 80’s version by Phil Collins. But as much as I don’t want to like this kid, I can’t find anything bad to say about his performance. He sang well, his vocals were spot on, and he was full of life and personality. I’m already getting annoyed by him.

Danny Noriega - Jailhouse Rock - Great song choice. I love Elvis. This kid is no Elvis. However, I was hoping he’d be this year’s Sanjaya, and its unfortunate, but I think he’s too good for that. He’s also pretty obnoxious, but not in as an annoying a way as David Archuleta.

Luke Menard - Everybody’s Talking - Bad song choice, buddy. We haven’t heard you sing one note until tonight and this was not the way to get our attention. Boring and not strong vocals. But he is a hottie so maybe that will keep him around for a week or two.

Colton Berry - Suspicious Minds - More Elvis, but not one of my fav songs. It’s an old, sad, fat Elvis song, not a young, cute, fun Elvis song. His voice is nice, but I thought the song was bigger than he was. Nice camera/eye work.

Garrett Haley - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - He sounds like a girl. Sorry, he just does. He does have a very pop singer sound. Maybe he’s even cute under all that hair. He was OK, his voice was smooth and he was in tune. I’m not impressed, but I think there are a lot of little girls out there with cell phones who will be.

Jason Castro - What a Day for a Daydream - I hate the hair. But good song choice. although he did mess up the words. I was surprised no one called him on it. But it looked like he was having fun and he did make the song sound new. He was a lot better than I thought he was gonna be. I was worried when he started out with the guitar, but I guess he pulled it off.

Michael Johns - Light My Fire - In the pimp spot. I hate this guy cause he’s making me like him. I was prepared not to like him cause he’s been so pimped. Overall, I thought it was a little shouty, but he picked a great song and he did a good job. Darn him.

Overall, I didn’t really like anyone all that much. But if I’m picking only two to go home, I’d say Garrett Haley cause he wasn’t that good and Chikezie cause he argued with Simon. It could also be Luke Menard, he is a hottie, but that might not be enough. None of this takes in account for the little girls with cell phones voting though, so it could be anyone’s guess.

Oh, and did anyone else notice that Carly Smithson was no where to be seen last night? What was that all about?

Well, here they are, the American Idol Top 24:

I had to pull this pic off the AI site, since I couldn’t find one anywhere else. I wish it was better. I did find several Top 24 pics from other seasons. I debated whether or not I could just get away with putting one of those pics up and pretending it was this year’s crop, since these people are all starting to seem interchangable anyway.

Girls
Alaina Whitaker
Alexandrea Lushington
Amanda Overmyer
Amy Davis
Asia’h Epperson
Brooke White
Carly Smithson
Joanne Borgella
Kady Malloy
Kristy Lee Cook
Ramiele Malubay
Syesha Mercado

Boys
Chikezie
Colton Berry
Danny Noriega
David Archuleta
David Cook
David Hernandez
Garrett Haley
Jason Castro
Jason Yaeger
Luke Menard
Michael Johns
Robbie Carrico

So, I wrote out all the names and I keep looking at all the faces on the AI site. I just don’t know who these people are. I was trying to think of who should be Top 12 and I just don’t know. I mean there are some we’ve never even heard sing before. But I keep thinking, from all that I’ve read about this season’s crop, that singing is the last consideration. It appears that most of these guys have had some experience, in singing, or acting or whatever. Several already had recording contracts and they went belly up. So, tell me again, how does that equate with finding undiscovered talent again?

There’s not anyone that I even like all that much. Honestly, I’m not even sure that I care that much.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love this show. Its like my friend Laura said, American Idol is like an abusive boyfriend. No matter what they do to us, we keep coming back. Oh, I will keep coming back. At least until they beat me to such a bloody pulp that my other friends do an intervention and bring me to the safe house. They did actually try an intervention once, as I recall, but I wasn’t ready.

I guess I’m still not ready. Cause here I sit, watching this show, week after week, reading up on everything I can, and generally giving in to the whole abusive relationship thing.

Oh, one last question. What happened to Chikezie’s last name? And why is there always at least one person each year who thinks it’s a good idea to have only one name? Can you say “stuck in the 80’s”? I guess that was three last questions.

I was enjoying the new eps of House and I’m gonna miss it until it comes back. I hear there are four more new eps to be shot that will air in April/May. (Meaning one or the other, or both, I wonder.) I’m not as happy with House this season overall, though. I don’t really like all these new people nearly as much as I liked the old people. And, as I believe I’ve mentioned before, I miss Chase. It seems to me that we see less of him in each ep than we do of Cameron and Foreman. It doesn’t seem fair that the one person who walked away is the one we see the most.

In any case, I still don’t trust Amber. Maybe House thinks she’s changed, but I’m not sure. Of course, he’s pretty smart, but its not like he’s never been wrong. I don’t like her with Wilson either. He’s too nice. Well, I guess he’s not really nice, he just seem nice cause he looks so innocent and young. I just don’t see their personalities being a match. And don’t give me all that she’s just like House crap, cause that’s really not true. She’s not that much like House. The thing that seems to be the greatest link between House and Wilson is their sense of humor. Does Amber even have a sense of humor? Other than the fact that she’s very self-serving and doesn’t care too much about others, what makes her like House? And what links her to Wilson? I’d rather see him dating Thirteen. What is her name again? Although maybe I wouldn’t like that either. I don’t know, there’s got to be someone out there for Wilson that’s more better than Amber.

I had an entire blog all set to go after Tuesday’s American Idol, but I never got around to posting it. After Wednesday night, much of what I said is probably pointless. But I’m gonna post it here anyway, along with my thoughts after Wednesday’s show.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at approximately 10:30 pm
Maybe we were too excited about Hollywood week. No, it was good. Certainly much better than what we’ve been subjected to so far.

I think I liked the format this year, cause the group stuff was always just caused lots of conflict and didn’t really prove anything. Although, conflict is what makes this show go around, so maybe they did need it. No more dividing into rooms either. I liked having to try to guess which rooms were going home. Oh, well. And why get it down to 50 before cutting to the Top 24? I mean why not 48 or 72?

I still don’t really have anyone that I just love, love, love. And I don’t recall seeing some of the people I wanted to see, like the baggie with nail clippings guy (or do I just not recognize him without his clippings?) and, I think his name was Jarod or Jaron or something like that, the dred-lock guy from one of the very first days of auditions. Were they there?

As much as I like little Brit-wannabe Josiah, he’s much too weepy. Maybe he should crawl back into his car to get some sleep or something. I also like that like 16 year old, David something, but he’s being so pimped, it makes me want to vomit. I mean is he really that good? Sure, he’s young, he’s good looking, he’s likable and he has a great voice, but what does all that really mean?

And poor Kyle. They are just setting this kid up to be the next Chicken Little. Do they really think he’ll be in the Top 10? I thought the migraine man - Joey? - was at least as good as he was, but he got axed. I was disappointed with my Jeffrey Lampkin. Forgetting the words is not good. Plus, sad vocals. *sigh* I was, however, sooooo glad to get rid of the annoying abstinence chick, Amy. She was shaping up to be Mikayla Gordon and Antonella Barba all rolled into one.

Syesha was also just OK in my book, but the judges seemed to like her. I guess you need at least one soul singer to make the Top 5, even though no one really knows who they are and why they are there. And clearly no one told her that whispering is worse for her voice than just talking. And poor little Miss Florida Fair or whatever. Why can’t people just give her a fair chance??!! Puh-lease.

And what’s up with an Australian guy and an Irish chick making it through, isn’t this American Idol? And, of course, we all know that if it hadn’t been for Constantine Maroulis no one would be singing songs like Bo Rhap on AI, right? I mean, as much Constantine gets lots of flack for being a jerk, he really did open some doors on that show. And what happened to the Latin lover? And the girl-guy?

Trying to decide who I think will make the top 24: Guys - Farmer Boy, David, Kyle, Autralian, the girl/guy - Danny?, that guy who sang so well in the gray sweater - he made Love the One Your With his own - another David, I think; David Cook - their pick for guy rocker - although my friend Laura hates him cause they referred to him in the same breath as Daughtry - but I think he’s OK; Girls: Rocker nurse, Irish chick, Syesha, Carly Simon girl, the Asian girl, that other blond girl - Kristy Lee.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at approximately 9:15 pm
Well, I was right about a few of them. And kinda glad about the ones I was wrong about. Although, I’m not sure I know half of the people who made the Top 24, but hopefully this will be a good year anyway.

Here’s the top 24 list, straight from American Idol. Also, here’s a funny and nasty blog from Vote For The Worst.

American Idol is heading into Hollywood week, finally. So this week, we have two hours on Tuesday and one hour on Wednesday. Then next week we start the Top 24 eliminations with two hours on Tuesday for the Top 12 boys and two hours on Wednesday for the top 12 girls. Finally, we also get an hour on Thursday for the first four eliminations.

I’m happy about that, cause I was pretty tired of the initial auditions. Especially since no one was too good. No one was really that bad either. Don’t get me wrong, there were some really sucky people who auditioned, but there was no William Hung, if you get my drift. Well, there was the guy in the white winged costume who sang his own song about being brothers. I guess he was almost like William Hung. Except that I don’t know his name. Does anyone? I mean I’m sure any one of us could go look him up somewhere, but you didn’t have to look up William Hung, he was everywhere and everyone knew his name by the next day.

As I’ve already pointed out, I barely remember the names of any of the people who were good, never mind the ones that weren’t.

I do, however, have high hopes for Hollywood week. I really, really do. I keep thinking that maybe the reason we didn’t get to see too many good singers during the auditions is that they want to wow us this week with how awesome the good people are going to be. Call me the eternal optimist, but I believe that American Idol can still turn out to be good this year. I honestly do.

OK. Fine, I did go look up the white winged brother guy. His name is Reynaldo Lapuz, and just to memorialize the end of the auditions, here he is:

Now that the absolute end of the strike is in sight (yay!!!), here’s some news about when shows are gonna be back on the air. I love Michael Ausiello, don’t you? He always has all the answers.

So I checked out his list for all the shows I’m watching, and I was interested to see that some shows still have pre-strike episodes that haven’t aired yet. Somehow, I thought everything that was out there had already aired, with the exception of those few shows that are presently airing new eps, like Lost, Smallville, Supernatural and whatever else there is . . . they know who they are. For instance, I didn’t realize that there are still eps of Back To You and Bones that haven’t aired. So that’s fun. Hopefully, those will air before Spring.

It was sad to see that both Chuck and Moonlight are not going to be back until Fall. I love those shows. Along with Big Bang Theory, they were my favorite new shows of the past season. At least Big Bang will be back by April or May. I guess it gives me something I can look forward to. I have some questions about those shows, though. When will the first season DVDs come out? And when they do, will it be just these few episodes? I mean, they won’t hold off on putting out the DVDs until after new episodes air next Fall, will they?

Well, the exciting news is some of the shows we’ve come to know and love will be back soon. And right now I’m busy pretty much every night of the week watching American Idol anyway.

I found the DVDs for the first season of Mork & Mindy at the library. I remember when this show came out, I must have been in like 7th or 8th grade. I had forgotten, however, that it was a spin-off from Happy Days.

The first couple of eps dealt with Mork coming to earth and showed a “flashback” of him meeting up with Fonzie, who sets him up with Laverne from Laverne & Shirley. I’m putting the term flashbacks in quotes, because that never actually happened on Happy Days, they just made it up for this ep of Mork & Mindy.

It’s pretty confusing, actually, although I don’t remember it being so at the time. The time line is like this: Mork’s first appearance, on Happy Days, was in the episode My Favorite Orkan, which aired on 2/28/78. They ended that ep as though Mork’s visit was all a dream. Once they announced Mork & Mindy for the fall schedule, they added another scene to that ep of Happy Days, which showed in the repeats, where Mork talks to Orson and tell him he made them all forget he was ever there and he is headed off to his mission in 1978.

The pilot ep of Mork & Mindy, with the Fonzie/Laverne flashback, aired on 9/14/78. In that episode, Mork tells Mindy he has been on earth before, and shows the “flashback” of his second visit to earth in the 1950’s.

In reality, the second time Mork is on Happy Days is the episode Mork Returns, which aired on 3/6/79, after the start of Mork & Mindy. In that episode, he actually goes back to see Richie, to talk to him about the problems he’s having adjusting to life in 1979 with Mindy.

Possibly the purpose of the fake flashback was to have both Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and Laverne (Penny Marshall) on this new show filled with pretty much unknown actors (Robin Williams and Pam Dawber) so that people would watch it. And, of course, Mork & Mindy was created by Garry Marshall, Penny’s brother and the creator of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley.

In any case, Robin Williams is amazingly funny. I think I’d forgotten that. The DVDs are worth watching, just to see him act in his crazy way. Granted, Pam Dawber’s character was a little over the top, but it’s not that annoying.

American Idol seems a little flat this year. Or is it just me? So far, I haven’t really seen too many people that I care about that much. There’s not been that one person who I saw and I was like, yeah! that’s who I’m gonna pay attention to this year. That’s the person, I’m gonna watch for on Hollywood week. That’s who I want to see on the concert. That person should win.

Honestly, I can barely remember anyone at this point who is going to Hollywood. Well, I do remember Jeffrey and his sister, Michelle, but he was pretty large and in charge. I mean, he made an impression.

I just watched Wednesday night’s show a few minutes ago, as I write this, and I really don’t remember who they put through. Oh, I remember the Dolly Parton chick, cause I had to go look up some Dolly songs myself. Just cause. And personally, if it were me, I’d have sung I Will Always Love You. But that’s just me. Also, she wasn’t too hot, in my opinion, and I doubt she’ll survive Hollywood week.

In years gone past, I can remember the first time I saw people like Carrie Underwood, George Huff, Constantine Maroulis, Chris Sligh, Sanjaya Malakar and others at their first auditions. I actually remember thinking I liked Carrie’s voice from the commercial before they actually showed the ep with her audition. And I’m not even a Carrie fan. The point is, I saw these people at their first audition and knew they were someone to watch. I haven’t seen anyone like that this year.

Disagree with me if you will, but the very fact that I can’t really remember these people speaks for itself as far as I’m concerned. If this is the best season of American Idol ever, where are the stars?

Hallelujah!!!! It looks like the writers strike is almost over. At least I keep reading that something can happen this week. Here’s a link to the Ausiello report with his take on what looks like the end of the strike. Is it possible? Can this really be happening? Its like perfect timing. I mean, the holidays are finally and really over, they are just throwing out their last couple of new eps that were on the stockpile, and now, voila, new eps. Well, not that soon, but probably within a few more weeks, things will be back to normal.

I understand that most of the shows that were new last season, won’t return until Fall, but some of them might. I guess it just depends on what eps they had in the hopper and at what stage they were in when everyone walked out of the party.

I just hope its true. And I hope that all the of the stuff I’ve been reading about fall out from the strike is just lawyer babble. I mean, if we all went through this, and then the writers still end up the with short end of the stick, I’m gonna be unhappy. I’m just saying.

It seems like everyone wants this all wrapped up before the Oscars. At least, according to this article. Personally, I never watch awards shows cause I just don’t care. But apparently, it’s a big enough deal that they hope to have it all worked out. And can I just say that if Michael Moore is starting the penny drive, as much as I want to support the writers, I’m not taking part. He’s completely and entirely creepy, I can’t stand him, and the mere thought that we might be on the same side over an issue makes me absolutely sick to my stomach.

I just hope its really over.